American Journey Watercolor Sticks Review

American Journey Watercolor Sticks Review
Today I am taking a look at the set of 24 American Journey Watercolor Sticks: www.cheapjoes.c...
I am working on Strathmore Windpower paper
Details:
The American Journey watercolor sticks are available in sets or open stock. The sets have a handy storage palette to keep them in. Open stock the sticks sell for $7.99 while a 12 color set in a palette goes for $59 bringing the per stick price to $5, a much better deal.
Pros:
Price: They cost a bit more then Winsor & Newton watercolor sticks but are 2x as big. They are the same size as Daniel Smith but a bit cheaper
Pigment info listed on sides of watercolor sticks, stable lightfast pigments are used. If you are picky about your pigments I suggest getting colors open stock.
All usable product-you can save the shavings if you sharpen the crayons to use as watercolors. You can use all the product so no waste.
Drawing with the crayons give you more of a "watercolor pencil" experience rather than a watercolor crayon experience
Transparent (as long as the pigments used are) Most watercolor crayons are opaque and these are luminous and transparent, the reds are stunning and worth buying to supplement a watercolor crayon set that you might already have.
Cons:
When used direct to paper from the stick (aka sketching and coloring) I don't feel like you get as good color payoff as you would with a traditional watercolor crayon or water soluble oil pastel. I don't think this is a con for some people but if that is what you want with this product I think you will be disappointed. Also these American Journey sticks are more expensive than Caran D'Ache watercolor crayons which are better for a dry, direct to paper technique. It boils down to personal taste though.
Not great for glazing as colors easily lift.
Bottom line:
I like this product for sketching and then picking up pigment with a wet brush for washes (like pan color) for use on white paper. They are different from a watercolor crayon because they are transparent. I think they are better for direct painting without a lot of glazes because they are very liftable. If I had to recommend one color I would try any of the reds and they really stand out as different from other similar products.
American Journey Watercolor Sticks Review
Enroll in my Craftsy Class at 50% off: craftsy.me/thef...
Credits:
Video production and Craft ideas: Lindsay Weirich
Music: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons...
Sign Up For The Frugal Crafter News! tinyletter.com...
For Sponsorships or Product Reviews: famebit.com/u/t...
SUBSCRIBE! www.youtube.com...
Follow along and have fun!
Thefrugalcrafter Community on Facebook: / thefrugalcrafter Join in the fun!
Visit my blog: thefrugalcrafte...
Follow me on Pinterest: / boards
Twitter: / lindsayweirich
Instagram: / lindsayweirich
Subscribe: www.youtube.com...

[@1CocoCookies]

I love the way you educate us on different mediums and products.You really sample the products well and I feel like I have such a good feel for a product after watching you. Thanks for taking the time to share. I know you don't always receive the products you show us for free, but I do appreciate you putting together the videos.

[@vikibanaszak4881]

Damn it Lindsay! Stop finding cool stuff I want to try! Frugal my patootie! You are costing me a fortune. LOL

[@capbin146]

Well said. I’m lucky it’s very difficult and expensive as I’m not in USA. If I was it would be harder not to tryout! 😂

[@mypandapaints5854]

Daniel Smith emphasizes that their watercolor sticks are NOT to be confused with water-soluble crayons. They are not for dry drawing though you can make gestural marks if the surface is already wet or if you dip the stick into some water. You can also quickly "grind" a wash into a small circular porcelain dish. It is also great for holding a few sticks in one hand and a paintbrush in the other allowing more immediacy in your painting strokes. Great for plein air. While the other brands are water-soluble crayons, Daniel Smith Sticks are simply Watercolors in a new form other than pans or tubes. I believe each stick holds the equivalence of two and a half full pans(?). You should try drawing into a damp (not wet) paper surface or wetting the sticks and using them that way for some strong marks. I bet you can come up with some pretty awesome paintings like that.

[@mypandapaints5854]

Forgot to say, thank you for the review of the American Journey ones as I had been wondering if they operate more like Caran or DS. Winsor & Newton failed terribly at their version of watercolor sticks.

[@Jo_WillowingSpirit]

I love that YOU try all the stuff as I sit back and shop via your experiments! Otherwise I would have to buy it all and try it myself...who am I kidding...I WANT IT ALL!! 😉

[@teresab1341]

Your sketches are gorgeous Lindsay! So pretty! Thank you for letting us see them! Amazing what you do!

[@karenkessin4135]

Hi Lindsay, late to the party I know, but I received the set of 48 colors as a gift and went looking for info about them. I appreciate you thorough review! One thing I noticed is that many of the crayons seem to have been hand dipped in the paraffin and I had to scrape off as much as half an inch of clear wax before I could reach the pigment, whether I was starting at the top or the bottom. Cheap Joe's sent me a couple of plastic scrapers, but they weren't really strong enough to get the wax off and I ended up using an exacto knife. It was a messy process! I did a quick test afterwards of the colors, and I think they will be fun to use, but at the moment I am still a little grumpy about a couple of hours wasted scraping away at the sticks! :-)

[@olderendirt]

The pink flower you did looks like a cosmos. Nice to see you back and I hope you had a fun day yesterday. I went to a local art show last night and was scrutinizing much more than usual because of all I'm learning from you and others on KZbin, but I also found myself appreciating the techniques used much more.

