Viridian Watercolor Comparison Pigment PG18 - Painting With M. Graham For Color Separating Mixtures

[@waymire01]

The paper issue is very true. I recently did an extensive study of over 40 different types of watercolor paper and learned sizing is everything. Every single brand and finish is different. You simply cannot tell what a paint is going to do on a paper until you try it, and if it's not doing what you want the paper is just as likely the issue as the paint. Most papers either lift or grab (glaze), it's basically impossible for them to do both well since they are opposite reactions. Texture also makes a big difference and you can't judge texture by the CP/HP/rough designation.. every brand has a different idea of what that means. I have HP papers in one brand that are the same texture as CP textures in another and vice versa. I also recently saw a comparison of burnt umber paints by a very well known YTer who used inferior paper to swatch them all out on.. and then good paper and the results were completely different.. different colors, textures, finishes, granulation, even transparency.. with exactly the same paint. Paper is the most important aspect in performance IMO. I don't have a ton of experience with granulation but it stands to reason it would perform better on a hard sized (lifting) paper because it would allow the paint to have the time to separate/clump before it dries.

[@KimberlyCrick]

There will be a lot of variances in performance of paints depending on your climate, with humidity being a big factor. I've also seen a fair bit of batch to batch variance within brands, so it's very possible that certain colors are better in one batch, weaker or smoother in another. *Amount of water you use and paper type also gives different results * I've been using M.Graham for over 6 years and on my 3rd tube it's still the strongest and most textural of all the watercolors I've tried. I believe that Lukas may add PG7 to their newer batches, as it performed just like PG7 not PG18. This is different from Lukas' older pans that had no salt reaction, but the new 2020+ tubes seem sadly fine in particle size.

[@marjoriebelt2842]

These videos are really helping me be more selective when I buy new colors and better able to predict and narrow down pigment choices when starting a new project. Thank you so much for being so thorough.

[@jewelsauls3103]

I had only every tried Daniel Smitgs Viridian. It's not that weak right out of the tube, but hard to rewet once dried. I wanted to make your dupe of Moonglow (which I love and have labeled "KC Moonglow"), so I ordered M Graham because of the honey. I started using it for green mixes and fell in love. It's so lovely! I started using it thanks to you!

[@jengoodwyn2715]

You are such an amazing artist! I enjoy your videos so much. Thank you! I learn so much from your channel.

[@MelanCholy2001]

I love viridian. I couldn't find much info about it on YT when I first started wc (Christmas 2020!) except this one video by an artist who is a total genius. It's a video called something like, why viridian is a necessary color (her video's about color values and she's just awesome). I finally got some decent tubes of M. Graham and am really impressed. The Schminke Viridian is what I have. I tried avoiding pg17 but ended up getting 2 versions of it (accidentally); phthalo green is an impressive mixer. I like the yellow shade better. But I like viridian more than 17 or 36; less of an eyesore and lower tinting strength so easier to mix. I'll have to try the M Graham! Thx for a great vid!

[@painterlypotts]

On your recommendation, I picked up a tube of M Graham's viridian. It's by far my favourite of the ones I've tried! I almost feel like I don't need a pg7 on my palette wtih it there, it's so rich.

[@KimberlyCrick]

I'm so glad to hear that! I too have been struggling with the debate "is a PG7 even necessary now?" but some may appreciate the lack of texture it provides in comparison to PG18. Happy painting :)

[@SketchWithBex]

Your videos are an incredible resource Kimberly, informative and thorough. I've learned so much since finding your channel. Thanks a bunch!

[@starr-starr]

I have the Schmincke, and haven’t had any problem with rewetting. It does makes such lovely mixes. Great tip about mixing the color on the palette first though.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Schmincke is definitely one of the better options, especially if you don't live in a really dry climate. Some people have mentioned some difficulty re-wetting it depending on the local humidity, but the color itself is really nice and it's one of the better granulating options. Definitely suitable for making all sorts of lovely color separating mixtures :)

[@gargisondhi1640]

Your information and work is soo good. Why are you so underrated 😭 much love from India ❤️

[@joshuatrevino4743]

Viridian is one of my favorite colors, a go-to green for me. I also love the M. Graham, it has such great characteristics overall. I had not seen the Roman Szmal version though, I might just have to check that out and see how I like it! Thank you for showing that swatch, and your tip about pre-mixing in a side dish before painting! It seems like such a logical tip, but easy to forget. Gorgeous artwork and great video as always. Thanks for sharing!

