Top 3 Watercolor Brands- 2020 Edition

Hey everyone! I thought I would do my version of Arleebean's top 3 watercolor brands video, mostly to distract myself from the madness around ;) This is my usual style of chatty video, ranking starts at 4:00 .
Find all the colors and brands mentioned here-
bit.ly/2ZgDcDQ
I based my ranking on my personal preferences of formula, performance, price, location of manufacturer and color range. If you're not familiar with my style of painting, I enjoy painting in a loose fluid manner, and love granulating and bright saturated colors.
Here is a list of my top 3:
Honorable mention- White Nights (Russia) & Aquarius (Poland) paints. These are both beautiful affordable watercolors. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants high quality artist grade paints. Both brands have a wide color selection and lovely formula (pretty consistent across their range). Cons- Only come in full pans (White Nights offer tubes but they are harder to find) and not vegan.
No. 3
Schmincke (Germany) Horadam
These have been my all time favorite for a long time, and they drop to no. 3 for the single reason taht they are not vegan. Sadly. Very very sad. These are incredible. Reliable, consistent, perfect formula in tubes and pans across their entire (great) color range (their pans are unparalleled). Only con is that they are expensive, especially outside of Europe. Perfection. PLEASE make them vegan, drop the oxgall!!
No. 2
Royal Talens Van Gogh (and Rembrandt)
I know this line is marketed in some places as student grade, well, it stands up to all my artist grade paints, bar none. Ok, bar Schmincke and no. 1 in some cases, but this paint is just lovely. The color range is smaller than most artist grade brands, because it only has more affordable pigments. For your cobalts and special Primatek colors, look at Rembrandt (big sister traditional artist grade watercolors from the same manufacturer) and Daniel Smith. These are ridiculously affordable in Europe, they have a beautiful formula, creamy, vibrant... They offer really interesting sets and are a joy to paint with. They come in sets, half pans and tubes and for me personally can be found locally in stores open stock as well. For anyone starting out, who's in Europe and wants something local, affordable and vegan, look no further.
No. 1
Daniel Smith (USA)
This is a not a clear win ;) Together with Van Gogh and in the future (as I run out of my non vegan more expensive pigments) Rembrandt, this is what I'll be buying. Daniel Smith has an unparalleled color range. The paint is reliable and the formula is great (there are some duds, but in a range of like 250 colors I'm not surprised), and they win because of their special paints and being vegan. I wouldn't want to paint without Moonglow, Cascade Green (funnily Arleebean mentions in her video she's over those, well, I'm so not LOL), the Lunar colors... It's only a handful of paints that I feel are essential in my arsenal, but I love them dearly. As for the more traditional paints, I will be going with Royal Talens and perhaps try Lukas (Germany) in the future. Their newer addition of half pans is great, the formula of those is a bit on the dry side, but they rewet and perform beautifully.
Arleebean's video-
bit.ly/2U4cs3N
Brands I've tried (these are all well established artist or student grade with easily available pigment information)-
Sennelier
Mijello Mission Gold
Qor
M. Graham
Winsor & Newton
Cotman
Old Holland
Holbein
Shinhan
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[@rebeccapage4411]

Thanks for giving Van Gogh some love! I especially love how it performs on cellulose paper. Schminke also sounds like a brand I'd love.

[@iritlandgraf]

I haven't tried cellulose paper... Any recommendations? Glad you enjoyed!

[@greekveteran2715]

Hahnemuhle Harmony,is the best non cotton watercolour paper. As also the best 1 100% cotton paper is Cezanne and their mould sheets!

[@rnee1000]

I would say that Mijello Mission Gold is my favorite brand because of the variety and intensity of colors and its ability to blend and mix well on the palette or paper. I also like White Nights. I have a Schminke dot card and love those paints but sets are pretty costly. Thank you for this video, it's always to helpful to learn what brands other artists like.

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you enjoyed Renee!

[@Scottlp2]

Mijellos are insanely intense. Forget details but perhaps someone said it had something to do with the formulation and that there was something different about mijello vs other brands. Have you had any trouble mixing mijellos with other bands?

[@rnee1000]

@@Scottlp2 Yes, they are super intense and good for some of my florals. For others I prefer a less intense pigment. I haven't tried to mix them. I have several WC brands and tend to use them singularly. If I try to mix brands I'll let you know how it goes.

[@Scottlp2]

Renee Cassese thanks and they would be good fir florals.

[@cricketcricket9749]

I love Daniel Smith and Mijello Mission Gold. They are pure luxury to me!

[@cvmfriends]

She is such a nice person! and yes the Naples yellow was absolutely beautiful I am gonna have to find it

[@user-xo4jd4ot8s]

I recently tried one tube from Van Gogh, amazed by their behavior. Yes, I totally agree with you that this brand is not a student grade. It is densely pimented, made from reliabale pigment, and many of them single pigment. They made it possible, I assume, by chosing some organic pigment powerful in tinting strength yet cheaper to manufactured, in this case cutting down some pigment load won't be problematic, and presenting the tube in 10ml size. The pigment density is definitely not as good as top artist brands, which feels a litlle bit of gelatine, but still on the very vibrant side. I would recommend VG to who is new to watercolor short on budget. Expensive pigment means they cost more to be manufactured. Some brands' cobalt violet is super expensive and super dissapointing.

[@iritlandgraf]

Yup cobalt violet is very tricky, my holy grail one is Winsor and Newton, as it has the perfect shade and performs well also as dry rewetted paint. I've mostly tried the van gogh pans, and only one tube so I don't have a formed opinion about them just yet. The pans are lovely. You're right, for someone on a budget, it's a wonderful option.

[@Drumaier]

@@iritlandgraf I got M.Graham Cobalt Violet some weeks ago and is great if you ever want to try another version. I don't know how it compares with any other brand since this was a bet i took, but wow the granulation!!!! The hue isn't extremely saturated of blue or red (but not as blue as pv23 for sure), seems to be pretty much in the middle.

