Colossal Color Showdown Ep. 1: Ultramarine Blues | Comparing 11 Brands

[@mindofwatercolor]

You go girl! Amazing undertaking and a lot of hard work. But what a resource this will be. Thanks for doing this.

[@mindofwatercolor]

M. Graham is honey based too, did you find that rewet as per the other samples?

[@OtoKano]

oh I forgot to mention that! I found that the MG rewet in a much more managiable way. It was easier to rewet than the non-honey brands but not out of control like Sennlier.

[@OtoKano]

Thank you Steve for watching the video :D It's such an honour!

[@EveBolt]

I need to dust off my M.Graham palette and use it more :O Thank you so much for this thorough and awesome video!

[@OtoKano]

I can't wait to see what you think of MG when you try it again.

[@jp8649]

Oh man, I love the M. Graham mixes. My first watercolor set was their 5 piece set and I always go back to it. Each of those colors have a spot in whatever palette I'm using at the time. Sap Green keeps exploding everywhere though because I think it just wants to be free. Thank you so much for taking all the time to do these!

[@OtoKano]

wooo I look forward to trying out MG's Sap Green later in the series and see if it'll run free and wild :D Thank you JP!

[@tmp0922]

OMG how excellent was this! Oto this was amazing thank you so much and thank you also to your wonderful patreon’s as well.

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you so much Antony, so glad you liked it :D

[@atelieradela]

This is an amazing comparison, a lot of useful information! I am actually a bit surprise that someone has not done this before (maybe I am just bad at searching). This is something everyone should watch if they have problems deciding on the brand or have to order online.

[@OtoKano]

Awwww thank you so much Ailuro

[@bettysadoway24]

I've been sick in bed for the last two days and came across your videos and have been learning so much. I've watched all your colour showdowns for the first season and it helped me be more selective about my Daniel Smith purchases for sure. Now I'm looking forward to watching all of these videos today, It has made being sick a lot more acceptable since I'm learning something. You are a real treasure Oto!! Thanks so much for all your work.

[@OtoKano]

I hope you get better very soon Betty!

[@valerielake1674]

I love it! You are making color and paint so understandable and accessible to the beginning artist. Thank you for so generously sharing your gift.I wish I knew this before I bought my tubes.

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you Valerie, I am so glad it is accessible

[@aimannaa1888]

This is amazing! Thank you for all your efforts Oto! This is just the kind of video I can see myself rewatching whenever I contemplate on buying a new colour or trying out a new brand. I am just overwhelmed by the amount of information that you've given us. Again, thank you so so much!

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you AimanN. So glad this video will be useful to you :D

[@ifoundthisthing7954]

Clearly so much time effort and organisation has gone into this, topped off with thoroughly thoughtful and insightful commentary. Great content

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you so much, that is so kind of you.

[@lynn_thinks]

Phenomenal work, Oto. Congrats on your patience 🤪🧐. Thank you for the insights.🖌🖌🖌

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you Lynn. Thanks for watching it.

[@jillwiswall5386]

Wow! What a fantastic first episode! Super excited for this series!

[@OtoKano]

Thank you Jill, really glad you like it :)

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

You rock so hard! You bring a wonderful combination of rigor and emotion to all your explorations, and I always learn new stuff!

[@OtoKano]

Aw that is so kind of you Stella :D Thank you so much!

[@renmuffett]

Thanks for sharing. M Graham is made with honey too and re-wets easily. The other paints that re-wet easily that have no honey in it would have either inexpensive corn syrup or an extra load of glycerin in it. Glycerin is the most common ingredient in paint that helps it re-wet well and helps prevent mold as well. I have all three of the Schmincke Ultramarine's. The mixed one and the two pure pigment ones. The created the mixed one years ago because botanical artists wanted a warm red that was non granulating. However, my favorite has always before been Winser & Newton's French Ultramarine.

[@OtoKano]

thanks Renne, it's really great to know how that color came about :D

[@joannemoore2556]

What a fascinating series! Can’t wait for the next instalment . Thanks for your hard work Oto 😀

[@OtoKano]

So glad you are enjoying it Joanne!