[@BB-nz5sk]

I can never get over how you do not have 100K+ subs! You give so much info!! And you seem so down to earth! Thank you!!!

[@KimberlyCrick]

Thank you for your sweet comment, I appreciate the support! Happy painting :)

[@danielleb.7055]

Thank you for all of your videos. They are always informative and interesting as the topics you talk about aren't really put out there by most people. I'm not sure how I found you but I'm so glad that I did. Great video as always. Have a wonderful night!

[@KimberlyCrick]

I appreciate that! I figure my videos are a great place for me to unload some of the things I've learned that may be helpful to other artists. I'm so glad that I've been able to reach other people who appreciate the more technical side of knowing pigment properties. Thank you for your thoughtful comment, happy painting :)

[@hershelroswell]

thank you so much for this video, kimberly!! i've been wanting to get a viridian for ages because i love testing out colour-separating mixes, but i have a lot of high tinting strength colours on my palette and didn't want it to have to fight with them too much. this is super useful and an absolute lifesaver :D

[@ciannacoleman5125]

I've been using watercolor for over 15 years but videos like yours make me realize how little I've learned about it. I've always used a relatively limited palette (12-15 colors) and am only just learning about pigments, granulation, additional binders like honey, etc. I only grasped maybe half of your information but thank you so much for going into so much detail to help with my continued education!

[@barbararichards7202]

I love to watch you work, you really are a superb artist

[@TouchoftheClouds]

I love your painting - it's my favourite so far. Thank you for making videos comparing pigments & brands like this - so helpful. Your database is invaluable also, and has saved me a lot of money!

[@hannahthufvesson]

Thank you! I'm surprised by the color payoff of your Roman Szmal Viridian, mine is much, much weaker. And my Daniel Smith one seems more granulating than yours, but will definitely switch to M. Graham next!

[@KimberlyCrick]

I have a feeling there are some batch to batch differences within brands as well as some level of local humidity changing the ease of color payoff. I will say though that I've been using MGraham's for over 6 years and each tube has consistently given me the deepest valued green with the most granulation, so I'm pretty hopeful it will be that way for everyone :) Thank you for letting me know your experience!

[@hannahthufvesson]

@@KimberlyCrick Thank you for answering! And yes, that is probably it. I'm excited to try the M. Graham version now! I feel very optimistic about the quality of their paint. Especially since I don't live in a very humid climate ☺️

[@djhadaverde]

Thank you so much for the good ideas, Queen of Pigments! ;)

[@TheGlitterCrayon]

This was a great video. I tried Viridian for the first time this past week and I'm upset I hadn't tried it sooner! I was never really a fan of phthalo green (PG7) as it was just too strong of a color for my taste, but kept it in my palette for mixing. Viridian is such a pleasant replacement! I'm excited to use it in future paintings! The M. Graham version looks lovely and has been added to my wishlist.

[@angelaw7963]

This is really wonderful. I hope you keep this series up!

[@fetabrown]

Love your thorough colour studies. Was just wondering about viridians, this is my dream come true.

[@MelkamMengued]

Kimberly....this is the BEST analysis of Viridian. Thanks so much. I just bought M Graham Viridian and will give it a try. I primarily paint landscapes... If you had to have ONE green in your palette, what would it be? And if you had TWO, what would they be? Looking forward to your response. Cheers.

[@nadeaner.cowley513]

Great Video!!! I ALWAYS GET SUPER EXCITED WHEN i see You uploaded a video!! Also in my opinion I find Da Vincis Viridian to rewet the best, apart from m Graham. I noticed in this video your M Graham Viridian moved a lot in water..the Viridian I have from M. Graham doesnt move at all-which is unlike M Graham, also the Viridian i have from M Graham barely granulates--whereas I find Da Vinci Viridian granulates a lot. Perhaps its the water where I live? Maybe I should try getting another tube of M Graham Viridian in case my tube is no good. Idk. Anyway, great video, thank you so much for sharing!! Much love.

[@KimberlyCrick]

M. Graham definitely suffers from certain hard water/minerals, so I use bottled water when I paint with them. I suspect that type of paper as well as how much you mix with water before painting really changes how this tricky pigment behaves. Several people have mentioned batch to batch variances. I haven't personally noticed this, as the past 3 tubes I've gotten have been the same, but of course there may have been an unusually fine particle ingredient in certain batches. I would definitely give it a try with different water, amounts of water and if you have any different types of papers before giving up on the tube you have. Thank you for your kind comment, happy painting :)

[@AnimalArtbyTerraCotta]

I will never look at viridian the same! Thank you for a journey in pinks and purples! 🥰Cheryl

[@arcuda2001]

love your videos!! they're so incredibly helpful !! i'm also a happy customer , with your color theory stamps and supplies that i bought! thanks again!! (i'm norakag )...

