Opus Art Supplies

Opus Essential Watercolours

Opus Essential Watercolours

Opus Art Supplies

Opus Essential Watercolours

Select from 60 colours

Rich colour, extraordinary value.

Now available in 8 ml tubes and with 9 new colours!

The newest addition to our paint line, Opus Essential Watercolours offer intense permanent pigments that have the highest tinting strength and pigment concentration available, at an outstanding value.

Formulated to meet professional quality standards, our watercolours are made in small batches in North America and feature high concentrations of permanent, intense, and reliable colour. Lightfast and finely-milled pigments allow you to paint with confidence, knowing you'll achieve the vibrancy and permanence with every stroke.

Mixed in a base of natural gum arabic, these paints offer a wonderfully soft and creamy texture with smooth and easy dispersion in water. Use them at full strength, or thin with water, gum arabic, or other watercolour mediums without the addition of ox gall.

These watercolours are perfect both for painting in the studio and out on plein air adventures. They move across the page beautifully with a brush and make a welcome addition to your palette, mixing beautifully with other brands of watercolour.

We invite you to compare the performance of your preferred brand with Opus Essential Watercolours. Experience their outstanding pigment load, professional performance, and excellent price per millilitre. Make Opus Essential Watercolours your watercolour of choice!

  • Lightfast colours
  • Finely milled pigments
  • Formulated without ox gall
  • Soft, creamy consistency
  • Permanent, intense pigments
  • Matt to semi-gloss when dry
  • Available in 8 ml and 15 ml tubes, and a set of 6
  • 56 colours
Select Colour group
Red
Brown
Blue
White
Orange
Yellow
Grey
Purple
Green
Black
Pink
All
Select Colour

Customer Reviews

Based on 7 reviews
86%
(6)
14%
(1)
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M
Megan H.
Water colours that can do the job

These water colors are true to the sample marks in the store and last. Rehydrates well, good pigmentation. If your looking for a decent water colour you’ve found it!

A
Agnes S.

Sorry , but I am not a painter,so have no judgement. Agnes.

M
Marion W.
Opus watercolors

Good mid grade, similar to Cotman watercolors.

M
Mariah R.
One of my favourite professional watercolour brands!

I've tried and appreciated many mainstream professional-level watercolours (including M. Graham, Daniel Smith, Windsor & Newton, White Nights, Qor, Sennelier, and Holbein), but at the end of the day I find myself most enjoying Opus Essentials. I absolutely love these paints. Their rich creamy colours feel very similar to Holbein, but there's just that little extra special quality that sets Opus watercolours apart (Canadian, perhaps?). Whenever I make an Opus order I like to include at least one new Opus watercolour tube, with the dream of one day having the full colour collection.

B
Bill M.

Opus Essential Watercolour