How to Choose a Watercolor Brand - Your First Watercolor Palette 1/3

In this new mini-series, I'm going to guide you through how to put together your first palette (or any other palette). In this first episode, we talk about what brands to go for, and how find the perfect brand that fits your needs the most.
* Watch the whole 3-part mini-series on how to put together your watercolor palette: • Your First Watercolor ...
* List of watercolor brands by country: otokano.com/professional-water...
* List of watercolor brands by whether it has honey or not: otokano.com/brands-with-honey/
* List of watercolor brands by whether they are vegan or not: otokano.com/brands-that-are-ve...
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This video was edited by the amazing @Eve Bolt - Art & Cats / eveboltboltsvault
She’s a wonderful editor and is open to working with other channels.
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Oto Kano
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[@mnap1595]

I can't say enough how pleased I am to hear you say not to consider student-grade paints. Having seriously begun to learn watercolor 4-5 years ago, and purchasing student-grade materials (paints, paper, and brushes), I can fully attest to how utterly frustrating and discouraging the experience has been. I'm now in the process of replacing all of it and wish I had just spent the extra money from the start, even if it meant a smaller color palette or fewer brushes, most of which I've not touched anyway. Also, thanks so much for the amazing Brands by Country list!

[@arielle2745]

Wonderful advice for new painters! When I started learning watercolor in 1985, W&N was THE brand. But that was just too expensive for me. So, I went with Holbein and Grumbacher (DS didn’t make WC yet). Holbein was quite affordable in California at the time. In 1991 I moved to Germany and fell in love with Schmincke. Nowadays, I can buy whatever I want. To my surprise, I’ve found Szmal is my favorite. The more I use them, the more I like them. I also love certain Mijello Mission Gold paints. Those two brands have the heavily pigmented granulating and more opaque paints I favor. And reliable Schmincke makes up the rest of my paints. I strongly prefer pans over tubes. That was another surprise. I hope this comment helps others. Because most of what I was told to pick turned out not to be the best fit for my painting preferences. Except: 100% yes about using pro grade from day one!

[@amiefrisch]

For those on a budget in the US there is a Daniel Smith ultimate mixing set on Amazon for $56, waaay under the price anywhere else. That's how I started since it was the cheapest way I could find to get a bunch of great colors to start trying out. Now I'm getting more economical tubes of the colors that I want more of plus trying out new colors and brands.

[@melissaaldosari8024]

I agree, this is a wonderful set! I have seen it under $30 usd on Amazon at times as well!

[@keeponkeepinon9363]

Yes I have that same set and it's perfect for smaller budget. Any time I see quality watercolor paints in a "trial size" or similar, it's worked out great and I get to experience Schmincke, QOR, or Daniel Smith paints & see which ones I like. Also good are the "Dots" of various brands of paints. Daniel Smith offers these in their "Primatek" mineral paints. These little dots of paint go a long way & allows me to see which colors I like or don't like.

[@schuhujin5019]

Totally agree with picking local brands. But: my argument is not only the cheaper prize, but first of all for ecological reasons. What is the point of buying brands from overseas, when you can buy local ones. Another Point I think you missed is, you don't even have to decide witch brand you like. You can mix them all, so pick the colors you like, not necessarily going for one single brand. You might coose local colours generally, but in some rare cases buy a specific color from overseas.

[@susanavenir]

Roman Szmal pan sets are surprisingly affordable in the U.S. via Jackson's in the UK, especially during the periodic sales. Superb paint. For tubes, I'm into Qor. Crazy surprises, gorgeous colors. Started with Winsor & Newton. Bleh.

[@petiteflower5259]

Agree about Roman Szmal, great paint for a great price, epecially during a sale which Jacksons seems to have every 2-3 months! Some of the colors end up less than $3 for a full pan.

[@lark6676]

My solution for using Sennelier is I buy them in pans. They rewet beautifully. By using the pans, I can build my travel palette with them and no worries about goopy paint leaking all over the palette.

[@lurklingX]

That’s good to hear. I just got a Sophie‘s yellow that I was planning to pop into a Schmincke palette, getting rid of the PY3. Then I started wondering if it was going to be unruly because of the honey. I actually have a few sennelier colors which we’re from tube that travel just fine. One of my favorites is *Chinese orange* Which is a very earthy deep yellow-orange (there’s not really any other brand that has a color like it. I’ve only seen one that’s remotely similar). I think it’s my most favorite color out of all Sennelier, aside from Rose Madder Lake which is a gloriously versatile color. It’s pink intense but in mass tone it’s very close to red. I use it as a standard mixing red but it lets me have an option for a truly transparent and true pink, like for cactus flowers. And I tried about four different brands for this purpose (yeah it was driving me nuts! I had no way to mix it. You can’t really mix pink). The deep rich rubine masstone was just a bonus. (Both are LFI)

[@lark6676]

@@lurklingX Totally agree about Chinese Orange and Rose Madder Lake...2 of my must haves in my travel and big palette. I need a new pan of Chinese Orange soon...I do have a tube of it though. It's nice to hear it sets up well for travel. Thanks.

[@lurklingX]

lark Yay! That’s actually exciting to hear that someone shares two of my ❤️ flavors of sennelier! (Sennelier never seemed to be as sticky as some of the other honey paints, and I suspect most of the colors might actually travel pretty well) C.O. is a teeny bit tacky, but has not budged. 😁✋

[@valasafantastic1055]

