Rosa Watercolours were developed and made in the Ukraine and have been available since 2018. I originally created this blog post in December 2022 - year year the war started. I feel for this company - it must still be a very tough.
The 50 original colours were created in consultation with Ukrainian artists, with the 10 added in 2021. They originally come only as full pans - cleverly labelled so that as you remove the label from the paint, you can leave the colour name and pigment information on the sides of each pan. There is no series number so they are all the same price. A set of 14 is was also available in 10ml tubes. The range has expanded and now all colours are available in large pans or 10ml tubes
Available in Australia from Adamstown Art who kindly provided the samples to show.
Golden Yellow was difficult to capture accurately. It is a bright orange-yellow, typical of this pigment. Added are 702 Cadmium Lemon PY35; 771 Azo Yellow PY151
PR4 and PR2 are not lightfast so beware of Coral for anything that will be framed. Note that this formula has changed - it is now PR254, PO13 and PW6. Rose Madder now only lists PV19, which makes more sense.
New colours are 772 Golden Ochre PY42; 795 Nightfall Orange PB28, PO73 (new 2026)
These rewet with ease and painted out nicely in more diluted washes but some were difficult to get smooth in a thicker wash. G stands for Granulating and N stands for Natural Pigment.
I've scanned and colour-matched each swatch as carefully as I can so the colours are as accurate as I can manage.
2026 - The pans have been redesigned and a number of colours have been added to the range since this post, including 10 added this year. I'll add comments as I go through them. the range now has 100 colours available in 2.5ml pans or 10ml tubes. 44 are single pigment colours. 21 are based on natural pigments and 38 are graduating colours.
Added - 792 Buff Titanium PW6, PBr7(2026).
Rosa Watercolours: Zinc White, Titanium White, Naples Yellow Light, Naples Rose, Cadmium Lemon.
Golden Yellow was difficult to capture accurately. It is a bright orange-yellow, typical of this pigment. Added are 702 Cadmium Lemon PY35; 771 Azo Yellow PY151
Rosa Watercolours: Aureoline, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium,
Cadmium Yellow Deep, Golden Yellow
Cadmium Orange is now described as just PO20. Added are 773 Cadmium Orange Medium PY35 and 774 Cadmium Red Deep PR108.
Rosa Watercolours: Quinacridone Gold, Cadmium Orange, Flame Red,
Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red Medium.
PR170:1 is not a totally lightfast pigment so I wouldn't agree with this *** lightfast rating either.
Added are 775 Pyrrole Red PR254; 789 Red Rose Deep PR48:3 (new 2026); 797 Rose Quartz Deep PR81:1, PO73, PG17 (new 2026) ; 781 Burgundy Red PR177
Rosa Watercolours: Coral, Bright Red, Madder Red, Carmine, Madder Rose.
Added colours are 793 Rose Pale PW6, PV19, PR101 (new 2026); 787 Nightfall Violet PG26, PR101, PB29; 764 Magenta Gray PR122, PG17; 794; Lilac Pale PW6, PV19, PR101 (new 2026); 785 Violet Quartz PR177, PB29, PV3.
Rosa Watercolours: Opera Rose, Magenta Rose, Quinacridone Lilac, Quinacridone Violet, Violet
PV3 is not lightfast, so only use Lavender in a sketchbook or for reproduction work.
750 is now called Royal Blue Light PB29, PW6.
New colours are 777 Ultramarine Spectral PB29; 779 782 Royal Blue PB1 (not lightfast); Prussian Blue PB27; 717 Indanthrene Grey PB60 and 798 Ultramarine Grey PB29, PBr6 (new 2026)
Rosa Watercolours - Lavender, Blue Indanthrene, Ultramarine, Royal blue, Cobalt Blue.
Added colours are 762 Azure Blue PG26, PB15:3, PBk7; 796 Nightfall Azure PB29, PBR6, PG17 (new 2026)
Rosa Watercolours - Blue Light, Bright Blue, Cerulean Blue, Indigo, Turquoise.
Cobalt Turquoise is now listed as a single pigment PB28. While I think PG8 is a gorgeous green, it is not a lightfast pigment. Added colours are 776 Green PG26; 786 Green Quartz PB29, PG26, PY150
Rosa Watercolours - Cobalt Turquoise, Mint, Emerald Green, Green, Sap Green.
New colours are 766 Jade Green PB28, PBk7, PY42; 767 Azure Green PB15:3, PG17; 780 Royal Green PB15:3, PR101
Rosa Watercolours - Chromium Oxide, Bright Green, Olive Green, Aureoline Green, Yellow Ochre
Rosa Watercolours - Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Royal Brown, English Red, Madder Brown.
New colours are 769 Carbon Red PB36, PR254, PBk7; 763 Maroon Brown PBr25, PV23; 788 Carbon Yellow PBk7, PY150, PR101; 761 Golden Brown PY43, PBr7; 791 VanDyke Brown PR101, PBk7; 784 (new 2026) Cobalt Brown PG26, PR108
Rosa Watercolours - Caput Mortuum, Burnt Umber, Mars Brown, Umber, Sepia.
PV3 is not a lightfast pigment so Black Grape would change over time, however this pigment has been changed - it is now PV23. New colours are 790 Olive Oxide Grey PG17, PR108 (new 2026); 768 Cobalt Gray PR108, PB28, PBk7; 765 Violet Black PV19, PBk7, PR108; 770 Carbon Black PBk7, PY42 along with 800 Gold, 801 Silver and 802 Bronze.
Rosa Watercolours - Warm Grey, Payne's Grey, Black Grape, Blick Green, Neutral Black
Here is the updated colour chart.
There are a couple of sets available in tins including a Sketching set with 19 colours.
Happy painting!