[@katieakr]

I have Schmincke Ultramarine Finest. It is single pigment, PB29, Non-granulating. I don't care for granulation, so I am happy with it. But I love the series!

[@itsteganyay]

I love this series! Thanks to all the patrons who made it possible, and of course thank you Oto! I can't wait to see what other colors will be compared :) I personally want to try the Daniel Smith or Schmincke's French Ultramarine. I currently use Da Vinci because I think at the time it was cheaper than the other brands for me, though recently that has changed. I have to say that I'm happy with the paint I chose, but I am interested in getting one with more granulation to play with.

[@OtoKano]

wooo yes DS will be a fun option as it's much more granulating :)

[@koskey06]

You really can't go wrong with any brand! Even "student grade" ultramarine blue is pretty much the same quality. Such a useful mixing color.... from blacks and grays to greens, etc. On its own, when used sparingly, it's a great sky color or base for water

[@LanaGoesArt]

It's great to see all the Ultramarines side by side, but I still wish the Finest was included. It was great to name the ones missing in the chart, so people can choose. What really surprised me was how great the M.Graham one looks, so smooth! It comes close to your version of the Ultramarine (and I wish yours and Dans were included as well, because they're awesome!) :)

[@OtoKano]

Lana, the video was exceedingly long (way longer than I wanted it to be) with just 11 brands. I cannot be expected to included all the colors. The video has to have some framework to work from to keep it a reasonable length. Also, if I started to included mine and Dan's, I would have to included other handmade paints, which would've made this video ridiculously long, AND cost me even more money, when I already spent $800+ on this series.

[@skom714]

yeah id also prefer a vid comparing a smaller amount of ultramarines but explaining the differences between like,schminke ultramarine french and finest, ESPECIALLY when the one just called ultramarine blue is mixed with pb15

[@OtoKano]

@skom714 I totally agree, and as I said, I will make a separate video comparing all the different variation of ultramarines with in a brand. :)

[@LanaGoesArt]

@@OtoKano I totally understand that, but I just love your Ultramarine so much! The video was very informative and I'm so glad you spoke about other variations of Ultramarine in the different brands. My comment wasn't meant as a critique at all, I understand, that it takes a lot of time for you to make all the swatches and search for all the information. It also costs a lot to prepare all that you've done and I'm very thankful for your work. :)

[@OtoKano]

Thanks for your understanding Lana. I really appreciate your support.

[@christinebravomom5711]

This was amazing! I was able to recommend specific paint brands to two people in my FB watercolor group, one who needed a smooth wash and another who wanted no granulation. I refer to and link to your encyclopedia frequently.

[@sonnemondundsterben5980]

Very informative! Thank you very much for making this videos! 💖 And thanks to all the supporters 💕 who made it possible! 💙

[@OtoKano]

You are so welcome Sonne, thank you for watching it.

[@Achatfell]

This is so exciting! All this blue!!

[@xcforlife77]

Wow, this was super informative. Thanks for the comparison. I was surprised by the M. Graham - I've always thought they were vibrant but it really comes out when you compare the brands. That being said, it goes with what I've read that honey is able to take in greater quantities of pigment compared to other humectants and binders. I wish there was less discrepancy with swatches in general. I've seen differences between Jane Blundell's and Denise Soden's for instance with the same paint so it's always hard to know what is more accurate but it's great to see that there is a potential for different shades depending on how its painted.

[@dymonddozen]

I absolutely love this video!! I cannot express how valuable this series is to us as a community. Your work has taught me very very much and I've been able to teach myself and apply it to my own work. I very much appreciate you ❤️

[@OtoKano]

Thank you Dymond, really appreciate your comment, makes it all worth the work :D

[@elegantruin]

This was super nice to watch, because it confirms my great need for Schmincke, while giving me a slightly more affordable choice in M. Graham.

[@catherinelevison3310]

That was very thorough. It surprisingly did not change my mind about these brands, in fact it substantiated my thoughts on these brands. I use Schmincke, Sennelier, Daniel Smith, and M. Graham and don’t gravitate toward the others used here so I was very happy to learn and watch this very closely to see the results. Thank you!

[@burak5601]

This was an awesome idea! Keep this new color showdown series going on. I can not wait to see next episodes, thank you!