[@jillwiswall5386]

Wonderful video and your crane painting is gorgeous!!!!! Thanks for the closer look at many different brands. I adore viridian in mixes.

[@MirandaWatsonArt]

I really love the mixes you made with the Veridian. I have a few brands of "real" viridian, and a few with the Phthalo Green. I like them both - just depends on the brightness level I'm trying to achieve.

[@sambabird7]

Beautiful painting! I absolutely love those colors!

[@sandjune2753]

Kim, I am a little confused. so in the end picture you used M graham Viridian and White Nights magenta PR122 , is that correct and Daniel Smith PB29 ?

[@lindsayjayne2169]

I recently purchased a small tube of viridian from Schmincke (although it hasn't arrived yet) and I do plan to dry some in a half-pan. So I'll update on how it rewets! Thankyou for sharing your wonderful videos, Kimberly!!🙏🏻

[@windywednesday4166]

Oh my, what a beautiful color! I saw you mentioned this on another video. Maybe it was in the comments. I grabbed a handy pallet where the paints didn't have any pigment information and picked out the colors that looked like Viridian and PR122 and mixed them. I was so astonished by the results! It's taken me a few months of watching videos and studying pigment information and different names companies called different things, but I think I've earned a couple of new tubes of paint. Cheers. Do you have a name for your new color? Maybe Kimberly's Nebula green, or celestial blue ❤

[@amberzartwork1466]

Love the detail you went into here! My partner surprised me with a gift of a small DS Viridian tube last week, so I've been playing around with it and looking forward to creating more colour separation mixes. I just love mixing paint even when I'm not painting, you know, actual artwork.

[@suel4269]

Thanks for reminding me that I already have Winsor Veridian and forget to use it. I didn’t have it swatched so I did that today. It looks a lot like my Winsor Green Blue Shade.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Yeah, Phthalo Green Blue Shade PG7 is nearly identical in color, but they behave a lot differently in mixtures since Viridian PG18 granulates. I hope you have fun using the Viridian in some color separating mixtures! Happy painting :)

[@waymire01]

Although I'm terribly fond of my transparent pigments I'm considering buying some of the base granulators for backgrounds... could you possibly provide some info on how best to combine the ones you recommend on your website with other colors? Not to mimic a known convenience color.. but to create your own? What characteristics do we look at in the other shades to "play" with the granulator and get that separation?

[@KimberlyCrick]

In the video I briefly mentioned my main method of determining which colors to mix, by trying ones that have dramatic salt reaction with those that don't. Of course you can just play with mixing granulating colors with everything else on your palette. I'm currently working through intermixing colors I've found to be the most lightfast and versatile for color mixing (starting with basic primary colors). This is how I ended up making mixtures using viridian paired with py150 nickel azo yellow for the color separating leaf greens, and my main primary magenta pr122 for the demonstration painting. This PR122+PG18 combo is not a replica of a brand mixture, but rather just a result of experimenting with my favorite colors. I've noticed that Schmincke's granulating paints rely on heavy texture and less color separation, for me it's more enjoyable to work with colors that are smooth paired with one that is heavily granulating.

[@waymire01]

@@KimberlyCrick So this is what I'm seeing.. please correct me if I'm wrong. Non granulating staining colors such as quins/azo/phthalo provide background color. Granulators provide the broken patches that separate. Multiple granulators provide multiple individually colored patches that separate leaving a pale or paper white background.... unless mixed with the above staining colors.

[@KimberlyCrick]

@@waymire01 That sounds right! Sometimes two granulating colors just clump really close to each other, so very little color separation is seen. So I prefer to mix those non-granulating colors like quin/phthalo with a heavily granulating color ultramarine/pbk11/pbr11 for a more dramatic mixture.

[@reneaclark7689]

I have been wanting to try a viridian, m graham it is!

[@TheSeductiveDaisy]

Your videos are so useful! Thank you for your hard work!