[@iritlandgraf]

Thanks! I actually have it, and it is good, but a little less pink than I like my cobalt violet... Once I'm done with my W&N I will move on to that one, try to get through my stash before ordering a new one to try... It's too expensive a pigments to explore ;)

[@greekveteran2715]

I use a palette were 2/3ds are Van Gogh and 1/3d are Rembrandt. Can't beat them for the price! I also like their colours way more,than any other brand!

[@traciekiger1918]

Thank you for the video! I begin to stress out when I don’t see a new one from you lol really, thank you for sharing with all of us! Take care!!

[@iritlandgraf]

Lol Thank you Tracie! Hopefully the only reaso for not uploading in the next weeks will be lack of time due to kids at home ;) Take care and stay safe!

[@samanthamann1523]

So lovely! And I hope you all are able to stay healthy and safe! ❤️

[@iritlandgraf]

Thank you and you too Samantha!

[@KatheeRN]

My 1st love are the DS paints because that's what I started with, BUT I'm truly enjoying the White Nights and Roman Szmal paints I recently purchased. I've never tried Van Gogh, but they look lovely. I have a few Schmincke sets, and I do enjoy using them too. I wish I could stick to just one brand, but (as we are all watercolor hoarders) it's fun to try the different brands, as they all play a part in our watercolor journey. Every brand has that one unique color we can't live without!!!

[@iritlandgraf]

Absolutely part of the fun is exploring new paints and new formulas! It keeps painting exciting and new

[@crystalinedreams6039]

thank you for sharing your 3 favs with us, now you have me curious about talens paints. lol have a great weekend.

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha thanks! You too!

[@ChrisC-ws5od]

THANK YOU for giving some love to Van Gogh watercolors! I made a commitment to them when I became serious about watercolors last year and I have been absolutely thrilled with them. In the US, an online retailer called Jerry’s Artarama carries the full line of tubes and I get 10 ml tubes for less than $3 each, almost all being single pigment and excellent lightfastness. The colors are rich, vibrant, and lovely! I would have needed a second mortgage to buy the equivalent from Daniel Smith, and I’d be paralyzed with concern about wasting expensive paint every time I started a piece. Instead, I can make beautiful paintings with the Van Gogh and be as free to experiment and play as I like. 😻 My money has gone into the best paper and brushes and I love painting! Thanks for the great videos-I’m so glad I found your channel!

[@iritlandgraf]

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your supplies and using them freely, that's the most important 😀 Thank you!

[@eyemakeuplooks]

So fun! The most brands that I have on my palette are are 1. Van Gogh, 2. DS and 3. Aquarius!

[@captaininterest3847]

As a total beginner I have in my selection Mustard, Tomato Ketchup, Toothpaste, crushed Strawberries, crushed Blackberries, soot, pomegranate juice and a host of others. Very cheap...thanks, I'll be here til November

[@jaccusefashion]

Thankyou so much Irit! Artwork getting me through this crazy time. Definitely looking at Van Gogh- Royal Talens

[@iritlandgraf]

You're so welcome!

[@lindyashford7744]

I chose to go for some aquarius and haven't yet had a chance to swatch them out though I did some mixes that gave spectacular results, I just love how these paints move on the paper. I might have got the Van Gogh though because I have used Talens products for many years, since the 80s and know the difference between their student and professional ranges is actually minimal and that many artists were then using them pretty interchangeably because they had no concerns about the quality. So they are kind of a trusted brand for me, and their boxes are very cute and nicely curated for fun, engagement and usability. Very interested to hear you rate them as being very compatible with DS, and maybe I will treat myself soon, as you can never have enough watercolour, right! Well, they are a bit addictive..... I have my reservations about DS, even though they have obvious quality, very much because some of their offerings just do not do it for me and I have had to search for better, especially the historic colours, which I feel are a bit of a let down, and they leave you sooo empty in the pocket! Loved your choice, and I know you like paper choices similar to mine too. Keep safe in these very weird times, the world seems to be getting stranger by the day and maybe this is what we should be doing, painting a place of sanity until we come out at the other end into what I am almost certain will be a changed world. My best to you, and thank you for all the very enjoyable and lovely video you have shared.

[@iritlandgraf]

Yup Lindy, I agree with you. For me DS is now a total splurge, if I want to treat myself to a new more special color, or replace one of my favorites from their line. Especially being in Europe, I won't be purchasing any color from them that I can find from another more local and affordable brand. I have also used Talens products like their Amsterdam paints for a long time, I think they do a great job overall and am really happy to have found their watercolor ranges. Keep calm and paint on!

[@Dindimont]

Thanks for this video! I was thinking about upgrade my paint but now I think I will finish my Van Gogh Palette 12+3!

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you enjoyed Ingrid! I can also recommend going to my website and joining my newsletter, you immediately get a shopping guide sent, and I think you will find a lot of helpful information for when you do decide to expand your collection 😀

[@streamstarz]

Always love your watercolour videos...

[@iritlandgraf]

Thank you!

[@marytesta3003]

Irit, it amazes me how strong you are talking about war as a child. As an older American I have never had an experience like you and millions have in their lives. Thank you for sharing your life and skills💗

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad to have this community Mary ❤️❤️

[@Cortesevasive]

@@iritlandgraf How about you leave Israel you zionist

[@Renilou2]

Thanks for sharing. Its fun to see what others use and why. I love and use Schmincke more than my other brands. I have both tubes and pans. The formulation for each is exactly the same. The only difference between the two is the cakes are dried before you buy them and the tubes are not. I always allow my tube paint to dry in a well before using and it matches the pans consistency totally. I'm interested in seeing the magic of your Schmincke Naples yellow and Winser & Newton Cobalt Violet. Winser & Newton is my other top favs. Their colors just look clean and bright to me.

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you enjoyed Renee! I have a video showing my favorite mixes on my channel :)

[@MedaHalmaciu]

I love Van Gogh as well. They are good quality, affordable and available both as sets and individual tubes and pans here in Romania. I also love White Nights for the same reason. However, these 3 brands sometimes black the softness and glow that I get from Cotman or the professional range of Windsor and Newtown. I also have a large collection of Holbein. Love them all. I love collecting and comparing and now I'm glad to have all these paint while stuck at home.

