Liquid Watercolor Comparisons I - PhMartins Hydrus - Hero Arts - Avery Elle

Watercolors that come in liquid form (not pans or tubes) aren't new - but there are some new brands in the crafty world lately, and I wanted to show you some side-by-side comparisons. While it may be dissatisfying for some that I don't have a strong "yes" or "no" on any of them, I do have some advice for you if you're considering a purchase - see even more info on the blog post and pinnable images: bit.ly/3aAAewz
Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors (they now have sprays too) bit.ly/3tmiLR4
Hero Arts Liquid Watercolors - bit.ly/3oRp9fA
Dr. Ph. Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Liquid Watercolors - bit.ly/3oRKc1L
Concord & 9th Dies, Just Because - bit.ly/3pQpcK8
Palettes:
Ranger Tim Holtz Ink Palette ---- bit.ly/3pPIgYX
Palette, Ranger Alcohol Ink ---- bit.ly/3axf16R
Plastic Paint Palette, Darice ---- bit.ly/3c4xutP
Silver Brush Black Velvet Round #8
• EH - bit.ly/2GFDawQ
• BLICK - bit.ly/3eALGdb
• AMZ - amzn.to/3nkyzQC
Arches Cold Press Paper:
• EH - bit.ly/3jHRrHA
• BLICK - bit.ly/37i96Tc
Scotch Foam Mounting Tape - bit.ly/2GgpYP7
Pokey Tool (Craft Pick!) ---- bit.ly/3psMXHT
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My Sony A7iii camera is mounted on an Arkon Kitchen Desk Table Stand; For 20% discount at Arkon use coupon code sandyallnock www.arkon.com/p...
Details on how I produce video: bit.ly/37DttJ5

[@j.raymond1297]

Correction or update for the Dr P H Martin Hydrus paint. Sets 1 and 2 are available in the 1/2 oz bottle with the eyedroppers, and all the colors are available in single bottles. You do not need to buy a set each time. The 1 oz bottle is glass and the 1/2 oz is plastic.

[@kathymccreary1288]

Thank you Sandy for testing them out for us! Tough job! And I love the simplicity of the cards you made at the end.

[@01pnut]

Loved the comparison, thank you so much! The cards were a surprise - and how absolutely adorable they all were!

[@trishreddick7991]

Thanks Sandy for this great comparison. With so many wonderful products on the market , it is very helpful to see them in action.

[@teresaselby3536]

Thanks for sharing these water colors! I have been looking at these and wasn't sure which ones I would want. Now I have my answer, so thanks for sharing. Have a wonderful week end.

[@thildahanna7112]

Thank you for all of the leg work Sandy. This is great information and amazing cards. You are great for showing apples to apples comparisons.

[@donnadacy5876]

Thank you so much for the comparison. You explain so well the differences and how we can manipulated them. TFS

[@lindaepstein7736]

Great comparison and loved seeing the cards at the end. Thanks for sharing this. It gives me a good idea what each one looks like before purchasing. Very helpful. Thanks again.

[@whateverislovely3537]

Thank you for this info!! Sooo helpful. I have full-set syndrome myself- or “Rainbow-itis” according to JD; anyways... I tend to buy more than I could ever use. Just an FYI- Ph Martins is available in both the 1 oz and .5 oz sizes. The half ounce sets are about half the cost of the full ounce sets. Praying blessings for you sweet lady.

[@kimsharabba5386]

This was absolutely wonderful. Thank you SO much. My hero arts colors should be arriving today in the mail! I'm going to have to look up something I think you've done in the past in a chart for color "blending" to make other colors. I think there's a pattern you're supposed to do. I "liked" all the cards until you showed the last one, darn it. I LOVED that one. The PH Martin colors are just so beautiful. And I stared at the 3 sets in your video freeze framed for a LONG time. I don't know how you'd pick a single set. Sigh.

[@betsybirge7934]

Sandy - thank you so much for this review. I have been trying to make up my mind as to what to get for liquid watercolor and I think this pretty much made up my mind! Thanks for being so inspiring!