With the exception of Van Gogh. I consider them full art grade. The one quirk with them is they don't perform well straight from the tube they perform best after being re-wetted form dry for at least 3 days and best a week+. I also remind everyone that you CAN and SHOULD mix brands! Get the best colours in various brands and put different brands int he same pallet! Honey paints are 'worth it' as you can leave pallets open to dry even in front of a fan or use a hairdryer on low heat, etc. Only if you are a youtuber or other reviewer is there a reason to segregate brands! You can also enjoy opaque paints and mixed media. As well as LOVE gouache and mixing watercolour and gouache! There is no reason to be a 'watercolour purist'. NONE. You can buy and use make up brushes to paint with! They are amazing. Yes even dollar store ones! My Top tips (off the top of my head) Empty half and full pans in bulk are usually available on Amazon. Empty tins and sticky back magnets are usually available at dollarstores! Make custom pallets using tins don't rely on things 'marketed' as for watercolours all the time! Multi pigment mixes might be your JAM! Some are lovely and they have value. You CAN mix your own dupes and custom colours! Invest in tubes tat are best for mixing other custom colours! Research pigments and specific dupes as needed. And I mean pre-mix them with a needle in an empty pan form tube paint. Do experiments then pre-mix up colours you love. The time saved will likely make painting more fun and you will likely paint more. some people (like me) do really understand colour mixing but don't like wasting time each painting re-inventing the wheel. You may not enjoy the time spent mixing as much too! Consider taking steps to pre-mix pans to save time later! Pre-wet paints before using based on that paints need. Ex: Gouache eyedropper 3-5 droops, close pallet let sit around 8 min then open and mist spray. Dryer colours = eyedropper two drops wait 30 seconds then paint. Wet colours (like honey watercolours) may not require pre-wetting of so just a fine mist spray and go in immediately. Use sponges for texture and abstracted backgrounds. (I don't see this mentioned enough) Try to use each paper you have access to and experiment to see the techniques that make the best use of the paper. Some very cheap papers can't use watercolour well BUT might be amazing for gouache! Do paper tests and try our coloured paper or Put a wash down as an under-painting of a colour that is very staining and doesn't lift well OR go mixed media and put a thin wash of waterproof ink or acrylic, etc. Remember mixed media is a possibility and you can save a 'failed' watercolour by over painting with Gouache and /or coloured pencils etc. Save them to 'fix' later or just to see your progress. You cna also make custom sketchbooks. Sewn or perfect bound! You can glue it yourself! You can build a gap into perfect bound so it does in fact lay perfectly flat! You can use loose papers and make them into a book later! You can meake custom sketchbooks of any papers you have and a mix of papers! You can make them different sizes and shapes! (requires large self healing cutting matt, exacto blade, metal ruler best with foam grip, awl , glue (even cheap white school glue works!), crappy brush to use for glue, beads, large needle, tapestry/thick thread, bone folder (or use ruler)) The most expensive is the self healing matt, several heavy books as weights. Look it up on youtube! Paint the way YOU love! Follow your JOY. There is no one right way! All painters are just advise and sharing their way. Their way may NOT be YOUR way. Learn from several teacher BUT also Practice and experiment MORE than just reading books or watching instructional videos! You can do it! Have fun everyone!

[@lurklingX]

plus they are sort of opaque... not many true translucent colors and that can be a problem depending on the kind of work you do with them.

[@valasafantastic1055]

@@lurklingX I agree if you want the most transparent and desire layer-ability over other factors I think Senellier is probably the best. I also think Daniel Smith is amazing overall (except for price/morals). However not everyone has to prioritize translucency over ALL other factors and I've found personally That I don't. I often adore opaque and semi-opaque pigments Like mixes with white, Indian red, pr101 iron oxide, yellow ochre, and more opaque rich versions such as those of M graham. ( and even in more translucent brands certain pigments are by nature opaque). After all Gouache in now my Favorite medium and i often mix watercolour and gouache. Translucency and glazing is good to know about but not essential for every painter/artwork.

[@lurklingX]

ValasaFantastic actually I’ve heard some people argue that the opaque Schmincke colors are about as opaque as gouache. So some people use them in that way. I’ve only just dipped my toe into gouache and opaque watercolor, and it was kind of a while ago. But painting upon black illustration board can create awesome photorealism with very saturated blacks that you don’t have to lay in yourself. 🙂 oh and English red ochre is probably my favorite color from the Schmincke Akademie set I had. And basically colors like that, opaque earthy reddish. I’m really not being down on opaque colors or anything. Just coming from the perspective of painting over linerart, the transparency is kind of necessary. (just to clarify that as I might’ve sounded negative before, perhaps?). I know the one that is not transparent is cobalt teal. I can’t help it, I love that color (have to use it creatively to avoid going over lines or having it be too thick). And some really awesome orangey reds happen to be opaque which is such a bummer (so I just go for those like crazy when working with acrylic paint. Cad red light, anyone? 😂)

[@valasafantastic1055]

@@lurklingX That's fine. Its all a preference and its really useful to study, practice and know how opaque vs transparent each paint is as well as pigment qualities. I feel people seem to pigeonhole watercolours a NEEDING to be transparent and seem to forget people all work differently, have preferences and even can change moods by each painting; and mixing watercolours and gouache and any media is ok ( Provided you layer in a functional order).

[@lurklingX]

ValasaFantastic yeah that’s probably true, people do like to pigeonhole things in general. It’s possible people think what a medium “has” to be or do, is based just on the particular subject or style they work in. -I mean if you do urban sketching you probably need transparency. Well, if there’s linework. But then plenty of people just do freestyle painting for that sort of thing. Just like a landscape artist might do. It’s all so varied. - SIDENOTE: have you actually mixed watercolors and gouache? 😯 I’ve never heard of that, but then like I said I haven’t really been deep into gouache. Maybe you mean the opaque watercolors and regular gouache? Or do you mean like everything? Transparent too? (Internet sucks for tone of voice. I’m just super interested.)

[@SigneofHorses]

Finding the brands and different colours is indeed though. One major help in this for me are YOUR VIDEOS!! I started out with my ancient Van Gogh 12 pan travel palette. It was the only thing available next to W&N back in the day (25 years ago) After picking up painting and illustrating again more seriously a few years ago I was dumbfounded by the choice or paints and brands and colours. Your videos have been a huge help on decision making. I love Holbein and Schmincke and with the online possibilities they are affordable and available here in the Netherlands. Combining it with the cheaper Van Gogh ones. I also found a fabulous seller who does half pans from tubes and she’s amazing help picking colours for me. She has found my favorite red and gave me advise on greens (undersea and zoisite) as well as make me like Daniel Smith paints.

