Payne's Gray Watercolors, featuring Daniel Smith, Michael Harding, Sennelier, Schmincke and more

[@NicoleLan622]

There are many great art-tubers comparing paint, but @Stivi you really have your own niche combining meditative with informational! Good job unearthing the pigment number PB66 for Maimeri Blu's Payne's gray, which as you noted is synthetic indigo.

[@stiviwonders]

That is heartwarming to hear, thank you! I do strive to make the pigments/watercolors the hero of this channel and my vision for this is to make this a destination for color and calm. Your comment reminds me of these things and confirms that I am on the right path. Thank you for being here and for your kindness.

[@awatercolourist]

Well said, @nicole127x 😊

[@stiviwonders]

@@awatercolourist Thank you! This brings to mind a previous comment from you when you mentioned about wanting to try MaimeriBlu's PB66.

[@awatercolourist]

@@stiviwonders Yes, I want to try both their synthetic and natural indigo.

[@jeannes]

@@stiviwonders You are definitely on the right path. The music, the lighting, and the editing are all top-notch choices for your aesthetic. I loved this comparison and I'm looking forward to your next video 😃👍

[@ChantelleArts]

Payne's grey is one of my favourite shades! I always found it crazy how every single brand uses a different mixture and seeing it in these swatches, it really is shocking that they can all look so different and still be under the same umbrella name 😮

[@stiviwonders]

Incredibly shocking! And most of them are a major departure from the original intention and formulation of Payne's Gray. William Payne wanted to stay away from the "aggressiveness" of black and most of these brands use black as cornerstone pigment. It's baffling but they're all beautiful at the same time. My favorite part of this story is that Payne pursued the color mixing direction that made sense for him and his work. Truly an inspiration! As always, thank you for being here!

[@PeachesandMoss]

You do the best swatches on KZbin! Most I’ve seen don’t dilute the colors enough. Or don’t add enough to see the dark mass tone. Thank you. Your videos are helping me curate my first custom travel pallet.

[@stiviwonders]

That's fantastic! Thank you for being here. I enjoy making custom travel palettes too!

[@barryedgington6812]

Thank you for sharing all the different Paynes gray. So interesting to see the difference in shade from different companies. Much appreciated. Helene

[@stiviwonders]

Hearing these words are truly encouraging, thank you! I am glad that you found the video interesting and I hope it has made finding your preferred Payne's Gray a lot easier to navigate.

[@andreafranne]

Winsor & Newton's Payne's gray is my favourite, so soft and beautiful

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you for mentioning that! The global reach of Winsor & Newton's Payne's Gray is perhaps one of the reasons modern watercolorists fell in love with this convenience color. From there, we started to explore other brand renditions. I fell in love with Payne's Gray due to its visual display but knowing the history behind its existence inspired me even more. Now I make my own mix whenever possible. Thank you for being here! Your message encourages me to believe that this video is worth all the effort.

[@adriannabcustomfurniture]

What I love about your videos is that you always state the positives and dont speak badly about a brand for doing it different than the "purists". I really appreciate that. It's frustrating trying to watch a swatching video and their comments are mostly negative. Love all of your swatches and love this selection of Paynes Grey!

[@E4Alabbasy]

So true!

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you so much for saying that! My personal philosophy is that we can encourage healthy and honest conversations (even arguments) without inviting negativity into the picture or painting too much fluff or fillers (no pun intended). Everything is matter-of-factly with occasional personal views offered, very rarely though. Perhaps it is an unorthodox approach in a time and place where it is encouraged to make noise to generate attention but I strive to make the excellent pigments the hero and not me. If you noticed, the titles are as straightforward as they can be. No drama, no self-appointed credentials, no clickbait. I really appreciate your comment because it confirms that I am on the right path. Respectful content creation and perspective. These are great tools and I am using them as my guiding light for filming. The goal is to have an opportunity for us to take a closer look at our pigments and tools and then make the decision from there. These decisions are deeply personal and are rooted in preferences and project requirements. I want to remain courteous and appreciative of people's ability to make their own choices and to offer an encouragement for them to color their own creative journey with navigable resource pathways, my channel being one of their stops. Thank you for your kind words and for watching! You made my day!

[@stiviwonders]

@@E4Alabbasy So kind! Thank you! 💙

[@Jlalode]

I like your recreation of the original Payne's Gray and the fact that it doesn't contain any black pigment. I'll try it with permanent alizarin crimson and maybe a bit more prussian blue! 😊

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you for saying that because I do love a Payne's Gray that has some depth to it, something that is challenging to achieve when using a rigid, deep black. Enjoy mixing and thank you for being here!

[@wendychampness1901]

Thanks for another swatching video 🥰

[@stiviwonders]

You are welcome! I am glad seeing you here again. Thank you for watching!

[@derwood206]

Great comparison video. I do love Schmincke's Bluish Grey and also Shadow Grey from Roman Sxmal vs its Payne's Grey as Shadow Grey is also "Bluish". Michael Harding and Isaro Payne's Greys here are very beautiful.

[@stiviwonders]

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I do love Roman Szmal's Shadow Grey. It seems that the studio is excellent at making convenience colors. Roman Szmal's Przybysz’s Grey is another personal favorite. Michael Harding and Isaro definitely are standout beauties here. They are simply elegant!

[@SarahAndBoston]

I love Payne's gray! Now I want to try mixing is myself.

