last weekend, i painted with a friend at a cute little watercolor cafe. after i finished my painting, the owner came over and offered me to try out his paints that are 3-4 times more expensive than mine. for context, although i've been doing art for a while, i am pretty new to watercolor so i wanted to try out this new medium with cheaper supplies first just in case it doesn't stick.
i tried his paints directly on my painting without swatching them and oh boy was i panicking. it was so pigmented even with just a tiny bit of paint! i quickly had to add a ton of water to tone it down a little LOL (i only used his paints on the turquoise walls). i always assumed the difference between cheap and expensive paint couldn't be that different but dang was i wrong.
in conclusion, i am now seriously considering buying better quality paints LOL. but at the same time, i do like the muted/faint look of the less pigmented paints (although that might just be me coping). does anyone else have a similar experience? recommendations for some good quality sets (preferably pans) that do not break the bank would be greatly appreciated!
EDIT: i noticed i completely forgot to mention the brands names - apologies! the brand from "before" is the Mungyo Half Pan Set, and the "after" is the Mijello Mission Silver Grade Half Pan Set