Product Review 39 - QoR Watercolours 24x 5mL tube set from Golden

[@leslieressree9683]

Colors running into one and other is quite mesmerizing. The real magic of these paints is when you use them with your other watercolors. The way QoR paints reacts with other paints is just fantastic. Highly recommend trying 🖌🎨

[@sharonthibodeau4652]

Glad you're back. You Tube hasn't been the same without The Spin Doctor.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Sharon Thibodeau The rate of swearing is about to go back up then! ;)

[@juli696]

Welcome back Rich. I bought two 6 sets and one 12 set a few months ago and really enjoy these. I don't paint wet in wet so have had no problem. Thank you for sharing.

[@kathyvangogh4034]

Welcome back Doc! Totally agree with your take on how quickly the paint gets used up! But I just love how vibrant QoR is! Plus the unpredictability of the paint kind of lends itself to my crazy style so I like that, it's kind of like that painting exercise of throwing paint down and then looking for the patterns or useful forms in it. I really appreciate your technical knowledge about pigment. I'm new to watercolour and you were one of my first tutors, so much gratitude. You never know who's sky you're a star in!!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Kathy van Gogh I don’t think it is remotely any more vibrant and I think that is just marketing spin really - you always seem some brand to brand differences and I found side-by-side it was identical to Schmincke in the (totally subjective - there is no way to quantify it) area of vibrancy. The movement is too uncontrollable for me - fun for abstract work but I like to reign it in a bit. Glad I was of help ;) How long have you been painting now?

[@kathyvangogh4034]

The Spin Doctor Ahhhhhhhhh, I haven't gotten into Schminke yet! Just bought a couple of tubes recently. I've been painting for about 17 years in acrylic but just started playing with watercolour in the last year.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Kathy van Gogh I was Acrylic first, Watercolour second and have painted for over 20 years but not every single day and I have had breaks of years at a time.

[@teresab1341]

Welcome back Rich!! You have been gone too long and were greatly missed! Sorry the flood turned out to be such a bad situation. It is nice to know you are semi-settled and back to You Tube. You make reviews easy to understand for regular people like me! Thank you! I realize it is a great effort for you to post. I'm grateful for your work! Thank you so much!

[@K_rye]

Hurrah! the Doctor is back. What a lovely surprise after a long day to see your latest review.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+K Rye You're welcome!

[@bevroberts8440]

Glad to hear your voice on KZbin once again! Thank you for this review! Several youtubers have rather raved about Qor and I had begun longing for a set. But you've left me little doubt that I need Qor in my life. The one thing I did actually like about your test was the Payne's grey separating out as it did. I'm flirting with fantasy/enchanted beings and beasts and immediately thought the Payne's grey would set up a great background of a gloomy forest with fairies and such lighting it up.

[@MaryPrasadArt]

Bev Roberts You may want to experiment with an Elegant Writer calligraphy pen in black. It separates in a really cool way when touched with water. It becomes more permanent after. Love working with it and watercolor.

[@bevroberts8440]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[@glorioskiola]

Glad you're back. Hope all is well.

[@InLiquidColor]

Welcome back! I actually was just checking your page last night to see if you were back yet I must have sensed it coming haha.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+In Liquid Color So many people have emailed me etc - one even checking I hadn't been killed by terrorists!

[@1974KAAR]

Glad to see you back!!! Take care of yourself!!!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+kim ryan Thanks Kim!

[@SouthernArtGallery]

I love listening to your explanations of the pigments.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Southern Art Gallery You’re welcome :)

[@kellydunigan2525]

Glad your back I have missed your no B.S videos, moving sucks big time I'm dreading it when we decide to move, hope you are very happy in your new home looking forward to more videos from you :-)

[@kellydunigan2525]

Well in politics that phrase is definitely needed i use it in conjunction with "oranged faced" not that I'm hugely political but there are some things that go beyond politics, either way I look forward to seeing it :-)

[@Canadianrobin27]

Glad to hear your voice. Hope your health improves. Moving sucks especially with a ton crap load of art supplies. I can attest to that. Took me a year to sort everything out.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Robin Craig Thanks Robin - it never will, degenerative disorder. It's taken me 2 months to find my blending tool...!

[@michaelannfitzgerald8742]

Glad to see you! Thank you for your review on the Golden paints. I bought these around Christmas and am enjoying them very much.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Michael Ann Glad you like them. Sennelier, Gansai Tambi and Mission Gold reviews coming next!

