Ranking All My Artist Grade Watercolors (and real talk)

Disclaimer: All of these paints are decent. This is my personal opinion of the paints I have and use. You probably will disagree with some of my ratings. That's fine. We are all different and like different stuff. Live your life and have fun and for goodness sake use the paint you like because it really doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks about it.
Paints (I will link to the best price and my favorite set if applicable) *affiliate links used
M Graham: shrsl.com/418d1
QoR: shrsl.com/418d7 (especially the 6 high chroma colors)
Rembrandt: open stock on blick: shrsl.com/418dy *the set I bought is almost double now! amzn.to/40nqnC9
Hydrus liquid watercolors: shrsl.com/418dd (also check out Reginas watercolors if you want a pan version www.reginaswatercolor.com/#/ )
Paul Rubens artist-grade tubes and half pans: amzn.to/3H1hebK
Mission Gold: amzn.to/3mKsd2t
Shinhan PWC or SWC: Blick: shrsl.com/418el Amazon: amzn.to/41GrD53
Sennelier-great for glazing or if you tend to overwork: amzn.to/3KUMFWb Amazon has been running really good sales on these! open stock on blick: shrsl.com/418e9
Daniel Smith (The sticks are my pick) shrsl.com/418f3
Winsor & Newton: shrsl.com/418fb
Davinci: shrsl.com/418fc
MaimeriBlu: shrsl.com/418fd (Potters pink is divine in this brand!)
Schminke (I prefer the tubes) shrsl.com/418fe
*cute palette I mentioned but did not like the paints: amzn.to/41swFlg
Yarka sets on clearance on blick: shrsl.com/418ff or white nights on amazon: amzn.to/3LhKMEo
Rosa Gallery: amzn.to/41oTkyR
Supervision granulating: amzn.to/3UTomMU basic colors in a cute tin: amzn.to/41HV7yT
Holbein: shrsl.com/418er or sets: amzn.to/3KQVJeR and amzn.to/3H3sF2t *Amazon prices have dropped!
Turner open stock: www.jerrysartarama.com/turner...
Lukas: amzn.to/3mPFFBU
Renesans: www.etsy.com/shop/alittlecrea... *save 10% with the coupon code FRUGAL10
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Credits:
Video production and Craft ideas: Lindsay Weirich
Music: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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#thefrugalcrafter #watercolor #art

[@OhJodi69]

The biggest thing I have learned is that no matter what brand of paint, my experience may be different from anyone else's.......paper type, paper BRAND, water hardness, humidity levels, brush types, etc, etc......all factor in to what my opinion of a paint brand will be. Thank you for the reviews and comparisons that you do!

[@OhJodi69]

@@SketchesnScrubs Your vacation looks amazing!

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

So true WCPaper matters, and Lindsay has done a WC paper review in the past stressing this point! 😊;-)

[@FaerieDust]

This! And what we want differs a lot - some people love granulation, some hate it. Some want a paint that moves loke crazy, some want complete control. Immediately bold colours vs softer "made for layering" type paints, even fillers or no fillers (fine arts level paint generally has no fillers like added chalk, but if you're a crafter working on stuff like cardstock instead of watercolor paper fillers can actually help the paint look better)... There's no objectively best art supply, there's at most best for X purpose or best in Y category. As long as you're getting the results you want, you're using the best supplies for you 😊

[@Pinkstarpirate]

Right!?! Water hardness makes such a difference. Paints move completely differently in hard vs soft water. And, honestly, this is a big reason I have waaaaaay too many palettes. Some work better with certain papers, and some illustrations I want no granulation or I want the paint to stay where I put it. 😂

[@PompeySmiler]

Hi, can anyone point me in the direction of original w&n artists watercolour information? I've been gifted a wooden box containing 32 colours, one of which is winsor blue. It has a number ending 706 on the label which says it's artists watercolour not galleria (which is what popped up when I googled the number and name). So I'm trying to find out if the properties of these original pans are equivalent or not and in the case of winsor blue, whether its a colour of its own or the green or red shade equivalent. If anyone can help I'd appreciate it. Thanks

[@Blick_Art]

Thanks for including Blick-exclusive Utrecht in your presentation- we know videos like this are an investment in time and resources for you so we very much appreciate what you've done here. Regardless of the rankings, artist evaluations the community comments do help us better understand what ultimately ends up in the studio and why. We'll make sure to share key points with the Brand Manager at Utrecht, who regularly surveys artists' opinions about the products they make. If anyone has specific questions about the colors, formulation, and testing, we will try to respond with from-the-source answers (keeping in mind that we might not be free to disclose certain proprietary information).

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

I love that Blick is so active in socials with the artists. Hi y’all! Lol. Thanks for my paints!

[@Blick_Art]

@@mostlyvoid.partiallystars Well, thank you very much for reaching out with a warm hello! Nice meeting you!

[@Blick_Art]

@À Strand We don't discuss individual purchase history with anyone other than the purchaser, so you would need to ask Lindsay directly if you want to know whether she reported an issue and how it was resolved. But, yes, of course we would want to help! Lindsay (and anyone else, for that matter) is welcome to contact our Customer Service department to discuss any issue with their order.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I did not report an issue. I figured the pans were just weak from schminke. I will reach out to schminke and see what they say.

[@Blick_Art]

@@thefrugalcrafter Thanks for clarifying this issue! Sorry to be evasive, but we really do need to observe strict confidentiality where customer information is concerned. We'd be interested to know what the manufacturer says!

[@patticake5311]

Btw, I'd love to watch a video of your student grade watercolors from best to worst!

[@sevenmillionhobbies7840]

My current favorite is Mijello pure pigment paints. They feel sheer and clean and just lovely.

[@marymccaslin1690]

I love these, too! I ordered the 24 count and now I wish I’d ordered the 36!

[@hershelroswell]

they're so nice!! my only gripe is that i wish they played nicer with some of the papers i use :[

[@karenneill9109]

I LOVE mine, they’re such clear colours. I use Daniel smith for ‘natural’ painting, like landscapes and realistic florals. Bright, incredible swaths of colour from Mijello can’t be beat!

[@KJayPlays]

Thank you for that little reminder at the end. I think we all need a kick of realism sometimes. Also my favorite: the ones I have in a palette I can just grab and start painting with.. and then the Jackson’s own brand of paints. They’re just so creamy, easy to rewet and super pigmented.

