Hydrus Liquid Watercolor Review | Comparison with Traditional Watercolors and India Ink

[@makeupisluv]

Denise, I'm having to hold myself back to say some not so polite things to say about the folks complaining about this big milestone of yours. I'll say this instead: I have binged watched so many of your videos lately that I know you have worked on, and put out into the universe for free. I've learned information in the comfort of my home, and I get to appreciate your art without a dime spent. If this sponsorship brings in more viewers, more students, and helps you pay your bills, have at it! People have the right to skip ahead or not watch a video if they don't want to see sponsored content. On a truly positive note, I love your work and watching you paint different types of animals is one of my favorite things. I live in Texas, and recently saw a couple of Grey Foxes strolling around that the first thing I thought was, "I would LOVE to see Denise paint one of these guys." Lord knows I don't have the talent to do it myself. Lol! So excited for you and what this opportunity will bring! Love from Austin, Texas. ❤️

[@InLiquidColor]

You message warms my heart Laura! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so, so grateful for my community's support while I branch out to other platforms to try to make this whole art thing a sustainable career. It's definitely not easy, but a little understanding goes a long way. I have zero issue with people skipping past the spiel if they want to - and one thing that's great about it not being an ad ad is that you can do that, haha. Anyhoo, I would love to paint a grey fox sometime! They're such little cuties. It's so special you got to see them strolling around. I'll try to put them on my short list :D Thank you again

[@StephenMarkTurner]

All the art vids I see, there are always some folks giving a thumb down or complaining about some aspect of your effort. You will see it tomorrow with Steve and Marty. I think it is accurate to say that none of these whiners are Quiller or Castagnet. :-) :-)

[@rebeccadevere8034]

Well said Laura! Denise I appreciate every single one of your videos, sponsored or not! Keep up the great work, it doesn't go unnoticed!

[@staredsky]

agree 100%

[@athenamay30]

Just watched this now and after reading some complaints just wanted to pipe in and say I liked how you integrated that plug for Skillshare. And you deserve to be sponsored - your videos are so informative, so detailed, and it’s so soothing to listen to your voice. Plus you share so much for free that anyone wanting a review before buying saves a lot of time not to mention $$$ before making a purchase.

[@InLiquidColor]

Thanks so much Athena. That means a lot to me. I always try to incorporate them in an organic way for the channel, and I sincerely believe in the platform. Sometimes because of the extra integration, I spend longer talking about them than is required by contract which I think irks some people, but I promise that it's always genuine

[@suzzmail]

@@InLiquidColor how do I find you on skillshare

[@InLiquidColor]

@@suzzmail Any of my newer videos have a link in the description.

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Denise, WoW! This was 5 years ago! I am truly glad that you are enjoying the support of your Patreons and your SkillShare classes continue to instruct as well as bring in much needed income for you! I am not sure why this popped up on the sidebar this morning, but I am watching it anyways! I did forget about the majority of the content but your thoroughness has remained just as relevant today as it was 5 years ago! Thank you for keeping this content available for your subscribers and new viewers too! Please take care, be safe and enjoy a lovely day!

[@Whattheshityennefer]

I picked up the Hydrus Watercolors a few years ago, and they are weird paints. But they are not the same as tube or pan paints, so I feel that is to be expected. Which in my opinion also makes them more intriguing. (And only to an extent can be compared to other watercolors. If you want normal watercolors, then don't buy liquid watercolors. Just because they act differently doesn't make them bad.)The vibrancy of these colors is very high, and they don't lose their vibrancy as they dry. The other thing I love about them is that even on their own they are quite beautiful paints, but it's when you start mixing them that their true genius is revealed. They are gorgeous, and like you proved here, layer beautifully. I also love being able to measure the paint which allows you to mix and remix the same color time and again. An important note is that they do not lift well but this also lends itself towards better more luminous layering.

[@Ameriix_]

Omg YES I've been interested in these for a long while and recerched a lot about them, and then one of my favourite youtubers uploads a video about them! Tysm for the info Denise :)

[@melstampz]

The quality of the information you provide has NO peer. Your videos are the most educational of the many thousands of art and craft videos I have watched. It leaves me wishing everyone was you. So unfair to them lol. But seriously, thank you so much and kudos.

[@smooth_Koala]

I have skillshare prior to you starting this project, so I IMMEDIATELY watched your lessons. All of them at once. I truly appreciate the videos you make, and I KNOW you put a lot of time and effort into not only creating beautiful videos, but also the research, demo painting, script (You are seriously well spoken) so I don't really see a problem that you want to put your videos onto a paid platform. On that note, I also don't mind the sponsor part in the beginning, because I can just skip it. I skipped it because I already have a skillshare membership. However, I did come back to watch it for the recommendation in the beginning where you showcased another skillshare class. Anyways, I have this set, and it's very different from traditional watercolor but it is a lot of fun! In my personal light fast test that I did by accident (where my grandfather put my painting in front of a window by accident and just left it there for 5 months) there was no fading :D

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you so much for your kind words YaoLi! I'm so glad that the work I put into the videos is apparent (and that my editing makes me seem well spoken :D). I'm so grateful for community members like you, and I absolutely don't mind you skipping information that is not pertinent to you

[@smooth_Koala]

@@InLiquidColor OMG you responded

[@a.cornelia]

Me too! So happy to find you’re on Skillshare!