[@mariram]

I wanted to get Roman Szmal but all the swatches I have seen on the web were weak. So, I ended up with a tube from W&N. It granulates nicely. I didn't pour it in a pan, just premix right before painting.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Interesting, I do wonder if I got a particularly good batch of Roman Szmal. On the bright side my MGraham has been consistently strong over a few tubes the past 6 years, so I'm pretty confident it's a good option for PG18. I had a really terrible time re-wetting the sample I have from W&N, but I realize this dramatically varies by local humidity and time of year and possibly batch to batch. Hopefully if anyone is struggling with a hard to re-wet option, the honey or glycerine trick will help them make most brands work well no matter their location :)

[@KRCanetti]

Great info again. I have several viridians and I wanted to try them for mixing - indeed - a lightfast moonglow. I'm sure I don't have M. Graham, because I have not one of that brand so I hope R. Szmal or one of the others will do the trick. Thanks for the insightful video illustrated with the beautiful painting.

[@schuhujin5019]

Thank you for all your Information, Kim. There is always something new to me, as to mix honey to the colors. I love other channels with pigment information as well such as Otos and Denises, but I love the special sights of all of you. For virididan, I lately purchased a tube, for its granulation purposes, but I have not much experience yet. I love phthalos for their intensities, but I thought it might be useful to have similar colors in a granulating and an ungranulating version. We shall see.

[@NanaBeth1]

Ordered the M Graham Viridian & Burnt Sienna while I was at it. Looks glorious! Worked very hard to convince myself that since they use blueberry honey it means someone takes very good care of their bees!

[@benspeeds]

I've used schminke and m Graham viridian and both rewet well. M Graham has the strongest pigment load of any manufacturer regardless of color. There's just soooo much crammed in there it's hard to believe. I'm going to have to try the glycerin in my cobalt green light from Daniel Smith. It definitely gets as hard as a rock. Thanks for the info.

[@FaerieDust]

Super useful comparison, as always! I don't have a viridian yet, but it's one of the pigments I've wanted for a while. It's such a pretty mixer. I'll try the M Graham when I can buy paints again, I think. I always forget to say, but I love the demo artwork!

[@selinamularz9194]

I have the daniel smith viridian and it's pretty disappointing because it's so hard to re-wet. I'm going to try the one from M Graham now lol

[@miwagardner1353]

M.Graham is lovely o agree! I do use Daniel smith too!

[@danazaruba268]

Hi Kim. Thanks for this latest video. I just bought a tube of viridian by Sennelier ( vert emmeraude) because on your pigment database I didn't like how pale the W&N was and in my local art shop, they really don't have a good selection of Schminke or others. What I find most difficult is getting my mixes to separate on the paper when I try to do a Moonglow type blend with Sennelier 209 and PB29 French ultramarine by Sennelier. I'm guessing much has to do with the paper, how rough it is etc. I use Canson XL cellulose primarily. Not the highest quality, granted but Arches is so expensive. I'm having fun playing and my collection of single pigments is really well rounded thanks to your advice.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Sennelier is a great brand for smooth paints, but not for granulating ones. Their Viridian is a mixture using both PG18 with PG7 so it doesn't provide the texture of single pigment viridian. Their French Ultramarine is much smoother than Schmincke or White Nights and is also a mixture including PV15. Sennelier's PR209 is quite good for this mix though. I would try mixing the red and french ultramarine together first and seeing if those two alone give you good color separation. If yes, the only thing you need to change is the green. Hope that helps :)

[@danazaruba268]

@@KimberlyCrick hi. It's crazy but I didn't turn the tubes far enough to look at the pigment codes and only now see that the two I bought are exactly as you say. What a silly mistake. Still, they're gorgeous colours anyway and I've already used them. The viridian really makes amazing violets with PR122 and deeper tones with permanent mauve. yum. I'll try to blend of my other pure PB29 (Van Gogh pan set) with the PR209 and see if it separates. I have a just a touch left of my Van Gogh viridian so will experiment with that too. Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@wusaMedusa]

Viridian is one of my favorite colors on my Schmincke palette. I sadly dont have PG18 from any other brand, M.Graham is just so hard to get here, but I adore their paints as well. Might be worth looking into.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Schmincke definitely makes one of the best granulating options, it's just hit or miss if it's hard to re-wet depending on the humidity in your climate. Schmincke's Viridian is really nice for these kinds of color separating mixtures. Happy painting :)

[@jennw6809]

I recently poured a palette with Schmincke viridian, and I added quite a bit of glycerine - it rewets fine, but I will definitely go for the M. Graham next time. It does have low tinting strength, but not unreasonably so, just like other nice pigments such as cerulean. The OG Phthalo green!