[@ChrissieNicely]

Wow! Another epic comparison! Thank you, Lindsay! 😍 I was the one who had Schmincke send you those paints years ago! 😊 Reason being, that Schmincke Horadam watercolour paints had been a reliable staple in my life and in my father's life since the 50s and my grandmother's life also. (His paintings are still vibrant and beautiful. He used to be an urban sketcher back in the day long before that was a thing!) Anyhow, I really wish I knew what is wrong with your whisky paint palette! The Schmincke formula is famously the same for pans and tubes! Btw. I have always refrained from buying that palette because of the insane price, which imho is for the novelty. 😉 And - of course - the paints are very affordable here in Germany so I use a small palette with colours I want to have in it and a water container. By the way, in all the years we used those paints, they have never travelled in our palettes! Of course, I understand that there are much better options for you in the US, plus the Schmincke paints are not vegan which is definitely a point for you. I would love to try the Da Vinci paints (Denise Soden just made another beautiful swatching video of) and your staple M. Graham paints but since they are not readily available here, I will follow your advice and use what I have. I definitely and whole heartedly agree with you on the Daniel Smith watercolors! They had us all follow them like sheeple but thanks to @worldpigmentday and Schmincke (who have been completely transparent about their mixes) we now know we have been had. I feel like I have been robbed (paying such a high price for those tubes here) and have lost the joy painting with the DS paints now that I have the supergranulating Schmincke paints. Last but not least, I also love my QOR and Sennelier paints! I agree, the QOR paints especially, are so vibrant and beautifully transparent - although also very expensive here in Germany! Thanks again, Lindsay! 🤗😘

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thank you for those tubes so many years ago. I think I'll contact schminke about the pans as dozens of viewers said they don't look right.

[@binnad7091]

I got the Whiskey pallette secondhand but unused for 20 bucks on fb marketplace. It was amazing, but since it's a limited pallette by design, Schmincke's color choices weren't the best. I swapped out two colors to convert it to a perfect 8-color mixing set. Carmine --> Ruby Red Prussian blue --> Heliocerulean I found I couldn't mix a good sky cerulean or a bright pink. Ruby dilutes to pink and heliocerulean is a phtalo, so it does as well.

[@binnad7091]

The pallette itself is causing me some strife, though. The lid leaks, and the metal rusts. 😢 Glad I didn't pay full price.

[@craftergin]

When I first started learning watercolor in 2018, I bought a LOT of different paint sets from a LOT of different brands. Student grade from Koi to Cotman to Prima and Jane Davenport. When I got "better" and was able to afford it, I bought Paul Reubens, QoR and Daniel Smith. Recently, I did a cull of my pallets. I donated all the ones I have rarely used to the American Cancer Society's Discovery Shoppe. It was a LOT! But like you said, it will literally wind up in a dumpster when I die. I'd rather someone get some use out of the paints. The only ones I kept were the Prima and Jane Davenport. LOL! I just love those for play and sketchbook work. I also love the Kuretaki Gansai Tambi paints. They are so interesting to work with and great for sketchbook and art journal pages. So don't worry about me, Lindsay. I won't get suckered into buying any more paints that I don't need!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!

[@jilllukas]

I would LOVE to see you do a video like this on the Student Grade Inks!! 😊 I found this Video pretty Educational! Thank You Lindsay!!😊

[@AcuarelawithBlanca]

Honestly so grateful for this priceless information Lindsay. Thank You very much!

[@nancyloomis3046]

Hmmm...I'm very partial to Schmincke now, but this was only after I got a "Special Edition" set of 12 half pans. At first after swatching, I was thinking "these are nice," but wondering if the $105 I paid for it all was worth it (included was a paper storage box that looked like a wrapped half pan and inside besides the paint was a nice travel brush, an apron, a plastic reusable lidded cup both with Schmincke name/logo on both and a couple of other smaller things.) So I did my swatching and set it aside. Sometime after that I did a bird/nature painting, copying a painting by the well-known 19th century nature illustrator Thomas Waterman Wood in order to learn his style that I came across and loved and also to make sure the scale and all was right...this was a "study" for me. I used my Arches 100% cotton hot press. I couldn't believe how beautifully these color's performed. Really lovely. And I had no experience with "Perylene Green" and I'm now a fan...of that as well as their Sepia...at least of Schmincke's. I think sometimes, we have to put a brand through its paces...really working with it on more complex or demanding work to see what it will do for us...to see if it's gonna meet the demands of what we need it to be. Kind of like what happened unexpectedly with the Sennelier set that you used for plein aire painting. This Schmincke "Special Edition" set certainly met my challenge and gave me the results I expected for this particular art work and more. Of course, I was happy with the work I did too, so I was able to bring out the strength of this palette for the kind of art I was doing and it all worked really well together. Just wanted to share my ""Schmincke" experience with you. I'm sorry yours has missed the mark for you. Maybe give it another shot, Thanks! p.s. colors incl were: Lemon Yel; quin gold hue; Geranium red; Perm Carmine; Perylene Violet; Neutral tint; Ultramarine Violet; Ultramarine finest; Phthalo Blue; May green; Perylene green; Sepia brown. 😊

[@nerdywatercolorist6551]

I feel that every paint you've mentioned have some or the other unique quality which would aid your style. Personally, i like using Sennelier for more defined and detailed paintings. I also use them up much more quickly. For more loose paintings, I use daniel Smith split primary set! Both of them were brought after seeing your reviews, and tbh I'm SOO grateful for them❤️❤️❤️

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks!

[@jessieg4901]

Yayyy! My favorites currently are Mjello Mission Gold 🎉Thank you so much for making this video ❤I really value your thoughts and opinions Lindsay 😊I would love your favorite student grade paint video as well!!

[@RebeccaHails]

Definitely, but I think that would probably be a 2 hour video.

[@jessieg4901]

Haha! Right! No pressure Lindsay 😁😅

[@wanderingstar5673]

Enjoyed seeing your list of watercolors. I’ve noticed there are less big haul videos and think it’s probably due to the problems inflation is causing for many. It’s refreshing to see videos implementing new techniques and ideas in place of look what you can buy now videos. I’m loving it.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It's a change in the right direction.

[@lindseywarren44]

@@thefrugalcrafter Amen!! 😊

[@mulanlovesmilo]

Qor is my favorite for travel palettes because I just can’t deal with the mess of sticky, runny honey based M Graham or Sennelier paints when I’m traveling (though I adore them when I’m home!).

[@juliebromfield1865]

Being in the UK I do like the Winsor and Newton, the tones of the paints work well for British landscape. For plein air on the med I enjoy Sennelier, Rembrandt or white night. xx

[@vanillabead7839]

I love A. Gallo! Very expensive, but I just love everything about them. My other go to is Daniel Smith, especially if I’m following a tutorial. DS is what I call “regular” paint. Schminke supergranulating when I’m feeling the need to have surprising results. I appreciate your candid discussion so I can be an informed consumer.

[@RebeccaHails]

I really want to buy A. Gallo but they are so expensive. I'm going to save up for a set for my next birthday.

