Daniel Smith Watercolor Essentials Mixing Set Review. Limited Palette + Bonus Watercolour Ground!

Today I will be taking a fairly in-depth look at this split primary set of six watercolors by Daniel Smith. A split primary means there are three cool primary colours and three warm ones (ie red, blue and yellow). I'll swatch them, make a large mixing chart and also do some paintings to see what can be made with a limited palette. This set also comes with a small bottle of watercolour ground, which can be painted on other surfaces to create a watercolour paper texture. I tested that out too!
Daniel Smith Essentials Mixing Set on Amazon (includes affiliate links)
AU: amzn.to/3UFdJvS
US: amzn.to/3FXpklY
UK: amzn.to/3UFe6GM
Basic Essentials Set without Ground on Jackson's Art: bit.ly/3UmCHjP
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Becky x

[@MirandaWatsonArt]

This is the exact set I have my Beginner Watercolor students buy and they paint the entire semester with just these 6 colors. It's so fun!

[@BeckyTregear]

I am so glad I have a set as well now, they're such useful colours!

[@starr-starr]

Probably the best professional starter set, hands down. Spectacular paints, and you really learn a lot just by sticking to these six colors.

[@BeckyTregear]

I agree! ❤️

[@lozantoninocreations]

Resin would be the best way to seal the tile i think. It can also tolerate heat, so works well for a hot cup of coffee and your art will look beautiful forever 🙂

[@BeckyTregear]

I did end up covering it with resin, yay! It has worked well. ❤️

[@deeanncross7674]

That little 6 tube set is where I first started down the Daniel Smith watercolor trail. It's when I made my first mixing chart. I think your little mouse painting is particularly charming. Thanks for experimenting with the watercolor ground so we'd have an idea how it performs.

[@BeckyTregear]

It's such a great starter set! And thank you 😊

[@dianethoroughman9541]

Hello Becky, as you know I love Daniel Smith paints. It was fun to watch you paint and use the ground. I have ground, but I haven't tried it.

[@BeckyTregear]

The ground works well on tiles; I'll try some other surfaces too. 😊

[@NanaBeth1]

I have never been interested in this set-now I want one.

[@BeckyTregear]

Haha! It took me a few years to get this set. 😁

[@hov3968]

Thank you.Yes. I got the same set and I was curious about the mixing together and making all of the different warm and cool colors so I could get a better understanding of color theory. I was excited about the product as well. I have my new paint,pallet and a new paint brush too. I am ready to swatch and see just how many colors I can get out of this set .Yay,it’s a party!

[@BeckyTregear]

That's the best kind of party! 😆 Enjoy your new supplies, sounds like you've got some great stuff there. ❤️

[@lylebobroske5172]

So very nice Becky. Love it all. Karen from Canada

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! 🙂

[@RoryP22]

This seems like a great set to start out with. I love the squirrel!

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you, and it is a great set; so useful! ❤️

[@tempest6781]

Those are the colours I always pick and I add a burn Siena, sap green and purple or burnt umber dependend on the brand so it gives me more freedom but I do love to mix the colours... As for the ground I've used some and I do like it to metal surfaces or plastic so I can use watercolor the thing is that it's a rough texture and the watercolours are always tough to contain since they do their own thing in a way we can't control as much. I usually seal with transparent spray and it works Have a great weekend :)

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! I ended up covering the coaster with resin, and that has worked well. I like having the colours you mentioned in a palette too. 🙂

[@barbarabrady1267]

I love parrots, I keep a few ❤. I love both the paintings

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! Parrots would be fun pets, if rather noisy I imagine. 🦜

[@barbarabrady1267]

@@BeckyTregear my umbrella cockatoo is the loudest 😩 the parakeets just never stop and the rest are tolerable, they have their own room. Look at Senegal parrots next time you feel like painting a parrot. 💕. My little guy is my favorite

[@patriciatolliver4057]

Patty- I agree about the ground. Someone suggested Goldens Satin Glazing Liquid. That works a bit better. I used it on Amazon paper just to see and I was able to use water color which did not bleed through.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you for the suggestion! 😊

[@pennypop408]

Great set of colours. Let us know how the tile works out with a coating to seal it. Thanks Becky :)

[@BeckyTregear]

I poured some resin over it - that has worked pretty well, yay!

[@Elvraie]

Very interesting set for people wanting to learn colour mixing. Great artwork, too.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you - colour mixing is somewhat of a dull subject, but this set makes it quite fun, haha!

[@tavenchristensen3157]

I love your mouse!! And the tile. You sure did well‼️🐹

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you so much! ❤

[@patriciatolliver4057]

Patty- The tile is beautiful.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! I covered it in resin and it looks even better now that it's shiny.

[@FaithAnnNB]

The only time I’ve used watercolour ground was to cover a painting in my sketchbook that I didn’t care for. It saved the sketchbook page, but not my favourite texture to paint on. I’ll probably save it for that purpose. Love the tile!! You did so much with that new set!!

