Do NOT Buy Watercolor Before Watching This!

[@lovdolls]

Hi Kristy, I'm the 81 year old beginner. I bought a Mozart pallet off Amazon. Before that I had a Crayola kiddy set, now that was a challenge to work with. As I practice and watch videos I see paint colors I am really interested in such as Potters Pink and Paynes Gray and ordered a tube of them by Daniel Smith. Mozart did have Paynes gray in the pallet and I love to use that color for blending. Thanks for all the information a lot of it over my head at this point but I'm in there trying and learning.

[@KristyRice]

That is awesome!

[@Mary-cz5nl]

Love paynes gray and burnt sienna can do so much with them

[@marlenaamalfitano1558]

I'm 78 , here's to us oldies!!!!!!!!

[@myrawillis6829]

I bought the Mozart pallet on Kristy's recommendation too! So much fun to use.

[@TheGoodFruitMelancholy]

@@marlenaamalfitano1558hey folks! I’m a beginner/intermediate painter at 49 and my fellow RNs all laughed at me-saying “my kids paint better than you do!” Well guess what? I have NEVER enjoyed anything like I do painting! And after 18 months people are commissioning pieces from me! 😉😂 We’re brave and young at heart and life is ALWAYS an adventure-others may not understand, but that’s too bad for them! Happy painting!!!

[@KristyRice]

Wow I'm blown away by the response to this video so far! Thank you for taking the taking to listen to me go on and on about watercolor! Of course with such an intense video there are some worthy notes of clarification I'd like to share: 1. This video is specific on the spectrum of watercolor grades from hobby to what I'll call the uber professional. Here we're discussing mid range palettes - the lovely place where affordability can meet professional quality. 2. I reviewed what I believed to be the Lukas Studio, their student grade watercolors NOT their 1862 collection, professional collection. However my full pans may reveal that I actually reviewed older stock of 1862. Regardless the results are there for you to see and my opinions are jus that. I know I've made some upset by putting Lukas beside my own palette and others given their long history in paintmaking but I stand behind my commentary. I feel very much the same about Lukas as I do Cotman from Winsor & Newton, regardless of both coming from brands with over a century of paint making history. Proof is on the paper :( 3. Sorry for the typos throughout- I'll send a surprise to the first person to comment on this who has spotted all of them, lol but seriously. 4. Many have asked why I didn't include Van Gogh - they are wonderful paints and we use a few colors of theirs in our Momental studio palettes. For this video I was researching specific keywords on Amazon and responding to brands mentioned when I took a poll here. So the omission wasn't because they weren't worthy, they just didn't fall into view given the parameters mentioned above. 5. Just a reminder, I am the designer of the Paintcrush palette, that makes me inherently biased but I believe one of my best qualities is my ability to be very constructively self-critical and I strove to be just that when reviewing my own palette. If you are suspicious of my choice to do so, then I would say this. Go for Rosa hands down, at that price point you won't be disappointed.

[@Krisstofers]

Lol!!! I don't even care about the typos! As I've said so many times before, I could watch/listen to your videos all day! Every day I have that itch to pick up my tools and enJOY myself! And when I feel that creep of depression beaming down on my neck... I feel better the second you hit the airwaves! Just like finding the JOY in watercolor, not grading your post, and just finding the JOY in your post, is my therapy. With the weather we've had in So. Cal., I can't get out and skate, which is usually for my mental therapy, your posts help my mental well being. So if your vlogs are helping me, think about how many others you're helping!!!

[@myrawillis6829]

Review = opinion and viewers can watch the swatching and make up their own minds. Your pallet looks wonderful and you should be proud of it!

[@Jeannette.akaJnett]

So I did a quick pass through again to see if I caught them all, not sure but these are some of what I did see. The term about "these" are not there are honest reviews/tip: if color...makes "you" not your/I'd add a word here, get in "the" comments and share your knowledge/Pheonix/assumed vid linked below was on purpose/ No clue if these are right, but had fun with the challenge and watching it again. Time to go make some dinner.

[@KristyRice]

@@Jeannette.akaJnett you’ve got them!! Email [e-mail] attn:Kristen I won!

[@lindsayjenni5032]

*taking the taking, *jus that I know I saw this too late, but thought I’d help out none the less. Really enjoyed watching this. It’s very informative and helpful for newbies like me. Thanks👍🏼

[@creativespark7371]

I will be honest - most of these sets you have mentioned are a waste of money. I am glad you gave your “honest review” about some of them. They are overpriced for their quality-and their quality is bad. Many of them are very “chalky” looking to me, even the ones you say don’t look chalky. It looked like the majority of them only come in sets/palettes and if you run out of a color, you can not buy a single pan or tube to replace that color. I have been painting and drawing with watercolors and other media for over 25 years. I believe it is VERY important to know what pigments your watercolor is made of because not all “watercolor paint” brands are made from actual pigments. If I want to use ink, I will use Ph Martin’s. When I use watercolor, I want true watercolor. I do not follow many “rules” and I am not a “pigment scientist”-but I know the basics of pigments and I know how important they are for watercolor paints. I’ve tried many beginner and professional paints. IMO, the BEST beginner/intermediate brand I have found is Cotman (Windsor&Newton) and the best professional is Daniel Smith and Windsor&Newton. Cotman has a box set of tubes of 24 that is pretty cheap on Amazon and at times can be bought for around $25 on sale at Michael’s and JoAnns. Even at full price, a beginner gets a good deal. These stores also carry single tubes for when a beginner is ready to expand, and Cotman can continue to be used by more experienced and professional painters for fun, studies, sketchbooks, teaching others, etc. The only thing they aren’t good for is commissions and work that is for sale. Cotman paints are made with less pigments than their professional counterpart, but many of the colors are still “lightfast”.

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for the input! All of the brands reviewed share their pigment info (except for Inktense I believe)on the packaging or online. As a beginner I think it’s a fun and highly educational practice to replace a used up color with something new when a single pan replacement can’t be obtained. It’s a good way to force you out of a developing comfort zone. Cotman is certainly reliable and I used it for a little over a decade as a very young student. I just found so many others to be much more pigmented with a more exciting color range for the price. But certainly Cotman is a beloved brand for many, there’s no denying that :)

[@indyisanartist]

I 100% agree with the Cotman recs. Also for artist quality, I would recommend DaVinci watercolor.

[@ThunderStruck15]

If cotman is your favorite student brand, you haven't tried many. They're probably the worst quality and far over priced.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

@@ThunderStruck15and what would be your recommendation?

[@LoriLClark]

I had no idea that drying chalky wasn't the norm for watercolors! I'm so glad I watched this video! Thank you, Kristy!

[@lauradrinkwine7673]

Me as well. Thank you. It’s been frustrating when you see what you like, it dries and looks awful.

[@taaldesign8859]

A few hours ago I ordered the Rosa Gallery. My reasons for this are a little bit different. Ok, I hope they are as good as pronounced. But these are made in the Ukraine and this company has a hard time, like everyone in the Ukraine. It´s a small amount of help, but better than nothing. If there are more collectors out there, buy these colors. 💛💙

[@KristyRice]

Love this. Wonderful paints.

[@danettebutcher4865]

I thought the same thing as soon as Kristy said “Ukraine”

[@marlenaamalfitano1558]

i bought them and I like them

[@taaldesign8859]

Can´t wait till they arrive. If you are creative since you can hold a pencil, you have a lot of artstuff when you are near retirement. But every new color is a new adventure.

[@urbangypsy69]

I have LOTS of White Nights and Rosa Gallery (all I could get). There is a distinct difference in them, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I heard a rumor on IG that the Rosa Gallery used to be a White Nights factory but changed after Ukraine was allowed to become autonomous. Who knows? They're just lovely!