[@ABirdWoman]

I love my A. Gallo paints as well. They took some getting used to because I don’t think they layer well, but when I use them for a single swipe color, I am very happy with them. I also use Daniel Smith along with some specialty colors from a paint maker in Sweden, JK,purchased on Etsy. But I mostly do journal painting these days, so I’m not using up a lot of paint to justify getting any new sets. I have a small KOI set for traveling and a small QOR set that travels well.

[@LCLand]

@@RebeccaHailsI love a gallo I have 2 sets. But imo Davinci is more vibrant which is my standard for best watercolor. And creamy too. Davinci for the win! Imo

[@LinoonerBlue]

My two favorite brands are Daniel Smith and Mission Gold. It really just depends on my mood. Marketing gripes aside, DS' earth tones are really hard to replace. Meanwhile, MG is great when I want to go a bit more bright and colorful.

[@michemman]

Dear Lindsay, You could cover your palettes with paper, or washi tape, with some varnish to make a hard shell. I have a lot of favourites, but they are one offs. 1) Misty Morning by Roman Szmal (a light grey with a lot of water, it has separation into rose and teal) 2) Serpentine Green By DS (the brown in the mix is subtle, and the hue is lovely) 3) Payne's Grey, Qor (maximum flow very far across a surface, fast too!) 4) Schmincke's Ultramarine Finest (I like a non granulating ultramarine) I like to add a white to make it opaque. I also use a lot of cobalt and white. 5) A colour called Jarosite (goes well with the Ultramarine finest in skies) but it is a paler kind of jaune or naples yellow. A few handmade makers. 6) I love any Buff titanium for instant neutrals next to colours, to make colours brighter, but not so sweet. 7) A blood red crimson called Cassis, is a handmade. Reminds me of a dark rose petals. 8) A few A. Gallo paints the carmine, I never use a lot of red, but her paints are really smooth, but not sticky. 9) A few super-granulating greens by Schmincke 10) Green apatite by DS has a nice range. 11) I use a lot of burnt umber, as it goes so nicely with a lot of colours. So this is when I like my branches against the sky, to be granulating. No preference to maker. Particularly burnt umber, teals and turquoises with buff titanium. 12) DS Aussie Red Gold, with a Schmincke Cobalt teal, makes a lovely sap green. Indanthrones and quin golds. Just like you though, I have all of my sets together. I have started making sets with titles, eg " Sand, sea, sky and shells," is a palette that looks like a mosaic with colours everywhere. I love swatching. Lately, I have a few together without swatches yet, and a few unopened pans, and handmades always come with free dot samples, so I cut around the paper, and stick them into a half pan. New to watercolour? If you have too many, things get out of hand....so my words of caution, if you are a beginner, just find one or two colours that you love, and stick to your main ones, so you really get to know them well. In kindred spirit, Eliza Australia x Mon 24th of April 2023 10:24pm

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good advice!

[@lesleybthedapperkiwi]

Nice - thanks Lindsay. I change my favourite watercolours depending on the subject and/or style I’m currently exploring.

[@flychk1229]

Watching this scared me a little because I realized I have most of the brands you spoke of! And you, Miss Lindsay, are responsible for a good many of them 😂😂 I think I haven’t painted enough to have a real favorite but I do have a very soft spot for my Daniel Smith and da Vinci paints that I’ve had for well over 20 years. My mom gave them to me because she had purchased them for classes and didn’t take to WC. I also love QOR. I think one of the first sets of watercolor I purchased was Holbein because at the time that’s what Tom Lynch used, again way over 20 years ago. The first time I saw one of his painting videos and how he portrayed light, I was sucked in to what watercolor can do. I CAN’T, but I saw what was possible 😃

[@patriciatolliver4057]

Right now, I only have a few watercolor brands. Currently, I'm liking Van Gogh and Gansai Tambi. I recently purchased 1 tube of Sennelier because I'm a little strapped right now. I haven't used it yet, so I'm anxious to see how it lays down. I'm working towards my first finished piece. Regarding finding what works for you, Paul Clark, a tuber, says that all the time. So...I'm practicing and am ready to start on something permanent. We need more people like you, Paul and many others who encourage us to practice. That's what makes us improve. Have a great rest of the day. ❤️

[@greenbuttskunked]

Van Gogh is excellent paint, so don't feel like finances are holding you back! If pro-grade paint isn't in your budget, Van Gogh would be my recommendation. I use artist grade paints from several makers now, but I still keep Van Gogh at hand...and for some colors Van Gogh continues to be my choice.

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

Yes please do a review of the student grade lines of WC! Great review Lindsay...thank you! 💕My favs are Sennelier L’Aquarelle as they rewet and go on easily, and layers well, plus always on my table close at hand, then my Daniel Smith,QOR and Sonnet 24.

[@RebeccaHails]

I agree with most of your choices except Holbein, but they are much cheaper in the UK than other places. I really enjoy the Rosa Art Gallery and they are so cheap compared to others. I agree very much about Daniel Smith, they are very vibrant, but very expensive in the UK, I would rather use Qor. My current favourites are probably the Roman Smalz watercolours. Such a wide range and really well priced on Jackson's and really vibrant.

[@RebeccaHails]

Oh yeah I love the Rembrandt colours too, vibrant and stunning. ❤

[@amilena_wyamesart]

Thanks Lindsay! I struggle most with the 'want monster'. I think you mentioned in another of your videos once about channeling your energy into creating something can help fill that need to want some new art supply. I'm not always successful but I'm working putting that into practice. I have more than enough to create with, I just need to change my mindset from a collector to an artist lol. I like your suggestion of using up what you have and then using reviews like this as options for what to try next.

[@mishayx5258]

Ohh my this sounds like your talking about me! I need to totally do more art and less art supply collecting 🙈🙈

[@impish22]

Mission Gold is hands down my favorite. Gorgeous colors and the absolute biggest bang for the buck. Nothing else comes close.

[@catherinescorner716]

Love the pep talk at the end! Daniel Smith was the first professional watercolor I ever tried, but as I use up colors, I’m trying other brands - my goal is to have a pallet full of my favorite colors, not my favorite brand. I adore M Graham’s yellow ochre - it practically glows! I prefer Daniel Smith’s sap green, though. I like the yellow undertones it has, where M Graham’s sap green is a little too one note for me. I very rarely use alizarin crimson, but once I finally do use it up, I want to replace it with dragon’s blood by Maimeri Blu, but I’ll freely admit that I’m being influenced by the name - who wouldn’t want to paint with dragon’s blood? Dragons are some of the most magical creatures there are!

[@suze7268]

My favourites are White Nights, because they're the only ones I have! I couldn't agree more about the over-hyping of Daniel Smith, but that's probably because I've never tried them 😅 Bless you Lyndsay, that 'use what you have' reminder was so lovely. Thank you 😊

[@joys4524]

My first sets of professional paints were the Yarka and White Knights, they are perfectly fine. 100% cotton paper is more important

[@mikepolo2887]

I grew up in Russia and I learned with them, the old ones. The formula was overall better in the 90s than now, but they had A LOT of fugitive pigments back then. But they work great if you have nice paper.