[@kristikortman5443]

Informative and practical review. Thanks, and welcome back!

[@germaicanlady]

Welcome back, Rich! Good to hear from you. Moving... Oh my, that would be a nightmare for me! I am just re-decorating, re-organising and that's already taking me forever! 😳🙂

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Chrissie aka GermaicanLady Thanks to Mrs W doing KonMari (Con Marie as I call it as the books are rather costly!) I've done some declutter too. FlyLady method works better for me though.

[@germaicanlady]

Well done!

[@glenisepearson7407]

Lovely to have you back, I've missed your reviews. After watching this review, I'm pleased I didn't buy them and bought M.Graham instead. I just love them, they stay moist as they contain honey and I've not experienced them doing anything weird like the QoR. Hope you've settled in to your new home. Thanks for the review.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Glenise Pearson M. Graham elude me - near impossible to get hold of in Europe.

[@glenisepearson7407]

I get them from Lawrence's in Hove.

[@mariamontgomery2610]

Nice to see you back!

[@peaceandpaintbrushes]

I love the way qor watercolors flow... it goes very well with loose paintings and abstracts. The trick to controlling, at least a bit, is to put the paint down dry nd then add water giving you much more control of where they flow. I love the effects of them whooshing out and mixing giving you amazing effects. I think it depends on how you like to paint

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+TheHomegrownArtist I think they’re terribly designed as they give the artist no degree of choice - adding v little dispersant so the artist has freedom to add it themselves if they want that effect is the normal approach (cf. Schmincke, Winsor and Newton, Daniel Smith and all other major brands...except for Qor).

[@peaceandpaintbrushes]

The Spin Doctor I like not having control sometimes😁. It gives you great surprises. Day not the paints for anyone wanting to paint with a lot of control tho

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+TheHomegrownArtist Why Golden would make a Paint no one can control and they overhype it so much is beyond me - their claims of it being “more vibrant” aren’t true if you look at identical pigments side by side.

[@peaceandpaintbrushes]

The Spin Doctor www.justpaint.org/the-science-behind-qor/ golden states that the reason they use aquazol, with its greater solubility in water, which allows the paints to re wet easily and increases their flow, is because it is so different from other watercolors and to basically give the artist world a new type of medium to play with. They even state that it's up to the artist if they like the way it acts and how they use it (which obviously you don't lol). But hey, it's all up to th e artist and what they like. Not every e likes the same thing. I do love how you let them blend on the paper though, I love seeing that!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+TheHomegrownArtist Yeah that sounds like typical Golden spin - they’re the worst company for meaningless claims except maybe Sennelier who act like being made in France makes a Paint better... I don’t listen to the spin - I try it and if I think it’s badly designed, I say so. Winsor and Newton tried the “new world of...” line with their pigment markers that are so hard to use and give awful streaky results “oh that’s not bad design, that’s a new world of markers unlike what you are used to” - yes, really...

[@EveBolt]

Welcome back! You were missed :)

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Eve Bolt - Bolt's Vault D'awww thanks!

[@pebble2pearl]

Welcome back! I love your videos. They're very informative. I'm sorry to hear that you've had difficulties lately. I hope your fortunes are improving.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+pebble2pearl Thanks so much. I don't think I've "spoken" to you before so welcome!

[@Blissfulthings]

I have learned so much about pigments from you,I just want to say thankyou! Happy New Year to you!

[@Dan.B.Artist]

Welcome back! I also have been interested in Golden but have been put off by the price, it's a bit similar in that way wth Daniel Smith, pricey but big tubes so in reality good value per ml. Great video, awesome one to come back with.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Penholder Art If you see any of the 6, 12 or 24 packs on sale, give them a try!

[@B1ackDahlia767]

I love these & favor them for the "feathering" when I want to do wet in wet/a lot of effects. I haven't bought any of the tubes, & don't know if I ever will as I mainly utilize Sennelier, Daniel Smith, M. Graham, & Holbein. I very much appreciate your channel & you sharing your wealth of knowledge with all of us! I'm extremely interested in the make up of my paints and color chemistry. Thank you!

[@mariakellner2221]

Great to see you back,i thought about the QoR set ,glad to see them in action,they are not what I need with the feathering in my stye of painting, on angela fher demo she enjoyed the effect,

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

First time to watch you, must say really learned or reminded of so Many properties of watercolor.will now be looking for your channel. Thank you... will

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Maria Kellner Angela likes random effects and movement - I like to have a little more control than her.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Marjorie Johnson You're welcome!