[@iritlandgraf]

I think the key is to use them with a lighter hand. Cotman has a much drier formula, whereas white nights and van gogh are very juicy and rewet super fast, so it's very easy to pick up a lot of pigment, which doesn't happen with Cotman.

[@MedaHalmaciu]

@@iritlandgraf Yes, but it's harder to do when you have a heavy hand.

[@iritlandgraf]

Absolutely, it's all about personal style and preference.

[@ArtsofPamatayHomesickV20]

we have the 2 same materials i use. white nights and schmincke.. thanks for sharing, great demontration.

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@snehasinghi9069]

White nights for the win - it is pigmented, stays moist and most importantly is the most budget friendly artist grade watercolor brand in India. Well there are Indian brands too but none of them perform as artist grade paints I feel. I can compare these paints to Daniel Smith literally I love them so much🙈

[@iritlandgraf]

I completely understand, they are lovely paints!

[@peacockfeathers7409]

i like my winsor newton for most paintings but i love my senneliers for flowers. (they're made with honey so definitely not vegan for those who care) i haven't tried much other professional watercolors yet , i already buy too many art supplies!

[@ARTROOTLEAF]

Your art seems to warm my heart. I love the way you draw and I hope you can be a neighbor in the I draw pictures, too. Your art work is really original. very good watercolor!!!

[@iritlandgraf]

Thank you, very kind!

[@sylviachew2234]

Hey! I'm new to drawing, just picking it up. I'm currently using Winsor and Newton, it is easily available here.

[@iritlandgraf]

Hi Sylvia! Winsor & Newton is a good choice! Their cobalt violet is the best ❤️

[@kristinakowalski6573]

Hello Irit. Thank you so much ... I’m back to W/C after 16 years hiatus (silly me) and I have a full range of SCHMINKE - so learning what’s new and what to fill in with... this was very helpful... interesting how the prices have become $$$ and the sizes smaller. Ps My parents were from Vienna>>> all my relatives are in Austria !

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you're back in the watercolor game 😀😀😀 My husband is the Austrian one, I'm just here for love ❤️

[@rutvigo5915]

How many memories, just like mine, we spend our days eating dufshaniot and bamba. Thanks for reminding me.

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha dufshaniyot!! I was more of a glilit and argaliot gal myself, 😂

[@greekveteran2715]

My Top 3: Rembrandt,Van Gogh and Van Gogh ! Lol!!!

[@audreylawrence82]

My favorite is Daniel Smith because of the color range, granulation & minerals ❤ I have a few Schmincke & Old Holland.

[@Drumaier]

Great video, thank you! I agree about Daniel smith inconsistency issues. In my case what i noticed were some big bubbles in some tubes, and for that reason alone i will not buy any more of their tubes other than those that only they make and i want. At the othe side i think Holbein and M.graham are very reliable, specially Holbein. Van Gogh are greatly pigmented and i might be wrong, but with some of their paints i felt they didn't move so much. And i see you are using Jackson's Raven....i think they are amazing brushes (and ridiculously cheap given the quality) for watercolor, mostly for a more loose style (not so much for precise little illustration), my 10/0 is my most used brush for a4 paintings. Now i have to order some 3/0 and 0. Cheers!

[@iritlandgraf]

Holbein are lovely! I have a few colors and really enjoy them, maybe I'll try some more in the future, I have their gouache set and it's gorgeous. Yes to Jackson's raven! I ordered 3 now to add to the one I had and I just love them. The price is fantastic.

[@abidamnglm8322]

Great video ! Thank you for sharing this video ♥️

[@iritlandgraf]

Glad you enjoyed Abida!

[@crimejunkie1]

Winsor Newton, Sennelier, Mijello mission gold are my top 3 also like Shinhan, White Nights and Daniel Smith. Not a paint snob I will use cheap paints too, I'm underwhelmed by Schminke 😮 I love how we all have our own preferences and that's ok.

[@iritlandgraf]

Absolutely!

[@Scottlp2]

I like Daniel Smith (great granulation) and m graham because they both rewet really easily. There were some videos on KZbin recently which showed I think it was Van Gogh being more intense in color than some other brands so Ill have to try more of those. I Iive in US and also like those because can easily find single pigment colors.

[@iritlandgraf]

Great picks! I have some M Graham tubes and they are lovely! I should try that, head to head comparison of Van Gogh with other brands :)

[@TinkITreasurebooks]

I would like to see how the paint moves in water. Do they move and expand or just sit there. Otherwise I enjoyed your review.

[@iritlandgraf]

Flow depends a lot on pigment, not necessarily brand.

[@jenniferfreeman9117]

Davinci and Daniel Smith are my go right now... I have tried Koi, schmincke, Winsor and Newton, and m Graham... but like the davinci and Daniel Smith best I do however have several other brands on my “try next” list (white night, qor, sennelier, Roman smalz, Van Gogh.. ) all for various reasons

[@iritlandgraf]

I would love to try Da Vinci, but they are not available here in Europe it seems (its too expensive to order from the US)...

[@KialayaKreations]

Could you please tell us what brushes are you using on your video? I really liked the look of those plump dark handled ones. Sorry if you do say int he video and I missed it. Thank you for the video.

[@iritlandgraf]

It's Jackson's Raven brush size 3/0. It's lovely!

[@spiritsjoy]

I like you irit you dont seem to be a paint snob. You use paints that you like and work well regardless of student vs professional. I share the same favorites besides scminke only because it is so expensive to purchase in the states. A friend chipped me off a piece of her cobalt turquoise half pan by scminke and i loved it, but it cost 26 dollars plus 4 or so dollars to ship._.._gasp.._. it was way out of my budget and i was heartbroken. Anyway keep the fun videos coming, you made a new friend. :) Take care in these strange times.

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha thank you! Glad you enjoyed! Schmincke has wonderful paint, but there are fantastic options in the US, so you're not missing out on much 😉

[@carlosdommar]

what do you think about Sennelier l'Aquerelle? their 21ml tubes are very competitive price-wise compared to others high-ranked brands here in Europe

[@iritlandgraf]

I love sennelier and used them for years, great watercolors!