[@suze7268]

Thank you both, I am perfectly happy with my White Nights, they are very strong & mostly single pigment, make wonderful mixes and are overall an absolute bargain! No complaints at all 😊

[@donnafriend153]

Great content and advice! And your honesty is so refreshing!

[@roannespeedie5536]

I would enjoy seeing your views on student grade paints. I do enjoy your reviews very much- always such great information about the companies, the pigments, even pricing. Any information you give us about paints, brushes, paper etc helps us make the decisions on what might work best for us and at least for me, helps me feel comfortable in my decision on what I might be spending my money on. Thank you for doing what you do! ❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks!

[@charlottepierce6483]

Your reviews and summaries are always informative and way helpful to those of us that are not nearly as knowledgeable. Your encouragement too is grateful. Thanks so much. Keep painting.

[@cassandragoth8486]

I really appreciated your words of wisdom at the end too!

[@karlamae7700]

Yay!! Super excited!! Even though I have seen all your professional watercolor palettes before a few times, and all the others too, I am still excited to see how you rank your paints (even though I think I know your top 3...in order!! Lol 😂 I'm not obsessed or anything!! Hehehe ❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

😆

[@jackigarcia2819]

Great insight into these products. When I am ready to upgrade my paint collection I can revisit this video. Thank you.

[@gracesartwatercolours3622]

Very interesting and super helpful video thank you so much Lindsay! Have a lovely Sunday!

[@grannysmithart]

when i started my painting journey, (20 yrs ago)i used grumbacher, as they were used up i moved to Winsor & Newton. I was happy till i learned about Maimeriblu, this is a lovely brand which recently revamped their line to include only single pigment colors. Since then i've explored lots of brands and i have to say i agree with you , M Graham is my new favorite with QOR and Maimeriblu and Sennelier tieing for second place. My problem with Winsor is they get too dry in the palette, whereas the above mentioned brands are easily rewetted. I have nothing good to say about Daniel Smith (i may be the only painter in the US feeling this way). People complained about the stickiness of m graham, the first tubes i got were very runny, last year i bought 10 more tubes and have had no issues, perhaps they changed the ratio of honey. Yes, Sennelier is lovely for botanical work, they layer beautifully, unfortunately a bit pricey. My goodness, i found someone with more tubes of paint then me, shame on both of us 😂

[@monsoongirlnyc]

Sennelier is a dream if you like glazing. Enlarge a print of a painting where you’ve done glazing with these pains and it’s swoonworthy, so many subtle things happening.

[@hberbac838]

As usual, a monumental effort on your part! Thank you for taking so much time to show others some of the qualities of the artist grade products. An even bigger thank you for your comments at the very end. It is so important in our consumer based culture to help us realize that it is not the product, it is the user. By chance I was just thinking about my own very small stash and what will happen to it. If at all possible I will gift my things to some place or person so it won't be wasted. Thanks again, Lindsay for your thoughtfulness.

[@brittabeningfield3472]

What a great video, Lindsay. Thank you for taking the time to do all this. I love color and the way different paints interact with each other, so its fun to collect them, even though i rarely use them up. No absolute favorite brand, but Roman Szmal colors are always a surprise when i first start working with them. Most are very richly pigmented. They have a number of fun mixes that separate or granulate. Price has been increasing (but still quite reasonable) and that plus the Primatek drama has probably put them ahead of Daniel Smith for me, though I think DS probably opened the floodgates with their mixes and textures. Love QOR for the intensity and flowyness. I feel that Holbein paints out super smooth and controllable, and has an almost velvety finish. So many paints, so little time😊 Since art supplies is my addiction and I've collected an absurd amount of the stuff I share with classmates who want to try things and I've lined up a couple friends from the local Art Center classes to come get all the stuff if something should happen to me. That way it'll go to good use. That thought of the dumpster horrifies me.

[@mariliarodrigues7137]

Besides Sennelier and Rembrandt, I really love the Roman Szmal watercolours - the colours are beautiful and vibrant, come in a wide range and the price is very affordable.

[@phillipstroll7385]

I have yet to try Roman szmal paint but youtubers really seem to like it. I would like to see artists use the paint. I would love to see youtubers paint with them. To see how they actually look and preform in an actual piece. Swatching tells me nothing about a paint.

[@designsdoovers]

I want to try some Roman Simao paints I just keep missing them when on sale.

[@RebeccaHails]

Completely agree 👍

[@RebeccaHails]

​@@phillipstroll7385 they do half pans now and have smaller sets for half of the price. The urban sketchers set looks good. If you've used Rosa Art or White nights and liked them, then you should like Roman Smalz as they have some similar traits, though Roman Smalz are better quality imo.

[@jcliveshere2]

We're do you find them I hadn't heard of them.

[@sierracarscadden6049]

This was great! Thanks for sharing. I love a lot of these brands too. Also, really love Roman Szmal paints. Great quality, unique colors, and super affordable.

[@katpaints]

Those last few minutes are what everyone needs to understand!!! My favorite paints are in my big palettes - my first 'official' palette was/is a Robert E Wood palette. I have refilled those huge wells several times, although I prefer to only have them partly filled, just because I like to have a bit of a puddle in there at times. I bought it for my first real watercolor class and bought the list she had for us. I already had several, but, in 1995, with a decent budget, it wasn't a big deal. There really weren't very many readily available choices and that was fine. Mostly I bought W&N because that was available. M Graham is made about 10 miles from here and I have wanted so much to be able to visit but I know from driving by that it is a tiny place, a converted auto shop. I also bought paint from magazines. That's how I discovered Daniel Smith. The catalog became the best thing available. The paints were wonderful. I remember spending $75 or so for I think it was 15 tubes. I was in love! The store was kind of on my way to visit relatives and just being there made me happy. I read a lot on watercolors and color. Stephen Quiller made sense. When his palette came out, I bought that. My more traditional colors are in my Wood palette and modern in the Quiller, pretty much as he suggested. I have bought a couple of pan palettes which are great for on the go sketching, but for PAINTING, I love those big plastic palettes! I took outdoor classes up in the Gorge (before plein air was a thing) and my little metal easel has a hook on front that my Wood palette actually slipped on to. I learned to be fussy about what I liked and stopped wanting all the new stuff. I did buy one of the last Dan Smith Quin Gold tubes. When the company was sold, it no longer had appeal to me. It was all about buy this new thing, not educating us about paint. Van Gogh was some of my favorites as was the early, very inexpensive Da Vinci. I wish I had bought more! LOL! The biggest problem is having paint you never use! Learn what happens when you have an area of damp paper and you drop some Quin rose in on one side and ultramarine on another side. Watch the reactions; imagine what that looks like. Do it again. Enjoy.

