Lightwish Madisi Watercolor Set Review, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Comparison & 'Imagine A Forest' Book

[@rachelsmith7462]

Great video and interesting comparison with Kuretake Gansai Tambi (which are v expensive!). Loved your mermaid and amazed how you painted it freehand, how clever! Thank you Helen.

[@helencryer]

Thanks ever so much!

[@kookatsoonjan]

your artistic talent...never ceases to amaze me Helen!!!...thank you for showing off these awesome kuratake dupe paints with the brushes...not many you-tubers get to almost 12k subscribers in just a year...congratulations to youHelen Cryer...in Cornwall...where I seem to run into MANY talented artists from there often...Janis

[@helencryer]

That's really kind of you - thank you!!

[@cheesim]

I tried this set and was quite impressed by the colors. However, I found them to be more opaque. Thanks for sharing your review and your painting is beautiful! 😍

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I've found them more opaque than regular watercolours but less opaque than the Kuretake Gansai Tambi set.

[@racechick2033]

They were better than I thought they would be and I loved your folk art painting. 😊 ❤😊

[@helencryer]

Thanks Panda!

[@nottaholiday]

don't these look great? I really like the Kuretake paints, find myself going to them by reflex. Nice work !! I love that you're sharing the book flip through as well, I find that really useful when deciding if a book is for me or not. glad to hear you'll be showing us more of your book collection - thanks Helen 😀

[@helencryer]

Thank you! I always try to look up books I'm thinking of buying too!

[@teekierudite5108]

I really love the Gansai Tambi paints that I have, did not know you also had a set of paints yourself. The book was quite interesting as well. Sort of reminded me of Medeval art but with a folksy twist, very beautiful. Love your version of the cute mermaid, thank you for this video, keep up the great work!

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I don't use the Gansai Tambi much - I do like them, but just like other mediums more!

[@berolinastrassmann]

Thanks for showing these -and for the lovely mermaid picture. Lightwish is the US distributor of Paul Rubens (I heard it from Lindsay Weirich, the frugal crafter). Maybe these paints are by Paul Rubens as well? They look good in comparison with Kuretake's. Here in 🇩🇪 this set goes for €28, and the Kuretake x24 costs between €45 and €56. Seeing that they are similar, these might be a good starting point to see if we like this medium at all. Thanks for showing the book, I did not know the author and her work is beautiful.

[@tdelphia1]

Great demo! I am very tempted to get one of them (the price is sure right for the Wishlist). I know the box for the Wishlist is bigger, but I like clean colors so I kind of prefer the space between the pans of the Wishlist set. What an absolutely DELIGHTFUL book! (running to add that to my wishlist!) (& yes, share more books that you discover!) Some of the designs in the book look like things that would be fun to paint onto flower pots for my patio 🎨

[@helencryer]

I definitely know what you mean about gaps between pans - I really like that too! Yes - the book is so lovely!

[@jessicastrideart]

I got out that very same book today and drew the chickens! Those paints look lovely, thanks for sharing your review, it’s interesting to see how different brands compare. x

[@helencryer]

Haha - that's so funny! The chickens were actually the other illustration I thought about doing!

[@margaretpinsent6388]

Very useful, thank you. And added to my amazon UK basket, using your link. I love my Kuretake paints, and I'm pleased to find similar paints with slightly different colours, plus I'm getting to the bottom the pans!

[@helencryer]

Thanks - that's very kind using my link! I only had the Art Nouveau set to compare them too, but someone else commented that they found these Medisi ones more opaque. I don't know if they meant more opaque than other regular Gansai Tambi, but just to mention it in case you wanted to do more research before purchasing any.

[@margaretpinsent6388]

@@helencryer I like the way they looked in your video. They're not expensive so, once I fill my basket to avoid postal charges ( I hate paying post to amazon!), I'll order them. And I'm assuming the link is an associate one?

[@craftykat]

What a great review; the paints do look a lot like gansai tambi. I love that book, and your painting came out great.

[@helencryer]

Thank you!