[@stiviwonders]

Wonderful! I love it too and always enjoyed making my own mix. So much fun!

[@alexandraemrick2799]

I appreciate it when you swatch colors side by side, and despite differences in how monitors interpret colors, it gives me a good relative comparison of the different brands. In my mind, some of these colors are more of a convenience blue than gray. I haven't explored this color, though I have a couple of these in my boxed palettes, like the W&N Payne's gray, which is one of my favorites from your swatching so I need to play with it more. The Maimeriblu Payne's Gray, is in essence, a very evocative blue, though there are doubts about the colorfastness of synthetic indigo in watercolor, but it is so beautiful that I might have to spring for it (and then do a colorfastness test at home). The way your mix dispersed wet on wet was very satisfying to see, as was the dispersion of the Renesans Intense on hot pressed paper. Thanks for the swatches!

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you for this well-written message! It offers a unique perspective on Payne's Gray, especially the part where you mentioned about these watercolors as more of a convenience blue than gray. All of them presented unique takes on this convenience watercolor. However, the situation still begs the question "Why use black?" when clearly the original intention was to step away from its rigid body or extra bold visual display. My favorite part about the history of Payne's Gray is that William Payne took the color road that made sense for his work and for his satisfaction. He followed his vision and he listened to his own painting requirements. As always, I value your feedback and thank you for being here!

[@helenag.9386]

I'm addicted to granulating paints so the hot pressed paper Renesans and Daniel Smith ones are spectacular!

[@stiviwonders]

I am glad some of them called to you! Oftentimes, the hot-pressed paper allows for better pigment appreciation. It's really helpful to be aware of these things.

[@entropycop]

Your videos are far and away some of the classiest, most meditative and informative I've had the pleasure of viewing-- thank you! Do you have a preferred Payne's Grey? I agree that an over reliance on black seems to bely the objective 😎

[@stiviwonders]

That is amazingly heartwarming to hear, thank you! You are generous with kind words. To answer your question, I tend to make my own grays. However, when my own mixes are inaccessible, for Payne's Gray, nowadays I'd usually reach for Michael Harding's or Sennelier. Isaro is an elegant choice as well. This I have to share though. The sophistication of Michael Harding's Payne's Gray is fascinating. I hope this is helpful!

[@alexandraemrick2799]

I have to agree with your description of Stivi's videos, they are the most elegant swatching videos on YT!

[@stiviwonders]

@@alexandraemrick2799 That is both humbling and heart-meltingly sweet. Thank you!

[@urszulawilkosz2409]

This is so satisfying to watch

[@stiviwonders]

I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for being here!

[@patti3d]

This is a great comparison of Paynes Grey! They are all beautiful and unique. My favorite is the Mairiblu Paynes grey. Then MGraham and Daniel Smith. Thank you! ❤

[@stiviwonders]

Hello, Patty! The Payne's Gray from MaimeriBlu is an excellent mixer also so that's a great choice. I always look for you in the Comment section so thank you for being here and for sharing your thoughts! ❤

[@patti3d]

@@stiviwonders awe! Thank you 🙏 I really enjoy your videos. You choose relaxing music too.

[@stiviwonders]

I appreciate YOU and your feedback. The choice of music is so you could fully experience the joy of seeing the colors. ❤

[@patti3d]

@@stiviwonders the choice of music IS very affective! Hope you are having a wonderful day! 🎨

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you and ditto!

[@E4Alabbasy]

They are all interesting in their own way! I love winsor and newton's version but definitely maimeriblu is my favorite 🥰 maybe I just prefer indigo over Payne's grey 😅

[@stiviwonders]

I agree that they are uniquely beautiful and we just need to find what works for our project requirements. PB66 is special and I do remember that you love blue pigments. So great to see you here again! Thank you for watching! 🥰

[@jeannes]

Renesans Intense on hot press paper 😲😍

[@stiviwonders]

I felt amazed too! So fascinating to see. I didn't even have to coax it into place in order for it to display magnificently. 😍

[@KatheeRN]

Great video of comparisons. I don't care for the ones with overpowering black pigments. Payne's Grey isn't on my palette, but I occasionally pull mine out for a monochromatic or a night sky painting. I'm amazed at all the combinations that each brand uses - very fascinating!!! T Y Stivi for doing this.

[@stiviwonders]

I appreciate this! You pointed out a common theme -- using Payne's Gray as a way to "keep the groove" and to simply have fun. Glad you enjoyed the video! ❤

[@polgara28]

Thank you for this VERY informative video!

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you for watching! Which one is your favorite? Or which ones do you love working with?

[@polgara28]

@@stiviwonders I use M Graham the most, but I think I like the W & N best!

[@l0lb0yl33t]

It's surprising that I like Sennelier the most of the list because of a smoothness it provides. I have only QOR's Payne's gray. I like it's shade, but it's too staining for me. Sometimes it can be difficult to use wet on dry technique with it

[@stiviwonders]

Good choice! Sennelier is an elegant Payne's Gray.

[@greekveteran2715]

For monochrome sketches,I'd choose Winsor & Newton prof.However,for landscapes,I'd go with Rembrandt.

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you for sharing! Both are good choices.

[@miwagardner1353]

Why isn’t anybody talking about her voice ❤

[@stiviwonders]

Thank you! Perhaps it's because Payne's Gray is the hero of the video? ❤