[@JenniferCharleeArt]

That seems like a great class is love to take. The main reason I love the Hydrus watercolors is how bright they are while also being lightfast. I have a swatch sheet in my window that has not faded over the last...erm...gosh I forgot how many months it's been haha

[@InLiquidColor]

Thanks great to hear! I haven't been able to do my own yet so I appreciate you sharing that with everyone :)

[@JenniferCharleeArt]

Yeah, it's sort of incredible that they can be and remain so bright...not sure what sort of wizardry this is lol

[@LittleZmaj]

Congratulations on the sponsorship! I am glad brands are finding you, you deserve it!. I think I actually had the Dr. Ph. Martin inks (mistakenly buying them instead the watercolors). Sadly they ended up in a draw for a long time until I had to part with them. I should have just worded them like my ever- growing collection of watercolors.

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you so much Adela!

[@wickedbrush]

Love your meticulous paint comparisons. It never occurred to me that different types of water would affect the paint’s properties!

[@MeowMeowKapow]

Oh, fantastic! I’ve been interested in these Hydrus paints in.....well, in the sense that I don’t understand them and am NOT interested in them and really want to understand why people ~are.~ I think I still don’t understand the benefits of them, though I am glad you finally answered one of the questions I had, and have asked before but been left unanswered! I’d wanted to know if they could be lifted and your answer is “yes, mostly.” I’m also interested to see if/how they deactivate from dry in a palette because it would be a real bummer to have to toss contaminated paint from your palette (since I’m a super careless mixer, I wouldn’t put it back in the bottle.) Yo fish are super pretty though!!! The color vibrancy is the only thing that I DO understand the draw of. And it is pretty rad that doc martins uses pigments instead of dyes.

[@InLiquidColor]

The reconstitution falls under the separation category I mention about the phthalo green - sorry I didn't explicitly say that! They get flaky for me, but I don't know if that's the hard water or not. This line uses pigments, but their Radience line uses dyes. Benefit is no separation in the Radience, but lightfastness is the trade off of course. I'm with you. They're pretty and vibrant, but I don't know that they're worth the extra hassle. I totally support anyone who does want to use them and think they paint well, it's just too many steps for me. And they deny me of palette construction 😂

[@samanthaglorioso8440]

Hi! I got the Set 1 probably a year ago, and poured them into a metal palette which has 39 premoulded divisions. I have been using them this way since then, periodically adding another dropperful as I used them up, and have not had any problems rewetting them. The only one I have had a problem with is the mystery brown color, which has dried out and flaked off, but I can rewet it, and it does reconstitute itself after some stirring. I have used them mixed with Qor, Cotman, and several other brands with no problems. Go figure.

[@InLiquidColor]

@@samanthaglorioso8440 so glad it's been working for you Samantha! Like I said I think it's a water quality issue because all of my colors do this granulation thing if I paint from them dried out rather than fresh (though some like this green do it from the bottle too). I'd love to know more about the science of it!

[@MeowMeowKapow]

Samantha Glorioso thank you for taking the time to answer my question and share your experience! That’s very kind of you. =^.^= Denise, you know I’ve got a palette building “problem,” so of course I’d be crushed if they couldn’t be used in a build! Glad to know from both you and Samantha that they can be used from dry as needed. I supposed I’d probably have to use them at some point to really see if it’s my jam, because the color vibrancy/clarity is really nice but....I dunno. Maybe it’s just me being an old fogey again but I’m still just confused about the point. Same for water soluble graphite, which a lot of people seem to like but that I also don’t seem to understand the point of.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@samanthaglorioso8440 thanks for the info. I get a sedentary reside if I tweet them dry on the palette but i, like denise, have hard water. Mystery solved! That never would have occurred to me.

[@GenWivern2]

I've a calligraphy friend who absolutely adores these. Quote: "I think Dr Ph Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor is the best paint/ink ever!", and that sort of hyperbole isn't her usual style at all. Even better than Schmincke Calligraphy Gouache apparently, which is hard to believe because that stuff is flat out fantastic. So whatever their pros and cons with a brush they're probably worth investigating by anyone who uses a dip pen.

[@Lauraisabelgonzalezart]

Although you commented many months ago, I wanted to chime in by agreeing with what your friend said! I too PRACTICE watercolor lettering and watercolor calligraphy. These colors are so smooth to work with and I am happy she looked into them! I actually use the iridescent line of paints for my pieces😁!

[@christinerenaud2869]

Hi Denise, thank you so much for this review. I was thinking of getting the Dr Martin Hydrus, but after seing your video, I decided not to. For the price, I think simple, old watercolour tubes are the best, for me anyway. I greatly appreciate the hard work you put in your videos. I know I just recently discovered you and your art, and you have revived my creativity in ways I could not imagine. The black horse from last week was amazing, breathtaking. Thank you again. Hugs

[@InLiquidColor]

I'm so glad that it was helpful!! Thanks so much for the kind words and I'm glad to have you here in the community :)

[@creekkidart7554]

I've recently been converted to using the Ecolines for my comic art because theyre so vibrant and flow so much, but I'm conflicted about it since they supposedly aren't light fast because dye based. Since these ones are pigment based I doubt that they would have the same properties as the ecoline but maybe? would love a comparison.

[@InLiquidColor]

From my understanding the Ecolines are comparible to Doc Martin's Radiant line. I don't own either since they're not light fast but I have used children's liquid watercolors with similar qualities and think they're fun! As long as you're scanning your work and not selling originals (or at least with a disclaimer) I think they'd be fine :)

[@pyrrols]

I finished your watercolor class the other day and doing that class along with arleebean's rainbow skin class i feel like i really understand color theory now :)

[@InLiquidColor]

Yay!! I'm so glad.

[@catherinelevison3310]

Gorgeous painting. I’m intrigued by the liquid watercolors but not ready yet. Thank you for this.

[@FarlyCreates]

Your content is so incredibly in depth and thorough! Thank you so much for providing so many grand morsels of knowledge!