[@lisathaviu1154]

Glad to see you back on KZbin. Moving is a real bitch - we moved 5 years ago to a smaller house and we still have a pile of boxes in the garage - good thing we have only the one car! This makes me glad that I bought a Schmincke set recently. I am eagerly awaiting arrival from Jackson's. Do the QoR colors mix well with other brands? I do like the Burnt Sienna and thought I might get a tube. I am a complete sucker for earth colors.

[@Joe_Maysky]

So excited to see you back, my friend. What's funny is what you said about the dispersion characteristics of the Phthalo blue & Quin Magenta, Angela Fehr has said that she also notices it as unique to QoR but likes it, lol; she thought it might have been a characteristic of the aquazol binder, but your theory makes a little more sense. I also like this Raw Sienna as you do; I use Daniel Smith's which is actually PBr7 but has the more neutral brown cast like this than the ones that are mixed of yellow & red. Excited to have more conversation soon!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Joe Maysky It is the detergent they use and soft water makes it worse - mine is so soft it is off bottom of scale in most test kits. Aquazol (you can read more about that on my accompanying website article) is pretty benign and uncharged so could not do that.

[@paultaylor1756]

It's very good to hear from you and I hope your health will improve. Great review looking forward to more.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Paul Taylor Thanks - it never will improve though - degenerative illness - but coming out of a rough patch.

[@starshinesoldier]

Rich, hello! Welcome back! :) I have missed your reviews! I got this set for my birthday, I never really noticed that they feather a lot, but then I don't really paint wet into wet. I did notice that they seems more transparent.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+starshinesoldier Yes the pigment load is not great hence they look transparent. Water hardness seems to impact how much feather there is. I'm in ultra-soft-water area.

[@amiek9269]

Oh, how I've missed you! Glad your back. Thx for this review. I think I'll give them a try. The colors look like what I'd enjoy using.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Amie Knudson Links in the Description maybe handy if you plan to buy them - I think Jackson's in U.K. are economical and ship worldwide.

[@Tennishead21]

Welcome back! I have certainly missed your sense of humour and swearing, as well as your wonderful, in-depth reviews. You are always so through. Will you be giving us an update on your Schmincke paints soon?

[@linzenota]

Relatively new to your channel, but really appreciate your videos! Very informative in your reviews and will be happy to see more in the future!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Lindsey Woodie Thanks!

[@kathytebbett8398]

Thanks for the informative video.....did you say ' Dioralyte yellow'?? Or was that my medical background causing my mind to formulate colour appropriate descriptive. You may have been missed.......

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Kathy Pearson Diarylide! I think it probably tastes nicer than Dioralyte!

[@DrawingWithFire]

Nice video Rich. 😁 Glad your move is done. I hope your health has calmed down. I have three of the Qor sets & bought single tubes. I really like them & haven't had any problems. Angela Fehr did a video last week looking at the Qor. She addressed the "fingers" that happen. Maybe that will help if you havent seen it yet. 😉

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Get my name right ;) The 'fingers' happen because the detergent (wetting agent) in the base is quite high and soft water areas (like mine) have more of an issue than others - it's what comes from using a default detergent level in a default base and then adding all the pigments to it. Schmincke make a bespoke base for every pigment to maximise flow and avoid exactly this issue. Hopefully over time, Golden will work around it.

[@DrawingWithFire]

The Spin Doctor oops, sorry autocorrect. 😉 I fixed it. Though that's funny coming from you, the one who in the past renamed my channel because you couldn't get it right. 😜 I could see soft water vs hard water causing issues. We don't have soft water, so I have less fingering. When I did I just wiped it with my brush & it went away. I mention Angela because you asked at the end of the video for info if anyone had it...so, i did. 😆

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Valarie Connell /DrawingWithFire Angela loves random effects and movement but I need a little more control - I found it ruined some gradient washes and was not easy to make realistic clouds etc either. Also "I have less fingering" - I'm sure you do but how is that relevant to painting...? ;oP Freudian slip...?! Glad wiping it with a brush did the trick ;) Try a gourd next time!

[@jelrod9160]

Welcome Back, You have been missed!

[@debaccetta3982]

Yaaay you're back! It's a good day!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Debra Accetta I seem to have quite an effect on folk!