[@melissaaldosari8024]

@À Strand That’s so heartening! Thank you for sharing that.

[@heathers_colorpalooza8789]

Excellent info to know. Thanks so much. I’d love to see your rankings for the student grade paints. I’m still learning right now so I’ve not really invested in a lot of professional sets yet. Thank you again. Have a great day. 😊

[@cassandragoth8486]

Thank you. I find your detailed reviews really useful.

[@francinecoleman653]

Would love to see the rankings on student grade paint 😊

[@creeksidehomeschoolers]

This is my second time to watch this video all the way through! I can't believe how much more I understand than I did just a few months ago. Using what you have and painting daily is really the true key to improving and gaining knowledge of course your tutorials are a big part of that! I really appreciate you sharing all your knowledge!!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@valentinad2162]

Thanks for the video ❤ I’ve learned a lot about watercolors and painting from your videos, really grateful ☺️ Never tried MGraham. My favorites are Sennelier, Windsor Newton and White Nights. For everyday use I love my little Munguyo set supplemented with a few full pans of white nights.

[@akschauer]

My favorite watercolor brand is DaVinci for the consistency of product and performance, with my Daniel Smith as a close second. I really enjoy the few M Graham colors that I have, but holy moly the Burnt Sienna stinks. Their consistency is lovely though! QoR is probably my least favorite, but I probably just haven't played with them enough. I'm still a beginner and as you said, I need to focus on developing skills than collecting paints. It's hard though because I am more of a collector than a user - with pretty much everything. 😂

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It's hard especailly with all if the availability these days!

[@reneaclark7689]

Da Vinci is my overall favorite brand. On my main palette they make up 60% of it. That is after trying several big brands of the same colors, Da Vinci won out more often than not. The brand is 3rd generation paint makers, have wonderful customer service and are affordable. They rewet like a dream but don't take a million years to dry down or shrink to nothing like W&N or DS does. If you haven't tried their quin red pr209 I highly recommend it! Daniel Smith and Winsor and Newton are both sketchy and are super hard to rewet. One thing about winsor and newton that irritates me is thier cad free colors have no pigment information and they charge more. I honestly do not have any on my main palette. Daniel Smith I like the sticks but agian harder to rewet and the fluff... oh the fluff! Less fluff and maybe they could charge a little less. I love the m graham paints but the stickiness bothers my texture aversion. I do still have a palette of them. They also have great costomer service. Senneliers yellow Sophie is so beautiful! White Nights is one of my favorites as well. PG8 is gorgeous and I have light tested it over a year and it hasn't budged.

[@deborahrodney6562]

I so agree with you about DaVinci, it’s a pleasure to use. Actually I agree with you about all of them. I bought Yellow Sophie and I do like it but I haven’t seen any information about it anywhere. What do you know about it?

[@reneaclark7689]

@@deborahrodney6562 I also could not find a lot of information about it. I am currently doing lightfast testing on it, it hasn't budged in color after 3 months. However, it is winter here, so time will tell. It mixes so well, it is the perfect middle yellow.

[@TuxieTude]

I also love my DaVinci palette!! ❤️ I agree with your overall assessment as well. 😊

[@starr-starr]

Yellow Sophie was completely unchanged in my 1 year lightfast test. It’s a gorgeous color. I also love my DaVinci paints- they are so easy to use.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The cad free colors seem like a scam to me! They should call them what they are "hue" and charge half of real cadmium. That is such greenwashing and marketing.

[@jillwiswall5386]

I was shocked by those Schmincke swatches! The pans and the tubes I’ve used from them have been great, with a high pigment load and hue saturation. They pour out beautifully into pans and dry really well here in western WA. So sorry you had such a disappointment! My favorites are Daniel Smith, Schmincke, Qor, DaVinci, Sennelier, and Turner. My least favorites are Winsor and Newton because I find them difficult to rewet and their earth tones feel quite anemic to me.

[@Lynnbud]

I'm in western WA also where the climate is very damp and my Schmincke paints dry very well and I love them. Those swatches surprised me also.

[@derwood206]

@@Lynnbud same here in Western WA and my Schmincke behave great in pan or tube form :)

[@Mirrigold]

Same here! I've got around 60 Schmincke paints in both pan and tube form and not only have I not had any differences when making my own pans, but the quality of them is simply outstanding and pigment rich.

[@StationeryJunkieGirl]

Same here! I have the Schmicke Horadam pans (around 30 colours), and I have never seen swatches like the ones in the video. Maybe a packaging error and you got the student grade instead?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I've tried their Academy and they were brighter than this. Im thinking a bad batch. Im going to give them another try and contact the company

[@joycebotie223]

Thank you for doing this. I learned sooo much. I do use mostly Daniel smith, mission gold and sennelier because of specific colors…….

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Lindsay, Royale Talens is the company that makes Rembrandt products along with CoBra oils and VanGoth paints too! I have used their pastels and they are just amazing to start a soft pastel painting! I am really and truly a zealot for DaVinci paints. DaVinci paints of California is the best I have ever worked with and I can’t say enough good things about them the quality of the paint, prices, customer service right down the line, they are simply the best! I got the same Sennelier 12+6 set! I got some tubes to fill the palette pans for a full 24 set! I think your Schmincke paints might be Academy line of paints! Your swatches look like it, it is easy to mix them up! You might buy hordam but get Academy not your fault but the sellers or packers! I have some 30 odd DS tubes I got from e-Bay, but will never buy more! I did just buy the new or newish collection of M. Graham from Steve Mitchell and of course I had to add a couple of more colors because that’s just what I do, just need those split primaries if I try a new to me brand! Wonderful video and collection! Thank you for sharing, Please take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

[@karenbrennan9481]

I am so happy for this review. I just got back into painting after sev years and needed a few colors. Got M Graham and Qor cuz they are my favs. So I'm glad my fav artist loves the same.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Awww:)

[@marilynlawson9078]

I would love to see a student grade video! At this point I am still learning (only 3 months in) so student paints are better for me until I figure out if I will actually stick with it.

[@rhonda1631]

Thank you so much for this video Lindsay, I really appreciate you advice! God Bless

[@attorneycarissa]

I just bought the Paul Rubens 24 half pan set and that's the only brand I have from this video because I'm a new painter. I enjoyed swatching them and I'm hoping to use them this weekend. I really appreciated this video. I wasn't sure if I could mix different brands, so this was super helpful. Thank you!