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like the series Burak!

[@soliloquor4059]

Wow, it's so funny, I just did an Ultramarine color comparing test for myself a few days ago :D I used Schmincke Horadam in all my life, but recently I got a Sennelier tube set as a gift. It's really interesting to see, how different can be the same pigment at each brand. Btw I recognised something unusual , when it comes to Sennelier. I have only one color from Sennelier in both pan and tube, which is Payne's Grey. The interesting thing is that the color itself is slightly different in the pan. For example when I use the tube paint, it is more greyish. The Payne's Grey, which comes in a pan is more bluish. I know, Sennelier is using a different formula for their pans, but it's still surprising for me, how the same color can look and act in a unique way. Also for me the Sennelier tube paints looked more even, than Schmincke's pan paints, when I did this little comparison and I did a few layering and washing test. Great video, can't wait to watch more videos about other colors and also the Sennelier vs. Jackson's Art watercolor showdown sounds super interesting. Your videos are always so helping. Thank you!

[@OtoKano]

Oh I've heard about this Sennelier pan vs. tube things as well. Hmmmm I'm going to have to put them to the test in a future video!

[@poopoobeedoo]

You can be proud of this new serie. A colossal 😉 amount of information! Perfect for me. Thank you so much for your contents.

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you so much, so glad it's perfect for you!

[@kristinakowalski6573]

So incredible all that work ... blue, blue , eyes are.... thank so much

[@TsukabuNosoratori2]

My favorite Ultramarine Blues are from MGraham and Pruche. I love how Sennelier's looks, though I've not been able buy it. It certainly is on my wishlist to try maybe when I run down on my MGraham. Daniel Smith's is one that I tend to stay away from because it granulates too much for my liking even though I typically love Daniel Smith paints. Loved this video, looking forward to the next one :)

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like this video. If you don't like DS one, I would also avoid Holbein's one too, it's quite granulating.

[@tychesong]

This is so awesome! It's like a dream/wish come true kind of review *o* especially when it comes to comparing the paints just by their names and not their pigments. Thank you so much for doing it.

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like the series going by name and not pigments :)

[@zoetkt]

Thank you for the awesome comparison Oto! It is extremely helpful to see all the blues side by side. I have to say I love the hue and smoothness of M. Graham, it looks amazing and has already landed on my wish list! Also the daniel smith granulation patterns look stunning, but DS is so expensive in Europe, that I just don't feel like indulging..

[@LeilaAtaya]

I think it's the humectant in watercolour paint that makes it easy to rewet and if too much is added can make it gloopy and shiny. Humectants can be honey, glycerin, etc. I even add a drop of glycerin to the paint when its just squeezed out if I want it to rewet easily after drying.

[@janinacooper4199]

Oh wow, that M.Graham version looks very nice. However as much as I had hoped that the M.Graham colors would be suitable for me, the tackiness due to the honey content turned out to be a little impractical in my climate. I do love schminck and Daniel Smith. But the Daniel Smith version really surprised me in this comparison, I though it would be more vibrant. Overall a very useful video!!!

[@OtoKano]

Yes the DS surprised me too.

[@carolinaarias1669]

i live in a tropical weather country, is the honey gonna be affected? :O

[@OtoKano]

@Carolina I've heard that different climates, different humidity, average temperature, etc. really affects how paints with honey in them behave. Best thing to do is never store honey based paints upside down or sideways. Hope this helps!

[@SathishKumar-pw9fu]

@@carolinaarias1669 no I'm in India especially south is very hot and humid...I never had any problems with Mgraham I own all 72 Colors

[@RR-yh6vr]

Thank you so much for this resource! I need to refill my French Ultramarine pan and the price just keeps rising for tubes. So I want to make sure I get the best possible fit for my palette. I was about to order M Graham, but wasn't sure if I would regret switching from Daniel Smith. All your hard work has truly helped! Can't thank you enough!

[@crystalross7943]

I'm thinking of switch from Daniel Smith. Do you enjoy M Graham?

[@chrisriegel]

Awesome series! Thanks so much for all your hard work!!

