Academy watercolors are better than student grade paints yet are all AP Non-toxic and all tubes are a single price, unlike a true artist grade line like Finest. We consider Academy Watercolors to be a collegiate line of paint. Even professional artists the world over swear by these tiny tubes of pure magic. Colors are vibrant and highly pigmented and mix to glowing fantasy colors as well as realistic earthly hues. Academy Watercolor have an excellent lightfast rating for their pigment class. They have an amazing capacity for textural effects and smooth blends depending on how they are applied to the paper and the ratio of water used. Easily achieve both lacey edges and smooth gradients with these watercolors. Like all Academy paints, pigments are sourced and tested by our professional on-site lab to ensure that our Grumbacher quality standards are met. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our colors to offer modern pigmented paints at an affordable price. Made in the USA.