[@JackiesCraftTable]

Thanks for sharing this comparison. Now I'm gonna need to get the Avery Elle watercolors, and I didn't even know they existed before this video. Lol! Love the gorgeous cards you made using all these paints!! Have a nice weekend!

[@PumpkinPails]

I love the Hydrus watercolors! I've had one of the smaller half ounce sets for years and I've barely made a dent in the bottles. They're very pigmented.

[@NancyLynn]

Love the simplicity of your cards Sandy. I really don't know a lot about watercoloring, yet, but I will say that I truly love them all (not very helpful am I LOL). TFS Sandy

[@lucram4889]

Great comparisons - really helpful in making a decision as to which brand fits your wants and/or needs. Thank you for your thoroughness :)

[@j.raymond1297]

Just be aware that the radiant are not colorfast. They were originally intended for presentation illustrations which did not have to last longer than the meeting. Just bear this in mind if you are doing a nice piece you want to last for a long time. You can get the Hydrus by the bottle if you wanted to try a couple of colors!

[@teresadoyle1396]

These are gorgeous cards Sandy. I love the comparison videos, they are great sources for reference. I only have Winsor & Newton liquid water colours but I haven't even used them yet. ;)

[@sherrywoods4630]

Thanks, Sandy! I’ve had my eye on the Dr. Ph. Martin’s for a while, but since I already have several other wc sets, I have a hard time justifying the need for more. Big sigh. Now there are even more choices. Bigger sigh.

[@trudievick2359]

Thanks for sharing. You answered a lot of questions I had.

[@Jillybian]

Sandy, I know that the Hydrus are light fast, what about the other two? Hydrus are also available in 1/2 oz. bottles, but I don't remember if the 1/2 oz. bottles are glass or plastic. How well do the Ranger or Avery Elle lift or how much do they stain? Thanks for sharing your amazing talent and art!

[@SandyAllnock1]

I couldn't find info on lightfastness for the HA and AE. I suspect they aren't. They're crafty products and they don't tend to spend the moolah on artsy quality. The Hydrus I have are glass, I'm pretty sure both sizes are glass. I didn't experiment with staining on either of the other two - I'd bet AE don't stain at all, they were SO soft. Hero might a little, but I didn't try it.

[@kazhanlon]

Sandy this was VERY helpful thank you I now know the brand that suits me.

[@lorraineturner2817]

Thank you Sandy for this demonstration. It is difficult as a crafter to know what to purchase but this certainly gives us some support thank you. :O)

[@sallycain3716]

Really helpful! Just to let you know that you can buy the Ph Martin's individually in the UK.

[@Panda8ngel]

Thank you for the comparison! It was very helpful. 😊

[@spiderals1]

hero arts has released a black liquid watercolor with the last kit reveal. it may or may not be in stock now but they do have 9 colors now

[@JennyColacicco]

What a great comparison. Do you have one comparing ph Martin types? I’d love that

[@SandyAllnock1]

No I only have the Hydrus.

[@AafkeVultink]

if you want a thinner version of ph martin the radiant version might be more of your liking,but the radiants are not lightfast; the liquid wc is, i suppose the others are more a liquid ink rather than a liquid wc wich is why the granualtion is not the same; for me that would be a plus though,lol.. brown is a primary mix; you can mix either green and red or purple and yellow. mint is reacht with light cobalt and soft green; i am a bright lover so i am going jay now

[@Kathymorganhartz]

Thanks Sandy!!! I appreciate the comparison- my wallet appreciates the comparison too! ❤️❤️

[@spiderals1]

hello sandy i just found out that hero arts has a purple liquid watercolor coming out monday when the debut the my monthly hero kit at 1pm eastern, 10am pacific (i think that's your time zone) so i guess it might become a theme because they released the black last month when the debuted the my monthly hero kit. so maybe they will keep up with that for a while idk we shall see!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Gotcha, thanks!

[@LanaGoesArt]

That's such a nice comparison. I was so curious about the HeroArts liquid watercolors, as I have only seen the preview of HeroArts only and I never knew, Avery Elle had some. The ones I use frequently are the Ecoline ones, they're not lightfast, but that's ok. :)

[@LanaGoesArt]

You're welcome. As to Ph Martins - the Hydrus line is light fast, but the Radiant line isn't (I've heard Kristina Werner say this in a video). So look for the Hydrus, if you want them to be lightfast indeed.