[@zerogoldfish201]

Thanks for all the effort you put into these vids and into the written resources. The lists are really helpful. I wanted to mention Rosa Gallery Colors from Ukraine. Discovered them only recently. Small range, heavily based on Cadmium in the yellow and red spectrum, but very reasonable priced. I’ve not found much difference between them, Schmincke Horadam and Talens Rembrandt in my pallette. They’re definitely pro grade. Miscellaneous: Congrats on your house plants, they’re beautiful. And that hair style looks good on you.👍🏼

[@VS-rv1btartnfun]

Your content is getting advanced n professional with time, very very helpful and very informative videos. The information you give probably takes years to learn by self , and very few masters deal the topics you choose, which are way more important than they seem. Thank you very much for sharing such a gem of content . Lots of love ❤️

[@Jazzgriot]

I bought a bunch of Windsor & Newton today, and the assistant asked if I wanted the professional version, and I said yes, but I'd intended to get the Cotman (students) version. After seeing this video I'm glad I got the best quality in the end, even if the cost went up more than I'd planned. I'm eager to try them out now to see if my painting responds to the upgrade. Cheers.

[@OhJodi69]

*I have an unpopular opinion:* I have to raise my hand and say that for any beginner, who has never played with just mixing colors, before, and learning about the color wheel, I found great value in the $15 Cotman sketcher's box. No, they are not great paints. But I felt FREE just to smear them together and get an idea about warm and cool colors, etc, without worrying that I was wasting pricey paint. And I practiced some brush strokes, and painted some small things.....and then quickly graduated to much better paint. The bonus is that the sketcher's plastic palette is great for filling with better paints, when on the go. And there are a few Cotman colors that I do use sometimes with my better paints. If I had started with Daniel Smith, I would have been so anxious about using expensive paint for "nothing".

[@sieable]

I agree with Dr Kano - avoid using 'student quality' ranges. Mix a little bit of Cotman yellow raw ochre in about 150ml of water in a small glass, and do the same using Winsor & Newton. When you hold them up to the light you'll see that the Cotman binder is cloudy compared with the W&N, akthoug the pigments for ochre are probably the same. That's why the professional grade will always be brighter. You can see the same if you mix with a white paint & compare. Watercolors last for years. I look for 2nd hand pallets.

[@OhJodi69]

@@sieable I did not at all say that the quality of student paint is as good as professional paint. you may have missed my point. When just smearing colors together to LEARN about color, as a BEGINNER, best quality paint is not necessary, in my opinion. Would YOU be able to sit down with someone new to watercolor, and demonstrate color mixing and theory to them, using Cotman or other student paint? Or would you have to say you could NOT, because the quality wasn't great? I think you would be able to do it.

[@kunaljanvalkar2850]

​@@OhJodi69There would always be one Artist grade brand that would be cheaper than the student grade depending where you live. Better to get that, unless you are from UK where WN is already cheap.

[@keeponkeepinon9363]

Thank you for talking about student grade vs. professional. When I took my various studio art classes years ago, we were instructed to by professional paints. In fact, student grade supplies were not even discussed as an option (for all the reasons you discussed). Even though professional paints, etc. are always more costly, ... it's so worth it to purchase professional grade materials. Professional quality art materials produce the effects they're supposed to produce (when practiced). So if beginners use student grade paints, as you stated, they get easily frustrated trying to produce what can only be achieved using quality paints and paper. Thank you again for your valuable research, tutorials, and experience!!

[@jojojo8835]

My tip- Look on eBay for used vintage students stuff from like the 1960s or whatever. My parents had some lying around, nherited from various family and they were so good! If you can get used to them you’ll find the pigments are amazing. Student paint and paper has got worse and worse over the last few decades , and sadly now I also know from experience that now some colours of w&n professional is indistinguishable from their 1980s Cotman.

[@WhiteWulfe]

The student versus professional... I wholeheartedly agree. So many videos and blogs will be all "hey, if you're curious pick these up, they aren't that expensive". Much easier to learn techniques with higher quality product, doubly so given it feels like there isn't that much of a price difference between a starter of professional versus a set of student grade. But I'm also in a position where paying out $200 CAD is "only" a month of my hobbying budget. Many aren't as lucky, and they're lucky to be able to have that kind of spare cash over six months or even a year.

[@bigjohnnygee123]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that student grade paints are fine if they're from a reputable brand like Cotman. The 12 pan mini Cotman set can be had for about £10 in the UK and comes with a small brush. At that point all you need is an A6/A5 sketchbook and you've got a great plein air kit that you can keep and upgrade as you develop. Some of the colours included are great for inclusion in a professional set as well, such as their alizarin crimson hue, cerulean hue and burnt sienna (which is more of a "burnt orange" hue).

[@loveandlife4222]

Thank you for this Oto. I am one of those that pretty much buys whatever I want. I’m a Daniel Smith girl and love them so much! To grow my palette I would order a new color or two each paycheck. Before you know it you get a large collection. I do love Sennelier and Schmincke also. M. Graham is beautiful paint with a huge punch of pigment but they never dry for me. I live in very dry climate and my M. Grahams are sticky. That’s a deal breaker for me so I will not buy more. Sennelier gets hard enough that I can use and store them normally. I love the honey feel of the paint. Thank you for being honest and unbiased. So many videos are biased toward videographer preference. I look forward to the next one in the series.

[@HaruKazePIU]

According to Jackson's page, White nights do have honey in it. There is no clear info on manufacturer's site neither on packaging itself, just says "additives and fillers". But I always though White nights were honey paints.

[@lindsaykorth2713]

As far as i know, they have honey. Or they used to. The full pans I've got remained wet from the very first time I used them (I've been using them for over a year now). However, they don't all behave the same. Some of them are so creamy I find some gooish transparent thing dripping on the sides. Some pans "melt" more than others. The most well-behaved are the reds, pinks and oranges. The worst, greens and blues. As I bought them separately, I'm not sure if there's differences in the formulation or if they replaced honey overtime. But I like White Nights, even so.

