DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolour Set, 6 × 5ml Tubes — Travel-Friendly, Highly Pigmented

This compact Essentials set brings together six carefully chosen colours from DANIEL SMITH’s Extra Fine watercolour range so artists can mix a wide gamut of hues without buying full tubes. Each 5ml tube uses high-quality pigment and gum arabic binder, matched to the brand’s standards for lightfastness and handling. The set is designed for portability, classroom use, plein-air sketching, and for anyone who wants to sample the DANIEL SMITH palette with minimal investment.

Which six colours are included and why were they selected?

The set pairs three warm and three cool primaries to make colour mixing intuitive and versatile. These pigments allow you to mix clean secondaries, subtle neutrals, and a broad range of tints and shades for landscapes, portraits, and sketches.

• Hansa Yellow Light — a bright, transparent cool yellow for luminous mixes.
• New Gamboge — warmer yellow to shift mixes toward golden ambers.
• Quinacridone Rose — a modern, vivid magenta for clear violets and warm reds.
• Pyrrol Scarlet — strong warm red providing opacity and rich orange mixes.
• Phthalo Blue (GS) — intense cool blue for deep mixes and strong glazes.
• French Ultramarine — classic warm blue that softens mixes toward violet.

How do these paints perform for mixing and application?

DANIEL SMITH formulates each colour to maximize pigment load, permanence, and predictable handling. The 5ml tubes are milled to a grind that balances suspension and flow, so pigments rewet smoothly and mix cleanly on the palette.

• High pigment concentration for vivid colour and strong staining when needed.
• Consistent rewetting and transparency for layering and glazing techniques.
• Reliable lightfastness testing across batches for archival-minded work.

Is this set suitable for travel and plein-air painting?

Yes — the small 5ml tubes and limited but flexible palette make the set ideal for painting outdoors or carrying in a sketch kit. Tubes protect pigments in transit and reduce the chance of spills compared to pans or liquid bottles.

• Compact 5ml tubes fit easily into travel pouches and field boxes.
• Durable metal tubes resist accidental crushing and seal tightly.
• Quick setup: squeeze small amounts onto a tray or disposable palette for fast outdoor sessions.

Can beginners learn colour mixing with this Essentials set?

This selection is purposely built for learning: three warm and three cool primaries simplify exercises in complementary mixing, neutrals, and value control. Students can explore hue shifts, glazing, and tinting without the overwhelm of a larger palette.

• Balanced primaries support practical colour-mixing lessons and demonstrations.
• Small tube sizes let learners try premium pigments affordably.
• Works for exercises in washes, wet-on-wet, layering, and granulation exploration.

Who is this for: Artists who want a compact, high-quality starter palette — including students, sketchbook painters, plein-air enthusiasts, and professionals testing colours — will appreciate this DANIEL SMITH Essentials set. It’s also a strong gift for anyone serious about watercolour and curious about the brand’s larger catalogue of unique PrimaTek and luminescent pigments. Made in Seattle, Washington, the set delivers the colour performance and permanence DANIEL SMITH is known for, packaged in small tubes ideal for sampling, travel, and consistent studio use.