[@LanaGoesArt]

I've heard of it and saw it in many amazing videos, but I don't own it and can't say anything about it from my experience. I also don't know, if anyone made lightfastness tests with is. Paris is a wonderful city btw. I have to visit it again some day. :)

[@LanaGoesArt]

That's good to know! I live in Germany (in a very small town) and I seriously struggle to find Fabriano papers - even online, they are often not in stock. Your reminder of the beauty of Paris makes me want to go there right now! :D You have to know, I'm a person, who can spend days wandering through museums and galleries... and churches. :)

[@LanaGoesArt]

Thanks for the link! I'll definitely browse through that. I don't know about the shipment, but it shouldn't be too much through Europe. It gets a lot more expensive, when it's outside the European borders. :)

[@sheriwitthoft5895]

Hex charts! I just love when you use hex charts!

[@silkeschumann7261]

The comparison is slightly flawed, since Hydrus is pigment based and the other two are dye based. The Radiant line from Ph Martin would be comparing apples with apples so to speak. :)

[@donyadael]

the hero arts line is also pigment based-probably why it is also brighter, more intense colors like the Ph Martin

[@AafkeVultink]

ps i just orderd me the royal talens ecoline, it reminded me of the ph martins radiant watercolors only a fraction of the price for 2 euro per jar.. see if i like working with it... if so i can always add dr martins but if not i at least would not have thrown out 60 euro,lol

[@j.raymond1297]

A .Vultink . Just be aware that the radiant are not colorfast. They were originally intended for presentation illustrations which did not have to last longer than the meeting. Just bear this in mind if you are doing a nice piece you want to last for a long time. You can get the Hydrus by the bottle if you wanted to try a couple of colors!

[@AafkeVultink]

@@j.raymond1297 i am aware of that,it is a liquid ink much like the radiants; the hydrus is watercolor with the same pigments. Ecoline reacts much like my zigs or the tombows,but most dyebased paints its not lightfast; im not an artist,so for cards thats ok; for paintings i will grab regular wc. But i apreciate the warning,ty.

[@wendylittle2385]

Good information. Thank you.

[@LolaClark86]

I like that Avery Elles wc are pastel, but if you wanted them to be darker is there a way you could layer them to get deeper hues? Or will they stay basically the same

[@SandyAllnock1]

A little darker but not much.

[@lovetobhome]

Dick Blick sells the Hydrus individually. Great video.

[@hsfundamentals]

Bible Art Journaling question: I have the Hydrus and they do not bleed through an unprepped Bible page. What about the other two sets? Thanks Sandy!

[@SandyAllnock1]

Hero Arts does bleed thru...haven’t checked Avery Elle yet.

[@hsfundamentals]

Sandy Allnock thanks Sandy!

[@PAR4theCoUrSe1]

How do you like the Ecoline liquid watercolors? I see a lot of people use them for calligraphy.

[@SandyAllnock1]

I don't do calligraphy and never bought those.

[@lizkimber]

they also now make hydrus in singles..

[@Serenityblu23]

can you use these for calligraphy as well?

[@SandyAllnock1]

Probably?

[@craftconfectionery]

Thank you.

[@KLThames]

I just want to say that this video is pure color porn. I absolutely just enjoyed watching your brush go across the papers and deposit that color. I have the Dr. PH Martins colors and while I don't do more than just mush them around on paper so I can make pretty die cuts, I really didn't even know that they would eventually dry. Great video Sandy! Now to add some more colors to my collection.

[@CouzCat]

Thanks for the comparison, it's appreciated. I was wondering how you were going to store/handle the liquids in the large pallette:).

[@SandyAllnock1]

Going to use them up and wash them. 😊

[@Paperista]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Hug, April

[@AafkeVultink]

You put liquid colors in a pan? Thats a first for me to hear,lol. Does that not influence in how they work? that would be a gamechancher for me, caus I am a palette kinda girl, i even squeeze my shinhanpass in a mijello palette,lol

[@SandyAllnock1]

No not in pans. Just in a little palette.