[@tracyvis2101]

I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on watercolors! I’ve never thought you were the “pot calling the kettle black.” This is your business! You teach art and review art supplies for a living. Having all the brands and being able to make the comparisons is what makes you reputable and knowledgeable and the reason I listen to your opinions and consider them when buying art supplies. DaVinci is my favorite watercolor. But I also use Lukas, Turner, Roman Szmal, Sennelier, and Daniel Smith mostly because I found good deals on them. I would love to try A Gallo watercolors but they are just too expensive for me to consider. I’m hoping someone sends you some of those to review! Oh and I would be interested in a video of you ranking the student grade paints.

[@CreativePhenomenonArt]

This was fun. I love to hear others opinions on art supplies. I absolutely value yours 😊 As for favorite watercolors hmmmmmm at the moment I am playing with some Roman Szmal watercolor paint and I really like them. As I keep painting I’m realizing that I like certain colors and not one brand as a whole.

[@juicytulipboutiqueandartis8051]

First of all, you are such a good teacher! We appreciate you sharing what you have learned. But about the fav of mine, I've only tried a few but I'm one of those scared to paint people kinda. I use other paintings for reference. Always. That HAS to change in order to feel authentic.

[@rootwoman123]

Daniel Smith is my favorite watercolor brand. They have just released a five-sheet dot card of all 266 of their colors including their new gouache line (St. Louis Art Supply). Their free dot cards are not as generous as the ones that you pay for.

[@serenityjewel]

I didn't know this! I'll have to order it.

[@mikepolo2887]

I am in Europe, so my top is different also for the geographical reasons. I wish to try M.Graham, but it will never dry in such humidity. I have one tube of qor, it’s great. My favourite is Schmincke, they are just such a consistent quality with a lot of character in their paints.

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

Are you in Spain or Italy?

[@mikepolo2887]

@@keepyourshoesathedoor Berlin. I have no idea why the humidity is such that even at low temperatures even my Daniel Smith and Schmincke paints melt every once in a while.

[@StationeryJunkieGirl]

@@mikepolo2887 That is really strange! I have never had any issues with Schmincke or D.S. although I'm in Hamburg where the humidity usually is much higher than in Berlin.

[@mikepolo2887]

@@StationeryJunkieGirl I attribute it to my home microclimate. When I take my paints to the office, they are nice and solid. But I somehow reach such conditions in my flat without humidifiers and their like.

[@anjakritzelkram5544]

My favourite watercolors are Schmincke Horadam and because I have so many palettes from that brand I think something is wrong with the half pans you have. The tube paints are the same quality as the pans as they don‘t produce extra paint cakes for there pans (unlike e.g. Sennelier where tubes and pans can have different shades although they are given the same color name). If you fill your Horadam tubes into half pans they will look similar to ready filled pans. There 12 color box usually has three cold and three warm colors in yellow, red and blue, some greens, earth tones and a black, This color selection makes mixing colors very easy which is one of my favourite aspects of Horadam paints. The 8 color box (I have the one without the flask) has some of this basic colors but mixing should go easy as well. There a one or two colors in the 139 range that are a little sticky, I guess due to the special pigment, but not the 8 colors you got.

[@Desperatehus]

This was fun, thank you. My favorite is Daniel Smith, Schmincke and Holbein.

[@firechick561]

Rosa Gallery is my favorite- I got the 12 colors in the box about the time you did- it was under 10 dollars at the time. Then I filled in colors with the Sonnet (cardboard box set) of 16. They are so similiar, bright & beautiful colors!! TY Lindsay!

[@ShwetaC]

Man, I love your channel and especially your honesty at the end! I have always taken your advise for watercolors and it has NEVER stirred me in wrong direction. I own Mission gold pure pigment set and few pans of white-nights and few tubes of Da Vinci here and there. For practicing, I always use Pretty excellent and I have a set of art whale which is joy to work with. Considering the fact that watercolors are my hobby not a profession (I use them religiously, even though I am not professional), I stir clear of romance novel paints that sell for a fortune. Not because there's anything wrong with them, but my family hangs what I paint in their home and they dont worry about lightfastness. When i worry about the pieces they hang, they'll laugh and say, if something happens to this one, I will raid your stash and pick something else to hang in its place! Now I think about isn't that what they are for ? Anyway, Thank you so much for great recommendations! ♥

[@Cheetarah]

This was fun & informative to watch Lindsey, thank you! I was so surprised to see your swatches of schmincke regular Colors 😮 They are one of my faves and my pans rewet well & are very bright & vibrant, very different from what your swatches look like. W&N older paints are also among my faves as well as Roman Szmal. Would love to see student grade & handmade WC vid like this ❤️

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I need to contact schminke. 20 people have said my paint is not right. Maybe They will replace the pans?

[@Cheetarah]

@@thefrugalcrafter yes please do contact Schmincke, they should replace it for you! I really think there is something off with the paints here. I just saw your vid with the Akademia paints and how wild is it that they are more vibrant than the professional ones here?! Something's not right with the paints in this set here.

[@rebeccah7689]

My favorite brands are Holbein and Mijello. I find them both to be highly pigmented and fairly tame and easy to work with. The Qors of the world tend to get away from me. I think Da Vinci has some beautiful colors (alizarin crimson quinacridone, benzimida orange), as well. Thanks for the comprehensive comparison!

[@BethFarish]

My daughter and I love you Lindsay. Thank you for the real talk at the end!! I don't think I can say what my favorite brand is-- isn't that like having a favorite child?! Lol I do love Sennelier, but not for travel. The Paul Rubens "phosphorescent " palette is so much fun but it's not my daily go to. That one is an assortment of brands with selected favorite colors. ❤

[@wendyvancamp1738]

Loved the overview. Thanks for putting this together! :)

[@starshinesoldier]

This is so helpful! I have quite a few of the brands you have. Lol, many bought by your recommendations. 😂 This is inspiring me to use them! My favorite artist grade watercolors are the Yarka St Petersburg and the Mijello Mission Gold, (though I have the 36 set, not the pure pigments set). And honestly the only reason they are my favorites is because I used them a ton when I got them. Since they are so affordable but still Artist grade. The more expensive brands I own are used less because I am still a little scared to use them. X.x Working to overcome that hesitation but it’s hard.

[@sanctityjohnson289]

I love your honest reviews (and prices associated with each purchase). Please don't feel bad or overly concerned about being critical. A ton of other reviewers never seem to tell the truth about their bad experiences and everything is good to them since it's free...and I don't even bother trusting their reviews. I highly value and depend on your in depth knowledge of the pigments and binders, experience with the individual paints and reviews in general. I also love how you mention how much you got everything for, so I have a baseline in which to compare the prices I encounter. Thank you for spending the time to share this with us. I very much value your experience and opinion! Please keep it up!! (Happy belated Thanksgiving! Also very much looking forward to watch your black Friday haul, if you're planning on sharing that.)