[@artbycatfitz]

This is all excellent advice. Thank-you for talking about honey, I think it is really important for even beginners to understand why it's in some paint, and how this will change your painting experience. From living in a very hot dry climate, I learned early on that having honey-based paints changed my painting experience dramatically. Rewetting is a dream. I still have no idea why Art Spectum (an Australian brand) does not have a honey base.

[@jillwiswall5386]

I live in a cooler but often very humid area and my Sennelier and other honey brands stay very sticky and mobile. For Sennelier, I’ve found that ordering pans, rather than filling my own from tubes, is better for storage as it’s a slightly drier formula seemingly. What a neat series! Looking forward to the next episode!

[@kunaljanvalkar2850]

Fun fact: Holbein's 5ml tube sets are really economical in India, a country with crazy import and customs duty. A 24 tube set costs $60/- where a Daniel Smith set would cost around $150+ Because of this price difference, I initially thought that Holbein is a student quality paint. Only later that I learnt that it's actually pricier than DS in US and some people still prefer it...

[@india1422]

I’m from Scotland. I agree. It’s not humid 😜having said that….. the winters seem quite wet now that I live in Switzerland. It’s a much nicer cold here

[@maryannprzybycien2013]

I live in the USA, and I can get Daniel Smith cheaper at Jackson's than here. As a matter of fact, I can get everything cheaper at Jackson's. Although they don't carry every brand of paint. As far as Schminke and Daniel Smith super granulation colors, I think they're overrated. I mix my own and even create my own mixes they don't offer. I can also regulate the amount of colors in each.

[@everartokelli]

I respectfully disagree, Blick, Jerry's Artarama, Merri Artist, Cheap Joe's and my local art shop all beat Jackson's prices for Daniel Smith paints and have free shipping. However, many of the EU brands like Schmincke and Asian brands like Holbein are much cheaper at Jackson's and overall it's a great place to shop. And if you have to pay a lot of state sales tax it might even out to buy American brands at Jackson's.

[@petalpusher]

@@everartokelli Jackson's collects state sales taxes for US-bound orders.

[@shadowguard3578]

@@petalpusher I have ordered twice from Jackson’s and I’m resident in the USA. I’m sure I wasn’t charged sales tax. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@petalpusher]

​@@shadowguard3578 I'm also in the US and my Jackson's order last month collected my state's sales tax. I don't know when they began or changed their collection practices, or if all US states require international collection for online orders. Info from their FAQs "Changes to Tax Charged in the USA: Due to changes in international tax regulations and thresholds, we have been required to start adding tax to our sales in a number of countries and states, and to charge new rates in some others. When these taxes have been charged the amount is visible under the ‘Basket Total’ section at checkout. Please note that these rates are set by the US state you are ordering to and will change only as a result of legislation by the tax jurisdiction in question."

[@kristen5019]

Thank you. I am a beginner and feel lucky to have this video series to use.

[@cassandraluxmoore3718]

Thank you for your knowledge. I found the colour theory and pigment info so hard at first, eg. not making muddy mixes, unless you want to. Your pallet re: warm and cool colours has been a great starting point. So much so that I did not get too frustrated learning how to paint, along with some people on Skill Share and Kristy Rice. I appreciate your effort with these videos. I use my pallet as a base to nearly every painting. You're a gem!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

Wonderful information that is so very helpful! Wow! Those lists you made! That must have been so much work! Thank you for all your hard work Oto!

[@lellemaris3731]

If you're in Europe and want to go for a really good student grade paint at a very reasonable price: pick van Gogh, they're incredible. Just take their tubes and not the half pans, because these are too gooey. The tubes are great though! And they're vegan, too 😉

[@ruffeyx]

i just checked out all the links. really informative. thanks Oto!

[@karenensemble7899]

Such helpful guidance in choosing water colors - and your hair is darling!

[@NoFri11s]

Excellent information as always! Thanks for all your hard work!

[@heatherdubeart]

Wonderful information, thank you so much! You have so much knowledge and I am grateful that you share it with us! Wishing you all my best.

[@NoHugsPlease777]

Windsor Newton is a British company, but they are made in France. Just for the record 😁 But I not sure if that impacts the price

[@Dan.B.Artist]

Great advice. Really like the hair and plants btw

[@InnerMagpie]

I’m so thankful I found you! Ty for doing this video!

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Thank you sooooooo much for this! It was def helpful to decide what paints to get based on where I am in my watercolor journey

[@polgara28]

Awesome tips!

[@carolwilson7299]

Excellent video. I have been painting for a couple of years and was fortunate to have a mentor from the start that stressed professional paints and cotton paper. However, I picked up some good information from this video and found it worthwhile and enjoyable.

[@petiteflower5259]

I saw enough videos giving the advice to go straight to pro grade that I followed it and am so glad I did.

[@petiteflower5259]

Oh and your color spotlight series has been absolutely invaluable when I had to decide what brand to get for different colors, I can't even express how much I have appreciated them.

[@janeedward]

Awesome series! I started my palette by buying different colours from different brands! I wasted a lot of money to figure out which ones would work for me! Videos like this could save people a lot of money and energy.

[@ericakauffman5786]

You are always so helpful. It was nice to see you. You are looking healthy and happy. I am still on a journey and started with student quality everything. Paper was the worst. Once I discovered 100 % cotton paper, everything changed for the better. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

[@lindyashford7744]

I always learn something new here. Nice video and great information.

[@tish2412]

Thanks for a very useful video. I live in Asia and I love buying Holbein! But we also get some of the western Brand’s at almost the similar prices to their home country so I have loved trying them out too!

[@stacyerobinson3259]

Hey , Ms. Kano, I haven't seen new content from you in awhile. Your work means a great deal. I hope you're well.