[@AafkeVultink]

jeah ive seen that palette before,just not used for liquid wc..never thought of that as an option,lol

[@ThatLynnGirl]

Sorry LOL you said rewetting them after they dried could dilute your color???? Makes no sense, since all the water has gone....

[@YourMajesty143]

In order to rewet paint, you need to add water -- which will dilute the colors. Remember, these liquid paints are concentrates. Since the water in them is minimal, that means the water that gets evaporated out is much less than the amount of water you'll need to rewet them. Does it make sense now?

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

I was told the hydrus are pigments and the other two are dye based. Hydrus colors are color fast which are good for fine art and the other are not making them good for crafting. Tfs

[@SandyAllnock1]

Possibly true, I wish the labels said so. I haven’t had them long enough to test lightfastness for myself. Makes no sense via price since the most lightfast are also least expensive.

[@j.raymond1297]

Horse woman2000. Yeah, several you tubers have done a lightfast test on the Hydrus and all the colors were lightfast more than a year after being used.

[@Scrapcoreseartes]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@rtd1791]

I’m probably going to end up coming across like an art supply snob, I swear I’m not. I have no problem using student grade or products intended for the craft market. I still love Crayola water colors and crayons; I always have them in stock. While I appreciate the pretty color swatches in this video and I consider myself a Sandy Allnock fan, there’s a definite lack of information in this video. Dr. PH Martin has been around since 1934. Their colors come in sets and individual bottles in both 15ml (.5oz) and 30ml (1oz) sizes. Plus they offer India inks, metallics, and dye and pigment based colors. More importantly on their website they give you lots of information about their products. Lightfast ratings, type of colorant used, suitability for different techniques (fountain pen or bush), etc. Their products are artist grade, and I’d expect them to have a much higher light tolerance than the ones made by craft companies, but I could be wrong about that. This video doesn’t touch on any of that. I had to go looking for more information on the web. I don’t see how this is a fair comparison of products if I cannot tell what exactly is being compared. Is it just the color range? I liked the card design. The cards would make good sets for gifts. I tried to find technical specs on Avery Elle and Hero Arts liquid water -colors and couldn’t do it. I went to their individual websites and performed an advanced search and still couldn’t find anything on lightfast ratings or the type of colorant used to create the watercolor. Pigment or dye? I don’t know. Simon Said Stamp in the description of Hero Arts Liquid Watercolors states that they are pigment based. But I couldn’t find that info on the Hero Arts site. Jennifer McGuire said they were pigment based and Kristina Werner’s post stated they were archival. But geesh ! Why should I have to go to that much work to track down information that should be on the manufacture’s website? Really I cannot figure out why Hero Arts and Avery Elle even bothered to create liquid watercolor. I love Hero Arts’ stamps and stencils. Don’t have an opinion on Avery Elle. But so far none of the projects I’ve seen actually require watercolors. Liquid watercolors are aimed at graphic artists and calligraphers. They really are not intended for color mixing or creating large washes. So before I bought any of these products, I’d ask myself why. Why am I even using a watercolor? Do I just want the “watercolor” look on a card? Well I can achieve that with reinkers and/or water based markers for a lot less money. And markers and stamping ink are more versatile, and frankly easier to use. The learning curve is so much less steep. All of these liquid watercolors are expensive. $4-7/bottle and the Dr Ph Martins run $40-60/ set of 12. So if you aren’t using them as intended, why pay that kind of money? Is it just to decorate your craft space? I grant you that the iconic 30ml Dr Ph Martins bottles look fantastic on a shelf. Lucious, brilliant, seductive colors. Still it’s a lot of money to spend. Here is a link to an article with lots of info on the different types of watercolors and their suitability to different applications. It’s aimed at creators intent on making watercolor paintings but it’s still useful info for crafters. www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt5.html I don’t like watercolors. I find them too fussy and it takes more time than I’m willing to spend to develop any skill with them. That’s why I’m content using cheap student grade watercolors or water based markers. I’m not creating paintings I want to last for decades. But if I were going to spend this much money on watercolors, I’d go with the company that has decades of experience and the expertise to help me with any questions I had.

