Testing cheap metallic watercolours

When I found a set of six metallic watercolours for only £1 in The Range, I threw caution to the wind and invested my entire life's savings. Did I waste my money? I usually suggest buying the best quality watercolour supplies you can afford, but I could not resist a bargain. So I put these cheap metallic watercolours to the test. In this film I swatch them out, test the lifting and layering and then do a simple painting of a palm tree at sunset to see how they paint.
And if you want a spoiler - they are not bad! They add a pretty sparkle to your work and if you are just wanting to play, they offer the perfect opportunity. I have no idea what's in them - I have no idea about permanence, but for a bit of fun one pound is not a lot!! Of course there are better ones available, but mixing them in with your normal watercolours will open up possibilities until you are ready to upgrade.
Here is the link (not affiliate) if you are interested: www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-c...
And just to give you a laugh, on 22 July 2022 they also had a set on sales at 19 pence!!!! www.therange.co.uk/arts-and-c...
That is just plain silly....
If you enjoyed this, I am editing a film with the palm tree on black in full and also swatched out and painted with the gold set, so please like and subscribe. If you hit the notification bell you will be alerted when the films are ready. This is the link (not live until 31 July): • Metallic watercolour p...
You might also like the film I've done on using the gold set on white paper with a painting of a birch forest: • Metallic watercolour p... (not live until 7 August)
If you are looking for more in depth courses, please visit www.lizchadertonstudio.co.uk. And if you fancy joining me on Facebook I run a lovely, friendly group / watercolourstudiowithl...
#lizchaderton #metallicwatercolour #metallicwatercolor

[@esilabet]

I tend to go overboard with shiny and metallic, always ends up with a 'teenage unicorn rainbow' type of composition! hahhaha!

[@LizChadertonArt]

I would not used metallics on their own usually. I think they could be fun in moderation, but I really enjoyed playing with these.

[@esilabet]

@@LizChadertonArt I have found that if I use the shimmering medium with any color, it does really a fine job for just a little sparkle... for irridescent plumage for exemple. I rarely use the metalic paints I have. I have a small tiny palette of 6 half pan that really have awesome colors, super explosive on paper that I use once in a while.... I still go overboard most of the time. lol! Thanks for the review. The black paper is really the star when it comes to metallic.

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@esilabet what brand do you have? Yes, black is fab.

[@esilabet]

@@LizChadertonArt My little palette is CSY art gallery mini tinbox, it's handmade watercolor, not a big brand.

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@esilabet ooh, that sounds lovely!

[@elainepaterson2322]

I have those sets too, I use them to make bookmarks and love them.

[@LizChadertonArt]

great fun to use

[@melaniebettridge8943]

I have used these & they are lush! Gold & silver metallic ones too! 👏🥳

[@LizChadertonArt]

Yes they are!

[@nelliehenrich6253]

Looking forward to getting some Pearl-ex pigments by Jacquard to play with. Thanks for the tips Liz. I’d love it if you could do one on experimenting with backgrounds - watercolour on canvas. 💕

[@LizChadertonArt]

Hi Nellie, I will certainly look at doing another watercolour on canvas film, as I haven’t done one in a while. enjoy the sparkles! I have a few films over the next weeks.

[@sueallen952]

Also got them in B&M £1.99 3 sets blues and greens, pinks and purples, reds and gold with pewter love them

[@LizChadertonArt]

Excellent! They are surprisingly fun for that price, aren't they??

[@sueallen952]

@@LizChadertonArt yes Liz I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly suprised

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@sueallen952 exactly!

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

Always fun to find a real deal

[@LizChadertonArt]

Yup! I love a bargain!

[@jrm2716]

I like using cheap paints for art journaling. They seem to do better on cheap paper and I'm not as fussy about performance. Tfs.

[@LizChadertonArt]

I guess you are not using lots of water in a journal so paint which don’t move a lot aren’t a problem. it’s finding tools which work for you which is important

[@LonitaFraser]

I'm guessing they aren't vegan. They look like how gucai/gansai paints are packaged, and those are generally made with a hide glue binder.

[@LizChadertonArt]

There is no info on the packaging at all about the binder or pigment 😟

[@LonitaFraser]

@@LizChadertonArt Not surprised. It's hard to get info about some of that stuff. It's even hard to get consistent colour naming when you CAN get info.

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@LonitaFraser I always work from pigment codes not names, but even the same code can give different results…

[@LonitaFraser]

@@LizChadertonArt Oh I know! Sometimes the differences are crazy!

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@LonitaFraser agreed!

[@kerry5586]

Sadly there is no Range around here so unable to try this one. Can I pick your brains for a minute Liz? The day before yesterday I did some experimenting with watercolour and salt on a painting. It dried, I brushed off the salt and I liked the effect. Yesterday was one of those horrible damp days where it rained all day. When I picked the painting up it was wet again even though I had brushed off any salt: the salt that must have been absorbed by the paper seemed to have attracted any moisture. I know they use salt in caravans in winter to attract the moisture and stop dampness. So how do you avoid a painting re-damping if salt has been used? Thanks.

[@LizChadertonArt]

hi Kerry, keep your eyes open in Poundland etc and you might find a similar set. salt is a problem in humid atmospheres. you need to remove the salt once dry. I just scrape off with my thumb nail. as you have discovered you don’t get it all off. Think about the storage of your paintings. I use the silica sachets you get with shoes/covid tests etc and pop them in the portfolio or drawer. You can use rice grains. If framing a piece, make sure it is sealed with tape. There is no perfect solution, so that’s why some artists don’t use salt, but I think the effect is too lovely to miss. I’ve only had rewetting once on a canvas piece when I hadn’t removed the salt properly.

[@kerry5586]

@@LizChadertonArt Thanks for the speedy response Liz. I had cut some watercolours done with salt up for book marks. I need to find them quick and remove them from the books!

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@kerry5586 No, give them a quick spray with varnish or wax and that would seal them and you can use happily!

[@kerry5586]

@@LizChadertonArt Thanks for the tip Liz, I hadn't thought of that.

[@LizChadertonArt]

@@kerry5586 my pleasure