[@urbangypsy69]

(I started this massive response to talk about one brand, I promise). As a paint maker and paint collector here's some of my observation and they mirror Kristy's but this list is sort of...expanded. Derwent first: I have the 72 sticks of Inktense ink sticks from several years ago. Boy, the 'Inktense" 'watercolors' in the 24 palette are soooo different. They're different from the pencil set, even. I'm terribly glad I invested the money yrs ago instead of what my friend showed me with her new palette that I almost purchased. The ink sticks I own are amazing and I'd say, if anyone can get an Inktense sticks set from 5-10 yrs ago, grab them. I haven't really gotten to super play with them or paint a full painting, but there seems to be something different and know that the ink I have cannot be lifted easily. They also are not truly lightfast in the stick form but OMG the COLOR! Absolutely sheer. They are fantastic for working in journals, art journals, and, if you're willing to do the UV spray and the serious UV glass and hanging out of the sun and so forth, they would likely make a lovely paint for sale or gifting with the caveat that they might fade if not cared for properly. They remain down on my Amazon Wish List, and they could be fun, but.... I'm down for getting any palette in the $35-40 range especially one that lists pigments just for tossing in my backpack and heading out for some urban sketching if I'm sitting in the car. However, I have a tiny Altoid tin. In it, I carry Hansa Yellow (PY3), Pthalo Blue (PB 15:3), and some form of PV 19 usually Quin Rose. I also put in a blue-leaning Payne's Grey and Burnt Sienna (not a mix since natural red iron oxide granulates so beautifully) and in the tiny space left, I squeeze in some PW6 Titanium White. I can easily make a black. I have a mix of Daniel Smith, M. Graham and Mijello Mission Gold Single Single pigment paints in there now and I can replace with my own paints or any single pigment tubes or pans. The Rosa Gallery is formally a White Night's factory (rumor) but dang do I LOVE these paints! The best for the money in a boxed larger set format is the Mijello MIssion Gold's Single Pigments. Right now, 17 15-ml tubes are only $58.88 on Amazon and single tubes can sell for $21.99 and up so buying a 17, 24, or 34 set is definitely wiser. I know they're an investment even at $58.88 and that's beyond many people's price range but they last a long time and are punchy packed with pigment (alliteration moment). True, they don't explode 'as' well as Qor, but they will move right along with a teeny spritz or a bit of water on your brush (esp if you use a small mop brush). And, I also bought their Cobalt Black on sale at Jackson's Art. Oh heavens. I'm a black fanatic (with PBK11 or Hematite or Mars Black as names) but this is a wicked black. Sennilier's 24 half pan La Petite student grade is only $33.80 on Amazon tonight and the set has all pigment listed and I can barely tell the difference from the pro line. As for Arteza...use from the tube or get out your vegetable glycerine and toothpicks for a quick hack. They dry super hard and can crack if you squeeze in a half pan for palette. I put a bit of glycerine on a toothpick as a humectant and when I teach (very rare at the moment) I've gifted them to students. I love this vid because these mid-range paints are fun and you don't feel you're 'wasting' them treating each as precious. Use your watercolors! Such fun and joy! I love the Shin Han SWC I got for Christmas from my Hubby. This is the pro line. I used up all of my PWC ones which were fun, too. To get the best deal, buy the larger set and enjoy more single pigments, stunning clear colors and no chalkiness. However, out of 36, five are fugitive. They are used by illustrators for their bright and sheer qualities. I agree with you and I adore my big 36 and 48 Gansi Tambi (I have both from birthday gifts) sets and the similar 24 MozArt set you recomment for beginners is also easy on brushes and at $21.98 with a 10% off coupon, they cannot be beat for starting to learn. I just grab the Gansi Tombi and a porcelain palette when I'm working at a table/desk/bed. It's nice to never worry about damaging an expensive brush that you bought for ultra softness and the ability to hold water yet still come to a point. I buy Chinese calligraphy brushes (inexpensively on sites) and these are fun., too. I rarely go to mass tone with them because like a lot of Japanese style paints, they can leave a sheen if put on thickly vs layering up and saving the white luminesce of watercolor paper as you should with watercolor. I've heard not all are lightfast, but they're still wayyyyy fun and so much paint for the money. I love Paul Rubens products all the way from Mei Ling/Pretty Excellent (not labeled but likely rebranding) to their student tubes (great deals sometimes) all the way to their pro tubes/pro half pans and oh the shimmers to...to... I have both pro and student lines. I have suspected rebranding from their factory (Pretty Excellent, Etchr, maybe, I heard another KZbinr say). Mungyo in all forms from Prima to Jane Davenport (allegedly) to the Mungyo set are all super recommended. They look grainy in the pan but perform amazingly well. The Spin Doctor has all of the pigments in each pan given to him by Mungyo/Prima/Art Philosophy. Lindsey the Frugal Crafter and others have compared the paints and said that you can get the equivalent of three of the Prima sets (up to $30 for 12 half pans) in the Mungyo 48 pan set at $38.95. I adore these and over the past five years have collected all and many dupes. Again, hoarder. Lover of watercolor. There's two elephants in the room I'm gonna address right now. One: I own tons and tons of Daniel Smith, M. Graham, Sennilier, White Nights, Schminke, etc., way more than a lifetime's worth and I do study pigments. I make my own binder and my own paints, mulling away with Hubby with hopes of launching (yes, Kristy, you will get some fun for free and you never 'have' to mention the business name). Just enjoy. I'm a hippie dippie painter and I'll gladly share my binder recipe and be transparent about pigments when I launch (pun intended). It usually easy to figure out after you've played with a split primary set plus convenience colors. Second elephant: I have *yet* to own your palette. Please forgive me but here's the scenario/reason. It was in my Amazon Buy Later box when first introduced and I kept it in there for when I wanted to pick up something for myself or hoping my husband would buy them for any holiday such as this Christmas (cough) and, sadly, he got angry. He saw your launch vid where you mentioned the price would likely fall in the $30 to $40 range. He had been following them too, and noticed rising in prices as Christmas neared even as he was following them and other brands with his eagle eye (he paints, also). On a Lighting Deal, he got the currently $100+ set of Shin Han SWC for only $20 more than your stunning 12 half pans set even though he *sees* me watch you over and over. After Xmas when I found out why, I said, "Thank you for these beautiful sets of Shin Hans and Mission Golds and I will use and share with others" since I do paint trade with local artists and OL when I can stand at UPS. He is loving being and spoils me unduly, so I shouldn't complain at all. He even bought me more brushes! Gotta love him! I'm sorry. My Action Plan: I'm on the verge of a truly super scary and/or be a paraplegic surgery six hours away in about a month to six weeks. (Spine broken in six places on the job/lots of disc damage). I'm STILL hoping he's going to *surprise* me with your palette of paints for the six-hour-each-way drive and recovery. If not, I'll try to use Post It notes on his forehead or I'll just save up and not go much longer without enjoying that mesmerizing TEAL!!! Your paints remain on my wish list. My b'day is in a couple of weeks plus there's Mom's Day if stickies don't work. Maybe he'll take the hint as I regale him with how beautiful the TEAL is as you use them in vids. 🤣🤣🤣 To be fair, he uses the Daniel Smith, M. Graham, Da Vinci, etc.,. Like you, I use Titanium White gouache plus both Golden and Liquitex gesso - enjoying the fun effects - along with alcohol, water drops/drips/spraying, using gum arabic instead of masking fluid, etc., just to get crazy results. Know this: I think your paints are stunningly beautiful. I adore the color choices. Highlighter Yellow is such a must plus lost of drooling and crushing on that teal-y blue. Also, thumbs up for the fire-y red and the rose. However, in my YEARS of painting, your teal is the closest to my favorite color I've ever watched used. Kristy Teal = Simply the best. I voted for a teal when you showed those two pans of amazing 24 colors and so, my friend, when are you releasing a 24 or go big or go home 48 set of goodies? Tubes? 😍🥰🤩 With much love after writing this book of a post, I hope it helps all of your followers. You make painting fun and I hope someday to join you on YT, IG and TT and get to my studio just one floor up painting, discussing paint making and reviewing your palette and it's awesomeness and its uses at last! And...I will do my best to get one. 😍 OH, the freedom you inspire! TEAL BLUE, TEAL....TEAL....It haunts me...👻 Hubby's don't know everything, right?

[@kiriki737]

Japanese Kuretake Gangsai Tambi colors are very matt, saturated and shiny, the result is similar to the gouache colors, it is not transparent like real Horadam watercolors. Anyone who likes strong, bright and shiny colors will love this. Popular colors are the Schmincke-Horadam or Van Gogh colors.

[@yipsandhowls]

How can something be "matt" and "shiny" at the same time?

[@kiriki737]

The colors are very matt, saturated and shiny when you mix colours in water, the result is similar to Gouache colors, they are also matt but a little shiny after the painted picture dries. Shiny is a characteristic of the surface when you lift painted color to the light, but not as shiny as metal surface...

[@avapatrick2798]

I have been turned off to watercolors. As a kid I just added water and thought, “I can’t create anything but pulling and mud.” I’m so happy I found you. I am learning so much and I’m starting to think I love watercolors above oils.

[@KristyRice]

Love that!

[@wryter93]

That you painted the same rose for each set made a huge difference in experiencing this demonstration. Thank you.

[@KristyRice]

I'm so glad!

