Quick answer: Is Daler-Rowney a good brand? Yes, it is a long-established British art supplies maker with a wide range that spans student and artist grades, and it is generally regarded as a reliable, good-value choice, especially for students, hobbyists and anyone building a starter kit. Its student lines trade some pigment strength and finish for price, while its artist ranges aim for higher quality. Choose the specific range, such as Cryla, System3, Georgian or Graduate, based on your skill level and budget, not just the name on the label.
Few art supply brands are as widely stocked as Daler-Rowney. Its paints, brushes, sketchbooks and pads turn up in school classrooms, hobby shops and professional studios, which means that nearly every beginner eventually has to decide whether to trust the name. The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, because Daler-Rowney is a family of ranges at different price and quality levels, not a single product.
This guide looks at the brand’s background, its main product lines, the strengths and limitations of each tier, who each suits and how to buy sensibly. It relies on the brand’s published range information and general reputation in the art community, not on personal testing, and product lines change over time, so check current availability. The Daler-Rowney Cryla review goes into more detail on one of its best-known acrylic lines.
A Short Background on Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney is a British company whose roots go back to the 18th century, when its founder began selling artists’ materials in London. Over the centuries, the brand merged with other British art suppliers and expanded into paint, papers, brushes, easels, pencils and sketching supplies. Ownership has changed over time, as it has for many long-lived brands, and the company now sells internationally through art shops, online retailers and education suppliers.
Longevity does not guarantee quality, but it does show a track record, a broad distribution network and a catalog that includes many products both new artists and experienced painters use.
The Main Product Lines
| Line | Medium | Level | General positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryla | Acrylic | Artist or high-end student | Well-known acrylic range with a wide color list and smooth, buttery paint |
| System3 | Acrylic | Student | Value acrylic aimed at beginners and classrooms |
| Graduate | Acrylic, oil, watercolor, gouache | Student | Budget-friendly with moderate pigment loading |
| Georgian | Oil | Student to intermediate | Traditional oil range with a broad palette |
| Artists’ Water Colour | Watercolor | Artist | Higher pigment and lightfastness |
| Aquafine | Watercolor | Student to intermediate | Widely used for sketching and travel |
| Simply | Acrylic, watercolor, brushes | Beginner | Very affordable starter products |
| Sketchbooks and pads | Paper | All levels | Popular for drawing, mixed media and watercolor practice |
| Brushes | Synthetic and natural | All levels | Many lines for acrylic, oil and watercolor |
Names and ranges change as brands refresh their catalogs, so confirm what is currently sold before you plan a purchase.
What Daler-Rowney Does Well
Wide range and availability
You can build a whole kit from one brand: paints, brushes, pads, mediums and accessories. For beginners, that simplifies shopping, and it means products are designed to be used together.
Good value at student level
The Graduate, System3 and Simply lines are designed to be affordable, with prices that make experimentation possible without worry. For practice and learning, that matters more than top pigment loading.
A path from student to artist grade
Having related ranges at different levels lets painters move up gradually. Colors and mediums are often matched across lines, which makes the transition smoother.
Strong presence in education
Because teachers and schools often buy Daler-Rowney, it is a common reference point in tutorials and courses. Beginners following a class may find that using the same brand reduces confusion about expected results.
Useful accessories
Mediums, varnishes, gessos and surface products fill out the range, so you can find compatible products for sealing, priming and texture.
Where It May Fall Short
Student ranges have trade-offs
Student paints typically use more filler or less pigment than artist paints, which can mean less intense color, more mixing needed to reach saturation and, in some cases, slightly different drying behavior. Many beginners will not notice these limits, but professionals often do.
Lightfastness varies by color and line
Not every pigment in a student range is rated for archival lightfastness. If you plan to sell or keep work for years, check the lightfast ratings on the label and choose pigments with high ratings, or buy artist-grade paint for finished pieces.
Brush quality is mixed by line
Brushes at lower price points can shed hairs or lose their shape sooner than premium ones. Buying a few higher-grade brushes for fine work is a better strategy than relying on bargain sets for everything.
Range changes
Some lines have been renamed, reformulated or discontinued over time. If you rely on a favorite product, buy backups when you can, and verify formulas before matching old and new tubes in one painting.
How Daler-Rowney Compares with Other Brands
| Consideration | Daler-Rowney | Typical premium brands | Typical budget-only brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Low to mid for most lines | Mid to high | Very low |
| Range breadth | Very wide | Often narrower but deeper in artist grade | Narrow |
| Pigment quality | Student to artist depending on range | Generally high | Often lower |
| Availability | Excellent | Good, mainly specialist stores | Varies |
| Best for | Learning, hobby, mixed practice | Professional work and archival pieces | Casual crafts |
In practice, many artists use a mix: student-grade paints for studies and underpainting, and artist-grade paints for final layers.
Who Should Choose Daler-Rowney
- Beginners who want a dependable starter set without a large investment.
- Students and classrooms that need a consistent supply across many users.
- Hobbyists who paint regularly and want a broad palette at an accessible price.
- Parents and teachers buying supplies for children and young learners.
- Experienced painters who want a budget line for practice and sketches or a specific artist-grade product.
Who Might Prefer Something Else
- Professional painters selling archival work may prefer artist-grade lines with detailed lightfast information and consistent single-pigment colors.
- Artists who need very high pigment strength in certain colors may want to compare options within and outside the brand.
- People with specific needs, such as vegan formulas, fragrance-free products or particular certifications, should read the product data sheets. Do not assume.
How to Choose a Daler-Rowney Product Wisely
- Pick the medium first. Decide whether you are working in acrylic, oil, watercolor or gouache.