[@kc9eow]

I love Royal Talen’s Van Gogh especially their dusky and interference colors.

[@iritlandgraf]

Thanks for sharing!

[@heather333]

Jackson's do a beautiful range of watercolour that use honey, like Sinillier, but at a fraction of the price. They are also full artist grade colours, rather than student grade.

[@iritlandgraf]

Yes I've tried a few and they are nice. Rumor is Sennelier makes them and I would agree, they look and feel very similar!

[@lindalucia970]

I am from the Netherlands and so glad to hear you like van Gogh and Rembrandt! These are made here and I am so happy to buy something local that is also high quality. I will keep an eye on single pigment vs mix. I am learning so much from you. I am vegan so its good to hear the information about Schmincke. I did not know! P.s. pronunciation of van Gogh is difficult I know but don't leave out the last two letters ;)

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha thanks! I pronounce it like the Americans do, I believe, because I'm speaking American English... I suspect I can come close to the original pronunciation, but don't want to butcher it😬

[@PaintinHiding]

oh wow! i can't believe you just compared VG to schmincke! i don't have experience with schmincke myself but that means VG must be really good. and i absolutely agree as i have several of the rembrandt and a few of VG which i find sometimes the VG is better/easier to work with than their rembrandt version. :) i remember you doing a DS vs PWC a few years ago and i think that was very cool as PWC is a lot cheaper than DS. i'd be very interested to see a vid from you on how the colours from the Van Gogh line compare to schmincke or other artist brands. people who are using van gogh and want to upgrade or those wanting a more affordable alternative to their expensive tubes would surely benefit as well :D thank you so much for creating such fun and creative content! i love all your videos but try to refrain from commenting on all of them haha~

[@iritlandgraf]

Wait wait wait lol I didn't compare! OK, maybe I did a little. As a whole range of watercolors, Schmincke is superior to Van Gogh. Were it vegan, it would be my no. 1 probably. What I love about Van Gogh is that some of their colors (mostly their single pigment ones, and absolutely not the immitations of more expensive pigments) are comparable to top of the line artist grade paints, in my opinion, and the price is unbeatable. I really want everyone to be able to enjoy watercolors, not just those who can afford Daniel Smith and Schmincke. I will think about that comparison video :) Thanks for watching, glad you're enjoying and please comment more often, always fun to read viewers' thoughts and experiences!

[@PaintinHiding]

@@iritlandgraf LOL! you crack me up, Irit! :D yes, of course, i completely understand you. :) i love that you're an advocate for van gogh as well as using vegan art supplies. to be honest, i never thought about veganism with reference to art until i heard you talk about it. i have some sennelier paints and a 24 half pan rembrandt set but moving forth, i think i'd be happier going ALL van gogh :D it's a pleasure to watch your videos. keep up the great work! XD

[@iritlandgraf]

Thank you so much! I think between Rembrandt and Van Gogh and a touch of some special Daniel Smith I'm good ;) Sennelier contains honey, which for some vegan is not a huge issue, so maybe something worth looking into.

[@PaintinHiding]

@@iritlandgraf i actually do have some sennelier in tubes and they've been a joy to work with. i've never had issues with them despite being in a tropical climate country. but i do want my paints to cure drier in my palette hence my search into van gogh :) OH! and i don't know if you've seen yet but i know you like cute palettes too so.... jacksonsart just put up a promotion on schmincke and the pink palette set with 9 half pans just reminded me of you! :D sadly it's not available outside of UK. :(

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha it is a lovely set, I saw it, thankfully not vegan so will save my money for something else ;)

[@cheralynn4417]

I use Rembrandt and Van Gogh but have been looking around for another good brand to play and learn with. When I started with watercolors I began with Sennelier La Petite Aquarelle, Cotman, and Van Gogh. Then I tried some Rembrandts, Sennelier professionals, and Daniel Smiths. I ended up choosing to stick with VG and Rembrandts. The Senneliers have some beautiful, rich colors and DS also work well and have tons of nice choices. But the VG and Rembrandts, though they have fewer color choices overall, seem to be excellent quality. They rewet easily like the Senneliers but aren’t as sticky and the pigments seem more consistent, and most likely more lightfast. The DSs just have too many colors that I don’t relate to and find unnecessary (much as I like color) and both the Senneliers and DS are more expensive. They move well on the paper but aren’t too wild, and are easy to layer and lift. So for me, the best bang for the buck has been Rembrandt/Van Gogh. I also love the VG plastic pocket boxes and the Rembrandt set I have came in a great quality tin. I didn’t even know they’re vegan until just now with your channel, another big plus. Now I think I’m a bit spoiled and can’t really find other brands that compare quite as well to VG/Rembrandt. Thanks for sharing your experiences with these paints. Think I’ll stay where I am for a while😀

[@iritlandgraf]

I love reading this and totally agree, it's just a great experience painting with them!

[@dv9476]

I use van gogh tubes. I like their vibrancy, especially when used as a single colour. One issue I do face is that there is no indication of transparency on their label for some colours. This gives me muddy colours easily when I mix. An example is "cobalt blue (Ultram)". This is PB29/PW6. When I use it together with their raw sienna (PY42) I get an 'untidy' green. Paints tend towards opaque, probably due to the presence of white in the blue.

[@iritlandgraf]

Yup, it's the white. That's why I don't recommend their mixtures or imitations of the real thing like cobalt. I use their single pigments most often.

[@nalcarya]

Have you tried Royal Talens professional watercolors "Rembrandt"? I purchased the 12 color Landscape set, replaced the orange with a quin rose and it's currently my absolute favorite set out of all the colors I have (which includes Schmincke, DS, Mijello, White Nights and als some van Gogh - yes I have a buying problem) ♥

[@iritlandgraf]

Of course! I mention them several times in the video. I plan on using them when I run out of my more expensive pigments :)

[@nalcarya]

@@iritlandgraf Oops, was the first thing I watched after waking up was prolly still asleep 🤣

[@iritlandgraf]

Haha totally get it ;)

[@diasmall]

I love van gogh too! It's a solid choice if anyone needs a decent starter set!