[@Emi-ry7yl]

Great timing and super helpful. First time I've heard about honey and its potential issues....thank you! I have researched for ages which colours/brands to start with and have my wish list at the ready (just waiting for the summer sales 😬). Looking forward to the next video and which colours you recommend.

[@TarotLadyLissa]

I’d love to see a comparison of a specific color across brands. My favorite color to put in all of my pallets is Payne’s Gray! Seeing swatches of all the paynes grays together would be so satisfying.

[@stshnie]

Oto has been doing exactly that - look up Viridian, Nickel Azo Yellow, New Gamboge or Vermilion for starters - I think she may have a playlist.

[@TarotLadyLissa]

@@stshnie Thank you. i did find the playlist shortly after I commented. I'm a new subscriber and hadn't delved into her playlists at that time. I'm definitely a fan girl now! hahahaha

[@cat-ku9te]

Mijello Mission Gold’s pure pigment sets are available on EBay for a pretty good price. I was able to get mine for around 100 CAD. The set includes 24 15 ml tubes so it’s a pretty great deal!

[@leenb.7936]

This video was very good. The pace of you giving the/your info was perfect as well as the amount of info, also the reasoning and such were very useful. You’ve succeeded in making a relevant video on the which and why for anyone, no matter where they live. Such relevant info in choosing which brand you want to try out and the practical reasons do play a huge roll, I’d say. Don’t have M. Graham and my 1 half pan of Sennelier luckily never got humid enough to seep out of the half pan but my Rosa Gallery (and Rosa Studio, bought that student grade set to allow myself to mess around without the unwritten rule we often give ourselves that it should be something good, nice, pretty,… with that student grade set I have given myself permission to do anything I want at the “paint like a toddler” level, doesn’t have to teach, study or make pretty but just play-time. I’ve never used it in an enough challenging way that I had reached the limit of this paint so yay for affordable playtime with enough quality ❤ My Schmincke paints are very old so maybe they’re not the same formula that is used these days but a few of those stay sticky as well. ThouI’d best mention it. I’m from Belgium btw

[@christinahutchison3967]

This is great information. Thank you for sharing. By the way your hair is beautiful.

[@NanaBeth1]

This was a great video-full of helpful information. Interesting note-I live in rural so Georgia. Humidity is unbearable. It takes my Qors a month to dry. Same tine for M.Graham. But recently I bought a set of Rosa Gallery. In a 8'x10' room with a large dehumidifier running. They will firm up but if I turn off the humidifier, they turn to soup again. Sending them to a friend in Colorado.

[@LunaBianca1805]

I got mostly Schmincke's for my artist grade colours, since those are actually real local to me (as in same area of Germany, local), but I still love and use my Van Goghs as well - that's the student grade ones I suggest for beginners :3

[@englishroses2464]

Is Rembrandt missing from the charts? Loving this series!

[@djhadaverde]

You could add some more brands from Europe: from Ukraine you have Rosa Gallery, professional and studend grade. In UK you can also get the Jackman's finest professional handmade watercolours. And from Germany, you also have Kremer brand. Thanks for this video, greetings for our dear Dr. of Pigments ;)

[@michemman]

Dr Kano, So here in Australia, we buy from Asian countries or from Jacksons UK. Europe tends to sell towards Asia and Australia as it is a 14 hour trip by plane. This makes the American brands expensive, with the exception of Da Vinci. Local art stores mostly only stock student brands, as they sell more craft too. There are only a few small shops in Sydney with artist quality, and they are expensive. Art Spectrum make great oil paint and gouache and made the first Aussie Red Gold in an oil paint back in approximately 1993. It is beautiful like crossing a Quin Scarlet with an Indian yellow. Some of our angophora tree trunks are this pinky orange colour. Along with their Tasman Blue, and a their Aussie Leaf gold, and their Aussie Grey, their oil paint ideas were unique in their day. For us, it is no cheaper to buy AS, than it is for the other brands. So while paint is expensive, our paper prices are truly nuts. In kindred spirit, Eliza Sydney Australia 22nd of July, 2022 11:23am

[@tabbi888]

Couldn't agree more as a fellow Australian I'm shocked at the extreme expense of any quality art supplies here, it's truly extravagant. I've spent 2,000 and it's not even a large collection, I have quality watercolours about 45 , great paper which is probably the most expensive compared to quantity and 2 sets of the best pencils. You don't get much for your money here, it's so hard for people wanting to start out. The cost simply locks some people out of art I'm sure. I really wish it was more accessible for people, but sadly it's limited by cost. It took me years of saving just to get those menial supplies, the worst thing is that it then is hard to fight the urge to preserve them rather than use them freely. Also I've found that most of the student grades here are really craft standard and are actually really awful to work with. Even if it's just practice the lesser quality doesn't come close to the results with higher quality so really practising with them is kind of a waste of time. My heart goes out to anyone else struggling with this problem, it makes it very hard to do what you love.

[@CLAllder]

Oh god yes, the price of paper 🤯

[@thomasjuracek2406]

I am fortunate enough to have two locations to paint. In Florida, USA, I use Sennelier. This is because I started painting there and an artist I admired used that paint. I have never had a problem with paint not setting. But I really enjoy the pastel like look they dry to. This is a warm humid environment, but not always in the winter time when I am there. In Montana, very warm and exceptionally dry at 7,000 ft in altitude, I use Schmincke. No particular reason, I just thought I would try something other than Sennelier. While it does dry, I have no issues resetting it. I buy all paints in tubes (I have bought pans), and there does not appear to be a discernable difference in these two brands between tubes and pans. I generally do not mix brands. These folks are professional, they have done years of research about mixing their paints. They know how colors react with one another. I am not qualified to outguess them.