[@anam00090]

Whoa this is such a huge bundle of information, Oto - really nice! I was surprised to see that Daniel Smith Ultramarine was easy to rewet, mine gives me too much trouble, had to switch to Old Holland Ultramarine Deep - I love extremely granulating ultramarines, though Old Holland lifts very easily. M.Graham mixes look stunning, wonder if their other colors also apply so smoothly. Out all of these though, Schmincke interests me the most - will look forward to that video you mentioned, comparing different Schmincke Ultramarines to choose - it seems like a nicely behaved paint with reasonable granulation. It does look soft though, like a warm-leaning Cobalt Blue. Thanks for being so thorough with this, really appreciated ^_^

[@OtoKano]

Eve said the same thing about DS. I find that the more granulating, the quicker it lifts. But that's not a scientific finding, more of a general observation.

[@anam00090]

@@OtoKano You're right, never noticed that connection before. Granulating ultramarines lift very easily. A pain to glaze but beautiful to mix ^_^

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Should add that this format is fantastic. Thank you.

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like the format Marjorie, thank you for watching :D

[@lukasrohde376]

I personally LOVE Qor's ultramarine, it just feels right as it has nice flow and perfect granulation for me. I was introduced in the 24 color set and was hooked. The 5ml tube went quick as it became my favorite blue. I have an 11ml tube now. Also, I found that it has great tinting strength and had lasted longer than my DS French ultramarine.

[@LisaHetrickIndigojadeArt]

This was a major undertaking! Thank you. Such a wonderful comparison and a lot of work. So grateful ❤️

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like it Lisa :D Thank you for watching!

[@LisaSandboge]

This is very very interesting and informative! Thank you for all your work Oto, I’m looking forward to next episode! ❤️

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you Lisa, I really appreciate it :)

[@EstrafaDC]

Another great video Oto! Great to see all those comparisons and how surprising they all acted. Thanks again! Love this new series. Maybe you can do quinacridone red or Rose which seems to be 1 it is different across different brands.

[@OtoKano]

The colors for this series have already been decided by my dear Patreons, but I will absolutely add it to season 2 colors :)

[@mikeyfinger8026]

Awww man Otos got the blues... 🤗❤️

[@OtoKano]

I lovvveeee the blues :D

[@danamelton9066]

Thank you so much for sharing via You Tube! I really appreciate that you have created such an informative series.

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you very much Dana!

[@tina4314]

Awesome! Thanks Oto 🤗 I wish you had made the entire series before I updated my palette last year. I wonder if I will feel compelled to make any changes 😉 Thanks again for your hard work and brilliant ideas!

[@OtoKano]

Do let me know if you do change your palette Christina :D I'd be curious to know what you changed.

[@tina4314]

@@OtoKano I will do :)

[@cecilialofgren1396]

This was very interesting. Your test made me curious of M Graham....unfortunately I can’t buy those here in Sweden. Sadly nor Holbein, which I also like to try out. Well....maybe, some day...if I’m lucky, I’ll find them.

[@hannahthufvesson]

Det går att beställa till Sverige med väldigt låg fraktavgift från Jacksonsart.com (om du inte har upptäckt den redan ☺️). Eftersom det är ett brittiskt företag så blir det inga tullavgifter m.m. heller.

[@GregorysMode]

The most helpful watercolour yt out there. 😁

[@AmandaWiley]

Is it at all weird I found myself rooting for my favorite brand!? I have to admit, after watching this I need to try M.Graham. It was on my wish list before, but it's definitely at the top now. Thank you for all your work in these videos, they are so helpful!

[@OtoKano]

Not weird at all Amanda, I am always rooting for my favourite brand when I do these tests!

[@sabihashehzad7391]

MG and DS are my favorites

[@Samisnotavailable]

Oooh this is going to be such a cool series!

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like it Sam :D

[@MrNoxo]

To each his own, but to me M.Graham is overall winner... so versatile.

[@OtoKano]

I agree with you Petar, it's such a beautiful color.

[@Via_Von]

This was brilliant - thank you! Excellent resource for all of us! 👏🏻❤️👏🏻

[@OtoKano]

So glad you find it useful Via Von :D

[@annettefournier9655]

Thank you so much Oto. This is a dream come true.💜💜

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like it Annette!