[@runningchickmis]

Loved the video! I am an intermediate painter, but lead a group of beginners and has never used the Japanese style paint before so I ordered the Komrebi. On the Back it says - “Komorebi is a simple word which describes the subtle beauty of the sunlight shining through the leaves of trees and the dances the rays make.” I can’t tell you how helpful these videos are! Art supplies can be very overwhelming!

[@KristyRice]

Glad they were helpful!

[@colinchilds6946]

I LOVE the Rosa Gallery. I find myself going back to them over and over even put up against my very expensive sennelier or schminke sets. I do agree that buying a few additional pink/magenta pans is essential for Rosa. But their cobalt teal blue is magic.

[@LCLand]

I only have their indigo and it’s my least favorite. Maybe I should try that teal

[@KristyRice]

Try the teal :)

[@KristyRice]

It’s a lovely brand!

[@carlaeskelsen]

Ha! Total senior beginner here, but I'm so glad I saw this comment! Cobalt Teal Blue is one of my favorite colors, along with a good Potter's Pink and Quinacridone Burnt Orange or gold. I HATE my DS Opera pink so much that I just use it for practicing brush strokes. 😆 So maybe that Rosa Gallery would be a good choice for a portable for me.

[@carlaeskelsen]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@mvdum29]

I think gansai paints are used with large brushes and single-color washes in the spirit of traditional Japanese painting and shouldn't be mixed because they become muddy. A friend let me borrow her set of Kuretake Gansai Tambi and they do have a sheen and do become muddy when used the same way as Western-style watercolours. They're fun to work with when you use them a certain way

[@margiepoulos1028]

Thanks for the info; I appreciate it. I heard only the positive. There never was any mention about mixing colors, which is a big part of painting. I, too, am 81, and I don't have time and money to waste on something that won't work for me. It's probably because they're too thick and opaque.

[@thatswhatshesaid.literally737]

Thats exactly what she said in the video; that they're meant for traditional japanese type painting, which is large washes of a single color.

[@HeatherHogue73]

Good to know! I want some of those!

[@margiepoulos1028]

Thanks for the info. It's good to know. I've yet to decide which paints will be best to invest in.

[@margiepoulos1028]

Ha! I'm 81, too, and feel the same way, especially when artist friends tell me to always spend a little more and buy the good stuff.

[@SwedePotato314]

My first and best starter palettes from Amazon were the pink Paul Rubens set, the sparkly green one is ok. White Nights was the absolute best. Rosa Gallery as well. They’re semi moist but they’re reliable and they work amazingly and are easily controlled. I would highly suggest those brands for anyone from my own personal experience. The student grades I tried were Sennelier la petite and W&N cotman and I didn’t care for either. Schmincke has the best Akademie range but it’s 2x more expensive than a lot of professional brands. I still reach for my 48 Paul Rubens pink, my White Nights constantly and Rosa Gallery often. I got a mono pigment palette from Rosa when I wanted to learn mixing. I got every color of Kuretake Gansai Tambi because I love them. You can’t really mix them, and they’re semi moist but I use them in a very controlled way. I like to use them in a way that’s like inks, like drawing with watercolor. The only brands I didn’t like at all were Van Gogh and Lukas but that’s my own style and opinion and how I use them and what I want in a set. Paul Rubens and White Nights formed my entire beginning of painting and using those paints are like my comfort palettes. They’re my old reliable. The gemstone series wasn’t my favorite but it was super nice but the pink palette was just incredible. I now own every single White Nights color and I love them all. There’s so excellent starter palettes on Amazon. I still go back and reach for my starter palettes often. Don’t be fooled by brand names and “professional” or student grade. Use what you like and what makes you happy.

[@job3687]

After reading some of the comments, I'm wondering how different water supplies with their chemical additives and natural local minerals, hardness of the water, etc., affect the mobility and of the paint, how it granulates, disperses, and etc again with different brands of paints. I noticed in reading about making ones own paints, they use distilled water. On this note, I've had some paints that added coats produced very opaque outcomes and paints were mixed, and I crept this going until I got colors that I finally liked. All this was just in trying to learn about my paints.

[@bamabreck3949]

I’m having fun!! So happy to find you. 🎉❤

[@banjofrog]

I'm overwhelmed by all the information given. On top of that I had already bought 18 tubes of American Artist watercolors from Cheap Joe's, along with a large porcelain palette and brushes before I found this video. I'm using some cheap Canson paper and I'm a 75 year old complete beginner. I like your lessons that I've viewed so far. Wish me luck and I'll stick with you going forward. : )

[@KristyRice]

You’re doing it all well!! Use up with you have and have a blast doing it!! Glad you’re here!!

[@yipsandhowls]

When you've used up the Canson (and even before), splurge and get yourself some 100% cotton paper and see if that changes things.

[@ThunderStruck15]

If you can't afford the cotton paper, try bee paper. It's only a few bucks more than the stuff you're using now

[@FatsquatchPNW]

Okay, here's my personal definition of opaque vs. chalky (YMMV): Opaque: darker tone, completely covers the tone underneath, but still clean and smooth with no haziness or cloudiness to the top color Chalky: not necessarily a darker tone, but covers the tone underneath and has a dirty, dusty, hazy finish that just looks like someone has come along with a thing of baby powder and given it a squeeze in the general vicinity Make sense?

[@KristyRice]

Perfect distinction… ah this is why I love the comments section!!!

[@starr-starr]

Great description!

[@RadishTheFool]

Yes! Cloudy and hazy are perfect words to describe chalkiness.

[@pendlera2959]

Chalky to me implies that the paint has chalk or some other white pigment added as a filler and thus, although it's more opaque, that opacity comes at the cost of saturation. Opacity in and of itself just refers to covering ability.

[@KristyRice]

@@pendlera2959 yes I also feel the distinction under hand in regards to chalky is a certain fine grit that causes a drag as you stroke. It’s subtle but you can feel it…

[@treybeedee6177]

Hi Kristy, I just bought that Gonzi Tombe today 6-12-23 the same day I watched this ,AFTER I purchased it! I was going to buy the Paul Reuben 48 color pink palette but it was $80.00! But after watching this I stopped the first order and went ahead a splurged on the Paul Reubens!!! Thanks fir helping me so much!! I respect your wisdom on watercolors!!!! After all you are an expert, and my favorite new instructor !!❤❤❤❤

[@KristyRice]

Hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for your kind words!

[@realfingertrouble]

I use the Derwent Inktense Paints a lot - they are more like their pencils or blocks, and as you say aren't watercolour, so are closer to the waxy/chalky nature of colour pencils. So yes, they aren't watercolour and will go rather flat if you layer them too much. In washes though, they do act a lot like watercolour, in a form. So like coloured pencil has that 'flat' nature, so do these. Also: did you know you can erase them? Yes, they might be permanent but like pencil they will rub away! For that feature alone, they are brilliant.

[@janewineinger1569]

About Rosa Gallery, I recently bought them, and find they need to be wet down for a while before use, and then they are luscious and juicy, as you say. I love the intensity and clarity of the colors.

[@rorilee9791]

I bought a big Mission Gold set about a year or so ago. I know some people complained about them, and how they were multi pigment colors etc, but I use that palette a LOT, and never wish I was using different brands when I do use them. Also, the palette itself is HUGE, light, and fantastic to work with. I’m 😢 to learn they’ve changed. Fun video, thanks!!

[@juliebrocklehurst-woods5247]

I also bought this set, 24 15ml tubes, colors highly pigmented, for maybe $68 last year. They are wonderful!

[@lisablatt7287]

I find that the paper I use is very important to achieving the effect I want from the watercolor. The chalk is something I dislike so I have been using the Paul Rubens 24 pallet for the last 5 years with Arches cold press paper and I am very happy with my results. I will probably invest in Daniel Smith soon as my pallet is very used. Great video thanks for sharing

[@karabear19]

I have the mungyo palette and I love using it for flowers. I also like that a lot of the colors are similar but not replicas because you can't buy just one color when you run out of it. You have to buy the whole set again so it helps to have similarities to stretch the colors when you've run out of one. I also love the color selection because it's perfect for florals and botanicals and they mix really well with each other to create different colors. I don't know what is up with that weird grittiness in some of the paints but so far, it hasn't affected any of my paintings. I've purchased dozens of different watercolor palettes and mungyo is the only one I was actually happy with and continued to use besides my own personal palette that I made myself with tubes of paint that I purchased.

[@hrushikeshdesai8404]

I was exactly looking for an watercokor set for botanical art and after a lot of research a dared to buy mungyo 24 color set. And am really releaved after reading your comment.