[@bethbloomer5951]

Viridian is a staple for me as well. M. Graham is the only brand I dont have issues with rewetting, but I often keep colors suspended in water in small, stackable/coverable ceramic bowls, and add water or paint as it is used or as it dehydrates. I very much enjoy your pigment spotlight series, do you take requests? I would love your opinion on Scarlet Pyrole. It is such a weird color. In light washes it looks coral pink; masstone is a very warm orange. Thanks Kim! Happy weekend!

[@paintingtheskykingdom9005]

i wish you used winsor and newton in your trials, since that is what I have the most of. Oh well, still interesting to see.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Unfortunately, the one sample I had for W&N Viridian was so hard to re-wet that I could barely get any color from it. I've heard that they have been changing things lately to work better from dry, but I haven't invested in new stock to know if it's better than how difficult it was to work with before. The pre-made pans or fresh from the tube should work similarly to the other brands like Daniel Smith or DaVinci though.

[@xyz7572]

Your website and videos have completely sold me on Viridian! I’ve never been much of a green-user when it comes to watercolour, but I’m definitely going to buy a big tube of Viridian next time I shop for art supplies 😌 Ps: have you tried Schmincke’s Viridian, and what do you think about it? Schmincke is one of the few brands available in my country 😬 Do you think it’s good for making colour separating mixes like Moonglow?

[@KimberlyCrick]

Schmincke makes really nice paints, their viridian is very similar to Daniel Smith's - slightly lighter in value and smoother in texture than the MGraham version. You can definitely make lovely mixtures with it, and if you don't mind going a little darker PG26 Cobalt Green Deep is easier to re-wet in any brand. Both make really beautiful color separating mixtures. Happy painting :)

[@Christine_R]

I only had a half pan by Schmincke and it was more difficult to rewet. I prefer Phthalo Green (BS) for that reason.. I would still try the Lukas Viridian and try that one (it's easier to get a tube of it in Europe).

[@dannychen1064]

I've been staying away from Viridian because it's notoriously hard to rewet, especially the Winsor and DS one. But your video got me interested in this granulating paint again. M.Graham's looks so nice! unfortunately it's a series 3 from them so it's expensive here. Not sure if I will include it into my palette.

[@waymire01]

Do you know a source for WN potters pink in a pan? I can't find it anywhere. Neither Blick or Jerry's are selling it and Jacksons says they won't sell WN to the US because of contractual issues.

[@jenneke9763]

I have both the DaVinci and m. Graham Virginians and have enjoyed both. I will have to try premixing them with other pigments as per your recommendations! Btw, I also have ds moon glow and, wow, was I ever disappointed with that investment!

[@azpartam3566]

wow just discovered ur pigment comparison videos and I am subscribed! :D u will get a lot of views

[@tv-bb6vg]

Thank you !! I only have PG18 Viridian by Schmincke (tube). I don't find it that hard to rewet (certainly way easier than Terre verte PG23 by Maimeru Blu for example), it does granulate well I find but it's hard to compare to your swatches, and though not as intense as what your M Graham seems to be, I don't find it too weak. I actually happen to like its more subdued tone. But now I'd love to try a more intense Viridian....(aargh...)

[@KimberlyCrick]

Schmincke has a really lovely version, quite good with texture, but some people have a hard time re-wetting it compared to their other colors. Though in comparison to PG23 in any brand - nothing is as hard to rewet as that. I'm actually shocked PG23 is offered as a pigment anymore because of how hard it is to deal with!

[@tv-bb6vg]

@@KimberlyCrick (FYI I've left a comment under your Emooqi video regarding, I don't know whether you check everything, but I thought you should know Amazon (or the seller) shows your video)

[@KimberlyCrick]

@@tv-bb6vg Thank you!

[@wyntube07]

try turners viridian. its a bit darker than RS and DS and it granulates very nicely. Do you have any experience with PR122 vs. PR202 and how they differ when mixing with PG18?

[@reneechelsawatercolors]

Viridian has also become indispensable to me. Pthalo green is so vibrant, but viridian has a more luminous quality in my opinion. I particularly love mixing with ultramarine Violet for a lovely teal grey color.

[@waymire01]

My only experience with viridian was with WN cotman in my very first watercolor palette.. I hated it so very much. Then I got one in a Van Gogh palette which was fine, only to discover the reason is that it was actually PG7. So I went for PG7 for a green mixer ever since. I can totally see the value in a granulating version of it though.