[@iritlandgraf]

Absolutely! It's such good paint to start with, play with, sketch with... Try new colors, and then if needed upgrade to more expensive pigments!

[@gildejesus3714]

Really surprysing you magic color!

[@deadwolfius-kun3692]

I think that Van Gogh is just affordable in general! In the U.S it is 5 dollars a tube which is the same as a cotman tube and they dry down nicer :)

[@iritlandgraf]

It is super affordable! Probably more in the EU just because they are made here....

[@deborahruth5072]

I am over 60 and this is the most crazy I have seen. I just came off of a course in steroids for asthma and it is a blessing now that I was told to stay away from people. Thank you for this video and the fun distraction. It is surreal. They are hoarding toilet paper here in the states. mwahahahaha

[@iritlandgraf]

Oh no... Stay safe Deborah and take care ❤️❤️

[@kookatsoonjan]

I guess you mean prednisone...nasty stuff...take good care Deborah

[@deborahruth5072]

@@kookatsoonjan thank you and yes that is what I meant. lol

[@dmorfo4359]

Thank you for review! Can you please tell me which of schmincke colour is 4 and 5 on the paper? And and three colors next to each other - turquoise and two bright blue?

[@iritlandgraf]

I can try! Can you give me a time stamp, when in the video they appear?

[@dmorfo4359]

@@iritlandgraf thank you! 5:01 But if you can't remember, then it's okay

[@iritlandgraf]

Sorry I have no idea😔

[@annikania2682]

Personally I think M Graham climbed up to my number one spot since I got the first tubes from a friend two years ago. They are just... exactly how I want my pans to me, creamy and super vibrant if you need them to. All the colors I’ve tried so far are great; sadly they are definitely not cheap in Germany xD but at least they are a bit easier to get now that jacksonsart has them. The pyrrol red is my absolute favorite color ever! Number two is probably also Van Gogh because they are the paints I would recommend to everyone, they are affordable and in my personal opinion just rewet beautifully and are just as vibrant and nice to mix as other brands! Number three is a hard one tho! It kinda goes to the handmade paints of eventually everything mixes, but also to Schmincke! The first ones are just amazing, special, precious paints, the second one is good old reliable got me! And I kinda don’t like Daniel Smith... I don’t know, some are amazing, some paints suck! And I can’t pay that much for a gamble about the quality!

[@iritlandgraf]

I have a few tubes of M Graham and I agree they are lovely, I bought the cobalts set a few years ago and still enjoy it. BUT I don't like how sticky they stay... Great for studio palette, not so much (for me) in a travel palette ;) Yup, I can't deny DS has some duds in their collection... They should reformulate their cobalt violet stat ;)

[@Renilou2]

A agree with your take on Daniel Smith. Plus, some of their paint just takes so long to rewet once dried. M Graham was one of my 1st when I started painting years ago. Their only drawback to me is their limited range of Magentas and excessive staining properties. I couldn't get the PG7 Phthalo Green out of my brush. I ended up scrubbing it with soap and water at least nine times because I was still tinting my clean yellows green with the brush.

[@Scottlp2]

Agree I have mostly DS and M Graham, just don’t put MG cobalt teal in your travel set ;-)

[@margueritegouin2621]

I have a lot of watercolour brands like Sennelier, Schmincke, Shin-han, Jackson, Lukas, Winsor and Newton, Holbein, Van Gogh, Mr. Graham Qor. The watercolour that I find the most difficult to work with is Rembrandt. The colours are less vivid and leave very sharp edges unlike Schmincke and Sennelier. The Qor is also difficult because it penetrates the paper and it leaves marks even if the colors are vibrant for portraits for me, it doesn't work. I like the Schmincke, but they are very expensive and the pans are thin with thick edges and they melt very quickly.

[@iritlandgraf]

Interesting! I've used several Rembrandt paints and quite enjoyed them. The rest of the brands you mentioned are great and all high quality, it really comes down to availability, price and personal style/preferences at that level, in my opinion.

[@angelachiazzese]

What brush are you using? The ones you have linked is not that one.

[@iritlandgraf]

This is one of Jackson's own brush lines, Raven, and it's lovely!

[@angelachiazzese]

@@iritlandgraf what size.

[@iritlandgraf]

3/0

[@ilustralilian_]

Funny that here in Brazil it’s difficult to find Schminke (I haven’t bought this one yet) and Daniel Smith is impossible. I got from JetPens to experiment and it’s really expensive, but I truly love them. Van Gogh I couldn’t find in stores, but really I don’t have a great store near my house, but I have a store in another neighborhood that I buy from then through whatsapp and they have a great amazing selection of watercolors, including all Van Gogh and Rembrant line, both in tubes, pans, sets. They have all! And they have a great price. It’s cheaper than Cotman (that’s more famous here) and it’s much better quality. They have all the White Nights line as well. This is recent. I believe they started selling them last month, but I do have some from another online store that was the only one to sell White Nights until last month, now it’s spreading through the others. I was able to experiment the Earth set from QoR. Expensive and very few places sell them here and I think only in sets, for now, but I love them. Their indigo is amazing! I really like MaimeryBlu as well. I only know one national site that sells them and they are really expensive but gorgeous. I’m really looking forward experimenting more Daniel Smith colors and my dream is having a set of Schminke and I would like to try Sennelier also. Oh! A friend went abroad sometime ago and brought me a set of 24 tubes of Holbeins. OMG!!! I love them! The Prussian Blue, the Mineral Violet. Love them! But they’re at their end and I won’t be able to purchase again. Unfortunately. The dollar is really expensive here and with this pandemic I expect that will achieve new heights. Here is starting to get worse now. Until the beginning of the week we had only on case confirmed and it was someone that came from Italy. Now it’s spreading. We already have more than 200 people (yesterday night. I still haven’t checked today, but it’s getting worse and worse). Oh well. My biggest problem with that is that I have an autoimmune disease and my mom is more than 60. God bless us all.

[@iritlandgraf]

Who can understand the mysteries of worldwide trade... But I'm happy to read you have some good options available to you! I wonder if there are any known south American watercolors... That would be interesting!