[@dramaticona]

I think Latin America is another world, I'm from México I guess the Casa Serra own brand would be artist grade, but there's no pigment info so no for me. The closest would be USA for brand like Daniel Smith or M Graham, but they are really expensive here, sometimes more than European brands. The cheapest you can get here is everything you can buy from Jackson's or Aliexpress (yes they sells original). For example the essential set of Daniel Smith would cost around $35usd in Jackson bit in local stores the same set would cost $60usd for 6 5ml tubes !! And buying from USA stores is another nightmare. 😞

[@maibritton2882]

I have experienced the same in the US with Smienke pallete was on sale 25$ at Jacksons in the UK while in the US it was 60$

[@lurklingX]

*DA VINCI. thoughts? i'm on the fence.* sometimes i feel yes, sometimes not sure. i do worry about the fact so many of their paints seem to be LFII.... like, why? (indanthrene blue and madder brown were my first ones and hooked me in. still, after trying other similar ones in other brands they still seem special ones. and cobalt turquoise is unique also.) i never got airbubbles, which i have in DS sometimes (gutting, when they are often considered the TOP watercolor brand. and some of their *special colors* are REALLY nice like *Joyce's mother violet* (the granulation and separation is pretty amazing. soft violet and a distinct blue) and *Joyce's mother green* is.... well it's a little in the realm of DS undersea green so kind of muted, super useful, and different shades from each other. the DV one is a little more to the olive side and a bit more saturated. Denise's green is a really nice one also. all that to say.... i'm torn. *there are really good aspects* like available colors, uniqueness, sometimes the handling, preform well. *drawbacks?* well.... the LFII or worse on SO many paints. like the Joyce's mother violet mini palette. really interesting picks for colors, almost all are LFII though. :/ like, why? PV19 should be able to be LFI. inferior pigment sources? i don't know. and if i compare painting experience DIRECTLY with other brands (i'm doing this currently, same picture, painting out with each of the brands i own), i feel more engaged by some of the other brands than i do with this. Schmincke can be tricky, finicky, yet for some reason i love using them so much. it's sick. makes no sense. and they too have disappointing LF values sometimes. anybody have any thoughts? i mean all brands have pros and drawbacks. *M Graham* is actually LOVELY to paint with. like, ridiculously enjoyable. however, HONEY. so no travel palette. *Sennelier* can be great, depending on the colors. i have ones i both love beyond reason (rose madder lake, chinese orange) as they perform awesome and are LFI and the rose is super versatile and is RED in masstone) versus their weak AF brown umber (in a pan set so could be diff from tube. but it's also hard to rewet. i hate it. top spot for a hated watercolor) and their catalog is sometimes thin on LFI colors. but, the Sennelier colors that are good are VERY good and usually amazing to paint with (rose dore madder lake is a phenomenal orange-leaning red that can sub for vermilion. just got it.). *A. Gallo* (only have 3 colors) seem to need prewetting despite the honey, but offer a really smooth nice experience. BUT, at a premium. prepare to have your wallet set itself on fire. *White Nights* are very saturated, have a reasonable selection and can be inexpensive. I built a really interesting 12 color palette and it's been fun to use. ((these brands all have honey 🐝)) *Winsor & Newton* certain colors are like... the BEST. they're a really consistent paint, have some of the prettiest and saturated versions of phtalo blue (both shades), and a gorgeous perylene maroon. bonus, they have 5ml sizes so it's easier to try out a color and see if you like it. *Daniel Smith* of course is probably the heavyweight champ. tons of earth tones, and the most extensive color catalog out there. plenty of unique colors and LOTS of granulating colors available. Lots of LFI, and they test for lightfastness (though it is argued they are not testing the colors in tints, only masstone, which.... would be less than helpful. it's watercolor. of course we aren't using everything in the thickest application possible.) *Holbein* i recently got ahold of some, and i must say they perform really well and some of the colors are just stunning. cheapest online at Blick, but $10+ at least. (and like many asian brands, are more likely to lay down where you place them) *QOR* same, with some colors being truly stunning. at my retail Blick, they have a swatch book which lets you see the actual color on paper which is GREAT. there is a glow to certain colors that i've just not seen. obsession-worthy. quin violet was particularly stunning. it was like warm and cool at the same time. definitely warmer in masstone, and a cooler violet in tints. DS is more expensive than them in more instances than previously. *Mission Gold* fairly nice to paint with, korean, but you have to really pick colors carefully. they are KNOWN for their strange (and unnecessary) multi-pigment mixes. but also for good results mixing, pick your colors well. autumn red is terrible for skin, or a main mixing red. gets really hard edges. *Violet Lake* however, is the most amazing thing i've seen. It's a muted, deep warm violet that goes DARK in masstone, and in tints is a delicate sepia red-violet with a touch of warmth. would be phenomenal as warm shadows on white roses or light objects. easily their best color. great for value studies, as is a good indanthrene blue (PB60) like da vinci's. SOME of Mission Gold's colors are so staining i wanna scream. phtalo blue and green. palette wreckers. consider metal or ceramic to avoid this aggravation. hard to mix values correctly when your palette is BLUE, or green. they also have a unique pigment earthtone called "Red Brown". It's pretty awesome. *i know we aren't talking about student grade...* 👾 but *Van Gogh* paints nice, but their assessment of transparency is whack. most of the line is semi transparent at best. you might argue semi opaque. could be due to the fillers, of which they have a lot. *WN Cotman* paints nice, good range, better than VG because of the transparency. *Schmincke Akademie* paints out like the pro line, but will be undersaturated in comparison. *All 3* offer similar final results with regard to intensity/pigment load. hard to say if i favor cotman versus akademie. they are both relaxing and nice to use. they handle a little different but both enjoyable. THAT'S THE ENTIRE CATALOG. idk if this will help anyone with making selections or just discovering a few new colors, but hey maybe it will. (i'm self-admittedly a bit of a pigment nerd, with an obvious spending problem as well. ha.) 👻

[@RoryP22]

There's a KZbin watercolorist named Kimberley Crick who does lightfast testing on many brands of paint and it's interesting and useful to see how her tests compare to the lightfast ratings manufacturers put on the tubes. She also has her own website.

[@lurklingX]

@@RoryP22 yep i love her channel and blog :)

[@user-lt9hr2pr8z]

Maimeri 6 colors set was great.