[@JoAnneMOwens]

I have both crayons and pencils but have never really liked either one. NOW I need these sticks!!! Thanks for the great reviews, as always, Lindsay!

[@rebeccapage4411]

Super excited about these--AJ are some of my favorite tube paints.

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

Great review and lovely art project Lindsay, but I am still in sticker shock! Wowzer!! $111+ for the set of 24! ;-)

[@brendacollinsdeeks7268]

I've never seen this brand in Canada but interesting video. And I really loved the sketch of that blue flower on the left hand page as you were flipping through there, Lindsay. Could you do a video on that one?

[@Joe_Maysky]

super cool! What this actually showed me is that I don't really need the DS sticks because they don't function as well as a drawing implement. I wanted to ask you about the Windpower as well-- it seems like the paper might have better external sizing than our beloved Canson XL journals!

[@DrawingWithFire]

Joe Maysky HI Joe! 🤗

[@adi-qf2wb]

You don't need them but if you buy watercolour it's smarter to buy the sticks cause it saves more money in the end

[@boopeep9670]

So helpful thank you for your insightful side by side comparison! ❤ I didn’t know about this brand - was just about to buy a couple DS to make pans. Knowing the pigments matters greatly to me. (I wish everything was available Open stock ) The no waste aspect with no expiration or separation makes it the perfect work horse product. More economical than tube too plus less packaging to throw away and I don’t have to cut it open to get the last drop out? I agree those reds are amazing! 🌀Did you ever find “The Slice That Got Away “ ?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I don't remember lol!

[@lynnesimmons4510]

Maybe you could cut the non sharp ends with a dollar tree pruner to put in your pallet.

[@DrawingWithFire]

Great video Lindsay! 😆 I hope you guys had a fun school trip to the coast.

[@ianjackson5834]

i have artbars they are good and some reeves water soluble crayons which are not bad, thank for the review Lindsay

[@amymclaughlin1201]

Great tutorial. I've been wondering about the watercolor sticks. Whether they were more like pans or crayons. You do save me $ I watch you then buy less or more specific products. Love the flower

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'd say more like pans with the ability to sketch.

[@森下典樹]

the design of the box or palette is very user friendly.

[@denisem1632]

Thanks, great video.

[@anitaholmes9713]

Great review....TFS

[@RRhoads27]

Have you tried the W&N Water Colour Sticks?

[@lynneclark1212]

Have you ever used the American journey paints from the tubes? I was thinking of trying them and I value your opinion! Maybe a tutorial on them sometime? I missed you yesterday and look forward to next Friday 😊

[@rebeccapage4411]

Lynne Clark I adore AJ tubes. The tubes paints are made by DaVinci--not sure about the sticks. You can see them on my instagram, @RPageNH

[@DrawingWithFire]

Lynne Clark Lindsay said in the video that she has not tried the tube paints. 😉 I was wondering the same thing at the start of the video. 😆

[@stevewierhake8491]

I have some American Journey watercolor paints (in tubes) - great value. I'm told they're professional quality, but I am too much of a novice to judge - but will say they're way better than the student grade watercolors I tried some years ago.

[@bitobito6366]

american journey is for professional art too is sale cheap joe great artist too

[@teresawebster3498]

I had thought about buying the american journey paints, but I didn't know enough about them. Will you be doing a review of them?

[@Blissfulthings]

they are the same Lindsey!

[@alexserra9605]

I used my last of my windpower paper recently 😢 and it is 1 of my favorites... I found out it's discontinue... Bummer!! Any idea where anyone is still selling some?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Not that I know of.

[@AliceOtaibi]

i love your videos :)

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

Lindsay, this is great!!!! I've heard American Journey is made by Da Vinci. I was thinking about getting some, but already have so many watercolors. How do you find keeping the point on the stick / is it easy to get a point again after it goes blunt ?

[@KateTheSleepyTeacher]

Lol, you just confirmed made by Da Vinci

[@MsMonile]

They are really extra expensive...I just check them online. 🤔🤔🤔

[@thefrugalcrafter]

the lyra brand is afforable if you want an entry leval but dencent watercolor crayon so you can see whay you think of the medium before investing:)

[@caitlinpretty4652]

Will we get a full review of the DS watercolor sticks? :)

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Well, I only bought 3 and I pretty much use them like pans ad they work as well as the paint from tubes.

[@caitlinpretty4652]

thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich okay thank you!!!

[@jackied5703]

Lindsay, I am planing on getting some watercolor pencils do you hae a recommendation, ps love your videos

[@jackied5703]

sorry have

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I did a watercolor pencil 101 video here, lots of info: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jV6wemlti8-fp7s I really like Derwent inktense or Fabercastel Albright Druer pencils.

[@jackied5703]

+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich thank you ,you have helped me so much

[@Ahart_85]

are these worth the price???

[@karenjames5732]

addicting , help