[@raquelsanchez9668]

I am a poor worker who has started to paint and since I touch all the sticks (pencils, watercolors, crayons, pastels, oils...) I want to buy everything and sometimes I cannot choose because of the high prices. Shortly after the Roman Szmal ones were released in Artemiranda (Spain), I already got the White Nights ones on Amazon. It made me a little angry because I wanted the Aquario, but I couldn't resist a special offer from Amazon. In the future I plan to buy some colors, but since I'm in agony, I want them all! I also really liked the reviews of Rembrandt and Sennelier that I saw on KZbin.

[@iritlandgraf]

I know what you mean... I am the same, but there are so many things I wish I hadn't bought...

[@melissarosado]

Hey:) I don’t know if you mention this anywhere so I’m sorry if you already mentioned it. But do you mind sharing what brushes you use/we can see in the video? :)

[@iritlandgraf]

It's Jackson's Raven brush size 3/0- bit.ly/2J1ZmPi

[@melissarosado]

Irit Landgraf thank you so much!

[@ianjackson5834]

the TV is rubbish these days so we have no hope lol.... thanks for your video, we are going to make more good art youtube videos to keep people from being board, tfs

[@iritlandgraf]

Lol I admit I wish I lived in Israel now for the comedy shows alone... I don't get Austrian jokes 😂😂😂

[@brianriker7242]

I thought Royal Talens professional grade was called Rembrandt, and Van Gogh was their student grade?

[@iritlandgraf]

Check the brand's website for all the info. Van gogh is more affordable and uses certain pigments to keep the price down. Their single pigment paints are great, I wouldn't recommend their imitations of expensive pigments. Rembrandt is a traditional range with series and price range to match.

[@beaterossi2748]

...i love to paint with Schmincke and van Gogh, my Palette is similar as yours and I can't live without Heliotürkis from Schmincke. I have some tubes from DS , they are beautiful . Sorry for my English :-) and I Love your Channel...Best wishes in those crazy times . Beate from Cologne

[@iritlandgraf]

Hey Beate! Your English is great! Yes, heliotürkis is another unique and gorgeous single pigment paint from Schmincke. When I painted with more vibrant colors this was always in my palettes! I still love it, but use more the cobalts in my painting. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@miriamkorczak4738]

Oh du bist auch aus Köln! Wo bekommst du die Daniel Smith Farben her Beate?

[@beaterossi2748]

@@miriamkorczak4738 ...es gibt Sets über amazon mit 5 oder 7 Tuben und ich habe mal eingegeben "DS 5 ml" und da kamen dann Vorschläge, die ich bezahlbar fand, so kamen 27 Farben zusammen, es gibt auch jede Menge 15 ml Tuben, aber das war mir zu teuer, ich bin eine Hobbymalerin, die Farben liebt und wohl auch sammelt...

[@miriamkorczak4738]

@@beaterossi2748 Danke für deine schnelle und nette Antwort :)

[@justacatwhocantype]

Yes, the Van gogh paints are amazing. You are not going to get any better at that price, and they definitely can compete with much higher priced paints. I love them, they are definitely a favorite of mine, too. I also love Schmincke, the Horadam and the Akademie. The Akademie watercolors are excellent, they are also far beyond student grade paints in terms of quality - and price. Since I got the same problem with the Horadam that you do, the oxgal, I don't want to buy them anymore, either, and now all I have left of them is a burnt umbra. But I love it! And unfortunately I suspect that one of the reasons the Horadam paints feel so nice, IS probably, at least in part, the oxgal. I have never tried Daniel Smith, or any non-European brand for that matter, but I really want to look into it soon. At this time I mostly use Sennelier artist as well as student watercolors, Lukas 1862, Van Gogh and Schmincke Akademie. I do have paints by other brands, too, but the ones that I named are currently my favorites.

[@iritlandgraf]

My go to paints now seem to be Rembrandt and Daniel Smith for special colors I can't find in the Rembrandt or Van Gogh range. From the brands one sees on KZbin, I'd say both Van Gogh and Rembrandt are incredibly underrated . Not so bad for us, I don't want them to sell out or anything 😁

[@justacatwhocantype]

@@iritlandgraf Yes, let's hope that they will remain underrated to they'll remain so affordable. 😄

[@stephaniealex1852]

Could you list using DS 12 favorite colors for florals? I know cobalt violet from WN- i agree🥰

[@iritlandgraf]

Wow that's a very specific question... I wouldn't know how to answer it, I use a mix of brands and have new favorites all the time. I can't imagine not having Nickle azo yellow, quin Rose and ultramarine blue, the greens from the Jean Haines set are nice, that's the most I will commit to 😉

[@stephaniealex1852]

Irit Landgraf Big help, i don’t have cascade or undersea, so I’m playing to see whats close. I’m trying to be more minimal. I think I love your idea of seasonal palates, so may do that instead. It’s genius!🥰 Stephanie

[@iritlandgraf]

Thank you Stephanie! I'm so enjoying the seasonal palette 😀

[@skraaskrratrynabecray863]

Great vid

[@iritlandgraf]

Thanks Jake!

[@julek4211]

Danke für das Video. In Deutschland sind die Schulen und Kindergärten für ca 5 Wochen geschlossen. Die Grenzen werden vermutlich auch nach und nach geschlossen. Ich mag die Videos von Arleebean's auch unheimlich gerne. Ich freue mich auf weitere Videos. Lg Judith aus Deutschland

[@iritlandgraf]

Hallo! Ja, auch hier... 5 Wochen 😮 viel Spaß und LG!

[@steffy2]

awesome video! by the way , what makes the schmincke paints non vegan? do they use honey as a binder or do theya include stuff that makes em non vegetarian as well? (and do you know of any different brands that wouldnt be suited for vegetarians since i heard some rumors about some paints using ox gall but i dont recall what brand it was)

[@iritlandgraf]

Hi Steffy! Sadly Schmincke include ox gall in their paints, which is exactly what you fear it is... Bile from cows. I don't know of other brands that use it actually. Thankfully!