[@bethv3411]

Thank you soo much I purchased the Rosa Gallery and couldn't be happier. I had been using Windsor Newton Cotman paints and the difference is amazing.

[@KristyRice]

You are so welcome!

[@theresapalmer7892]

I have several of these, Meiliang, pretty excellent, Rosa, and Derwent Inktense , kuretake Gansai Tambi. I am a hobbyist, but love each of these for different reasons. This was a fair comparison video and I appreciate the time and effort put to share this info.

[@StephanieLMedina89]

Meilang amd pretty excellence are the same i think

[@freewoman4434]

I bought some Rosa paints recently when my usual shop stopped stocking the White Nights ones due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So far I really like them, but I only bought a few individual ones, so my experience is just based on what I have. I have a few Mission Gold ones too, and I have no complaints. None of the other ones (apart from Arteza, which I just wouldn't buy) are available in the UK (as far as I know) My favourite low cost/good quality paint is probably the Van Gogh range, and Rosa is very reasonably priced too. For some reason I've really taken against the Daniel Smith range - I've never bought any of their paints because the price offends me, hahaha. I think a moderately priced decent watercolour paint, combined with good quality paper (the paper is super important) and a bit of skill will give excellent watercolour paintings. No need to spend a tenner on a single tube of paint, imo.

[@HuskyMama1009]

I *love* my Derwent Inktense! They are bright when dry, the trick I found was the layering. I enjoy using them with watercolor pencils for shading. Great tutorial!

[@annettefournier9655]

Love Rosa Gallery especially if I want to use salt. If I want great glazing I'll use Rembrandt or Sennelier. Rembrandt glazing is so beautiful it leaves me in awe everytime.

[@tamarar9803]

Is that my dear friend who I just happened to read knee deep in hundreds of comments because it's the middle of the night and I can't sleep) but love this Kirsty Rice!!

[@aimeestutzman5823]

I just found you to learn watercolor! I was happy to hear Windsor and Newton are one of your favorites because I just ordered a set from Amazon. I'm so happy I found you!!!

[@KristyRice]

Welcome!!

[@fetabrown]

Have found the Intense really do well in journalling. If you are careful to use minimal water they work well with the STM journal 160 gsm paper, no or minimal buckling when dry, allowing paint to decorate a bullet journal.

[@carmellarkin4803]

Love my Mission Gold tubes. My go to palate. Thank you Kristy.

[@KristyRice]

You are so welcome!

[@BlacksmithTim]

Will suggest, since it's not a great deal more than some of the sets you review, that the DaVinci Paints watercolor palette is worth a look. Yep, $56, and DaVinci is not midrange. However for about $16 more it's 12 full pans and what I consider a thoughtful, useful palette of pretty amazing paint. I took the plunge a few years ago based on the price of that set and have used that more than anything. So even though it's not mid-range that set is worth considering as a mid range option.

[@KristyRice]

I don’t even really know what I meant by mid range lol, kinda made it up lol! But DaVinci is indeed Ahmazing!!

[@Keywekid]

Kristy, in fairness to Lukas you have tested the student grade paint. I absolutely love their 1862 line which is their professional grade paint..I absolutely love their Genuine Rose and their gold.. The cobalt teal is amazing.

[@KristyRice]

Yes absolutely very fair. This was the set that fit into this pricing tier I was reviewing but really good to know they pick up the quality well in their professional line :)

[@reneaclark7689]

I think they changed their formula, I got the 1862 and they were so chalky they wiped off the page after dry. They also dried really weird and have a crystal like layer on the top of the pan.

[@justacatwhocantype]

Nope, they're the 1862's, they're really just like that. The sales listing shown was of the Lukas studio paints, but those do not come in full pans. Only the 1862's used to be available in full pans, but those are also longer made like that, the full pans that are still available some places are old stock. They only do half pans and tubes now.

[@justacatwhocantype]

@@reneaclark7689 I have heard that Luks 1862 has changed like that. I have been using them for years, and my Lukas paints are a couple of years old, and it makes me so sad that I will not be able to replace them with the same quality. They alwas had that typical crystal stuff one the pans, as well as that stereotypical Lukas chalky finish, but they absolutely never would rub off the page. So sad that they changed like this, these paints are so nostalgic to me, they were my first "grown up" watercolors. ☹

[@reneaclark7689]

@@justacatwhocantype the crystallization and how chalky they are is not normal for professional paint quality, there are other budget friendly artist grade paints that behave so much better. The only other time I have had paint rub off the paper was kids reeves paint.

[@treyisom8767]

Haven't done watercolors since in was in middle school. 40 now and just feel drawn to it. So much amazing information in this video. Will definitely watch again and again. Thank you!

[@pookys1gal]

I buy cheap in convenience colors♥️ I purchase 3-9 in more expensive colors, but I love mixing my own colors and exploring new brands. Watercolor JOY🥰

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@geebsMV]

I get color mixing, I know how to do it but I hate doing it lol. It’s not my favorite thing so I have a lot of convenience colors. I honestly don’t find anything wrong with that, I actually find that if I have to mix a lot to get a color story I like, I just don’t want to paint. If I have a couple of convenience colors that help me not spend too much time in mixing- I’m down for that. Also, I find that the Gansai Tambi colors can mix well depending on the colors you’re using. There’s a KZbinr I enjoy watching and she makes some lovely color mixes with the Art Nouveau palette. Of course, they’re muted but that’s actually the charm of it. But with the brighter colors from the other palettes, you can do a good bit

[@missshalvah]

It's hard to watch this before buying first palette -- because so excited to start, and of course I had to buy paper, brushes, and paint before watching. Heck, I thought you were going to talk about the pans that you mix the colors in; aren't those "palettes." I bought Windsor and Newton. It was what the paint store clerk recommended - 12 colors including white. I am so new, I don't know many of the terms such as "glazing" I'm that new!!

[@crystalinedreams6039]

the mixing palettes are what you were thinking of but there are mixing areas in the palettes we keep our paints in too. the only reason you may need to buy a mixing palettes is if you need more mixing room or if you decide you just cannot stand all of the colors staining the plastic that most painting palettes come with, then you may want a ceramic mixing palette. hope that all makes sense.

[@loislevandoski1246]

I’m a new subscriber and a middling watercolor painter. I’m coming from acrylics, so I’m used to good color. I had a no name palette and recently purchased Mai Ling, a Paul Rubens paint set. I haven’t used them enough, but I really like what I’ve seen so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

[@KristyRice]

Wonderful!

[@debd2062]

Hi everyone, I'm new to watercolor and purchased the Koi 24 set. Since I have nothing to compare it to .. I guess it's working for me. Kristy, I've learned a TON from you about paper, pallets, and learning good techniques. Thank you so much!

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!

[@debd2062]

@@KristyRice Is it "normal" for paints to crack and peel? If not, what causes it? Mine are doing it and sometimes I'm seeing little flakes on my painting from it. Thank you!

[@FreshEclecticism]

Hello Kristy! Since you asked, here is my opinion and advice: I totally agree with your top 3 of those choices; the rest are just garbage IMO. I would rate them #1 Rosa Gallery, #2 Paintcrush, #3 Rubens. The reason you were having difficulty with your washes is because you were using a poor quality paper to test them. Washes can be super challenging on paper that isn’t 100% cotton. I could be wrong, but as nearly as I could tell, the only decent paper you used in these tests was for glazing. For my personal style of painting I prefer transparent paints 99% of the time. This is one reason I like Rosa Gallery and can’t stand Gansai paints. Mungyo was my very first palette as a beginner, and it was fine for learning initial brushstrokes. The palette is too big and overwhelming IMO with just too many color choices and therefore discourages beginners from learning color mixing which is an important skill to learn and will eventually bring much more joy and satisfaction when painting once you’ve learned the basics. My most satisfying paintings were ones where I challenged myself to complete the painting with the use of only 3 primary colors and mixed all my colors from those three. I think even beginners can benefit from the use of artist-quality paints as they aren’t fighting with the fillers and brighteners while trying to learn to paint.😊

[@justacatwhocantype]

I love Lukas watercolors, have been using them for years, but yup, they contain a lot of .... something. I mean, have you ever examined your water after using them? Lots of white residue. They are lovely paints, actually amongst my favorites, but they are not the highest quality. I don't know how long you have left your pans of these untouched, but I have left mine alone for several months, and when I opened the palette the pans were hazed with white crystally stuff. It's like whatever is in them migrates to the top of the pans when the paints sit for a while. I strongly assume it is optical brighteners because many of the colors tend to have that slight glitter effect when held into the light the right way when they have dried on the paper. Nonetheless though, I like them and continue to use them. Out of the palettes that you tested here, I really like Paul Rubens and Mungyo. They are both brands with great products, and I love their watercolors as well as their oil pastels and other stuff. And yes, other brands, like Art Philosophy, Jane Davenport, Prima, and so on, they are selling Mungyo products. And Jaxon/Jaxell (which are art supply brands here in the EU) are also actually Mungyo. They are selling their paints and pastels to brands across the world. Other brands that I love are Winsor and Newton, Sennelier and QOR and, living in Germany, of course Schmincke. If I ever had to settle for just one brand, that one would be it.