[@artKarolina]

Wow, it sure is good to see I am not crazy and Daniel Smith & WN do have weak, rough blues. I am interested in trying schminke now.

[@altl888]

I'm totally new to watercolor, and a dear friend gifted $ to me, so I could get whatever I wanted. After much deliberation, I ordered the Daniel Smith 6 color set of 3 Reds, yellows and Blues. I'm halfway through the color Theory series. So glad that I found you! Haven't made palettes yet, came to this video to see why you used the particular ultramarine blue that you prefer. I'm recovering from a surgery, so perhaps I missed it? It's quite possible that I fell asleep during that portion of the color theory series LOL. Can anyone answer that? Thanks!

[@carolinaarias1669]

this is so interesting! i just found your channel and its full of very useful info!! may I say tho, in the color mixing part it wouldve been very interesting if you didnt reduce or doubled the amount of paint (w&N and m graham) you used for the mixing, I think thats a more fair way of comparing them haha idk just saying! im definitely gonna watch all of this series and this will help a lot in building a new palette in the future! :D

[@OtoKano]

I totally agree with you Carolina, I thought exactly that as I was talking about reducing and doubling the mixing color. I'll totally take note of that and try to keep the mixing color all the same from now on :)

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Need davinci and schmincke in my 17 color en plein aire palett..ugh. What a lot of information! Maybe I need to add Daniel smith also. Seems like the more I learn ,the more I am confused..

[@rjsongwriter]

Love M. Graham, especially their ultramarine blue, since I don't care for mega-granulation. and enjoy the heavy pigment load and easy rewetting.

[@sabihashehzad7391]

I'm waiting for this kind of comparison, Thanks 😊

[@KRCanetti]

Absolutely great project. Thank you for doing this and sharing.

[@OtoKano]

Aw you are so welcome, thanks for watching :D

[@ruffeyx]

thankyou for all your video i learnt alot from this channel especially color theory :D

[@janinacooper4199]

Great, GREAT content!!!!! Thank you Oto!

[@OtoKano]

So glad you like it Janina!

[@floof7680]

I have windsor and Newton cotman ultramarine and i was suprised on how pigmented it is

[@Dan.B.Artist]

So much blue! interestingly I have the similar but opposite to you when painting with honey paints as it's what I use most, non honey paints feel light to me and I often end up struggling with the consistency as I'm used to gummy paint. The winsor and newton one was so weak! I expected better. interesting about the Holbein I found in my tests it doesnt granulate very much I may have that standard one rather than the deep though.

[@OtoKano]

Yes I can totally see how if you are used to honey based, the non honey ones would be hard to work with. Have you tried the cass arts one? Do you think it has honey in it?

[@Dan.B.Artist]

@@OtoKano I haven't tried the cassart ones, I have eyed them up but am resisting so far. I know ive seen someone say somewhere they use similar tubing to Sennelier and questioned if it was made by the same company from what I've read it isn't. Maybe they use a syrup base? I also think the Jacksons are made by Sennelier, the pigments match and so does the consistency in both pan and tube.

[@OtoKano]

I contacted cass arts and they said it doesn't have honey in them, but they really rewet like the sennelier and Jackson's. But as you said, it doesn't rule out them using some other thing like a syrup. I am 99% sure that sennelier and jackson's is the same paint.

[@Pearberrie]

I love this series! Thank you so much for your hard work it’s so nice to see all the different brands next to each other so useful! It’s a shame it’s so exp though maybe in the future if you are in need of xx color you could put a blast out on Instagram and see if anyone can send you some like share what they have? I don’t have an extensive collection but if I have a color you need I’d be happy to send you some :)

[@OtoKano]

Yes I think I will do that next time. I only had the guts to ask for samples from my Patreons this time around, but I will be sure to ask on social media next time :D

[@twiggalina]

Great video Oto!

[@OtoKano]

Thank you so much :D

[@UraniaOfTheGalaxy]

M Graham often gets relegated to the background, as it seems every painter I know prefers Daniel Smith or Qor. I absolutely love M. Graham paints, always use them unless they don't have a color I need.