[@steffy2]

@@iritlandgraf okay, thanks a lot for the heads up! ^^ gonna avoid those as well then

[@nursen2106]

so many, that do a lot of flower paintings seem to love van gogh. I guess, there must be a reason. propably the colour choices (maybe also price?)

[@iritlandgraf]

Definitely price. I think painting simple flowers has been a huge trend recently and in our corner of the world a lot of people know Frau Hölle and she made a set with Van Gogh, cute pink box ;)

[@nursen2106]

@@iritlandgraf yes, that is cute! I had to force myselfe to move on and not get me one. because, I want to get to know and use what I have and improve my painting, and not add to my colletion on and on, while I am still in the beginning of learning. that was hard. It does looks nice. and she really picked the colours right for a light type of florals - maybe even oceanic motives. considering, it is a small selection, well picked

[@buci131]

Terrific video--very thorough on the brands you chose. I think this video was recommended because I watched Arleebeans top 3. :) Daniel Smith is one of my top choices, too. I've not had the change to try Schminke yet, though it's on my list to get sometime soon. My most recent brand purchase was Sennelier because I've wanted to try some watercolors that use Honey binder for ages. They're quite nice though I haven't had much chance to work with them yet. You might consider checking out QoR by Golden, if you can get ahold of them. Incredibly vivid, gorgeous colors, great blending attributes and completely vegan friendly.

[@iritlandgraf]

Thanks Eva! Sennelier were my first artist grade paints and I think they are lovely! I have 2 Qor sets and do enjoy them, but they are even more expensive than Daniel Smith here in Europe so I don't think I can make them my go to brand. Their introductory sets are really lovely and Ive recommended them in my gift guides in the past. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@summerrobertson3595]

Hi. I’m from Vancouver Island in Canada. I’d have to say my top favourite is Daniel Smith especially his duochrome colours. Van Gogh would be second followed by Windsor Newton. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos!

[@iritlandgraf]

Thanks Summer! Great choices!

[@Manara111111]

for some reason I find DS very hard to rewet.. at least comparing to schmincke!! maybe it is the color it self not the brand in general!

[@iritlandgraf]

in general Daniel Smith is drier than Schmincke, but some paints rewet well and others are harder. Schmincke has such a good formula that all paints rewet beautifully

[@nursen2106]

I wonder, which of their colours is not vegan. Is there some information or does one need to look them up one by one and compare with a seperate list of non-vegan pigments?

[@iritlandgraf]

With the vegan brands, meaning the ones that don'e use honey or ox gall in their formula, you want to check the pigments. As far as I have seen, there's only one is regular use in most brands, and that is PBk9, a black that comes from charred animal bones. So check black paint and mixtures with black. I use this resource- doublecheckvegan.com/vegan-art-supplies/

[@nursen2106]

@@iritlandgraf Aha! Good to know. I didn't know ox gall is used in watercolour as well. Thank you!!

[@iritlandgraf]

Not a lot of brands use it. As far as I know in Europe Schmincke is the only one... But their Akademie range is vegan (and way too expensive for student grade)

[@nursen2106]

@@iritlandgraf yes, Akademie is too expensive. I went straigt to Horadam tube paints. and don't regret it. But I don't do so much colourful flowers and such. therefor my selection o colours (I mean tube paints of artist grade brands) only is a basic (landscape) set of 18 plus 9 others, I basically use more for various abstracts and such plus sometimes flowers. and I am happy with those (I sill have my set of 28 pan set paints from white nights - but I don't use them anymore). the moment, I would like to add some more colours, would really be, the moment, I would take on more flower paintings. I thing, colours are more fun, with flowers. although I mix a lot, I bet, I wouldn't resist to get some more pans or tubes. :-) a little bit it is like the feeling one gets with swatching colours. it is a bit addictive :-). but, when I do landscapes, seascapes, an even some (rudimentary beginner) city scapes, the more colour, the more confusing it is for me. plus, I always get so excited, when I get mixes right. I enjoy that (now - that I have learned some basics for mixing blues, greens, grays and browns) I have a feeling, that is in a way normal. not sure, what that even means :-D 'normal' in painting hahaha. does that even exist? still, I think, it makes sense in a way, that one want more colour selection for a particular kind of art

[@rutvigo5915]

Last winter it was very rainy and at home we have a lot of humidity, when I opened my two boxes of watercolor Schmincke they were all full of mold and I desperately had to throw them away. This winter again I have had some watercolors codman cry and cry I had no tears left ... then I thought that happened so that I would have the opportunity to buy new watercolors of a better quality. I was watching your videos and wanted you to advise me what to do .... I want to buy watercolors in tubes and not in pills because, even though I hope the problem in my house is resolved this year, I think that the humidity and mold would not reach the paint if it is tube. I am desperate. What painting advises me to be good and more professional, I am a grandmother who has painted and drawn my whole life. I am not a professional but I would like a good quality and a little economical painting. TODA RABA. El invierno pasado fui muy lluvioso y en casa tenemos bastante humedad ,al abrir mis dos cajas de acuarela Schmincke estaban todas llenas de moho y desesperadamente tuve que tirarlas a la basura.Esta invierno otra vez me ha pasado con unas acuarelas codman.llore y llore que no me quedaban lagrimas....luego pense que eso paso para que tenga ocasion de comprar unas nuevas acuarelas y de una calidad mejor. estuve viendo sus videos y queria que me aconsejara que hacer....quiero comprar acuarelas en tubo y no en pastillas porque,aun que espero que el problema en mi casa se salucione este ano, creo que la humedad y el moho no llegara a la pintura si es de tubo. Desesperada estoy .que pintura me aconseja que sea buena y mas profesional, soy una abuela que toda la vida ha pintado y dibujado no soy una profesional pero me gustaria una pintura de buena calidad y un poco economica. toda raba.

[@iritlandgraf]

I'm sorry Rut, I really don't have answers to that, but I do think tubes are the way to go, just squeezing a little paint at a time. Maybe Google can help!

