When I selected the 12 colors for my custom watercolor set, I swatched out 244 colors from a company in Korea. I narrowed it down to about 50 obvious choices, and then played with the colors for a few months. After a while, I was able to pull certain winners out. I selected colors based on transparency, vibrancy, and mix-ability.

These colors are lightfast, blendable, and don’t become chalky or dull when they dry. They layer well and don’t tend to get too muddy.

When I finally selected my 12, I worked with them exclusively for a few more months to make sure I liked how they behaved. And I did, and I do. I wanted to make sure that not only were they beautiful on their own, but that they were also beautiful in mixes. I wanted maximum versatility.

Colors described are from top right and then clockwise.

Opera pink: This is as close to a neon pink that you can find in watercolor. It makes a gorgeous orange or a gorgeous purple when mixed and is extremely versatile for such a “hot” color.

Reddish Coral: I have found it very difficult to find a true red that I enjoy in watercolor. Many times, classic red shades become quite muted or even muddy when they dry. This is similar to a Quinacridone because it trends just a tad towards the orange side of the spectrum, but still mixes well with the blues.

Burnt Orange: This color is a bit more red than orange, and rounds out my red/pink spectrum

Lemon yellow: This is a clean, transparent yellow that is not muddy or hazy.

Phthalo yellow-green: This is the greenest, grassiest, spring green of a green.

Sky blue: This is one of the only colors that isn’t rated as transparent in my kit. It can get a little chalky or muddy if overworked, but the vibrant bermuda beach blue is hard to recreate in other colors.

Phthalo green (blue shade): The Phthalo colors return! Phthalo was invented in the 1920s, and I love the various types of phthalo because of the clear color notes they provide. Also I’m obsessed with teal, blue green, and turquoise in all its forms.

Ultramarine Turquoise: This is a deeper, more mature turquoise than the phthalo blue green.

Ultramarine Blue: This is a classic blue that blends an incredible purple.

Blue Jeans Blue: If your favorite blue jeans were a paint color, they would be indanthrone. This blue is a bit muted with a moody, potential murky affect.

Royal Purple: For whatever reason, there aren’t a ton of purples available, and I’m REAL picky. This one is one of the most royal, queenly purples I could find.

Twilight Maroon:  This maroon is a bonus color that I think makes an incredible trifecta with the blue jeans and the deep water turquoise.

If I HAD to, I could happily paint with JUST Opera Pink, Quinacridone coral, Lemon yellow, and Phthalo blue green shade. The color mixing potential in this quad has about everything I need.

—Josie