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@nawbrah1]

Hi Kristy- I was gifted a watercolor class after I had a stroke this summer. I am in my late 30s and have never painted before. My instructor recommended his $400 custom palette, but I could not afford that. On Amazon, I got the SCHPIRERR FARBEN - Watercolor Paint Set with Rich Pigment, Watercolor Set for Adults and Children, Portable Painter Palette in a Tin Box with a Metal Ring, 12 Vivid Colors. The quality is very good and many of the experienced painters were impressed with it. They also sell brushes, but I went with a Princeton pack he recommended.

[@miriammillam101]

Thank you for this. Am contemplating my next purchase and this gave me lots to think about. You did so much work on this video. You are appreciated by so many. I hope knowing how much you are loved brings you joy!!

[@urbangypsy69]

This was a very informative vid and I really liked the way it was done. All watercolor all the time!

[@kompostimuija]

I started my watercolor "art"journey last summer and in my hometown in Finland there was only White Nights and Rosa pallets. Because of the world situation I bought the Rosa Gallery pallet and I really like it. For travelpallet, I just take few random pans and make some interesting mixes 😀 Thanks for your videos, I love them, you are the best 🤍

[@KristyRice]

Wonderful!

[@lig5233]

Thank you for not buying Russian brand and not supporting war with their taxes.

[@MR-ml7ih]

Thank you for your choice! We really appreciate it

[@flowershopcassie]

I’m pretty happy with all my pallets.. but I just wanted to tell you that you are an absolute treasure and I wish my young artist self could have come across you. I’m happy to have found you now, nevertheless. 😘♥️

[@KristyRice]

Oh thank you!

[@Pebblesmas]

I so agree!!!! 😘

[@Krisstofers]

Seriously!!! I wish she was one of my classmates, that made me see the positivity in watercolors. Not one person in all of my 40+years ever showed me how to play nice with watercolor. I was the child that had to do those paint with water books, the books that had predetermined color dots that activated with water, because whenever I'd take out my Crayolas... The stars were never aligned... When I ventured into acrylic paints... That was very blissful. The colors played nicely in the sandbox. Nothing ran, and they were still mixable. Perfect for my OCD, and not like that messy washed up/washed out look 😂. However, there are now times I wished I had that lifted highlighted look, you can only achieve with watercolor, in my works...

[@KRISPIPER]

I LOVE MY KRISTY PALETTE!! ❤ I use it almost every daaaaaay❤❤❤

[@Sevvin89]

I agree with this!! 💯

[@April-tx2wk]

I am a german painter and usually painting with - Schmincke, Sennelier and white nights. Thanks for this video. There are so many bands ....

[@Morgaine]

I just discovered your videos this week and I really like them. You're never boring. I'm saving up for your Paint Crush palette because I love the colors - I want great pinks, purples and blues. The other colors are just there for contrast for me.

[@KristyRice]

So glad you’re here!!

[@samanthabeamakes]

I love the Paintcrush palette. I’ve been using it for about 2 months. I love the soft pink and the fluorescent yellow. It’s a great palette for flowers. When I first got it I thought the color combo was odd but now it’s my go to. I like the size too. I can just slip it into my purse with small book and travel brush.

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!! So happy you’re enjoying the palette!!!

[@marytesta3003]

My all-time favorite watercolor paint is Holbein. And I love Kristys set. I'm not an artist but they are just juicy and beautiful. I stepped back from art for a bit and donated everything other than Paint Crush paints and brushes and holbein.

[@KristyRice]

Wowow!! I’m honored! Holbein just didn’t fit into this pricing category but suck amazing paint!!!

[@justsomeone-hl2ff]

Nice vid. Thanks. Even when one has professional grade paint, ot is still alwas nice to have a set you don't worry about for places like the beach, the glove compartment, etc. I don't trust the quality control at Amazon anymore. It seems you can get a knock-off rather than what you think you are buying, unless you know the seller. Maybe some of those head-scratchers came from that?

[@Bloomkyaaa]

I like paints that don't move because I like to draw anime characters and OCs (original characters) so the Arteza tubes are a favorite of mine lol. Also, Inktense aren't watercolors, they're ink! Much better than watercolor for layering/glazing and won't activate lower layers. I'll try your paints+brushes out if they ever go on sale hehe.

[@leanngoodall7602]

I love my Kuretake Gansai paints. They are my go to palette for holiday cards. I solved the "loose in the box" with some double sided tape. Two years on..they are still solidly in the box. I like using a porcelain tray to mix so the lack of one with these is not an issue for me. The kiddos love these paints too, vibrant and a dab will do.

[@yukouri]

So rare someone see a good review for the brand ShinHan 😊. Pretty pleased to see you gave it a chance. I don't have the SWC line, but I do have tubes from the PWC line for custom palette and I'm pretty pleased with them~

[@KristyRice]

I was very impressed.

[@margaretpinsent6388]

Thanks for all this! I started with Windsor Newton, then I got Paul Ruben, but then..... I discovered Kuretake, and I love the creaminess and lovely, soft, gentle colours. I've got several sets, and I really like the size of their pans. Little pans are not for me... For intense colour I love Viviva from India. These come in full pans too, in a cork box, and they have paper swatches that are perfect for light travel use. Fantastic colours. And the third watercolour I use is Meeden (Chinese I think) tube paints. I make my own palette with these for my travels, choosing colours according to season and where I'm going. I also take one of my Viviva palettes , the paper swatches, and white gouache tube paint. All three brands are cost effective, great value, beautiful colours, and easy to use. I'm not an expert or even a painter, but I am a passionate amateur artist, and what I love to do is sketching and watercolours - urban, landscape, and some whimsical & floral. All my work is in sketchbooks, because I do this for me, nobody else! An English artist, mostly floral paintings, that I follow is Diane Antone, but there are many on KZbin that have inspired me. I've only just discovered your channel, so I'll have a look. Thanks again, Maggie, in NE England.

[@patriciacarlson4206]

That was a lot of information, and a lot of work on your part! Thank you! I have your palette (which I adore) and your brushes (also enjoy). Still a newbie, so don't have much to offer except, I appreciate all you do. Learning as fast as I can and am having fun! Happy New Year!

[@KristyRice]

Glad it was helpful!

[@araya52]

LOVE my Paintcrush palette which I was about to use before running into this video! As a beginner I am overwhelmed with all the different brands. I started with a 7.99 cent watercolor set and thought it was fantastic and fun. Then all of a sudden when the obsession for watercolor hit, I needed to understand how to make anything come to life and look wonderful. Now I am the owner of at least 12 palettes to which seven I haven't even used yet. It's just ridiculous now, I just want to make art and make beautiful art. When I purchased my Paintcrush and I got your Arts for Joy Sake brushes too, I smiled throughout your entire field of videos! I don't think I did the free training video that comes with the palette and brushes tho, not sure why maybe I was putting off and just forgot. I love you Kristy because your so authentic and I always learn so much when I watch your videos. This one is extremely helpful and has actually eased my anxiety a lot. I get very discouraged because I love this media so much! You are such a GEM, keep giving out that JOY!!!

[@KristyRice]

If you need links to the free videos just email [e-mail]! So appreciate your lovely words!

[@LoriF25403]

Even without knowing a lot about color mixing, it's helpful to know what doesn't work aka mud. It was my aha moment when I began a few yrs ago. I have tubes of Mission Gold (purchased secondhand), Daniel Smith, M. Graham, Lukas (yes chalky), Sennelier, Schmincke (also secondhand), Qor, and mostly Holbein which I really love. My current love is the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks. They are wonderfully versatile.

[@KristyRice]

I need to try those!!

[@carlaeskelsen]

I love those sticks - they are, as you say, versatile, and they're actually a little more affordable, too.

[@urbangypsy69]

I love to just cut what amount I need off of a stick, spritz a half or full size pan and lay the cut part inside. Hold well and has great pigment payout for a far less expensive price.