[@tinaamoroso2612]

Wow!!! Your koi fish turned out beautiful. I love my Hydrus watercolours but I found that they are extremely consentrated so I've had best results when I've only used a couple drops with lots of water. I have hard water and I don't seem to have the same granulating effect.

[@InLiquidColor]

That's so interesting. Thanks so much for sharing Tina! I wonder what causes it!

[@LilDivette]

Thanks for such an informative video and congrats on your sponsorship!I received this set as a gift earlier this year but have been afraid to use them...until now. Can't wait to play with them now that I understand them a little better. 😊

[@InLiquidColor]

Yay, dive on in! The water is your friend :D

[@danamelton9066]

I have to say that your rendition of the koi fish is beautiful. Thanks for this info-packed video. Enjoyed it thoroughly!

[@goldfish1871]

wow this was so much more information that i was hoping to find. thank you for such a thorough review!

[@theartcarnival127]

So much of hard work done for various comparisons. A thorough, scientific and well demonstrated review I have ever seen ! You have great artistic capabilities and a scientific temperament. Many thanks for this lovely video full of knowledge :)

[@mjpete27]

Always so comprehensive in your review process and I am so glad not to have bought my own to evaluate! I trust your review and simply have no reason or desire to get this product! I did use one of your Skillshare links and when I went to cancel after 2 months (after Hajra's troubles and one of my own) They asked me to reconsider and gave another month free. I have watched a few more classes, but only to support other artists not really as a learning tool. Yeah I know not the best use of the product, but there ya go!

[@kimberleysmith5876]

Thank you for this review. I liked all the ways you used for comparison. I bought the 15ml Set 2 of Hydrus recently and didn't do my research. Most are 2 pigment colors and mixing them doesn't maintain the vibrancy I hoped for (I understand it would go down some, but...) Well, I will be using them in any case as I am a beginner. Brush miles!

[@Rockymtnbloom]

Denise, I noticed there is also a Dr Martins Radiant line. Do you know much about those? I really appreciate your reviews!

[@InLiquidColor]

Yes, those are comparable to Ecoline. They are dye based and not lightfast, but are bright and don't have the pigment clumping issue.

[@KatheeRN]

TY for doing this video..loved it..missed the first 500 viewers...the only affordable tutorials I can afford is utube...U inspire my creativity so much...going to put Hydrus watercolors on my wish list, as I think I'll have so much fun painting with them...

[@InLiquidColor]

Hi Kathee! It's the first 500 that sign up, not just viewers, so you should still be good to go! If not, you check out my last video and there's a different code there for the class. One way or another we'll get you in.

[@patticake5311]

Hydrus Cobalt Violet pigments are PVC19 and PB15. Venetian Brown is PY3, PR170, PR 269, and finally PBk7. KZbin won't let me post the url of the manufacturer's Hydrus pigment list.

[@lindyashford7744]

A really lovely luminous result. I liked the way you brought them to life when you painted their eyes.

[@InLiquidColor]

It's always in the eyes! 😁

[@camilladamsbobrix2957]

I love the Video and I especially love your take on the Koi fish! Congrats on your sponsorship, that is amazing!

[@InLiquidColor]

Thanks so much for having this really fun class available Camilla! It was a treat :)

[@ldolan1802]

Great video! and thanks for the 2 months free from Skillshare! I have been thinking about signing up and decided to take the offer! Love the Hydrus watercolors. They are so incredibly bright and so much fun to play with! Love that Koi fish! See you in Skillshare!

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the platform, and my class!

[@SharonNolfi]

Great video all around! Please don't apologize for having to make a living. Congrats on getting the sponsorship.

[@ChickenxBoneless]

I just bought some on sale and this video was really helpful in figuring out how to use them! Thanks!

[@ivon_reborn]

Thank you so much for your video. I have their Bombay Inks... and I LOOOVE them for my lettering. I wanted to try something else... and frankly.. I'd better stick to the Bombay Inks and maybe get set 2 (which is what I'm missing). Thanks for clearing up some questions.

[@JenniferCharleeArt]

Yay! Congrats on the sponsership!

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you!! I wanted to tell you that's why I was working when I shouldn't have been haha, but I didn't want to jinx anything until it was out :)

[@sherrikent6628]

Thank you so much, loved the tutorial, joined skillshare and watched one video, tried to watch more but they aren't downloading, so I'm not so sure I will stay a member. To pay for something and then the video won't play was off. KZbin videos never have a problem loading but I tried several, went back to KZbin watched several and they downloaded quickly with no issue, the only reason I'm bringing this to your attention was with the technical difficulty right off the bat, doesn't make me want to use the program. You are wonderful, love your tutorials! The fish were a favorite! BTW, was using Google Chrome, not sure if that made a difference but it made me download that browser in order to start the skillshare program. Thank you again.

[@InLiquidColor]

Once again, i'm so sorry you had trouble with the platform Sherri! I appreciate you sticking with it and trying to see it through. I haven't heard about this issue for anyone else but I'll keep my ears peeled!

[@barbhayes5613]

Love this video, first, because I have a set of the Hydrus bottles, and second, (no maybe first) because of the koi. Beautiful painting and I've just added that Skillshare course to my list. Thank you for all your thoughtful and well-researched reviews, AND for sharing your beautiful work. Cheers

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you Barb! I hope you enjoyed the Skillshare class as well!

[@Kyomiibrown]

Nice review, I love these paints - not for every painting but they work well for some. I have no idea how your pigment clogged in the droppers, I have had mine 18 months and had no issue but it could be an environment factor as I live in the cold/rainy UK. Having said that we have had a really hot long summer, more so than we have for years, and I got mine out about a month ago after standing for about 16 months undisturbed, and there was no clogging. I will keep the clogging in mind though.

