# In general, how long do your half pans last you?



## clemency (26 d ago)

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and I'm looking forward to learning and sharing! That said, I'm new to watercolors and I'm curious as to how long your paint lasts you. Not in a "expiration date" sort of way, more like... Assuming that you paint/practice/swatch/sketch at least a couple of times a week on A4 to A5 sized paper, how long before it's time to top up those pans or outright replace them? I ask because I'm curious what sort of financial investment I'm about to incur lol. Thanks for any input!

ps- For to mention that I'm starting from pan sets but plan on moving to tubes once at some point (I'm assuming it's more economical).


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## Mullanphy (Apr 25, 2020)

A4 paper is equivalent to US letter size paper. about 8 1/2" X 11". How long a half pan will last depends upon how the paint is used. 

Light washes will probably cover a dozen, or even dozens of, paper that size. 
Heavier washes or applying the paint as thickly as possible will reduce what a half pan covers to one or two sheets, or even less. 
Painting on watercolor paper will extend the life of the pan when compared to painting on a more absorbent type paper such as copy paper, sketching papers, or any paper not designed for wet media. Even many "wet media" papers absorb more than watercolor paper.

Yup, tubes are much more economical than pans/half pans.

As an aside and covering the "expiration date" issue, I have several sets of half pans from cheap student grade all the way up to high quality artist grade watercolors. The pans will dry out if unused for several weeks or months, but can always be reactivated with a drop or two of water. I've a number of pans that have been siting around for more than 20 years and can be ready to use in just moments. What's especially good about them is that, when empty, they can be refilled from tubes.


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