# Watercolour Reference

> Watercolour colour mixing and reference tool for artists. (iPhone/iPad app by Oliver Shingler.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watercolour-reference/id467961113 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Oliver Shingler](https://appshunter.io/developer/886565740)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $1.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 2.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 18 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 7 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-10-07
- Data updated: 2026-07-22
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watercolour-reference/id467961113/reviews.md

## What is Watercolour Reference?

Watercolour Reference has been designed to assist watercolour artists and painters, either beginners or the more advanced. This app assists the artist in the choice of appropriate colours and shades by providing data on individual colour characteristics and suggesting colour mixes/combinations and tips for a variety of topics.

Suggested colour mixes can be viewed on your Apple Watch for quick reference.

The Paint Mixing simulation allows you to choose up to three colours and mix them together in varying quantities to produce an estimate of how they might mix in the real world.

Watercolour Reference currently uses the watercolour portfolios of Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith.

Included with this app are suggested combinations for portrait and flower painting plus a general watercolour characteristics database.

Additional categories can be purchased in-app.

## Key features

- Colour characteristic data
- Suggested colour mixes
- Paint mixing simulation
- Apple Watch integration
- Portrait and flower painting combinations
- General watercolour database

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $1.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buildings | $0.99 | one-time |
| Seascapes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snowy Landscapes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Summer Landscapes | $0.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #199 in Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 18)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watercolour-reference/id467961113/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No hello at all

*2024-03-24*

I thought this would help in mixing colors, but it doesn’t. The app doesn’t fit well on an iPhone and you have to scroll all the time. Do not waste your money.

### 4/5 — Super useful - some suggestions for ease of use

*2022-12-16*

This is a great app to experiment with watercolour mixing without using up loads of paint and paper. A couple of suggestions to make it even better:
1: Copy colours from Colour Mixes straight into the Paint Mixing screen, maybe even with suggested strengths
2: Allow users to Favourite colours in the Colour Picker, then also show just the Favourite colours. That way I could limit the choices to the palette I actually have. 
3: Allow users to Favourite or Bookmark mixes from the Paint Mixing screen, so I can easily come back to mixes I like. Also, allow grouping or tagging of favourite mixes by categories like Portraits, Landscapes etc

### 5/5 — Awesome start to a great tool!!!!

*2020-12-25*

I have no idea why the first reviews were low! I love the features abs Daniel Smith is most of my paint collection. I love the color mixing tool. Awesome! Really helpful for just the right hue! 

I wish there was a save feature for color combos but I can work around that. 

Awesome tool for watercolor!!!!! 

Thanks so much! 

Lorie Fossa

### 1/5 — No Daniel Smith

*2019-01-15*

That’s it. Decent reference, it just doesn’t have my paints.

**Developer response:** Following your feedback I have added a lot more paints from the Daniel Smith watercolour portfolio. Hopefully it will be more useful to you now.

### 4/5 — Water great idea!

*2018-04-18*

I love this app. Really useful tips on colours and shades on everything from snow to buildings in summer if you are prepared to purchase the add ons and I, for once really think they are worth it. Whether you use a limited palette or buy every colour under the sun you’ll find them mixed here. The real advantage is this is a portable easy to use reference which, if like me you can never remember what goes with which for that shade of green, means you can save a fortune on art books as the mixing charts and tips give you pretty much what they cover at a fraction of the price. You can even see what a single colour will look like as you water it down. Any gripes? Just one. Mixing of two colours gives you control over both, throw in a third and it seems a bit hit and miss. I may have not seen the instructions for using this better but I really would like some tips on that. If the developer can help with that then 5 stars won’t be enough to rate it. Well done

### 4/5 — Artist colour mixing

*2016-07-04*

This is a truly great app but to receive 5 stars it needs camera/album access to help guide the novice artist in mixing artist paints to match the colours in the photo.

### 2/5 — Painting Tips - freezes the app

*2016-02-21*

Not impressed - tab for Painting Tips does not work, it locks the app on my iPhone 6

**Developer response:** Hi. This bug has been fixed and tested on an iPhone 6 and 7 in the latest release.

### 1/5 — Bad

*2015-12-04*

Out of all watercolor apps this one is by far the worst there is.      it lacks pics demos and when mixing ur paints it needs to let u put the % u want.

### 1/5 — Watercolor Reference

*2015-08-07*

Not worth the purchase...wish I wouldn't have purchased it 😞

### 1/5 — Weak

*2015-01-03*

Tips are basic
Can't seem to mix darks

## Frequently asked questions about Watercolour Reference

### What is Watercolour Reference?

Watercolour Reference is an application designed to assist watercolour artists by providing data on individual colour characteristics, suggesting colour mixes, and offering painting tips. It includes a paint mixing simulation and can be viewed on Apple Watch.

### What watercolour brands does Watercolour Reference use?

Watercolour Reference currently utilizes the watercolour portfolios of Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith. These are well-regarded brands in the art community.

### Can I try Watercolour Reference before buying?

The app is available for a one-time purchase of $1.99. While there is no free trial, the price is relatively low for the features offered.

### What devices is Watercolour Reference compatible with?

Watercolour Reference is compatible with Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. This allows for flexible use across different Apple devices.

### How often is Watercolour Reference updated?

The latest version, 2.2.5, was released on November 1, 2021. Updates typically address bug fixes and potential feature enhancements.

### Does Watercolour Reference have ads?

No, Watercolour Reference does not contain advertisements. This ensures an uninterrupted user experience for artists.

### Can I purchase additional features for Watercolour Reference?

Yes, additional categories and features can be purchased within the app. This allows users to expand the app's functionality as needed.

### What is the user rating for Watercolour Reference?

Watercolour Reference has a rating of 2.0 stars from 4 ratings. This indicates a mixed reception from its current user base.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.2.5 — 2021-11-01

Bug fixes

### 2.2.4 — 2021-10-12

Updated for iOS 15

### 2.2.3 — 2020-07-23

- Updated and improved design
- Lots more Daniel Smith watercolours
- Support for iPadOS 13 and iOS 13
- Multitasking support on iPad

### 2.2.2 — 2020-07-22

- Updated and improved design
- Lots more Daniel Smith watercolours
- Support for iPadOS 13 and iOS 13
- Multitasking support on iPad

### 2.2.1 — 2019-10-21

- Updated and improved design
- Lots more Daniel Smith watercolours
- Support for iPadOS 13 and iOS 13
- Multitasking support on iPad

## Apps similar to Watercolour Reference

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Planisphere](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planisphere/id331897327) | 3.0 (4) | $1.99 | Reference |
| [e-Surveyor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-surveyor/id1539907283) | — | Free | Reference |
| [BWP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bwp/id1451326170) | 3.9 (7) | $35.99 | Reference |

## More apps by Oliver Shingler

- [Vital Values](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vital-values/id460023541)
- [Ken's Pub Quiz](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kens-pub-quiz/id557878888)
- [Kenbats](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kenbats/id834892439)
- [Config Reference](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/config-reference/id920356771)
- [Sailing Reference](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailing-reference/id978062677)

All apps by Oliver Shingler: https://appshunter.io/developer/886565740

## Related topics

[watercolour reference](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/watercolour-reference)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-22.*