[@gigipinkone]

Im so glad to see this video! I've been wanting to know how they compare to traditional watercolors and i don't think anyone can compare these as well as you!

[@InLiquidColor]

Aw thank you so much Sascha!

[@EvaNichols28]

Thanks so much for another great informational video Denise! Especially thank you for sharing the imformation about Skillshare - I'll check it out! I especially got a kick out of you sharing my fellow country woman Camilla Damsbo's Skillshare video - I'll have to check her out being a fellow Dane!

[@dclua]

I'm ashamed to say I watched the video just out of curiosity because I'm not that fond of liquid watercolors but I can't say I didn't learn a lot! I didn't know these were pigment based, but the highlight to me was the Bombay inks which I was really interested in, they didn't even budge with all that rubbing. That was impressing haha. Thank you so much for the wonderful video as always! As well for the cute fishes at the end.

[@InLiquidColor]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I painted a humming bird with the inks last year and it was so fun! Just have to go in knowing there's no fixing mistakes haha.

[@ColleenM61]

Thanks Denise! I just signed up, I can't wait to get started, it looks amazing and what a great price for all that information. Your painting came out wonderful!

[@cassiescreations9828]

Hey lady, you sure answered alot of my questions about the PM Hydrus. I've made my decision about these - not my brand of tea. I did however, find listening to your music and watching you paint your little fishes very relaxing. Thanks so much! I have severe spinal arthritis with another very annoying auto-immune and I also have the fibromyalgia. I think the fibromyalgia makes us klutz-y. So from one klutz to another klutz - happy klutzing!!! It keeps us moving picking up all the stuff we just knocked over, wiping all the spills or sweeping up all the glass we've broken !! So see, it helps keep us from getting stiff-er !! 😀 I hope I made you smile a bit today !!!

[@InLiquidColor]

hahah thanks Cassie! I'm glad I could answer some questions for you, and you're too right about the klutziness. I usually try not to leave big gaps like this one being around five minutes, but I was like "you know what... this is pretty relaxing, so I'm going to go with it" :D

[@staredsky]

they are in bottle because in reality these colors are conceived mostly for airbrush artists... So they have very very fine pigments that stay "suspended" in water for longer time, 2 critical factors to not clog the airbrush

[@AafkeVultink]

Dont compare ecoline to ph martin though, it is a liquid ink and not a watercolor. Its driving me nuts that pple call ecoline watercolor/sorry no offence to talens, I love how they work,but they are not the same :P If you want to compare talens to anything I think the more apropriate comparison would be the radiant wc line from ph martin wich is also diebased and not pigment based.

[@InLiquidColor]

Yep! I've been replying to that in the comments. They're apples and oranges.

[@AafkeVultink]

Ive just emailed ph martin on the stunt talens is pulling by trying to pass on ecoline as wc in the look of the ph martin bottles, really made me angry.

[@azzuparis]

Hi Denise, thanks for sharing this review, it's very thorough! I always wanted to try Hydrus watercolour but I have enough art supplies for the moment ;). I really love your final painting, the colours are so vibrant. I do have a Skillshare account and I love it.I can't wait to check your class out :)

[@jenniefrench1338]

Thanks for the demo. I haven't used that particular brand and find those results with the viridian intriging. Hey love your painting! B E A U tiful!

[@Gothikah]

Oooooooooooooh I LOVED the koi fish. I got Sennelier inks, and I have the pigment problem with some of my bottles too.

[@samanthaglorioso8440]

Wow those koi are fantastic. More zipper bags? You didn't seem to have any problems making these paints do what you wanted them to in this painting. Did you? Anyway, the main problem with them that I can see would be how inconsistent they seem to be from one bottle to another, as mentioned in some of the comments I read. I like mine, but think I will stick with my other professional watercolor paints rather than buying more hydrus.

[@InLiquidColor]

My next round of pouches JUST arrived, but I'll put them on the list for next time! I definitely didn't have a hard time painting with them. They're lovely, they just require a few extra steps to get started and clean up :)

[@AridescentArt]

I loved the koi painting at the end and great info on these paints! 💗

[@AxiomEcho]

I have been traveling and on vacation and I have a lot of your videos to catch up on! I love this video!

[@InLiquidColor]

Welcome back!! :D

[@melissabailey2209]

Neat effect with the fish, even if you can't take credit for it! 😉 Thanks for another great video. The Hydrus watercolors intrigue me, but I'm with Meow Meow Kapow--not really that interested in trying them out. The vibrancy does look great, but traditional watercolors are plenty vibrant and I just love how they feel and act right out of the tube. Guess it's just a preference thing...

[@InLiquidColor]

I've found that I love painting fish. After my Bettacorn in the Pyrrol Red Color Spotlight, I'll take all the flowy fish :D I agree, totally preference. They're lovely paints, but not worth the hassle to me.

[@melissabailey2209]

You go, girl! Paint those flowy fish! It's funny what we end up loving to paint--I'm currently illustrating a children's book about dung beetles and have found that I love to paint bugs! Go figure. And thanks again for being honest with your take on these paints. You saved me from buying a product that I'd try out and then probably wouldn't use.

[@malissabailey1521]

Hey, My name is Malissa Bailey! How cool!!

[@melissabailey2209]

😂❤️ Well, hello, Malissa Bailey!

[@zibbyzoo4379]

Good for you, Miss Denise!!! P.S. I LOVE those koi fish! I so enjoyed watching you paint with the Hydrus! So vibrant!

[@InLiquidColor]

Thank you Heidi!