[@SilverNachtmahr]

It's so good to see you back! :)

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+woot woot Thanks!

[@piefjep9508]

Glad you're back. Thanks for the review. The last swatch you did of Payne's Grey was done without washing your brush after using the quin gold (or did you edit the video?) Could that be the reason for the separation of the pigment? By the way, the feathering of QOR would drive me mad too.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Piefje P No it does it anyway - I was just trying to demonstrate it quickly how annoying it is so didn't clean the brush. If I ever edit something I put in a slide like "5 minutes later...." or "take 39...". - I would feel dishonest otherwise - I WANT you all to see mistakes etc and not perfection. How can you learn anything from clinical perfection?

[@roden70]

Angela Fehr works often wet in wet and mentioned the featering you experienced as well. I now know that I can skip the Qor. Thanks for the review.

[@nellgilmour5388]

Welcome back.......missed you.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Nell Gilmour Many have - it is rather humbling!

[@CyaneInkArt]

I use mainly QoR watercolors and I really like them. I have no problem with feathering. But I don't know how I do it. I have to do some experiments. Btw, you have Parker Quink bottle on your desk, do you use fountain pens?

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+CyaneInk Art Water softness makes a difference - the water is so soft here it is off the bottom of scale on most hardness tests. I do have a Quink bottle that I've had for a decade that I found when unpacking. I use Waterman fountain pens for work and I have 6 of them - Black, Red (for marking), Green (for moderating), Sky Blue (for editing), Purple and Brown - I use latter 2 colours for general note writing etc. I use Diamine ink most often. Black, Red Dragon, Kelly Green, Kensington, Imperial Purple and Rustic Brown are the colours specifically - I can make a bottle last many years. I also use Jade Green in the lab for making radioactive ink for labelling radio graphic work as it's too pale to show up on paper well enough for me and I didn't want to waste the bottle! The Quink is a hangover from more than a decade ago.

[@CyaneInkArt]

In Finland we have soft water too. I have to do some test, but I haven't seen weird behaving with my QoR Payne's gray and it's one of my most used color also. Maybe I don't use that much water or something. Very interesting hear about your fountain pens! I use Diamine Jade Green often in my drawings, I love the color on drawing, but it's indeed too pale for writing. I use fountain pens mainly for drawing, but it is shame that most of the inks are not lightfast at all. So, I use them only in my sketchbooks.

[@kookatsoonjan]

wanna try some new inks for your fountain pens? I have soooo many bottles...could send you some vials

[@kookatsoonjan]

ya...the lightfast issue with the dye based inks really is a pain in the neck

[@AaronHutson]

hi!! I'm glad you're back. I hope you've been okay. i've missed your videos! :)

[@paulage1art]

The Doctor is in! Welcome back! Missed your informative videos and wry sense of humor. I feel your pain regarding moving, packing and unpacking, and the worst - finding what you are looking for! Must be especially challenging with health issues! Btw, what is the FlyLady method of decluttering?

[@lharbour2854]

I don't know if you'll see this, but I've been wondering if you could elaborate more on why hard or soft water might make a difference in dispersion of these paints. I wrote QoR, but they said they've done no tests on this and, thus, were unable to give me an answer.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Same with all paints - hard water contains a lot of calcium and/or magnesium ions which contribute to crowding of pigment particles and promote flocculation (one of two types of granulation) and impede flow. Soft water doesn’t and thus weaker flocculation and stronger flow. It’s a property of hydrophobic pigments eg all silicates, all phosphates, ultramarine etc. See my other video on granulation (flocculation and sedimentation) which I think is in my Colour Chemistry playlist.

[@lharbour2854]

@@TheSpinDoctor Thank you so much! I will definitely have to see the granulation video. I wish QoR had someone like you to answer inquiries. :-)

[@thelovelynicole80]

I have a question doctor. Would you say you like your Schmincke npqint better than Qor?

[@TheSpinDoctor]

nicole curtis Yes - I prefer Schmincke to most brands and I honestly prefer most brands to Qor.

[@patm.7322]

Welcome back! You've been missed!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Pat M. So it would seem!

[@vibekeahnelof6845]

Welcome back! I've missed you.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Vibeke Ahnelöf thank you!

[@pauladawnowen5630]

YAY........your back!