[@dw020]

is there a difference between tubes vs pans? particularly holbein. i normally pour from tube to a pan to use. thanks, dw

[@OtoKano]

I personally haven't noticed a difference, except for the fact that you you might get a more intense color if done from tube because you are able to easily pick up more paint.

[@renmuffett]

And if you add just a drop or two of glycerin to watercolor before drying in a pan, it will re-wet even faster than without that extra glycerin. However you wouldn't want to do this with several of the brands. Most brands don't need it. But Winser & Newton tube colors do best with that extra drop mixed in because that is the difference between their pan colors and tube colors.

[@bruceosborne1892]

Excellent review Dr.

[@OtoKano]

Thank you bruce :)

[@rachelconnor2327]

This is excellent information to have. Thank you so much.

[@Rosie4540]

You made me laugh with your comment about buying loads of expensive paint but being shy about buying cotton paper. I am the same way! I have a lot of nice paint but feel so nervous to buy and use expensive paper. 😂

[@OtoKano]

I'm right there with you. I'm trying to get over it but it's so hard.

[@mikeyfinger8026]

We must remember what Steve of MOW said yesterday, it’s not a matter of if we are good enough for the paper it is if the paper is worth our art!! 😉

[@threesixfiveart563]

Oh but the great paper is SOOOOO nice to paint on @@OtoKano

[@MissNiyuu]

This is very interesting and informative. I can't read the information on the paper (maybe because I'm on mobile) and if there's a way to scale up the text without taking too much space from the watercolour that'd be very helpful. I'm looking forward to some more comparison videos!

[@OtoKano]

Hi Niyuu, I make hi-res scans of all the sheets (including the info sheet) over on my Patreon Patreon.com/otokano :)

[@michellelarson5469]

Thank you so much for taking on this series. I love your channel! #imawatercolornerd

[@OtoKano]

You are so welcome Michelle, thank you for watching :D

[@TheSeductiveDaisy]

Pity, there is no Roman Szmal in this series. They are really affordable, I wonder how they will do compared to other well know brands. :) Maybe could you make a video testing only ultramarine, yellow ochre and so on and add it to this series? :)

[@knp01]

What I'm interested in, with this comparison, is wheter it's true that Jackson's line is produced by Sennelier. It's pretty obvious that they use Sennelier's facilities (general look of their products, like tube size, pans' appearance and colours pigment mixes), but do they use similar formulation for the paint itself- like Cassart is just rebranding Daler Rowney.

[@OtoKano]

I agree with you. As I mentioned in the video, I will make a separate video on this when I've had more experience with both brands through this series.

[@knp01]

@@OtoKano I hope it's true, because I wouldn't mind swapping my Senneliers for cheaper option. Waiting for conclusion :)

[@Achatfell]

You know me, I'm always thirsty for Schmincke...

[@OtoKano]

It is a very good paint!

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

I wish you had used white nights rather than van Gogh...but great selection otherwise. As I revisit the color show down my mission gold had fallen farther out of favor, with backing it up with repeated swatching..and interesting observation as to qors use on cheaper paper.

[@babathegoodmansamba8533]

Schmincke has three Ultramarines !!! The favourite for me is Ultramarine feinst ( Pb29 only ), milled perfectly and no Granulation ( which is ugly in landscapes) Never use dirty French Ultramarine in Land scapes ! You should show all three, or a comparison is worthless !!!!! You got Ultramarinblau and they have French Ultramarin and Ultramarine finest also. ( I dont use French U. anymore because it granulates ) Ultramarine feinst is amazing clean, beautiful, the master piece !!! Also M Graham is great and clean ! Color hues depend a lot on how small the pigments are milled and the temperature during chemical processing. Ultramarine is the cheapest blue always.

[@halflink]

Thank you very much for these videos, very illustrative and informative! It's a pity though that you didn't include Russian White Nights into comparison (maybe they are not very popular in the UK).

[@OtoKano]

Unfortunately, no matter how many brands I include, there will always be someone sad that I didn't include a particular brand. I'm glad you found the video useful anyway :)

[@koskey06]

Would have been wayy more informative if you included student grade in this one in particular but allnof them really i guess. Especially if its the same pigment number..... Ultramarine blue is the one color i have told people that its not really worth buying artist grade if the price is a huge diff.