[@BeckyTregear]

I might have to try that on some less than ideal sketchbook pages; I've got a few of those, lol. At least it saved my tile! Thank you 🙂

[@shadowguard3578]

I love your coaster! Great video thank you! You covered so many topics. Color theory videos send me to sleep. I’ve tried watching a few and reading about it, but my eyes glaze over, but I’m sure many other people will appreciate it. 🤩

[@BeckyTregear]

Haha I'm the same; art theory can be astoundingly dull! 😂

[@shadowguard3578]

@@BeckyTregear 😆😂

[@lunastefanieroy]

Thank you so much for reviewing this! I've been thinking of purchasing it for a long time.

[@BeckyTregear]

I am really happy with it! I also had this on my wishlist for ages and then saw it on discount so that was the perfect time to buy it, haha!

[@jillwiswall5386]

Wow! I love how that tile turned out! Watercolor ground is such an interesting creature, isn’t it? I’ve had some good luck with sealing watercolor pieces with Dorland’s wax medium.

[@BeckyTregear]

I shall be looking out for some of that! ❤️

[@noodlelicious.]

Thank you for sharing this info.

[@annadownya7754]

I mostly use watercolor ground on sketchbook covers, but will occassionally use it to fix sizing issues on paper. I want to test whether it can be tinted like gesso can. That may be my weekend project.🤔 everything looked beautiful! Glad you're having fun with your new set.

[@BeckyTregear]

Ooh those are some great ideas! I have some paper where the sizing has gone bad so painting on some ground could be a really good plan. Thank you! 🙂

[@lamargot2201]

oooh fun! I'm guessing it can, since Daniel Smith also sells gold, black and transparent grounds for watercolour. I have no knowledge though. I've been wondering lately how the transparent ground would compare to transparent gesso. hrm. Weekend projects for both of us, perhaps. Happy Friday.

[@fuzzydragons]

great looking macaw!!😀i have heard so many various things about the watercolour ground, some people like it, some people hate it

[@BeckyTregear]

I liked it on the tile, but it's not my favourite thing in the world to use. Maybe I need to do some other stuff with it to get a better idea. 😊

[@lindahazel5075]

I would appreciate a video about color mixing and the chart.

[@BeckyTregear]

I have to figure out a way to make it not boring, haha!

[@lindahazel5075]

@@BeckyTregear I can't imagine it would be with you doing it. 😃

[@CJCalvertArt]

I love these!! Got mine almost a year ago and made a travel palette which I've been loving. Awesome review and first impressions, Becky!

[@BeckyTregear]

I'd definitely use this for travel; it's such a handy size! 😊

[@eclecticmoi]

Lovely work Becky, really helpful video! Loved your artworks.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! 🙂

[@maria.3649]

When I paint on canvases treated with watercolor ground I use Dorlands wax afterwards to protect my paintings. It works really well.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you for the suggestion. 🙂

[@themidgeling]

Everything came out beautifully! I love everything you painted. The coaster was a great idea.

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you, I am happy with everything I made. 🙂

[@FourInchCats]

Another great video! ❤❤❤

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you 😊❤️

[@ms.rocketscience4924]

Finally had some time to catch up on one videos and this was so enjoyable. I love the macaw and the squirrel. The colors are so vibrant on the bird, but also muted on the squirrel. The browns are really nice. I have this set, but haven’t used it yet. You have properly shown what you can do with mixing colors. And the coaster is lovely💕 Thanks for sharing!

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you - this was a fun video to make and I am happy with what I was able to achieve with the set. It's a good one! ❤️

[@debsmith7050]

I have this set too. So glad to see your demo; thank you. I have had mixed results with the watercolor ground but I like the mixiing paints very much

[@BeckyTregear]

I think the paints are wonderful!

[@lamargot2201]

WInsor Newton and Demco have watercolour varnish. I think Maimeri Blu does as well. Something I've never tried: would resin work??

[@BeckyTregear]

I've poured resin over it this afternoon; it seems to be working ok! 😊

[@art-alchemy]

Becky, You did such a good job with the cardboard..I am happy you show us how to use the ground because I have not use it. I got this set last xmas for $25 through Amazon. I have acquired 7 more full tubes through eBay and Amazon. So I have a full set now. These little ones go along way. I still have some left.

[@BeckyTregear]

I am still a novice when it comes to watercolour ground, but I am glad I was able to make something with it - previous attempts failed miserably, lol! This is such a great little set, I'm surprised it took me so long to get it. Glad I have it in my collection now. 🙂

[@frenchgrama]

Those mixed colours on your chart are just gorgeous🙃. Where did you get that tube opener please - I sooo desperately need one 🙏

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! It's called a Golden Gripr paint tube opener. Hopefully you'll be able to find one in the search results! ❤️

[@kookatsoonjan]

love how brave you were to do such OPPOSITE PAINTINGS...LOVE YOUR BROWNISH PAINTING ...great skill you have there for sure...thank you...Janis

[@kookatsoonjan]

also forgot to say...just LOVE your cheery outlook and tone...always picks me up when I am just as irritable as you would not want to know...thanks Janis

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you! The mouse one was a total gamble that I could come up with decent browns. I can be quite a lot lot grouchier off-camera, lol!