[@valeriemartin3506]

OOHHH! I absolutely love they way your Koi Fish turned out! I think they are so beautiful and really miss having my Koi ponds.

[@RinasAMaker]

Great info! I happily drove home from a "big box store" thinking that I got a great deal on these using a coupon. I sat at my desk, full of excitement, ripped open the bag only to stare down at INDIA INKS! Literally, I cried. I dont know what to do with it, everyone seems to hate it and seeing as I apparently cant water color with it, I shoved the container in a drawer and have yet to see them again. So much for my Christmas gift :( Oh and PS - the fact that there are no droppers and you have to dunk your brush... yea... waaaahhhhh!!! :(

[@InLiquidColor]

Oh no Nancy!! Can you still return them?? They should take them back! If not, you can absolutely use the inks like you would watercolor. They're just permanent in terms of lifting, and not perfectly lightfast. But they're smoothing and beautiful! I actually painted my hummingbird with india inks! www.etsy.com/listing/571491602/ You should be able to pick up some pipettes to solve the issue of not having droppers. If not, send me and email :)

[@diegogval]

Quoting artiscreation.com "Phthalocyanines Have a tendency to flocculate (granulate) extremely, paint makers usually add additives like Surfactants & flow improvers to counteract this, as a result they usually are non-granulating in watercolors."..Maybe this is what you saw?

[@InLiquidColor]

I have heard that handmade phthalo green is a pain in the butt (ask Eve!) so perhaps this is what we're seeing in watercolors across the board :)

[@theartcarnival127]

At timeline 11:58 "I don't buy bottled water for ecological reasons", I really respect your thought :)

[@pink408209]

Great content, very informational as always. I also live in San Jose Ca and I hadn’t thought about the hard tap water as a variable but it does make sense.

[@TwentyThree-23]

0:33 I thought my contacts were acting up and was blinking a lot. Then I realized it was the video blurring. Looooool.

[@ireneurban3599]

marvellous koi fish and thanks for the review!

[@ChrissieNicely]

Interesting. I have seen other watercolourists use them but I always asked myself why I should pay for water when I can add it myself to the watercolour block. ;-) Ok, the opacity and vibrancy in some cases may be a point. Other than that, for me at least, the Hydrus are out of the question purely because of the bulk. The Bombay ink, however, may be a different kettle of fish for its water resistancy when dry - if you pardon the pun (for calligraphy or other purposes where you need permanent ink). They are not for me though because we have other brands more widely available in Europe at less of a cost. - I do ask myself how the Ecoline liquid watercolours would fare in this test since they are supposed to be highly transluscent and very vibrant... :-) - The koi, by the way, are lovely and really do pop!

[@InLiquidColor]

It's an interesting comparison Chrissie! I will say that I definitely don't feel like I paid for water with these. Liquid yes, but not water. It's pigment and binder and HIGHLY concentrated. That being said, they do still have a lot of bulk, and I wouldn't recommend them to everyone. They have to fit your style :) If you can, I'd recommend taking Camilla's class since she uses the Ecolines. They're NOT the same thing as the Hydrus, just so you know as Ecoline are dye based and not lightfast, but they can be used similarly in application :)

[@ChrissieNicely]

Yes, I guess, I kind of knew that it's not just water but the combination of elements. Just playing devils' advocate. - I have heard other people (in videos) talk about the high pigmentation. I can imagine them well suited for very loose style and abstract watercolour art . But I am not quite there yet... :D Plus, they must be the perfect airbrushing medium. - I didn't think that the Ecoline are dye based and not lightfast. Good points, of course and as you can see, I had not given it much thought. Thanks for elaborating. :-) My personal problem with Skillshare is that I don't have the time. I can hardly find the time to watch all my favourite YTers and spend far too long watching and not making as is! I do watch while making, too, but I find I cannot always since it's too distracting! :'-( However, I believe it's a wonderful platform and will definitely join when I have more time.

[@Kyomiibrown]

Chrissie Nicely They are very pigmented and rich, you wouldn’t be paying for any water and they will last forever 🙂 They are extremely vibrant and very lightfast. Yes, I agree bulk is an issue but only for storage as I put one or two drops of the colours I am using out beforehand - and one or two drops is literally all you need. You can make any watercolour painting water resistant by using Dorland’s wax. I do all mine, including my sketchbook and even my gouache pieces. I can then run the painting under slow running tap without any issue if I wanted. It also makes the colours richer and can be buffed up to a sheen. It’s worth it’s weight in gold.

[@ChrissieNicely]

@@Kyomiibrown Thank you, points taken! I may try them at some point - especially when I get to the stage where I will be more loose in my painting. 😘😊

[@Kyomiibrown]

Chrissie Nicely Loose is a good suggestion as I find these are great when you want to do a fun painting, something that you want to paint with no pressure to get it right or do tiny details etc, it is about having pure fun with these and loose is a good way to begin with them. No need to wait, just create, no one needs to see the result but you, throw perfection out the window and go wIld. I think I am going to do a fireworks piece with these. 😍

[@karenmason1731]

Thank you for all the great information and for the lovely demo. Can Skillshare classes be downloaded for use offline?

[@ladyboerd]

Yes they can be downloaded and watched offline. I always have a few on my phone if I'm going on a plane. That's actually all I use the app for, everything else I do on my computer because the features on the app are limited and it crashes sometimes. But the community there is really great and they 're adding lots of new features that I enjoy besides taking classes. Hope that helps you.

[@InLiquidColor]

Indeed! As lady said they can be downloaded and then they resync your watch minutes next time you're online. The app is lacking but the desktop version works well in my experience!

[@karenmason1731]

Thanks!