[@montserratlavid3532]

Colossal! Thank you.

[@OtoKano]

Thank you Lavid!

[@threesixfiveart563]

I had a similar experience with M Graham... really didn't like them in the beginning, but now I like them very much. However... I'm WAY too messy to use them nicely. I get sticky paint everywhere!!! I've had the same experience with W&N as well, and finally just mostly gave up on them, as they take so much work for me to rewet. Or at least I feel like they do. I like the tubes of theirs better, but prefer making pans, and since they say not to, it puts me off (I've added a bit of glycerin to W&N to make pans and they seemed to do well, though.)

[@OtoKano]

So glad you agree Holly! I wonder what it is that makes us change our minds about MG.

[@kathyvangogh4034]

So awesome! I love you!

[@koskey06]

I wish holbine wasn't so expensive to get here in the states. I have never used them, but from everything I have ever seen... they are always towards the top with every color even compared to others. Im a cottman lover for there nice looking and performing colors that are a fair price but also sold EVERYWHERE. I like the hand full of there pro line paints I have purchased as well for the same reasons. I refuse to pay Daniel Smith prices.... unless I start being able to sell my art, then I see no reason... or if I find a color I NEED and DS is ther only one that makes it or that much better looking color.... then maybe....

[@operacz_9327]

Dear Oto Kano do you have any recommendations for colours similar to ultramarine blue less or non granulating? I love my ultramarine blue but sometimes granulation gets in my way but I still need some beautiful strong warm blue!

[@jdub3853]

Phthalo blue red shade

[@danellemalan]

You are a hero!

[@OtoKano]

Aw thank you Danelle!

[@risherry]

Regarding Schminke: 1. They also have Ultramarine Violet (PV15, PB29). 2. You've said that you target the series towards beginners: in this case you shoul make comparisons with colors that are found in basic sets (12 colors, etc.). You've picked Ultramarine Blue (number 496) which is not part of their short assortment, so you would need to buy the color separate: which is a think beginners don't do, they usually use what they have received in the standard pack (mostly 494 Ultramarine finest PB 29). Regarding economy / european alternatives I would have liked you also compared to White Nights watercolors. You will say that you consider them Akademie or lower quality, but in Eastern Europe this is a brand that is used a lot and I would have liked to see how it compares to the extremely expensive Daniel Smith. Thanks for your work!

[@EveBolt]

Hi! I saw this comment and I got a bit curious, why would ultramarine violet be that relevant in a video about ultramarine blue? A lot of mixed colors use PB29, it's not really the point of this video to feature those. Also, ultramarine is present in most beginner sets. I've swatched and tested many of them and it's inevitably almost always there. The (Schmincke) blue here (in Oto's comparison sheet) might not be THE blue they have in the basic Schmincke set, but Oto still talks about the "finest" version and I think there's a better "cautionary" element in knowing that they regular Schmincke ultramarine blue is not a single pigment color. Just my two cents anyway :) (About White Nights, I think you can use Oto's extensive work here as ref and paint your own White Night swatches to compare. It's unfair to expect Oto to test out every single brand out there ;) )

[@risherry]

​@@EveBolt As a beginner and since I don't own that color, since I've seen that Mission Gold and Cass Art have in their Ultramarine also PV15, I thought that maybe the Schmincke's Ultramarine Violet (495) might be relevant, since on the printed color chart it looks similar to Ultramarine IMO. I also wanted to help Oto in case she missed that color, especially since she said that she will do a separate episode showcasing the alternative color options. The "regular Schmincke ultramarine" in the basic sets is Ultramarine Finest (494) and that is a single pigment color (PB29), so not sure about your comment on "not a single pigment color" and "cautionary element". Regarding White Nights, sure I don't expect Oto to test every single brand out there, but I wanted to mention White Nights since I'm sure there are many others that use and have this color, especially since it's economic. I think it all depends on the purpose of the series: wanting to test / provide feedback on the audience or own preferences / inventory. I don't know if Oto is interested in testing / owning White Nights, but if people don't make requests / comments about this, than there is no way in her knowing that people would be interested in these comparison / brands.