[@victoriaconto8231]

the swc watercolors all have white because they're meant to be more like a gouache. not really pastel but white does make it more opaque as you know so they're like a hybrid

[@deborahleeke7298]

One great point in favour of Inktense is using it on fabrics. Brilliant, and giving it time to dry naturally then setting with a slow, hot iron (I use parchment in between the fabric and the paint for this) the colour copes well on a cool, gentle wash. As I make art quilts this is perfect. The hazing as it dries is less of an issue on fabric than paper. Also, I often use ground Inktense block with added water which seems far more dynamic.

[@KristyRice]

Oh this is amazing, thanks for sharing!!

[@tammylanglois2602]

What kind of fabric? I'm so curious!!

[@deborahleeke7298]

@@tammylanglois2602 mainly cotton, especially calico. I have used it on silk, because of the more delicate nature of the fabric I grind inktense blocks and add water to make it paintable. I keep this mix as dry as possible unless I want to reduce the pigment depth. I prep the silk with a resist first unless I want the pigments to merge. I will let the silk dry then repeat until I have built the colour I want. On stronger fabrics one can use the pencils. It works best if the fabric is taught. Some softening can be achieved with a wet paint brush but take care and use a resist if you do not want blending with neighbouring colours. Texture can be created by using various substrates underneath the fabric. It is fun. I keep notes especially if the fabric is going to be laundered frequently. Any deterioration can be reapplied. Note that the colour fastness is affected by constant, bright light and heavy laundering, depending on the types of detergents. I advise hand washing with as gentle a detergent possible. Avoid bio and brightening detergents. If decorating a garment which will need to withstand heavy use and laundering you can always create the designs as removable features using zips, buttons, Velcro, press studs, lacing etc. I hope this helps.

[@tammylanglois2602]

@@deborahleeke7298 thank you so much for your detailed answer! This is great information 🤗🤗

[@deborahleeke7298]

@@tammylanglois2602 you are welcome. I am a constructed textiles nerd and love to spread information

[@ladyj.9350]

I have shinhan swc and I like them a lot. They’re not my main palette by far but they’re fun for certain projects. I started with mungyo and found them chalky af though I liked the range. One critique of the swc is that a lot of the blues are almost identical and you might think you’re buying a good variety of blues only to end up with three tubes of what is essentially the same colour

[@snuuby5468]

There is a watercolour paint that should have been included in your choices. The Royal Talens Van Gogh watercolour paints. These are considered student-grade paints. They have been reviewed by artists on KZbin with excellent results. These paints come in half pans sets, single half pans, tubes and open stock. Many of the paints are made of single pigments which is good for mixing. The professional paint of this brand is Rembrandt. In the Rembrandt vs Van Gogh, there isn't much difference. I hope you will try the Van Gogh paints. Happy Painting !!!

[@Krisstofers]

It's me, Hi, I'm the problem, it's me!... Naturally, Here I am... Not even paying attention to the topic at hand, but really looking at your art studio, and loving that couch... Not necessarily the color... But, the comfortability. Something to keep in mind when I move my studio out to the patio. From time to time, I just need to sit on a couch, because my back gets stiff from sitting in an office/gaming chair for long periods of time. Which is why I love your style about pulling up a comfortable over stuffed chair. Even if it sits lower than an office chair, it's still more comfortable. I have to agree with the "too many colors, gives you too many options that are close to the same color." I notice this to be true of other mediums as well. My first set of Ohuhu Alcohol markers were the same way. The reds were like, barely noticeably different from one to the next. The first three reds look like I never changed the marker. Color pencils are the same way, which is why I love the Star-Joy Gold pencils, curated by artist Lori Greene, because she made sure there weren't colors so close together, as she had the exact same opinion while curating the set. So, even other artist have the same complaint that the more colors you have, especially in a full set of whatever medium you're collecting, doesn't necessarily mean that you really need it!!! Especially when you think about it monetarily. Was it worth paying a percentage for nearly the same color five times!? Hmmm.... When I think of Opaque watercolors, I think of a thicker pigment like midnight black or blue. When I think of chalkiness, I think it's closer to my previous go-to of gouache. I have definitely re-found my joy with watercolors, after finding Kristy. The sheerness of the watercolors, that I didn't get with my ex-go-to of gouache never made me realize, how much more I love the transparency of watercolor, that you do not get in the acrylics or gouache. I never thought for a moment, that I would love laying down a yellow wash and glazing over it with a sheer green!!! It is so majestic to me!!! Before, I used to love the opaqueness of laying down a wash of yellow and being able to cover up my mistakes, by re-stroking over my work even with another color, and covering it up like taking a concealer to hide a blemish!!! As I sing, "Who's going to know? Who? is going to know?" I kind of found gouache by fluke, because it was recommended to me by calligraphers. To, do my calligraphy with gouache, if I didn't have calligraphy ink. With dip pens, you're able to stroke a layer of gouache onto the nib with a brush. That's when I found that I could use it in place of watercolor paint. Since I previously had such a terrible past experience with watercolor in my kinder years. However, I am so glad with my current water color Art for Joy's Sake Palette, that I can't ever put them down. Since I can't get Kristy's palette replaced open stock, as I run out of colors, I'm thinking to either get WN Pros or M. Graham & Co open stock. Maybe I'll even think about Daniel Smith!?!? Hmmm. Sooo many choices!!! 'cause the other thing I'm looking for, is I am not wanting prefilled pans. Sorry Kristy, not sorry? Because, like Kristy, I prefer the tubes and making my own half-pans. That's what I loved about gouache. That's what I love about my new love for Watercolors, that you can get tubed watercolor, unlike my childhood night mare of prefilled pathetic pans of Crayola. However, I will be respectful to Kristy that I won't 100% knock Crayola, like I did, all those many years ago because of my bad experience with it. Oooh, right there, what Kristy just said, "some palettes are made by the same paint manufacturers, but don't tell you that." I found this out through the Frugal Crafter, as she's more of a pigment geek. Sorry, Lindsay, not sorry if you read that... But that's one of the things that I love about her channel. When you've started a mass collection of this paint brand and that paint brand, and you start seeing what makes up the pigments, you start seeing duplications between brands as to what is in a specific color. As artists... we are seeing this throughout different mediums. That there's a bunch of "white-labeling" going on. This is happening with paints, with markers and even color pencils. Hmmm... Gives me an idea. I'll take a bottle of paint, a marker, and a color pencil, and I'll slap a label with my name on them... Voila!!! Speaking of which... Louis Vuitton is doing this, and charging hundreds of dollars. And the artists that have tested them out say it's all Carp!!! Pigments aren't even to par. For the price, they're expecting to get professional, light-fast pigments... All I'm expecting is to get ripped off by them. Probably why I chose NOT to go into fashion design!!! LOL!!! I think they should call it, How to fashionably rip people off. But, that's my opinion! Keep up the excellent work Kristy! I'll check back in, on the next video!!! Praying everyone is well and healthy! PS: Sorry, for my extremely long book

[@kathyhackney7950]

You should have done van gogh as well Also, I didn't have the issues with inktense that you did. But I water it down a lot and layer that way

[@KristyRice]

Makes sense…. I dug right in :)

[@staceydeller2881]

The Inktense are a pigment-based with a altered binder, so yes optical brightness are used in them.

[@KristyRice]

Ahh I suspected!!! Thanks for confirming :)

[@samawhidden]

(This is an honest review not a brown nose comment) PAINTCRUSH is so awesome! They play so well and create so many gorgeous mixes! I bought this pallet as my mid level palette to add to my W&N cottman and mungyo first pallets. It opened up my watercolor world! Point blank. JUST BUY IT! You will not be disappointed!

[@KristyRice]

I really do appreciate that XO

[@Krisstofers]

Ooh, ya gotta tell us more about Mungyo... I was starting with the Master's Touch, when I found Kristy. Then I got Kristy's palette. But like Kristy, I prefer paint tubes. Does Mungyo have paint tubes, or are they only in prefilled cakes?

[@samawhidden]

@@Krisstofers I only know of the pan set. I started my WC journey 2 years ago with Shayda Campbell and she uses mungyo religiously still in her videos. She inspired me to start painting so naturally my first purchase was the mungyo set. I have since experienced W&N both cotman and pro., Daniel Smith, Paintcrush and some others in between. I still enjoy my mungyo set amongst my favorites and some of the colors are staples in my daily! They are fun and beautiful although I completely agree with Kristy the set is a bit redundant in the blues and greens. Hope this helps :)

[@Krisstofers]

@@samawhidden Thank you so much for the response with a new set of colors for me to check out, and a new channel for me to watch, for the days I'm waiting on Kristy to release videos!!! J/K!!! LOL... I actually need to get started on my own videos on my other channel. I wish you well on your WC journey!!! I know that whenever the road blocks come, it's nice to be able to find treasures like Kristy, Shayda and Lindsay, just to name a few!!! I think that's what helps the communities grow. It starts with a kindling and tinder of these videos to help us keep the fire burning brighter!!! I sometimes wish I had gotten my degree in art and majored in music or vice versa. Instead of getting my degree in Travel & Tourism. Perhaps my degree could have meant something. Whatever was I thinking!?!? LOL!!!