- Match the line to your goal. Use student ranges for practice and artist ranges for work you want to last.
- Read the label. Look for pigment codes, lightfastness ratings and whether a color is a single pigment or a hue.
- Start with a limited palette. A warm and a cool version of each primary plus white covers a lot of ground.
- Test before committing. Buy a few single tubes before a big set.
- Consider the surface. Papers, canvases and boards affect results as much as the paint.
- Use compatible mediums. Stick to products designed for the same medium.
Is Daler-Rowney Acrylic Paint Good?
Acrylic is probably the most popular medium among Daler-Rowney buyers. Its Cryla and System3 lines cover different budgets, from beginners to those who want a smoother, more pigmented paint. For a close look at Cryla, including how it handles and where it fits among other acrylics, see the dedicated review linked above. As with any acrylic, results depend on technique, surface and mediums as much as the paint itself.
Is Daler-Rowney Good for Watercolor, Oil and Sketching?
- Watercolor: Aquafine and Artists’ Water Colour cover student and artist levels. Pans, tubes and sets suit sketching and studio painting.
- Oil: Georgian oils are a long-standing student-to-intermediate option for those who want traditional oil handling without the cost of professional paints.
- Sketching and drawing: Pads and sketchbooks are widely used, and papers for dry media, mixed media and watercolor serve different needs. Check weight, texture and whether the paper suits wet media.
How to Read Pigment and Lightfastness Information
The label tells you more than the brand name does. Look for these details on any tube, pan or pot.
- Pigment index codes such as PW6 (titanium white) or PB29 (ultramarine). A single pigment code usually means a cleaner color and more predictable mixing than a multi-pigment blend.
- “Hue” in the color name. This signals an imitation of a costly pigment made from cheaper ones. Hues can be perfectly good for practice, but they may behave differently in mixes.
- Lightfastness rating. Standards use grades or star systems to show how well a color resists fading. Higher ratings suit work meant to be kept or sold.
- Opacity and staining symbols. These show whether a color covers well or stains the surface, which affects glazing and correction.
- Series or price band. Pricier colors in a range usually involve costlier pigments.
Applying this to Daler-Rowney or any other brand helps you pick the right paint for the right job. Use the colors with strong ratings for finished work and the others for studies and sketches.
Sample Starter Kits by Medium
Acrylic starter palette
Six or seven colors are enough: a warm and a cool red, a warm and a cool yellow, a warm and a cool blue, and titanium white. Add a burnt umber or black later. With these you can mix almost any hue and learn how colors behave.
Watercolor starter palette
Pans are practical for beginners. Start with a small set of 12 or so colors, one good round brush in a medium size, a block or pad of cold-press paper, and two water jars. Add a flat brush and a mop brush as your skills grow.
Oil starter palette
Choose a limited palette of one or two blues, reds and yellows, white, and an earth color. Add a basic medium, brush cleaner and a few hog bristle brushes. Because oil paints cure slowly, a limited set keeps your first experiments manageable.
Sketching kit
A sketchbook with paper suited to your medium, a few pencils of different hardness, an eraser and a small watercolor set is a portable setup that makes use of the brand’s range of pads and sketching supplies.
Stretching Your Budget with Mixed Grades
You do not have to choose a single quality level. A cost-conscious plan that many painters follow looks like this:
- Use student-grade paint for underpainting, studies and practice. You can use it generously without worrying about waste.
- Buy artist-grade versions of the colors you use most. Whites, earths and a few key blues and reds are often worth the upgrade.
- Save top-quality brushes for fine detail and use sturdy, inexpensive ones for base coats and messy work.
- Prime surfaces well. A good ground improves the look of any paint.
- Keep notes. Record which tubes performed well for you so you can reorder with confidence.
This kind of mixed approach lets a brand with wide, affordable ranges fit comfortably in a serious practice.
Buying Tips
- Compare per-tube prices against set prices. Sets can be good value, but sometimes include colors you will rarely use.
- Look for open-stock tubes so you can replace the colors you use most.
- Check the size of the tube; student lines sometimes use larger sizes for the same price.
- Beware of counterfeit or unclear listings from third-party sellers. Buy from trusted retailers.
- Store paints properly after purchase to keep them usable.
FAQs
Is Daler-Rowney a good brand?
Yes, it is a respected, long-established brand known for broad ranges and good value, especially for students and hobbyists. The quality depends on the line you choose.
Is Daler-Rowney student or professional grade?
Both. It makes student ranges such as Graduate and System3 as well as artist-oriented ranges. Check each product’s description.
Is Daler-Rowney good for beginners?
It is a common choice for beginners because of its affordable starter products and wide availability, which helps with replacing and expanding supplies.
Is Daler-Rowney better than other budget brands?
It depends on the product and your priorities. Many people value its breadth and consistency, but comparing specific lines, prices and pigment information is the best way to decide.
Are Daler-Rowney paints lightfast?
It varies by color and range. Look at the lightfastness ratings on the tube or the manufacturer’s color chart, especially if you plan to sell or archive your work.
What is Daler-Rowney Cryla?
Cryla is one of the brand’s acrylic paint ranges, known for its wide color selection and smooth consistency. Availability and naming can change, so check current listings.
Final Thoughts
Daler-Rowney is a dependable, widely available brand with products for nearly every level. Its student lines offer good value for learning and practice, and its artist ranges give a route to higher quality. Judge each line on its own pigments, ratings and price, and consider mixing grades to stretch your budget.
If acrylic is your focus, the in-depth review of Daler-Rowney Cryla acrylics is a good next step before you buy.