[@rutvigo5915]

@@iritlandgraf תודה רבה

[@labaccident2010]

I live in Houston, Texas in a humid drafty house, and I use the Michelle airtight palettes and put silica desiccant packets in my palettes to deal with any extra humidity. It works really well! Using the desiccant packets, for me, is important because otherwise my palettes would mold and I would have issues with some of my m graham and mission gold watercolors not quite drying. I got my desiccant packets on amazon, and my palettes too.

[@greekveteran2715]

Why nobody uses Raphael/Isabey and Da Vinci brushes,when those are by far the best?! I guess its the same with paints,it's all because of marketing.

[@iritlandgraf]

Interesting! I think for me personally Da Vinci are a bit expensive and the shapes and sizes are not always a good fit but they have recently come out with all kinds of fun sets (more trendy like urban sketching and lettering geared...) that look very tempting!

[@XtianApi]

4 minutes before the video start. That's a bit hard to handle. But thank you

[@iritlandgraf]

There's a time stamp in the info section as well as a written summary of the video contents.

[@XtianApi]

@@iritlandgraf sorry you are right.

[@nope4454]

I have seen people have white nights tubes recently. I think they started selling tube watercolors for those who dont like the full pans

[@iritlandgraf]

Correct! A very welcome addition to their range. I think in my local shop they only carry the full pans and sets, but online it's much easier to find the tubes.

[@BrendasArt]

for the top best quality paints is schmincke horadem and Daniel Smith. nothing else competes with them. they are very matched up with each other. for me personally I do prefer by now Daniel Smith a bit more because I don't like schmincke overall attitude towards customers. service is lacking when I ask where new products are available. besides that I had a pan olive green that wasn't okay. I don't know what was wrong with it but it seems a binder issue. I contacted schmincke and even sent pictures of what the paint did but they blamed it on my skills. I went to my local art supply shop and they tested it for me and confirmed something is wrong with my pan. they contacted schmincke as well and I did for the second time and with all that effort they send me a new pan for replacement. too much effort to get customer service when something is wrong with their products. but from both brands 1 pan last a long time.

[@iritlandgraf]

I've had a few duds from DS and never a problem with Schmincke. A good store will usually simply replace the paint and deal with the manufacturer themselves. Sorry you got a bad pam, no fun.

[@BrendasArt]

@@iritlandgraf unfortunately I had to kinda deal with it myself because I ordered a set with that olive green included the set from a german online shop. but it should not be such a hustle as we pay a good amount of money for their paints and if something is wrong we just should get a replacement without hustling and discussion about it and they did debate me. so for their lack of customer service I rather go to the brand Daniel Smith. they seem more humble to me so far. I must say most art supply brands don't give replacement easy but if you proof with images and explain in detail what happened... it should not be a problem. overal they just don't seem to care.

[@iritlandgraf]

Sorry you've had that experience. I've had good experience with Schmincke, they send some samples of their new paints to me and other people to try out and as I've said, never had a dud. So to me it actually seems like they do care. DS came out with their half pans set in a palette that is practically unusable, which I think should have been recalled, so from my own personal experience every brand can make mistakes, and different people have different experiences. Having a good physical store does have its advantages at times, although I mostly buy online. Again, sorry you've had a bad experience.

[@hiltsyartnstuff1142]

Why do you need vegan paint? I'm not sure I understand, I don't think I have eaten my paint since I was about 5 lol. Seriously though I'm not trying to be mean or anything I'm not even sure I know the difference between vegan and non-vegan paint.

[@iritlandgraf]

Veganism is not a diet, it's a moral standpoint that aims to reduce the exploitation of animals as much as possible. Vegan paint and brushes do not contain animal products, meaning materials that come from animals, like hair, ox gall (taken from gallbladders of cows) and honey or wax. Same goes to other products. No one eats their leather shoes or jacket, but vegans do not purchase them because they come from animal exploitation. I hope that clears things up!

[@hiltsyartnstuff1142]

@@iritlandgraf - Thank you, it does clear it up.

[@LightshamanaDhyana]

@@iritlandgraf well it is nice, but plants are also living beings. I never could understand why is important to not exploit animals but do so with plants ( or with inorganic materials).

[@nerdnam]

Bad captions. This is not Vietnamese.

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

VanGoth hasnt made it to my top ten...and never will. Gave them to my great granddaughter. Either did Rembrandt. Daniel Smith, m.graham, da vinci and then there is a triple tie for different reasons and uses for fourth place.sennelier, schminke, Qor, ....fifth ...tied again white nights ,mission gold, maimariblu, old holland....and Windsor Newton floats between places in 4th place depending on particular color. Not that anybody needs the number of brands / watercolors i have. Trying to buy happiness I guess...

[@nafordebi]

i love your videos i am a little behind lol

[@nafordebi]

can you explain why paint not being vegan would have an effect? ur not eating it no animals are killed right?

[@iritlandgraf]

Vegans do not use any products that contain animal derived products. Eating plant based food is one part of it, a major part because that is the biggest industry, but we also do not wear leather, buy down blankets and so on. Some paints contain ox gall which comes from cows gallbladder. Other paints may contain honey, very popular ingredient as it prevents the paint from drying and is anti bacterial. Honey is more controversial as we do not force bees to produce it, but it is still their food and mass production has had serious implications on our eco system, very easy to find if you google it. Since there are amazing brands that are vegan friendly, I see no reason to buy paint that contains animal derived products. Hope that helps clarify😃

[@nafordebi]

my family is so sick of hearing about art supplies

[@iritlandgraf]

Lol!

[@marsbeads]

cheap = low quality. inexpensive = low price

[@iritlandgraf]

That's your connotation.

[@marsbeads]

@@iritlandgraf Yes, it is.

[@Bro-Brah]

Should watermark Vegan across your video. Help people not to waste their time if it is not the number 1 consideration like yours.

[@iritlandgraf]

If it were my number one consideration I wouldn't have included non vegan brands in the ratings. I also chose based on price, availability, location, color range, formula, painting preference, painting style, ethical sourcing of pigments (hopefully), range of products such as specialty sets. When choosing ones paint and searching for recommendations there's always a personal bias because every artist has different preferences. The good reviews explain why they like or don't like a certain product so that the viewer can decide for themselves. Daniel Smith is the top choice of numerous artists, most of them not vegan.