[@sabihashehzad7391]

Thanks for this wonderful comparison , really need some information on this 😊

[@ashlyrz252]

Loved watching you paint the koi! They turned out great, and so loose 😍

[@belindawest3558]

There is a machine that agitates the bottle that mixes these paints. You need to get one. Ellen Brenneman talks about it on her channel

[@CdnDolly]

Would anyone happen to know if when you use the India Ink, do you add a drop to a bit of water and use it diluted?

[@Whattheshityennefer]

You can if you want it to be lighter, but it's meant to be used right from the bottle.

[@GodzHarleyGirlStudio]

🖼🎏🍱👩‍🎨🖌Denise, *Your painting of the Koi is exquisite and beautifully done!!!* Gorgeous work, *as always!* This was exactly what I needed for this set that I've not tried yet! Hugz, Tree

[@bevroberts8440]

I somehow expected to be thrilled with the Hydrus liquid WC...If the Phthalo Green is a good representation of how the entire set behaves, I am glad I haven't blown any precious art $$ on it; I did however purchase a Bombay India ink set thinking (wrongly!) that I could use them in a fountain pen...they are just wasting away in a drawer, lol. Thanks for saving me from being tempted by the Hydrus product.

[@InLiquidColor]

Oh no! I'm sorry Bev! You can actually paint with the india ink if you'd like to give it a go! I painted my hummingbird with it and it was a lot of fun. Regarding the Hydrus, not all the colors do this thing and it seems to be inconsistent looking through the comments. But it does appear to be a gamble, so I'm glad I could help ya save a few!

[@bevroberts8440]

No reason for you to be sorry at all. It's a good think when I can save money, lol.

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Enjoying your Skillshare class Denise , I’ve also wondered about these paints . I’ve always thought they are less cost effective as the tubes .

[@InLiquidColor]

So glad to hear! I don't think they're lest cost effective (they're SUPER concentrated), but I do think they're more hassle.

[@gingerl.1178]

Aw congrats on your sponsorship! Yayy, Denise! :D Also, would it be too much to ask for a day in the life? I'm curious to see how you go about your day, with Chronic pain, and also being a content creator, editor, etc. Thank you so much! Hope you give it some consideration, since I'm sure a lot of us would love to see one. ^-^

[@InLiquidColor]

Thanks Ginger! I've considered it! It's not exactly a regular day, but I do have a vlog from a convention that comes to mind when I was having a flare. May be of some worth? kzbin.info/www/bejne/joeql5ptqbB9pMk

[@gingerl.1178]

I've actually watched that one already. Thank you though!

[@InLiquidColor]

Haha okay, thanks! I'll see what I can do moving forward :)

[@MissMagic]

I did trial Skillshare but had trouble with the user interface. When I eventually found stuff I was interested in I could never find the class resources page no matter how hard I looked.

[@InLiquidColor]

Oh no! Do you mean the panel under the video where the teacher lists the materials needed, etc? It's under class project, and everything is entered by the teacher so it's going to vary from class to class. I'm sorry it was problematic for you! Also there is a big difference between the mobile app and the web browser with the latter being far superior imo.

[@ladyboerd]

Absolutely love Skillshare and they've been adding a lot of new features in the last couple of month. Unfortunately the app is a bit difficult to use, I only use it to watch classes, for everything else I log on to my computer. At the beginning I also had to take my time and get used to the site construction but if you have problems finding the class materials (and believe me you're not alone with that) you can always ask the teachers there. Even if they don't respond usually some other student will, very helpful vibe there. Don't get discouraged, the possibilities to have fun, share your work and learn from so many great people is nearly endless.

[@ladyboerd]

@@InLiquidColor looking forward on taking your class. Are you interested in creating a group?

[@loati94]

Are the ecoline anything similar to these? I'm interested in trying liquid watercolors but this is waaay out of my budget lol

[@InLiquidColor]

Ecoline are compatible to the Radient line from Ph Martin. They are dyes, not pigments (and not as lightfast).

[@Trish_Carmichael]

They are nice but I had issues, I saw your story on IG. I bought a set of these when my boyfriend went to Canada for work. I'm familiar qith liquid paints since the first thing I ever used was color inks and I used them pretty much like watercolors. Sadly I met with a lot of dissapointing, like 4 bottles came with some sort of slime inside, nothing of what i did was able to make them work properly. The ones that were good, I liked them a lot I have to say, sadly, a year after, some are showing signs of making that gooey thing inside too (they are tighthly closed). I have some ecolines bottles that are older than 9 years and are doing really well. So I'm not sure if I'd buy them again, specially having to get froma foreign country and withouth a chance to change it because high shipping costs:/

[@InLiquidColor]

That's such a bummer! Thanks so much for sharing both here and on Instagram. The Ecolines from my understanding are comparible to their Radience line with is dye based rather than pigment based (though I could be wrong) and that's why there's no pigment separation.

[@Trish_Carmichael]

Thank you! I didn't know that difference! BTW I love your channel, it's very informative!

[@nauci]

You have hard water down in San Jose? It's so soft up here in SF/East Bay! Woah. I have a special counter top filter that removes most sediments, from calcium to lead to chlorine, on top of the soft bay area water we have. Cost about $80, makes my water taste almost identical to bottled water, but I one filter cartridge lasts 1500 gallons. It seems to play very well with watercolors! P.S. Love your channel! Binge watched probably 20 of your videos in the last week and ended up splurging on daniel smith essentials, m graham 10 color set, mijello palette, AND Qor half pan set as a result. Your channel is dangerous!