[@hov3968]

You are talented

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you. 😊

[@jonmahashintina]

i think the ground can be replicated with a gesso with some spoons of chalk powder mixed in. something for you to test? ive done it on paper, i haven't tried it on ceramic to test if it sticks.

[@BeckyTregear]

That could be an interesting test!

[@Azkademon]

A very interesting and informative video, I really loved the tile painting, wow that turned out soooo good! Would resin work to seal it in? and your little mousey looks like a squirrel to me :D super cute!! I'm a huge fan of DS paints but I'm such a lazy artist, I can't be bothered with the faff of mixing my own colours if I can help it hahaha so I just buy the colours I want!! :D

[@BeckyTregear]

Resin is a great idea, I will do that! I prefer having all the colours too, haha! Fun to have a mixing session every so often though. 🙂

[@Azkademon]

@@BeckyTregear I prefer to watch others mix colours, did I mention I'm a lazy artist hahaha!🤣🤣🤣

[@valasafantastic1055]

I think I’d like this set. But as for more needs I should look into getting a big tub of that watercolour ground!

[@BeckyTregear]

I've seen the big pots in a few art shops around here, and I also have the one by Golden which now I actually need to use, lol!

[@jam4441]

As always very helpful thank you. I am a little confused though with the two blues ..I thought the phthalo blue (green shade ) was the warm blue as it has more yellow in it ?

[@BeckyTregear]

Colour theory is so endlessly confusing. The way I understand it: Ultramarine is "warm" because it leans closer to the red spectrum. Phthalo Blue Red Shade is also somewhat warmer than Phthalo Blue Green Shade, which is at the cool blue/green end of the spectrum. Yellow that leans towards green is also cool. So I consider Blue-Green to be the coolest and Red-Orange to be the warmest. Turquoise vs Vermilion. Honestly this is just my interpretation of it, I hope it makes sense!

[@jam4441]

@@BeckyTregear many thanks Becky. I think I am going to need some more tutorials to understand this colour theory . It is not so straight forward . Here is a really helpful tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2asgGeriKmEptU

[@jessbutterfly9801]

Lindsay the fugal crafter uses water colour ground to correct watercolour mistakes on normal art works she recently did one showing this with a kid playing basketball if you’d like to take a look

[@BeckyTregear]

That's a good idea, I'll check that out. 🙂

[@learnartwithme3766]

Never heard of this ground stuff, so it's like gesso but for watercolour? Could be useful on those thick "watercolour" pads/paper which are not cotton.

[@BeckyTregear]

Yes, it is pretty much a gesso with a spongier texture. And painting over nasty watercolour paper is a great idea for it, haha!

[@scoiataeli]

What about resin for sealing it?

[@BeckyTregear]

Resin, of course! I didn't think of that...definitely going to use resin! Thank you 😊

[@learnartwithme3766]

@@BeckyTregear Get UV resistant stuff, for surf boards, you shouldn't have any issues finding that where you are. But do a test first though to make sure it doesn't make the colour run.

[@Rebecca.G]

How do you like Daniel Smith paints compared to M Graham? I'm sure they are both fantastic, but I'm trying to figure out what set to go for as my first professional brand. I was sold on M Graham but these look really cool. Winsor and Newton are easier to find so that's also tempting (I'm from NSW). Any thoughts on what I should be looking at?

[@BeckyTregear]

Both are great options! Daniel Smith paints tend to set more firmly in pans and so are easier to travel with. M.Graham paints have honey in them so they tend to stay quite sticky, but they also re-wet like a dream and are incredibly vibrant. Wow it is hard to pick which I'd choose...Daniel Smith probably because they're easier to get and they are a good all-round paint. M Graham are a little more boutique. Winsor & Newton are more expensive I think! They're also nice, but I haven't got as many so I'll just say Daniel Smith, haha! I do have some videos using M.Graham as well, in a playlist. 🙂

[@Rebecca.G]

@@BeckyTregear Thankyou for that! I've seen your M Graham videos (That's how I found your channel), I'll start properly looking into Daniel Smith paints now. Thanks for the advice!

[@jonmahashintina]

amazon au stock the DS red blue yellow starter set for a decent price, but if you already have those colours maybe see if a friend would be willing to buy the rest from you after you've tested them. (theyre the bigger toobs)

[@Rebecca.G]

@@BeckyTregear Thanks for your advice on paints. I've decided to get a half pan set of Daniel Smith paints - "The Ultimate Mixing set". It's much cheaper than getting individual tubes, but I have the option of getting the tubes later as I need to refill. It's worked out so much cheaper than that I was originally thinking!

[@BeckyTregear]

@@Rebecca.G That sounds like a good idea! Half pans are a great way to try out colours without having to commit to a larger tube, and if you got a good deal on them, that's even better! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂

[@DarkWhimsicalArt]

I'm terrible at watercolor. But I still try.

[@BeckyTregear]

All we can do is try....and keep trying...improvement will happen eventually! ❤

[@nattyw495]

Interesting and informative video..mikelle art mom✍👩‍🎨🎨

[@BeckyTregear]

Thank you ☺️

[@joymiller9668]

Really you can paint on wood without any gesso

[@BeckyTregear]

With watercolours???

[@awatercolourist]

First!