Tubes vs. pans Both ranges of water colour are available in tubes and pans. Pan colour can be easier to use because it is less inhibiting and easier to control the strength of colour. Pan boxes are ideal for travelling, as many different colours can fit into a small box. Tubes are more popular overall, used by regular painters or those who use high volumes of colour. Tube colours make stronger washes much more quickly than pan colours.
Most artists like to be sure that their colours are permanent.
Fortunately, the 20th century has seen enormous improvements in the lightfastness of colours. Permanence ratings are on the product labels and our colour charts. Transparency Water colour is a transparent technique because all the colours are applied so thinly. However, the inherent differences in pigments do still show in painting. Cadmiums for example, are still relatively opaque even in water colour.