[@ahujaginni8262]

Love the koi! Excited to try skillshare. Also might buy some bombay inks

[@zimrianispresent8123]

My art teacher mentioned that all purple pigments were toxic. Idk I haven't googled it but what if the mystery purples are toxic and they don't want to share the ingredients??? ☺ I'm not sure though

[@InLiquidColor]

What?? I have not heard that, lol. Cobalt and manganese pigments of which there are purple variety are toxic, but idk how you could make a blanket statement like that. Here's information, there is a column for toxicity, many of which are rated A which is no concern: www.artiscreation.com/violet.html#.W56U0ehKiUl

[@claudie1376]

Loved this review and so glad you're on skillshare since I just got my free 2 months from beautiful artist you know : Arleesha ! Only down side on this video is it's as ALWAYS too short, I never want them to finish and want more and more 😂 love your art and heart in everything you do

[@ginistewart9636]

Beautiful!

[@lilianshen]

Definitely going to try out the koi. :D

[@terrymeechan2998]

Lovely koi. Think I'll skip the purchase of these paints though.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

LOVED the coy fish!

[@KatieReadsKoziesAndMore]

Nicely done. Thank you.

[@stevekobb3850]

Helpful! Thanks.

[@chrom0xide123]

skillshare seems to be a nive website, but 3 advertises in one clip is a bit annoying

[@InLiquidColor]

I genuinely integrated it into the video the best way I felt it related to the flow of my content. I was not asked or required to split up the footage, but the later clips helped demonstrate what I was working on in the video.

[@christinerenaud2869]

Wow! Simply wow! I sure will try these Koi with watercolour, but they won't be as "WOW" as yours. :-)

[@InLiquidColor]

I'm sure they'll be great!!

[@christinerenaud2869]

You are so sweet, thank you

[@LeslieTardy]

Dr. Martins Hydrous Watercolors, at least in my experience, are horrible to use in an airbrush. Constant tip dry makes these watercolors impossible to do detailed illustrations. I've only been able to use these colors when creating large backgrounds, with a full open spray and my compressor set at 35 psi. I welcome any airbrush professional's comments. I love these colors and this is so disappointing.

[@atzirikunst5049]

Cobalt Violet= PV14 :)

[@chocoloconutty]

The longest infomercial for skillshare ??!!! 🙄🙄 Ugh. I really wanted to give this video a try. Thinking surely it would have useful information somewhere. I kept using the skip ahead button. And then realized it was not helpful to me at all. ☹️😒

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Ditto using 'Ultramarine'. Not a fan of their naming.

[@InLiquidColor]

Agreed!

[@Kyung.Sue_Me]

Omg, I live somewhat near you!! 🤠🤠🤠🤠

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Calling a red 'cadmium', when it doesn't contain any cadmium, and not using the word 'hue', is a head scratcher.

[@kaboomsihal1164]

It's quite annoying that you keep the advertising up throughout the entire video. Makes me feel like I'm just watching an ad.

[@Lauraisabelgonzalezart]

Animal bones? Omg I have these colors🤐....

[@InLiquidColor]

I have a video on vegan watercolors if you want to learn more about them. It's not innately bad now that they at least don't use Ivory, just personal preference.

[@peaches5712]

Yea.......I’m one of those that has clunky bottles all around! LOL

[@blakhand6847]

2:10 when the video really starts

[@CrazyAuntVal]

Oh, gosh, where to start... I have been a watercolorist for at least 35 years, and have to say that the Hydrus are *hands down* my favorite paints. Rather than outlining the "whys" of that, I will answer a few of your comments... First: Yes, sitting upright, the pigment may settle to the bottom of the bottle. That is exactly why they are shipped *and meant to be stored* on their sides. The manufacturer is under the impression that if you are purchasing the paints, you are going to use them, and in doing so move the bottles and pigment around. Second, comparing Hydrus to Bombay is about as accurate as comparing oil paints to spray paint -- I am completely befuddled as to why you would compare the two. And comparing ANYTHING to Daniel Smith "watercolors" *especially when comparing color names* (that they consistently mislabel their paints with) is ludicrous. D.S. produces student-grade materials which are grainy, NOT LIGHTFAST, inconsistent from tube to tube, and are more fillers than pigment. Third, minerals interact. Any first year chem student knows that. So yes, your water will ABSOLUTELY cause granulation, color variation failure to get a smooth wash, and a myriad of other curiosities to happen. And EVERY MANUFACTURER'S colors are slightly different (or, in some cases, vastly different) than the next, patent law and country of origin being the biggest contributing factors. For example, Hydrus are made in the USA which means that (for example) they are banned from including certain additives to their paints - additives that could brighten/darken/intensify or effect colors in other ways. And because pan & tube paints contain a high percentage of binders, they cause the paints to behave differently as well. On the subject of cost: I have bottles of Hydrus in colors that I use constantly that have outlasted full tubes & pans of first-quality watercolors. The initial investment maybe greater, but they give me more covering power, and more versatility, than any paint I have ever used. So in the long run, that pigment (which may settle to the bottom of the bottle) has saved me hundreds of dollars over the extensive life of the bottle. This could be credited to the fact that (unlike pan & tube paints) a lot of space in the bottle is not wasted on fillers (gum, binders...) Finally, as I mentioned before, Hydrus are made in the USA. I find this to be a significant advantage for countless reasons, not the least of which is the environmental impact of both the manufacturing process & ingredients (please note the health concerns later in this paragraph,) but also the carbon footprint associated with shipping paint from halfway around the planet. If you are concerned about plastic water bottles impacting the environment, consider the amount the energy required ship paints from Netherlands, China... to your table. Speaking of China (and countries with similar attitudes) I buy paints (and other materials) manufactured in the USA whenever possible because I know that the working conditions of the employees are closely monitored and their welfare is protected. I can't put a price tag on that. And back to health -- I leaned early on that our choice of materials impacts not just the environment, but our physical health as well. My favorite professor (a truly gifted artist) was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor linked *directly* to his exposure to chemicals found in the paints he was using - he was 42 years old with a 9-year-old daughter. Hard to paint from the other side...