[@OtoKano]

1. As mentioned in the video, the premises of the episode is to look at colors named either Ultramarine Blue or Ultramarine Deep. So in that regards, ultramarine violet wasn't within the remit of this video. This video was extremely long enough without throwing in other colors. 2. The color selection for this series was requested, chosen and voted for by my Patreons. It is their right as financial supporters of this channel that they get to have a say in what colors they want to see compared in this series. 3. White nights. There are plenty of other channels that show white nights paints. I have already covered 11 brands in this. This series has cost me A LOT (we're talking $800+) to make already and I cannot be expected to cover every brand out there. I appreciate you taking your time to give suggestions for the series, but there are many things that is going on with the series in the background that may be clashing with what you desire from this series.

[@nevillehart9678]

Very helpful

[@FreeSpiritBudgieLady]

The M Graham looks like gouache. It's beautiful though.

[@threesixfiveart563]

It does look very opaque! I know it didn't cover the black line the most, but it did seem like it covered the paper the thickest. :)

[@OtoKano]

Yes I think it's more flat and even rather than opaque.

[@hollymitchell6436]

Dr. Oto Kano oh I see!!!

[@SathishKumar-pw9fu]

@@threesixfiveart563 it's not opaque but due to its high pigment load looks like opaque.... infact it's the only mgraham Color (pb29)granulates better than other Colors in mgraham

[@Da_s_ArtWorld]

What a great video! Thank you!

[@OtoKano]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@sabihashehzad7391]

Missing white nights in comparisons

[@EveBolt]

You can swatch it out yourself and compare with the scans and images from this video. There's no realistic way Oto can try out EVERY brand out there.

[@OtoKano]

There are plenty of other channels that show white nights paints. I have already covered 11 brands in this. This series has cost me A LOT (we're talking $800+) to make already and I cannot be expected to cover every brand out there.

[@mikeyfinger8026]

I looked for white nights myself but they’re always underrated ha ha. To be fair though Oto did swatch out 11 different brands. 😃

[@threesixfiveart563]

I like my White Nights, but not nearly as much as most of the bigger name brands. Or even a lot of handmade paints. This is a really good selection of paints a lot of people will be trying, or thinking of trying.

[@sabihashehzad7391]

Of course you did more than enough and it's not easy to compare artist grade brands, Thanks again for your effort and time👍 My apologies 🙏 We love you 😍

[@ashlyrz252]

#teammgraham 😂 so I loved this video 👌❤️

[@OtoKano]

So glad you liked it Ashly, thank you so much for watching :)

[@koskey06]

Schminkae is wayyyy over rated IMO.... They are average "artist grade" watercolor that alot of the standard colors that should be single pigment are not. And they just put out so many multi pigment colors and call them "special" granulating when its just like 3 pigments that granulate and they just add other colors and call them new. When u can buy a pbk11 or mars black and mix 98% of there "super granulating " colors with just a basic 6 color mixing set you prob already have. Daniel Smith is alot better than shiminkae IMO. But for the "basic" colors....Winser Newton Pro is the way to go for pure, transparent colors that pop. Now WN dont have all the "specialty" colors, thats when you go to Daniel Smith or Shminkae of they only carry what you looking for. But Roman Szmal is where i would put my money COMPLETELY if i have to start over. The price, selection and performance is just as good if not better than any other brand.

[@onozayte8701]

You could've picked a colour with a much more notable colour difference such as earth tones, greens and convenience mixes to start a series because ultramarine is one of the most similiar colours across brands and they behave differently because of the binders and fillers that are unique to each brand and not because of the pigment itself

[@EveBolt]

Sorry for popping in here, but I think ultramarine is a great choice of color to start. It's featured in most 12 colors sets and it's a very affordable pigment, generally. It's also a very consistent choice in any cool/warm double triads selection. However similar the color is across brands, ultramarine has other characteristics that are hard to map out (rewetability, granulation, layering) that we can't really see outside of videos like this one. The hue is fairly easy to compare because swatches are more commonly made than research like what Oto did here.

[@OtoKano]

The color selection for this series was requested, chosen and voted for by my Patreons. It is their right as financial supporters of this channel that they get to have a say in what colors they want to see compared in this series.