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I haven't bought too much, I did get 3 ntands of gouache that I had requests to review, some fixative and some refillable fountain pens. Everything is so tempting, luckily I have everything 😆

[@creeksidehomeschoolers]

You're so funny at the end of your videos!! I Love watching all the way to end! I can't really answer your question because I only have the 2 Paul Rubens professional brands of watercolor. I have few good few of the student grades. So many artists in my area use winsor and newton and Daniel Smith, which I'm not super impressed with due to watching many videos reviews. So I just went with reviews and when a good deal, 40% of Paul Rubens 48 set came up on Amazon I grabbed it and have loved it very much. I do wish it had had a more pinky red at the time but as I have learned more and tried more it's great. Thanks for your time with us!!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!

[@carolynfuller6237]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. It was very helpful. I started with Yarka paints and have had fun with them. I have added some QOR and Turner. I have purchased some tubes to refill the Yarka that I have used up--some I liked and others that I didn't. Daniel Smith doesn't spark joy but I have liked some American Journey colors that I picked up.

[@annmarieborman6670]

Thank you for all this information. It's true we all have our own perspectives. I appreciate and respect your open opinions of all the brands. You're not a one-trick pony.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I appreciate that

[@susanfantozzi4415]

The best pallet is the one you will use. I mostly use a bought set of pans. But I'd be like you with a mish mash pallet if I had tubes.

[@charityariverpixie998]

Such a relaxing video , really enjoyed it thank you so much for sharing . My favourites are Daniel Smith , they just work for my style and I love the sticks I feel like you get a lot for your money in the sticks . I couldn’t stomach buying some of the really expensive “mineral” ones ! ❤

[@bonnierosendale]

Hey, Lindsay, nice explanation of why you choose as you do. Thanks for this. I just wanted to share something I found living in a very hot, humind climate. M. Graham is a lovely brand of paint and I can see why many artists love them. However, living in Florida, most paints made with honey just don't work for me. M. Graham never dried when put into pans and I just could not manage the stickiness. I tried White Knights and the honey actually beads up on the top of the pans. I have found that Renesans paints from Poland do well here even though they are made with honey, too. However, I think the honey they use lends a rather muted quality to the colors, which is something I like, but others might not. I bought a 24-tube set of QOR paints and love them; however, when I use them, I have to mix them with water in very small amounts as they dry really quickly and then separate funny and cannot be rewet without a graininess, almost like sand. I think this is a climate issue here as I've not heard of this happening "up North." I can understand people's disappointment with Daniel Smith's Primatek claims, but D.S. paints have always worked really well for me. I try not to buy anything made in China due to their very serious human rights abuses, although this is extremely difficult. I chose not to purchase any of the D.S. Primatek paints, but their over-the-top marketing I can overlook. I cannot overlook a country with a dictator who intentionally abuses workers for monetary gain yet claims they are "fair" and follows the "communist ideal". Their abuse of many other people for a multitude of reasons is also something I choose not to overlook. So I try to find out if any of the paint I want to try is made in China. If so, I will not buy them.

[@3534538]

I really admire your "parting words". It's so true unfortunately - what I consider a treasure will most likely be considered garbage by another person. My favorites are Schmincke and White Nights, Schmincke for flowers and White Nights for the butterflies 🙂And I like the flow of the Qor watercolors. Thank you for making this very interesting and informative video 🥰

[@italiangabster]

Love this! I got the Mjiello Pure Pigment set when its price dropped real low a few months ago and I’m OBSESSED. They rewet so easily (their ultramarine?? godsent) and they’re so vibrant. They were on my wishlist for so long and I’m so glad they delivered. I have a lot of brands but lately I mostly use Mjiello and on my main palette I have mostly Daniel Smith and have recently been incorporating M. Graham and Da Vinci. They work exactly as I expect them to. My old workhorse paint was White Nights’ 36 set. I still recommend the paints themselves but you know about the buying situation- probably hold off. The other brand I really like but haven’t used as much recently is Roman Szmal. I made my own palette of 14 and used it a lot for Reds/Purple mixes. They’re really precious to me though so I’m trying to preserve them LOL Qor is the only brand I’m still raring to try out… It sounds so fun!

[@gardendreamer9117]

Thank you for this video Lindsay. I’ve never had a art class or anything & was painting with acrylics from watching you tube, so decided to try watercolors. I mostly used what I’d find at Michaels (Artiza), & Windsor Newton, but then I took a beginners Elements of Design class this past fall & was introduced to Caran d’Ache and Im loving those at the moment. So with my limited knowledge, those are my favorites. But now…….I may need to get a few tubes or pans from some of those you mentioned to try them out. There are some pretty colors out there.

[@SwedePotato314]

My personal favorite is Holbein and a close second is White Nights and then Daniel Smith. Each for their own unique properties when I need certain things. Holbein for control, opacity and details, White Nights for the same control and opacity and their reliability and how familiar I am with them. And then Daniel Smith for their beauty and beach grounds and when I need granulating or wet on wet with expressiveness. I love Sennelier for layering and for bright clear florals. And Winsor and Newton for portraits. And Paul Rubens for sketchbook work and studies. Super Vision for special effects. I have a set of Schminke in my cart that I’m saving for. And Roman Szmal is another I really really want. I appreciate and trust your reviews, this is so much fun and so interesting to watch. I appreciate how thorough you are and how knowledgeable and civil the comment section here is. This channel is my happy place lol ❤

[@thrashhippie]

Great video as usual, I stayed to the end 😁. Also, thanks for the “advertising update“. I wondered why I’m getting lots of adverts for things I haven’t searched for.

[@judygrandstrand9784]

I love my M. Graham-they’re beautiful and I find them a joy to use. I also like the QoR high chroma colors. I have a few Roman Szmal colors I like too.

[@gingerlily4404]

This is great! Feeling validated in my choice for M. Graham as my first set of tube paints. I love the smooth feel and rich colors for my botanical paintings.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Great to hear!

[@KialayaKreations]

I liked very much the pep talk you give us at the end Lindsay, so true, thank you. And that is one thing that I really like from you, I like seeing your videos and feeling that you are really telling us the truth, what you really think of each paint you show us and you don't seem to be trying to sell us anything because you've been paid to. I just feel that is so important. I *have* bought some paints after seeing your reviews (and several more of course for contrast) but never felt "compelled" to do so. On the topic of the question on what are your favorite watercolours... I can't choose, I love them all so much 😍 and for different things. Its like asking a parent which is your favorite child! 😅 I love my PRIMA WATERCOLOURS that I got right at the beggining of becoming a crafter, I still use them for coloring stamps, so pretty. I love my WINSOR&NEWTON COTMAN big box of pans I snagged on sale to learn actual watercoloring. I love my FINETEC with all their shinny goodness for adding details. I love my GANSAI TAMBI, totally different effects for colouring (I also got the Vintage colours you showed here). I think the only ones I don't love and would be fine to part with are my poor set of Reeves tubes. I got them at the beginning to learn but was dissatisfied with the results and I was recommended to get W&N. Oh and I have a lovely wooden box of Spanish watercolours that I got because I was doing online classes with this women who recomendad them and they were on special sales since they were starting. They were called APOLO ARTES but have changed their name to Pinturale Arts (no clue why). I have never seen you try them, thought you might like looking at them and maybe contacting them. I know they have sent sets to spanish watercolourists free for marketing. www.amazon.es/Apolo-Arte-Acuarelas-Profesionales-Profesional/dp/B08YRQKMXM/ pinturale.com/

[@thefrugalcrafter]

They look lovely!