[@janemcgrath9615]

A lovely review and a beautiful mermaid 🧜‍♀️ I look forward to seeing more of your books 📚

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@wendywoo7805]

Lovely review Helen. I enjoy playing with the Kuretake Gansai Tambi. I have that book too…similar tastes. Take care 😊

[@helencryer]

Thanks! It's a lovely book isn't it?!

[@queenbuzybee4074]

Thank you for testing and reviewing the set.

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@ChantelleArts]

what a stunning review, I love it ☺☺

[@helencryer]

Thanks!

[@thefrostedblueberryart]

I love how many videos you manage to churn out Helen - I post one every several months and wonder why no one watches them lol. I must admit I gave away or sold all of my Japanese style paints as I didn’t love using them and get far more joy from watercolour and gouache. These do look great for a student grade paint set tho.

[@helencryer]

I don't know if I didn't know you had a channel or just forgot, but I'm now subscribed anyway! Your sketchbook is just so good!! I just think - if I'm going to do something arty I might as well video it - I film and edit them on my phone, so it's not exactly high tech!

[@thefrostedblueberryart]

@@helencryer oh thank you for the sub Helen - you’ve made my day. For me it’s a combo of both having a decent overhead set up and my day job sucking away so much time and energy. I keep trying though!

[@helencryer]

Yes, I'm definitely lucky not to have a full time job - I'd never manage otherwise.

[@thefrostedblueberryart]

@@helencryer you’re living my dream 🥹

[@FaithAnnNB]

I haven’t tried Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints yet, but I’ve been tempted to use my Christmas gift cards to pick up a set at my local art store. Looks like a lovely book!! Such a cute painting!!

[@helencryer]

In all honesty I just prefer sticking with watercolours when I want transparent, and gouache when I don't, but I got suckered by the gorgeous colours in the Art Nouveau set! They're fine, and the big pans are lovely to use though.

[@FaithAnnNB]

@@helencryer It’s the Art Nouveau set that keeps tempting me as well, but I keep telling myself that I should be perfectly happy with my watercolour and gouache. Honestly, the biggest reason that has prevented me from picking them up is the box size… it wouldn’t fit nicely with my other supplies 😆.

[@deeanncross7674]

Love your folkart mermaid, enough to try it myself. I've never tried gansi tambi paints. I'd love to see more of your books.

[@helencryer]

That's great - thanks!

[@valeriegehling4358]

Like the book very much, thought it’d make a great “ fairy story” book illustrations! Also I looked up those paints here but, they’re not online here yet. The Kuretake paints are. Th.

[@helencryer]

It's a lovely book! I don't paint much with Gansai Tambi, because I prefer my more transparent watercolours, but they're still fun.

[@whereslaska]

I couldn't get your US Amazon link to work... Good video

[@helencryer]

Sorry about that - I just used the link the company sent. I had a look on US Amazon to update the link, but couldn't find them.

[@patriciamoar8440]

Helpful

[@helencryer]

I'm glad!

[@lisaharner3720]

Thanks for the review. Your folklore mermaid is lovely! I especially liked the book! Please share more of your books.

[@helencryer]

Thanks! I will!

[@beejayem42]

🐨👍

[@tavenchristensen3157]

Nice colors. I can’t believe that every page of the book had orange on it though. 🤷🏻‍♂️ - Research mermaids if you’re interested. :))

[@helencryer]

I couldn't find the orange/mermaid connection!!

[@phillipstroll7385]

They are not meant to be mixed. Hence why there are so many different colors. They aren't made to be mixed.

[@helencryer]

They mixed really nicely, all the same. What's the reason they aren't meant to be mixed? The company themselves mix the paint in their advertising.

[@oraweetaphianthong877]

​@@helencryerit's just how they do it in Nihonga style. Traditionally, the painters have to prepare paints from ground up minerals and apparently minerals don't mix well together. But of course you can mix colours together with gansai. It's just not what the manufacturer had in mind, I think.

[@helencryer]

Thanks so much!