[@InLiquidColor]

Well, now I don't know where to start. You are absolutely entitled to your own opinions regarding performance, but some of the information here is just false, so I do feel the need to correct a few facts for others reading. If you've been around my channel at all, you'd know how much of a pigment nerd I am. I absolutely compared apples to apples with pigment numbers, and I do NOT go off of solely how paint companies name their colors. Regardless of the interactions with my water that I use, I would expect them to be consistent from brand to brand, so the fact that this interaction occurred with ONLY Hydrus and non of my other watercolors for PG7 (of which I have tested over a dozen brands in this single pigment color) is why I mentioned it. It's a unique interaction that I simply shared with my viewers so that if they experienced the same, they'd have some idea of what was going on. I specifically outline in this video how DIFFERENT India inks and Hyrdus watercolors are and showed them side by side to show their differences, not their similarities. Why you took that to be a negative thing, I do not know. And finally, Daniel Smith is arguably one of the highest quality paint companies in the world, but regardless of your opinions on their performance, they in no way could ever be considered student grade. I have no benefit of saying that whatsoever as I'm not associated with them at all and they don't even know who I am. However, they and they along with M. Graham and Da Vinci are made in the USA, which is a benefit of those of us who live in the US, but I have viewers around the world who may be interested in other brands, so I'm not even sure what you meant by bringing that up. Regardless, I only have the best of intentions when I share these reviews so that my viewers can make well-rounded and informed decisions. As always, happy painting.

[@mjpete27]

@@InLiquidColor Yep even when dealing with a troll your class shows through. Keep it going Denise.

[@uns3en]

These paints are meant for airbrush 🔘↩🔘

[@InLiquidColor]

They can be used in airbrush, but can also be used to paint or with dip pens. Right from the website: "Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor is lightfast, transparent, fine art quality watercolor in a glass bottle. This liquid product delivers the same brilliance and permanency as traditional tube watercolors... Great for use in technical, calligraphy, fountain pens, and in airbrushes."

[@gerrymaxberg1936]

zzzz

[@tdelphia1]

Denise, I've loved your content and have purchased from your Etsy store, but when 10% (or more since I'm not watching now after the first 2:18 that is a big pitch for Skillshare) of the beginning of a video is an advertisement....UGH...I'll have to unsubscribe (regrettably, but there's a reason I pay for Premium KZbin and it's because I don't want to watch commercials).

[@InLiquidColor]

I'm sorry you feel that way Tracy. This is my first sponsored video, and it's a big deal for me in terms of what it means for the success of this channel and me as a freelance artist. I too pay for a premium KZbin account, but I also support online content creators. Getting sponsorships is one step closer for me to be able to pay my bills reliably, and I'd hope that would mean my community would be happy for me (and the overwhelming majority is, so I'm grateful). Anyhoo, y'all know how these sponsorship videos work by now, and you're always welcome to skip ahead a few minutes and watch the rest of the content without waiting if you'd like. Thank you for your support in the past and wishing you all the best.

[@tdelphia1]

I've seen sponsored videos on other channels, but 2+ minutes is a loooonnnnngggg time.

[@InLiquidColor]

I understand, but I'm not known for my quick intros in general ;) it's your perogitive to watch what you want and not what you don't, but I'd never promote something I didn't fully believe in and it's not like this will be in every video. Like I said, all my best and happy painting.

[@InLiquidColor]

I'll also add in for anyone reading this in the future, the Skillshare content in this video WAS ultimately longer than required by company considering I have screen captures later in the video as well. I did so because that is how it best fit into the content I presented and made the most sense for the review. All of that went into my consideration and was not an oversight💜

[@ladyboerd]

@@InLiquidColor not that my opinion is more worth than Tracy's but I just wanted to let you know that I totally appreciated how you integrated your sponsorship. I found it a great fit and liked the way you presented it. I think it's great that I as an audience get a chance to support content I want to see more of. By watching ads and being understanding about the necessity of sponsorships I hope to show that I enjoy what you're creating. In general I haven't been very appreciative in the past and only consumed passively. Now I started supporting people on patreon and as I understand taking skillshare classes also helps the teacher financially (I hope). I also feel that people are more aware of the importance of sponsored content and don't view it as a plain sales pitch. Hope you get more of these opportunities in the future with companies that let you decide how to integrate it into your video. Thanks for your transparency and for being open for discussing this.

[@dudediva69]

lot of skill share commercial or plugs ... i choose to stop watching ...

[@Peeachez]

I been watching your channel for a few months now. Immediately loved your channel because you are so thorough in your assessment of colors and seem to be very knowledgeable. But I kinda fell off because the more I watch you, it seems like you insert a lot of bias toward products u may not enjoy, YOU insert Negativity and I’m not exactly sure if you do it on purpose or not. For example your comment like “having bottles laying around to each his own” is just kind of off-putting when you say those kind of things don’t matter if you would like to try a product OR need knowledge about a product that is a Liquid, it has to be in a bottle. And I really found it very ironic since one of your biggest complaint about paint is when there is a delay in the rewetting time which that would not exist when using Hydrus. I’m just saying....This is something u do often but of course this is my opinion. It’s a shame that you are bias. Especially since it seems like you have so much to share with the world. I do appreciate you talking about OTO because I did find her channel as knowledgeable without all of the personal biases I thank you for what you’ve taught me.