[@vkaplan3560]

I’ve been using Daniel Smith tubes, some Confections, and I have Winsor Newton professional pans.

[@LCLand]

This just showed up in a search today. 😅 I’ve never seen this one. You asked us to comment if we had your palette and I was going to say it is delightfully surprising and wonderful. And then you said that was your intent. Well done! Mission accomplished. I thought for months before pulling the trigger on your palette. It was so different. Once I got it I was like thank God I finally purchased. It’s so unique and fun. I don’t know if I would recommend for a first palette but most certainly a second and beyond. Your palette is so fun to play with and I always seem to find new wonder at the mixes I can make with it. I was playing with this and a few others the other day and created the most beautiful coral EVER! In case you’re interested… it was with case for making fuschia and Davinci Indian yellow! You’re welcome. Now a question. I was doing a quick search at work today on lunch break because I’m starting a monthly watercolor party at my church. I have some primas I can lend out but thought about also getting a few prang, mei liang, and maybe some Van Gogh. I was searching for reviews of beginner sets. I am asking them to bring their own paper and I will have some paint and brushes to lend. But will encourage them to buy their own set if they fall in love with watercolor. I don’t have much experience with the student sets most of mine are professional quality. I have Cotman, daeler rowney, prima, and my first baby the angora. Which I see in case for making store! So funny. What are your thoughts on these and maybe other beginner sets that will give them the true experience of watercolor? This review is fantastic by the way. Full of honesty and grace. I’m going to get back to it. If you don’t respond I will try emailing you with this question. 😊

[@KristyRice]

So glad you’re enjoying my palette!! So for a beginner palette given wheat you’ve described I would probably recommend something like Meiliang :) The process is right and the quality is there… I might suggest they add a white tube of gouache to it, so they can mix some fun pastels etc!

[@LCLand]

@@KristyRice thanks!

[@nerdyfarmgrl]

I love love love that I found you, youtube for the win! Thanks for your content, I look forward to watching the rest🎉

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

I can tell you put a TON of time and love into this. Thank you so much 💕

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

Also, I know there’s a premium for package adornment but your palette is by far the prettiest I own and I love it. ❤️

[@zandanforth1326]

Thank you thank you thank you! For your hard work! I now know why my fav isn’t working the way I wanted it to. The Gonzi Tombi I agree with you on every point. But I love it especially the art Nuevo pallet . Paul Rubins is also one of my favs. I purchased the fluorescent and wish I would have gone with a more traditional pallet. I will indeed buy yours next! Over all I am grateful you are able to talk about glazing, and the nasty white chalk on some of the less expensive pallets. I gave those to my 3 year old granddaughter. But I wondered about tints verses pigment . I’m still not quite clear but once I get back to work I will be able to own the info. The point is, I really like the fact you talked about things I didn’t know were a thing. I do not understand the science of water colors anyway which is why it fascinates me. Will watch more of your videos so I can understand more. Thanks again!

[@KristyRice]

You’re welcome!!

[@megmchanford6767]

Excellent video! I think I'm moving toward replacing my middle category with a "lux" palette, but I've absolutely enjoyed your review style. Would you consider doing a similar video for the biggies like Daniel Smith, Sennelier, Schmincke, W/N etc? I've been buying a random tube of each here and there to supplement my main palette, but am overwhelmed about choosing a full size and would love to see your review. And ps - thank you for sharing your fixative! When I started painting I asked my local art store for a fixative and they sort of gave me the "that's a silly question" look. I knew there had to be a solution! Cheers!

[@Jay-ql4gp]

The Paintcrush pallet looks like you expect watercolor to act. It's gorgeous. It will definitely be my next pallet purchase! I just bought your brush set. Thank you so much! And Happy New Year!

[@KristyRice]

Aww thank you!!!

[@myrawillis6829]

One thing about Paul Rubens that except for their Meiliang (Pretty Excellent) set (student) and the pink set (no white), it's sometimes hard to differentiate between their 'pro' and 'student'. They seem to have different packaging maybe for different markets and they all show up on Amazon, etc. Personally, I would stick with ones you know for sure what they are. Price is usually a good indication. I wish they would do something about this. You really shouldn't have to guess.

[@KristyRice]

Very good point.

I never been disappointed by Russian & Ukrainian paints. They're extremely cheap and yet great quality. I don't know about glazing because I honestly don't do it much, but in my experience these paints are better for mixing and _then_ laying them on the paper. When I used them straight from the pan, some were a bit too strong for what I do (nature & landscape). OTOH, very little paint goes a long way. About wash... well, same. I don't do big washes so I didn't notice anything peculiar in Rosa watercolours. One note about Derwent Inktense. Permanent doesn't mean they're lightfast. It means they're made of dyes instead of pigments and they can't be erased, removed, washed away or lifted once they dry. They're basically Derwent's pencils & markers in paint form. I have a small travelling box and several pencils. They're so so soft!

[@Galadhwen]

I am in Europe and will be trying out Roman Szmal soon - really excited!

[@sparkyobrian6417]

I have most of the major brands and for great affordable quality, winsor and newton professional ( not cotman) so how I switched was one half pan at a time, buy a few a month and in 3 or four months you have a whole set of 8 . Ive switched to tubes, but for travel i still use a pocket set. you can get the “pans” in full, half and quarter pans that fit your current palette box. (a few odd ones come in double or triple pans) a half pan goes a long way so $9-$16 for a half pan isnt bad in the long run.

[@Mirrigold]

I love your palette, I bought it and the paintbrush set and, for me, they're a beautiful match especially for any kind of loose watercolour style and for florals, I find them just a whole load of fun to use.

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@barbaralehmier8721]

Just started watching your videos and I am very impressed with YOU! Thank you for sharing your talent. I am a long time oil painter for over sixty five years. Transitioning to watercolor painting has been a challenge for me and a pleasant one. So much to learn!!! And practice, practice, practice. I will continue ro learn from you.🖌🖌

[@KristyRice]

Thank you so much! And so glad you’re here!

[@kathyb521]

I have the Rosa botanical vibrant set which I love and it has three beautiful pinks! I also thought mungyo was much like watercolor confections but purchased it after a recommendation from a class. I wasn’t very impressed and let my granddaughter use them. I also have your set and came across another set of yours that someone was selling with your book and your brushes so I have two of your watercolor sets but I really wanted the book and brushes so I was able to get them at a good price. I also have another set of your brushes off Amazon because I love them and I want to have one at my house and I have a daughters house LOL but thank you for this video because it gave me a lot of extra information and I realize that I’m a collector lol I love Qor because they explode and I use them for abstract pieces.

[@KristyRice]

Love all of this!!

[@kathyb521]

@@KristyRice so basically I bought your pallete and brush set and enjoyed them so much that I wanted a second set of brushes and found that deal with the brushes, book, and palette. If you know someone that would like the pallete and is in need I would happily donate the paint to someone to try it out. But I’m keeping the brushes because they’re awesome and I want one set at my daughters house so I don’t have to worry about carrying them back-and-forth and losing that magnificent pouch. Also before I saw you on KZbin I was buying vintage paint tins, just because I thought they were cool but now you shown me lots of uses for them LOL. lol

[@heyitsjustme.680]

I recently found my arteza paint I forgot I had. I let them dry into half pans about six months ago, and I ABSOLUTELY love them. They are so smooth and pigmented. I really enjoy them for the price.

[@KristyRice]

That is awesome!

[@navyboymommygramma]

I'm kind of surprised White Nights didn't make the list at all. They are very saturated colors, not chalky at all, and affordable, more now than when I bought them, sadly. I DID get all the original colors before they started raising their prices hahaha

[@cathleenconnellperkins804]

Yes! I love White Nights, have used them for years. They were more affordable back then. Great paints.❤❤❤

[@christyhall7177]

I use DaVinci paints. They are professional grade but super affordable. Similar pricing to some of the sets in the video. And they are made in the USA!