[@Rebeccacell]

rtd1791 you have to realize that many crafters care about the lightfastness of our products so I agree, that info should be available. But to be condescending and say you don’t know why others would want high quality products isn’t necessary. A lot of crafters cross-craft, that is take a medium from one craft and use it on another. I’ve always loved watercolour and am learning so I can create wall art, not just cards. So I have a need for high quality Thank You. I appreciate Sandy’s comparison and there was far more to it than comparing colours. By watering down the Ph M colours, she was showing that if someone chose them, they will become pastel like the Avery Elle. So if someone wanted the AE for the soft colors but wanted a larger colour selection, that can be achieved with another product. And she also compares their vibrancy full strength and told us that they will rewet which I had wondered about. It clearly wasn’t a technical spec type of post. It would have been nice to know but remember, Sandy does these things because we ask her to. She doesn’t get anything out of it. So be happy for the review you got and if you need more info, which you don’t because you stick to Crayola, then ask the company in an email. I’m sure they’d get back to you promptly. You could nicely suggest that they add it to the website and from what I’ve heard of their customer service they will.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Sorry I didn't meet your standard.

[@SandyAllnock1]

Thank you Rebecca. :)

[@Rebeccacell]

Sandy Allnock you are so very welcome! I buy a lot of products based on your opinion and recommendation and all have been fantastic. I LOVE your videos and appreciate the time and effort they take. Long live artist quality!!!

[@rtd1791]

Sandy Allnock If it appears that I am upset with you, then I didn’t communicate very effectively because I am not displeased with you in any way. I’m happy enough to just watch you swatch and I find your voice relaxing so I enjoy listening to you too. I originally went looking for information about prices and became frustrated by an overall lack of information, which tapped into a pet peeve I have about the industry as a whole. You like me have been a crafter/artist for a long time. (35+ years for me and if I’m remembering correctly, more for you) So you have probably noticed that different products migrate between art silos. When paper crafters went for mixed media in a huge way, all sorts of products started migrating from the acrylic painting silo over to the paper crafting silo. Now if you were already well versed in acrylics none of those products were new, even though they were presented as such. I believe that the interest in liquid watercolors is related to the popularity of hand lettering. I think you’ve also been around long enough to know that trends come and go, and sometimes a craft company jumps into a trend without much thought and little experience. We’ve all seen how many craft companies have bit the dust, especially in the wake of The Great Recession. I don’t know if that is the case with Avery Elle and Hero Arts. I just know about the history, chemistry, and physics of liquid watercolors. So when I saw the roll out of Hero Arts liquid watercolors, I expected to see demonstrations of how liquid watercolors are traditionally used by graphic artists, illustrators, and calligraphers. But so far all I’ve seen are projects that do not even require watercolor paint let alone liquid watercolor. (I’m not talking about your video specifically) And I’m left wondering why Hero Arts wants to sell liquid watercolors. But what really frustrated me yesterday was not getting an answer about why Hero Arts believes their paint is worth the price tag. Plaid, Ranger, and Martha Stewart do not charge fine art acrylic prices for their paints because their paints are not the same quality. Maybe Hero Arts and Avery Elle’s liquid watercolors are on a par with Dr Ph Martin’s, but nothing I was able to find yesterday indicates that. Maybe the price is based on market research or marginal costs, who knows? As an artist with a limited budget, I prefer purchasing from companies that have a history and demonstrated expertise in a product. My frustration wasn’t related to you. I’m watch your videos because I like them and I’ve actually taken a class from you. I think the other poster misinterpreted what I was saying as though I had a problem with you specifically and was defensive on your behalf. It’s wonderful that you inspire that kind of loyalty. I too have made purchases from your affiliate links; I’m a subscriber; I bought a phone case. The only thing I haven’t done is become a patreon, but that’s because I haven’t figured out how I feel about the model. While I don’t see your videos as an act of altruism, I’d bet they are a loss leader. As much as I love crafting, I also happen to have an interest in the marketing, economics, history, chemistry, and physics, etc of craft products. I would also advocate for better resource management by the craft industry in general and specific companies making product choices that promote the longevity of their companies.