[@cindybohl9593]

I love your reviews Lindsay! I always learn so much from them. The first professional watercolor paints I bought were Windsor Newton. Then I discovered Daniel Smith paints. I love them both. Daniel Smith has such beautiful colors and they keep coming up with new ones! I also really love Qor paints too. I am not too familiar with M Graham. I was told they would mold easily in our very humid Illinois summers….so I stayed away from them. I do have quite a variety of professional water colors. I would love to try them all. Thanks fora great review,

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I've never had m graham mold

[@bethanneandrews5365]

I love the Sennellier 12 plus 6 pan set you have. They are magical on fabriano cotton cold press. I painted this whimsical style house on a hill without spending much time or effort and it was so effortless. Love those unexpected moments that can happen and make you fall in love with a paint. Thank you for making reviews that capture this.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Oh thank you!

[@sandyb4693]

Very interesting to hear your views of the various paints. I do admit I haven't tried every brand (that's not in my art budget) but my favorite is Davinci paint. They fit my budget and I feel are they are great, not fancy (as in crazy granulation effects or super 'whooshy') paints. I do have a few special granulating paints from other brands I've sprinkled in, but they are my favorite. Thanks for sharing!

[@simonnemason2162]

Thank you for all your hard work. Agree with some of your comments, haven't tried all those makes but have tried some others. But agree overall to use the paints and not be intimidated.

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

My fave professional is DaVinci but I’ll freely admit I haven’t tried a ton :) mostly I like that they’re family owned, USA made, excellent quality. I also like the small bits of MGraham and Sennelier I’ve tried, and I do love my 24 Paul Rubens set 😍 I don’t use DS for the reasons you mentioned but I’m really interested in trying Renesans!

[@sewmuchglitter]

I'm a hobby watercolorist but I love Arteza due to affordability and I can control the colors more than others I've tried. I enjoy your reviews, they help!

[@andreag3615]

Id like the student grade ranking too

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Coming soon!

[@leslieandersen2985]

On the Daniel Smith mineral brouhaha: one huge marketing mistake by an otherwise good company. I do love their paints and will use them. I learned a lot about paint from following up on sources of info on the making of the mineral paints so touted by DS. though my current favorites are the Mijello pure pigment set.

[@thesleeplessspook]

I'd love love LOVE to see you rank your student colors. I tend to reach for student grade most of the time simply because I work so much in my watercolor sketchbooks vs making pieces to actually hang up on a wall. For my faves, Qor is my #1 followed very closely by Mission Gold and Holbein. I have to agree about Holbein's pricing, though. I think it's pretty ridiculous vs what you're actually getting so I use all of my Holbeins very sparingly (plus I personally think their gouache is better than their regular watercolor). I LOVE Shin-Han but I don't find myself reaching for those nearly as often as the others. Qor's my favorite because it really challenges me. My style tends to be very tight but because of Qor's flow-strength, I'm forced to have to loosen up when using it and that in turn forces me out of my comfort zone and to accept mistakes as successes. My favorite paints of all time are outside the commercial zone entirely in the hand-made realm. I hope you find time at some point to rank those in your collection but I dare not recommend any to you because talk about a Pandora's Box to open! Hello second and possibly third mortgage to support THAT habit. LOL!

[@CastleMc]

Thanks, Lindsay, for all of your suggestions. Last summer you helpfully posted about Amazon sales on the Sennelier tube set and a W+N set of 24 and I bought both. I liked the W/N set so much-it has a nearly ideal selection of pigments IMO- that I have since bought a second set (I also tried to get the flash sale of $44 but mine didn't come either). I paid about $78 for the set of 24, the same set is much more expensive elsewhere. I think they are fantastic, and use them daily. I have a variety of brands and love M. Graham and Rembrandt as well. The latter is more affordable in Europe (Jacksons, etc).

[@strawbrryfld1]

Hey L !!! Nice piece ! I follow your recommendations quite closely and am never disappointed !!! I will be picking up the P Rubens metallics next. I’ve been watching those for awhile now and they look very good ! I’m so glad to hear someone else didn’t not have a joyful experience with Daniel Smith. I bought about 13 tubes and feel like I fight with them each and every time. I leave them for a few months and come back to try again and yeah. Not my fav so I feel defective. I love my Sennelier paints just bought a bunch of individual tubes (which cost me an arm and a leg in Dick Blick choosing my own colors). I also have the Mission Gold and enjoy both the tubes and the palette sets. I have yet to try M Graham and they will be my next purchase. They appear to me to be very similar to the Sennelier line and I’ve heard wonderful things about them as well ! Thanks for all the videos !!!!😊

[@mariansmartt]

My fav watercolor is Daniel Smith. Love them so much. Yes I watched till the end!

[@melissamcintyre7661]

See.. SEE!!!! This is why I just love you and TRUST you! You prove yourself soo very trustworthy, Lindsay!! ❤️ Thank you for this.. soo very helpful to the community 😊 M. Graham are my daughter's favorite watercolors, but I don't have one, hah! I have many of the ones you talk about, but I like them all for different applications, if that makes any sense to anyone! I'm annoyed with Daniel Smith, for the reason's spoken, and was underwhelmed with Schmincke pans as well! Ah well, we live and learn, yes? 🥰

[@Gypsisoul1111]

I found this so informative! I don’t have a favorite child, love my Kuretaki the 48 and nuveau and I’m salivating over Ocean Paper and will buy as soon as I win the lottery.

[@CHCHNZ461]

Love the skin comparison 😂 and very true. Same with cooking ingredients, it does not make you a better chef, cooking a-lot does.

[@patpatsthis-n-that2721]

Thank you so much. When I look at paint I come to see if you have reviewed them. You are the person who got me interested in watercolor ❤ I was using them mostly in my coloring books because I can't deal with color pencils my hands 😒 but now I'm trying to get into actual painting and I love the look of watercolor. I'm practicing so much. But I did just buy the meliang with the bird on the pallet. I'm taking it on vacation when we go to the mountains so excited. I hate to ask but rating the student grade would be a video I would love. You do so much already 😊

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Coming soon!

[@patpatsthis-n-that2721]

@@thefrugalcrafter yay!!!