[@christinebravomom5711]

So yeah ... I needed this a year ago! LOL

[@lurklingX]

Omg the HONEY list is amazing, EXCELLENT ✨ 🐝🐝🐝 sometimes it’s kind of hard to pin down whether a brand has honey in it. They don’t always advertise heavily, and it might be due to quantity of honey. (Sometimes paints have been runny and it might be more of a binder issue perhaps? I have a DV cobalt turquoise that’s a nightmare for that. Acts like a honey paint. Love the color but I had to take it out of my travel palette because it just seeps out and destroys what’s next to it. 🎨😭)

[@OtoKano]

So glad the honey list is useful! Yeah I always struggle to remember what brand does or doesn't have honey.

[@francescaz9870]

Your list is very useful, thank you! I totally agree with you about avoiding student grade paints...I went down that road by myself and I have been so frustrated! They are really nice if you stick to a single wash or very light washes, but if you want to go darken in values and start mixing them too much they become a nightmare. I'm obsessed by Holbein in this period..I wanted so badly give them a try but they are not really available in my country. I found them on amazon for the insane amount of 35€ a tube...After I watched your video, I understand it doesn't worth for me getting them at all. Another really difficult thing for me when I was looking the first time into getting better quality paints, was getting a full range of professional brands, since if you look for them on amazon or any other "non-art specific store" they just label everything as professional 🙄 so annoying

[@jirikir]

I wish this Video Camembert out a little bit earlier. The thinking of witch brand was frustrating. But I have decide to go with schmincke horodam at least cause I am german. Paper brand was difficult to. Well I stay with hahnemuehle witch lokal for me. So thank you for this series

[@lurklingX]

oooo "false economy" - never heard that one before, but i love it.

[@talktokfir]

Thank you for sharing this, i am a beginner and i wonder why you didnt recommend holbein as top of the line brands in the beginning of the video, nor winsor newton, what is your thought on holbein and winsor newton? , If holbein were not cheap for you to buy in Japan you wouldnt use them? Thank you.

[@janawright1715]

❤️❤️

[@christinabaer8770]

White Nights have honey inside. Schmincke Horadam is not vegan friendly because of ox gall. But I use what I like 😅

[@MykeMonkMama]

I just found your channel and I LOVE your content! Just wondering - I didn't see Da Vinci on the vegan list at all. Do you know if Da Vinci paints contain honey?

[@rolltideroll8250]

Concerning honey, is there a way to manually set the painting. Air, heat or fixatives or other manual means?

[@ianjackson5834]

I always say its better to invest in half a dozen pro paints than a big set of student paints.... back in the day before the internet it was hard to get good paints and yes i had to use student paints and yes they stressed me out

[@mikepolo2887]

Speaking of obscure local brands: I once bough some Czech oil paints by Umton Barvy, and they have watercolors too with very decent pigments, but I have never tried them. There is a new Russian brand called Pinax Extra (look out! The original Pinax line is Korean and is not as good) that offers only single-pigment colors with maximal lightfastness, but it is not available elsewhere yet.

[@lindyashford7744]

I have always wanted to try the UB watercolours but it was such a hassle to go through, they look like an interesting little company and I am a bit of a watercolour nerd.

[@mikepolo2887]

@@lindyashford7744 indeed! But next time I am in Czech Republic, I am definitely getting some.

[@susanfisher8944]

Tried to watch the other two videos but it say s “private video”. Something I need to do to watch those also? Thanks.

[@sasasavra]

Hello and thank you for the video! I live in Greece and the weather in my country is really what you described: warm and humid! So obviously I can't use honey and the brands that I can find here are Schminke, Rembrandt, and Winsor & Newton. I tried to enter to your data base website to get some information but it doesn't work. Which brand of the above do you suggest? Do you know any Italian brand I could use?

[@renskee.jellema8697]

Look also at the online shops of Artemiranda and Gerstaecker for good quality brands and brushes.

[@denisefrawley6734]

How would you classify Paul Rubens?

[@maryannprzybycien2013]

I have Paul Rubens set of 24 (in the original pink tin) and they are a professional watercolor. I love them. They're bright and clear and are excellent on lightfast tests.

[@cat-ku9te]

I heard somewhere that the white nights paints do contain honey. I suspect this is the case because they have the same sweet honey smell that my Roman Szmal paints have.

[@OtoKano]

Yes, I hear mixed things about White Night but they won't reply to any emails, whether it's in English or Russian :(

[@majrminer]

Has anyone out there tried Daniel Smith and then switched to another brand? If so, please explain why. I currently use them and a few Holbeins, but I have not been impressed with Holbein.

[@renskee.jellema8697]

Kremer from Germany?

[@lindyashford7744]

I love them. This is my go to brand. Not for everyone, I think, but they suit me.

[@jenniferdewoody644]

IMHO, There are a few exceptions I think to the “no student grade” paints. For example, I much prefer the Van Gogh student line of paints to the same brand’s Rembrandt professional paints.

[@Gemma_Mave]

Hi, can you explain why please? Ty

[@rebeccapage4411]

Van Gogh are my go-to paints for sketchbook and small goods (bookmarks, cards, etc).

[@jenniferdewoody644]

@@Gemma_Mave yes, though I believe the Rembrandt paints are more lightfast, as primarily a sketchbook artist, that is not a priority for me. I don’t sell my work. I find the Van Gogh paints behave a little better for the type of art I like to do whereas I’ve had some trouble with the Rembrandt paints acting a little unpredictably and not re-wetting as well from the pan and they are almost 2x the price of the Van Gogh paints where I am, so for me the student grade option is the better one. The paints are lovely and most of them use the real pigments. The only color that is a little strange to me is the cerulean which is not a true cerulean but a pthalo.