[@vxinos]

welcome back

[@inkynerdart8203]

Staying up for GoT does not make one a sad bastard, it makes one awesome! Because, you know, woo! Anyhow- I've been eyeing these paints for a while, but just haven't been certain about them. Really appreciate your review. Informative as always. As someone who moved 9 times in 2 years, I'm fairly certain I still have boxes I haven't unpacked. Unpacking is the worst. Glad you're feeling a bit better, and I hope you settle into your new abode alright. Welcome back!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Inky Nerd Art I've boxes I've not unpacked in a decade...!

[@lemonrose1254]

I think qor probably does have just one base they use for every paint.hmm and also they use a synthetic ox gall so that probably contributes a lot to their very explosive flow in a wet on wet application.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

The viscosity of their synthetic vehicle is not really any different to genuine gum Arabic and synthetic dispersants are _usually_ balanced to give equivalent “flash” shall we say to ox gall but these paints are much like Mission Gold: really hard to control versus something like Schmincke where every pigment is separately optimised.

[@lemonrose1254]

The Spin Doctor hmmm interesting. I’ve personally always want to try qor for their reds and yellows. And schmincke I’ve heard is a very reputable brand of paint with lovely colors that glaze very well , but unfortunately where I live it is found no where and it’s quite expensive. What are your experiences with schmincke?

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Schmincke is much better than most brands. Try buying from Jackson’s - they ship internationally at v good rates and have a watercolour sale on for next 48h. If you follow links from my website I get a small commission too ;)

[@lemonrose1254]

The Spin Doctor thank you for your time

[@annnoyez]

I love when watercolours bloom a lot and push the others away... that’s what i need in a watercolour for my flowers. That’s a personal taste. So if you don’t want them anymore, don’t throw them away, you can always donate them to me 😂 😂 😂

[@paulage1art]

Hoping the Spin Doctor can "make rounds" during the Frugal Crafter's Live show today!

[@annnoyez]

I asked a sample and they gave me 6 tubes. Since than together with my schmincke watercolours they are my favorite. Since than I put my Windsor and newton and all my other brands aside... they l’est very long. Is have filled a halfpans with the six colours and I haven’t refill them. My schmincke goes quicker than the qor. Magenta and ultramarine blue are the normal colours thy gave but the other 4 or gorgeous. Lots of texture and very different wether you use several layers or only do a wash... transparent orange oxide, and a very strange green, witch I can’t remember the name. The yellow is not the normal yellow. Sorry I can’t go looking for the names and I forget a lot due to my illness and medication. When I feel better and get out of bed, I will look them up. Qor is also difficult to get in Belgium... I would say welcome back, but is my first time I watch your channel. I like your videos and I subscribed...

[@paulwhite760]

Maybe with the great motility of the paint one could use QoR as SFX paint to modulate other brands. . . however I will go with max chroma colours and use them dry brush style. Perhaps I could add them to gouache and see what happens. Cheers all

[@TheSpinDoctor]

I tried mixing 9:1 with white gouache and they escape from it. On damp paper the watercolour goes one way and the white goes the other, basically. I dislike how some mixes separate like my old standard Jane’s Grey (shown herein) splitting into blue and brown.

[@paulwhite760]

I like having more options as you mentioned , that's why I quite like the MGrahams and Holbeins. Cheers doc

[@aimeelindell]

Um I saw you comment on Lindsay's video but I don't see new stuff here! Must be a glitch 😉 Come back!

[@aimeelindell]

Also, I'm still tossing up adding Mijello pure pigments to my collection, any upcoming thoughts there?

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Aimee Cooney I've recorded a lot of footage but been too busy to edit and upload it right now. I have, however, been posting techniques etc on my website for the kinds of things that are harder to film www.the-spin-doctor.co.uk - I would not bother with the Mission Gold set, they behave oddly and are really nothing special - just a basic line of watercolours like any other. If you want to invest in quality, save up for Schmincke.

[@TheSpinDoctor]

+Aimee Cooney PS: I have a Mijello video shot I just need to edit and upload.

[@aimeelindell]

I agree that they behave oddly, I requested a sample and was given peacock blue and burnt sienna I believe. They did not mix to a neutral at all, but rather an almost olive green.

[@Znobishtucon]

But... but at 26:26, I like that and want that effect!

[@TheSpinDoctor]

Easy to do - just apply a thick coat of a dense inorganic pigment like french ultramarine mixed with a light organic like Quinacridone rose onto an already damp paper.

[@sharonthibodeau4652]

Glad you're back. You Tube hasn't been the same without The Spin Doctor.