💧Liquid Watercolour vs Watercolour Ink: What’s the Difference?
If you’ve ever browsed the art supply shelves and found yourself puzzled by liquid watercolour and watercolour ink, you’re not alone. Both come in bottles, both look vibrant, and both promise fluid colour—but they’re not quite the same thing.
Let’s break it down using two standout products:
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✨ Schmincke Aqua Drop — a classic example of Liquid Watercolour
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✨ PEBEO Colorex Ink — a vibrant Watercolour Ink
🎨 1. The Basics: Pigment vs Dye
| Feature | Liquid Watercolour<br>(e.g. Schmincke Aqua Drop) | Watercolour Ink<br>(e.g. PEBEO Colorex) |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Pigment-based | Dye-based |
| Lightfastness | ✅ Excellent (long-lasting) | ⚠️ Low (may fade) |
| Re-wettable | ✅ Yes (can be reactivated with water) | ❌ No (stains paper permanently) |
| Look & Feel | Subtle, buildable, great for layering | Intense, flat, and bold |
| Best for | Professional painting, sketching, layering | Illustration, comics, calligraphy, bullet journaling |
🟦 Schmincke Aqua Drop: True Liquid Watercolour
This is pigment-based watercolour in liquid form—no need to activate from a pan or tube. It’s highly lightfast, fully re-wettable, and perfect for large washes or delicate linework.
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💧 Ultra-fluid and easy to blend
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🎨 Transparent, with beautiful blooming effects
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💡 Ideal for watercolourists, illustrators, fashion designers & calligraphers
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🖌 Works perfectly with refillable brush pens or fine-tipped applicators
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✨ Mixable with Schmincke Horadam watercolours
💡 Aqua Drop is a true artist-grade watercolour, just in a more convenient, liquid format.
🟠 PEBEO Colorex: Vibrant Watercolour Ink
PEBEO Colorex is dye-based watercolour ink, known for its intense colours and silky smooth finish. It’s stunning on paper—but keep in mind it’s not lightfast and can fade over time.
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💥 Bold, saturated, vivid hues
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🌈 Blends beautifully with water
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🖊️ Great for comics, manga, graphic design, calligraphy & sketchbooks
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💧 Use directly with dip pens, markers or brushes
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🔁 Easily refill Colorex brush markers using the 45ml bottle
💡 Colorex is perfect for scanned artwork or short-term pieces—the colours are eye-popping but not made to last forever on display.
✅ Quick Guide: Which Should You Choose?
| If you want… | Go with… |
|---|---|
| Archival-quality watercolour art | 🎯 Aqua Drop |
| Ultra-bright colours for illustration | 🎯 Colorex Ink |
| Reworkable washes and layers | 🎯 Aqua Drop |
| Quick, punchy colour effects | 🎯 Colorex Ink |
🖼 Final Thoughts
Colorex explodes with colour. Aqua Drop whispers in layers.
One’s bold, the other’s subtle — and both deserve a place in your creative toolkit.
Why not try both and discover which suits your style best?
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