[@lurklingX]

oh hey, i didn't know you were in scotland! (thought you were in england). that's my ancestral homeland

[@OtoKano]

I'm in Edinburgh :)

[@lurklingX]

Dr. Oto Kano lovely. That’s my favorite city. (although I have some intense sort of nostalgic feeling for skye, certain parts). ❤️✨

[@danieledonaldson6574]

Hi Oto and watercolorist friends! May I ask a question about Kremer watercolor ready-made boxes or pans : are they professionnal-extrafine- grade? Cannot find info in the website...going to east Europe next september, I wander if they worth looking for. Anyone have a suggestion for professionnal brands to try? many thanks! In summer my watercolor pans become sticky; I put some silica gel pouches in the boxes.

[@petalpusher]

@Danièle Donaldson It's my understanding that Kremer's watercolors are professional grade. Some of their niche colors include historical or rare pigments, so it's worthwhile to pay attention to lightfastness, toxicity, etc. (depending on what is important to you). They also have a store in NYC if you're anywhere in the area.

[@OtoKano]

The paints I've tested (I have a video on testing out the blue palette they sent me) are very good. I would say they are definitely professional, not student.

[@jenwilly7260]

Have you ever tried ROSA Gallery?

[@grannysmithart]

this is going to be a useful series for me as a teacher, thank you! question: you don't mention Winsor & Newton or Maimeriblu brands, i've seen them mentioned occasionally in your color series, in general you don't care for them, can you explain why ?

[@amanakaiyuki]

I can say I also am not a fan of windsor and newton in general, there are only like 3 colors in the whole series I think are nice. They almost feel chalky in a non chalky way, like they are just not nearly as smooth as my other watercolors that I own, like in a buttery texture when mixing with the water kinda way. They also don't lay a wash as well, with the same paper, same brush, and same water ratio they are just not as pigmented, won't lay a smooth wash without texture as well, don't make as good of a homogeneous mix with other colors as well without splitting (maybe its just my colors or tubes but when I try to mix them they alway seem to split colors too quickly for my washes to dry the color I want them to be without mixing back out to the 2 colors I mixed), and overall I just don't feel they are as nice. All that being said, you can make great art with them, for sure, but they are harder to work with in general than others that i have so if you can get another brand I would recommend it.

[@grannysmithart]

@@amanakaiyuki 20 or so yrs ago i replaced my 'beginners' set of grumbacher with W & N, thought they were great. Over the years i have tried many other brands and replaced the W & N with Maimeriblu, M Graham and QOR as favorites. Funny how 'everyone' was using W& N back then, have they changed ? or other brands just developed something better.

[@williammendeleyev1934]

Apparently W&N use a different formulation for their pans versus their tubes - this suggests to me that they're intended to be used straight from the tubes which is a very different style of painting from what I hear (and probably a bigger money sink too...). Perhaps their intended use is part of what gives people different impressions of them. It'd be like comparing Sennelier with other brands for everything besides layering (something they're apparently well known for).

[@amanakaiyuki]

@@grannysmithart I'm not sure if they have changed, unfortunately I haven't had mine that long, only a couple years like maybe 5-10ish depending on the color? But yes, I can say Daniel Smith is probably my favorite for most of the colors I own as far as ease of use goes and my personal preferences, I would rather save and get those tubes personally than purchase the cheaper ones W&N have ^_^

[@addasenta]

Another argument in favor of honey is that when painting outside in cold weather are still easy to rewet. Without honey it is much more difficult in the cold.

[@OtoKano]

That's such a great point!

[@hiddenshadow2105]

Canada is strangely screwed because it has a pretty decent watercolours (Tri-Art) but they are not available anywhere I look in stores. Their other stuff is but not watercolours.

[@tabbi888]

I live in Australia and unfortunately every professional watercolour brand is never under $15 for a tiny tube or up to $30 for a 15ml tube. All art products are exceedingly expensive here I've spent several thousand on just watercolour, decent paper and decent high quality pencils, derwent lightfast are over $600 just as an example. I'm so envious of everyone in America or Europe it seems just so cheap there.

[@CLAllder]

I just started a few weeks ago and got my first paints from officeworks (don’t laugh), looking at some better ones for the colours I really like and the prices are mind blowing. $20 for 5ml. Ridiculous.

[@tabbi888]

@@CLAllder everyone has to start somewhere it's nothing to be embarrassed about, especially here where the prices are so ridiculous. I buy all my art products online, usually I buy my paints through Jackson's art supplies they are the cheapest and have the best range shipping to Australia, the roman szmal watercolour seems to be the cheapest high quality watercolour paint available. Best of luck ,cheap paints are great for having fun with and experimenting. I got my collection mostly from collecting 2 colours a month, it adds up in the end. Best wishes, have fun with it.

[@dkstamberose]

My first palette was all Holbein pastels. I wasn’t aware of pigments or color theory so I was sad and confused when I would mix two colors and get yet another shade of grey 😂

[@kristen5019]

Da Vinci: I can’t find it on the “vegan or not” page. I may be missing it.

[@kristen5019]

I found your Da Vinci summary page. When it says “Vegan or not? Yes” does that mean it is vegan? Thank u so much.

[@kristen5019]

Signing up as a Patreon because your resources are awesome for me as a beginner.

[@aeli999]

Denise's Earth Friendly Watercolor Palette is vegan and non toxic. I don't know about the rest of their paints.

[@everartokelli]

Da Vinci is now all vegan (perhaps Denise Sodan's influence?), but older tubes of their Sepia, Payne’s Gray, Lamp Black, Davy’s Gray, Ivory Black all have PBk9 which is ivory or carbon black.

[@louiswolfe5012]

I wish i could afford art

[@jesstolley7193]

I live in Canada... ALL the brands are expensive. xD lol

[@firechick561]

But what about paper? There are quite a few professional artists on KZbin who say the quality of watercolor paper is even more important than your paints. And there are several mid level paints that aren't expensive & behave similar to professional . One professional who's landscapes are breathtaking, says get what you can afford but if you can't afford professional- it's ok...you'll get a feel for what works at every level.

[@OtoKano]

I totally agree with you that paper is important. However, this series is about putting together a palette.