[@askialuna7717]

Finding my top three is relatively difficult because I've also tried a lot. I do it according to quality and also write down what I would like to try out from a group. 3. Hobby grade Läufer watercolor box with 24 colors, which was incorrectly titled as an opaque paint box, is dye-based paints and I prefer to use them for my sketchbook. I bought it in a 1€ shop for 2,50€ and really didn't expect anything and the colours are much better than other hobby-grade watercolour paints others I've had so far were either chalky or very shiny like the Crayola I imported once because there were only chalky watercolours here a few years ago. The watercolour box can be found with the words "Deckfarbkasten Läufer". I would like to try the Art Creation from Talens, they even have pigment numbers. 2. Student grade Van Gogh, these do not run as much as Schmincke Akademi or Aquafine by Daler Rowney and are more intense than Cotman. I would like to try the student grade version by Paul Rubens. 3. If it's supposed to be a set, then the flower set by Paul Rubens is quite well put together, 24 colours 8ml. For colours that can be purchased individually I would take Rembrandt, the price per ml is OK and there are many colours that I like, although they are not available everywhere, they are produced in a neighbouring country. I would like to have the Pure pigments Set from Mijello

[@katherineanderson7330]

You have turned the lights on!! Thank you so much for really explaining the differences. You make water colours understandable. It is so weird cause I have done exactly what you said, looked for over a month now deciding which pallet to purchase cause I’m not happy with what I have purchased so far. Thank you again and look forward to more from you!! Boop boop!!

[@little0miss0spritz]

Great questions to ask before getting a nee palette!!! And as for the lightfastedness... I will never give up my daniel smith fluro opera pink... it is my FAVOURITE absolutely!!! I scan my work so that's how I keep mine even after opera fades... (though really it actually lasts not too badly for my use!)

[@KristyRice]

Exactly!!

[@carlaeskelsen]

This is great! I despise my DS Opera Pink so much that I'm just using it up for brush stroke practice! (Although when I dilute it enough,I can get a decent cherry blossom) I love that we're all so different! 🌸💮🌸

[@little0miss0spritz]

@@carlaeskelsen it is great that we are all so different!!! I also love mixing it with hansa yellow light for a great peach, pthalo blue to get the sweetest purple, and even pthalo green to get moody purples and a greyish green that I LOVE!

[@EPMunzert]

I always appreciate how much I learn from you when watching these comparison videos.

[@KristyRice]

Glad you like them!

[@ktremmy]

I love this video & all the info you gave us. I'm one of those who is tempted by all the pretty colors in a palette. I have been eyeing the Rosa< which I think will be my next purchase but as you suggested will add some pretty pinks. I have to say that your palette is one of my favorites. I was surprised at the beautiful mixes I got & how much fun I have when using them. Somehow all those colors just seem to work together! Hoping you will come out with another palette. :)

[@KristyRice]

I'm so glad!

[@Theresa_titus213]

Loved this video! Sister, this was so helpful. I'm a retired cake decorator and decided on watercolor painting as my new hobby. I can't believe how therapeutic it is. Anyhoo... I started out willy nilly with Grabie paints. They've sufficed as I wasn't sure if this hobby was for me. I did, however, by sheer accident purchase very good paper by Paul Reuben... both cold and hot pressed and sable brushes of every size. I am going to upgrade on my paints and try your top 3. I do sometimes wish for more vibrancy. Thank you for taking the time to do this review. Subscribed 🥰

[@carlaeskelsen]

I'm a total beginner, but color mixing gives me SO MUCH JOY! When I'm mixing colors, I'm also practicing brush strokes. No expectations of "composing" and "producing" an "artwork" means I'm just playing with and learning about the color, and feeling the flow. And I LOVE looking at it later and seeing all the accidental and beautiful color discoveries I made. (I make sure to take good notes 😆)

[@KristyRice]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@junemordy2481]

Thanks so much fun learning from your experience.

[@Dahlily]

Uh, you make me want to try it. So far it had seemed tedious to me and just a roadblock to creating art. But especially when it comes to skin tones etc, color mixing becomes so important (and not only then obviously)! So i might just whip out my mixed media notebook and experiment (and take notes!)

[@amalias8888]

The BEST review! Thanks for your work. This is just great!

[@KristyRice]

Wow, thanks!

[@julielondon4759]

So helpful!!!!!want more!!!would love more reviews of this sort for luxury brands-commercial and handmade. Learned so much from today’s video. You are a brilliant teacher, Kristy. Thank you for all your effort.❤️

[@KristyRice]

More to come! And thank you so much. This video was so much work!! I was so nervous to release it!!

[@patlatour2465]

My daughter gave me Stonehenge for Christmas I’m in love.❤😊the Paul ReubN looks good.😊

[@urbangypsy69]

I would love to see true head to head full paintings of maybe two of this level of paints! What fun! You could go for maybe the 48 Gansai Tombi vs the Etcher or such.

[@annnoyez]

Rubens, paintbrush, and rosa... but would end buy them myself. I stick to schmincke and senelier. That fills all my needs. I do have Derwent but the more special treats. Like liquid graphics or pastels. But I always grab back to my schmincke. I have lots of other pallets more to Europe as the USA brands are so expensive. But I have a small variety from qor that they sent to me to test and that's in my schmincke pallet as they are also very gorgeous but unfortunately because they have to swim the ocean very very expensive. But the tubes go a long way so I have still a lot in the rube to make me happy... thank you for the review It was nice to watch how you test them and I will surely do that with all my watercolors. It's a big job but I have the time... so I can quickly have an overview of the possibilities of every paint I have in my house... thx for that idea... and perhaps it would put me back on my desk to paint, which a hardly do lately due to back pain and not able to sit very long. I switched my hobby to jewelry making which I can do laying down. But this video brought the urge to make some paintings back... and that's a nice thing to feel...

[@lindawalz398]

Love it. Blue is fabulous need few more colors

[@melodycrites3145]

I’m going to give your pallets a try. I have a lot of Daniel smith and Windsor newton cotman colours.

[@lisathaviu1154]

This was a really informative and helpful set of reviews. I have been using Qor watercolors despite the higher price instead of these student grade choices. The disbursal qualities and intensity of Qor means that I have the ability to create far better mixes than with other paints. The huge pigment load in Qor colors means that I use far less paint to achieve the colors I want, so they don’t really cost as much as it would initially appear. However, I have thought recently that I would try some of these less expensive palettes in order to do more practice paintings and you video allows me to figure out whether I want to use this paint brand.

[@KristyRice]

Such good perspectives!

[@karenmsuk]

I remember being taught colour mixing and it made me miserable, just let me paint, that is why I chose art! Now, more than a few decades later, I have a core collection of around 15-20 none primary colours that I COULD mix but choose not to. Add to that the essentials and I have a pallet that holds 24 full pans but has half of the space in half pans I choose not to mix. This all equals a happy balance that makes my heart happy. Why would I do anything else?

[@shannonproefrock6511]

Kristy, the way you describe the consistency and texture of the paints is amazing! Absolutely anyone can understand! You really have a gift for explaining things ❤

[@KristyRice]

I appreciate that soooo much!!!

[@nestormairena_0331]

HELLO KRISTY AND I WANT TO TELL YOU MY MUCH EARNED THANK YOU FOR YOU MAKING THIS GREATLY MADE VIDEO BECAUSE MANY THINGS YOU POINTED OUT IN THE VIDEO ABOVE WAS WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT PAINTING BECAUSE I HAVE DONE SOME WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS BUT, SINCE I DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT PAINTING BY ITSELF I DID NOT CONTINUE PAINTING BECAUSE I AM INKER ARTIST THAT WORKS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF MARKERS AND SOME DIFFERENT KINDS OF INKS AS WELL BUT, AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO OF YOURS I GOT THE WANT TO PAINT AND TRY AGAIN SO THANK YOU TO YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO KRISTY BECAUSE YOU OPENED UP THIS GRUNT MARINES EYES TO PAINTING

[@tavenchristensen3157]

Awesome buddy‼️

[@lynnallen4379]

Great info and I'll definitely look into Paintcrush. I have used Mission Gold tubes and loved them, but will investigate to see if the brand is being downgraded for some reason. The biggest part of the fun is your personality. I like you and think highly of your "non-scientific" expertise.

[@KristyRice]

Well I greatly appreciate that :)

[@AR-gh1pc]

I just bought a set of Turner. They are much more affordable than most professional grade paints, but have no fillers and lots of single pigment as well as a range of convenience colors. I’m a mixed media artist and haven’t painted with watercolors since high school. I haven’t tried them yet but I’m curious what watercolorists might think.