[@amyr.862]

Cotman's is PG7 as well. I was paint shopping and saw that. Pthalos are cheap swaps for greens and blues in a number of lines. From what I've seen they don't look any different either unless they add white.

[@waymire01]

@@amyr.862 Ah.. so it's just another example of Cotman generally being awful then.

[@marilynbrown3194]

Love your videos. I have question, though. I watched this over a couple of times to understand the relationship between salt reaction and separating pigments. Do you think you can explain it here. I think I need to read it to understand it. Thank you soooo much.

[@KimberlyCrick]

No problem, salt produces a notable reaction in light or small particle pigments. It will not move heavy or larger particle pigments. Because of this there's a snowflake-like pattern in smooth colors like PR177 (and similar smooth pigment reds/quins/phthalos etc) and no reaction in heavy or granulating pigments like Viridian, Ultramarine Blue (and similar cobalts, heavy earth browns, black iron oxides etc.)... For pre-made color separating mixtures like DaVinci's Artemis / Daniel Smith's Moonglow this means that salt will move only one part of the mixture (PR177) and leave the blue-green (PB29/PG18) behind. This salt reaction produces a very visible two+ color separation that may have not been very apparent in a tiny swatch (usually only visible with a lot of water in a bigger, less controlled gradient wash). Hope that helps :)

[@windywednesday4166]

​@KimberlyCrick Well, it sure helped me. Then you can mix and match the colors that granulate with those that don't. Very interesting. I suppose that could be why one could get a better result with granulation if they put a little salt in their water... ❤

[@drawholicart]

Just wow. This one is also good

[@drawholicart]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqK5q4yKYpepic0

[@achyif1]

wonderfully informative as always!

[@danielesainidesign]

Hi I got the Rembrandt before watching this video is it that weak? it's still shipping I couldn't try it yet, maybe I can ask a change

[@Shesvii]

This made me realize my Roman Szmal viridian is weird. Gritty, chunky, dry and pale. It doesn't colour in any way, it's just water and chunks of dry pigment that haven't been dissolved. Also my Rembrandt's viridian is very pigmented and not weak at all, it doesn't look like yours. Mine is a pan, not a tube though.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Very interesting. I have a few samples of Rembrandt, two pans and a tube and all were so pale and hard to re-wet that I felt there was no reason to use all three in the video. I have heard others mention their Rembrandt wasn't as bad too, so I can only guess that sometimes they put a decent batch out - it just wasn't any of the 3 times I've tried them over the years. Same with Roman Szmal then, as several people said they had a weird pale one too - bad batch? Just to be sure, did you remove the top layer of this pan because sometimes RSzmal has that waxy layer from their sticker labels on top. What a bummer that so many companies seem to be putting out fluctuating quality!

[@LisaSandboge]

Very nice video, thanks! I read somewhere that all viridians on the market has some phthalo mixed in to give a better and more stable color. Do you know if this is true? Maybe that's the reason why some are granulating and some have almost no granulation at all, like Lukas?

[@KimberlyCrick]

I definitely believe that some cheaper companies are putting undisclosed PG7 into their viridian paints, especially ones like lukas. Many “viridian” named colors that don’t have the pig code pg18 written are just hues made of pg7 because its a cheaper chemical. Student grade paints seem more prone to that. While I don’t have the tools to chemically fact check that speculation, I’d be a little surprised if many of the reputable professional brands were including undisclosed secondary pigments, since its chemically a very different structure than viridian and would be frowned upon for not labeling it pg18, pg7 in that case.

[@Llamanescent]

I've only tried qor's version since it came in a set, and I wasn't really impressed with it. It is pretty weak and seems even weaker after drying it. I would like to try M. Graham's at some point.

[@cazumbandoartmaddy1728]

Hello Kim! I've seen your videos and it just cements my love for pg18. I ended up buying, back in March, a tube of W&N's viridian gouache and it finally arrived. I think it is a nice, budget friendly version compared to watercolors, and it's PG18. Have you tried it? I swatched it on cellulose paper, and compared to Rembrandt's viridian. I feel like it's even better, since the particles of gouache are supposed to be bigger, less finely milled than watercolor. Has a lovely granulation!

[@KimberlyCrick]

I haven't tried that yet, but Viridian gouache definitely sounds like a fun thing to experiment with mixing in with watercolors. Thank you for sharing this idea! :)

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

So informative - thank you so much.

[@LunaBianca1805]

I have Schmincke's version on my palette. It's notably (and understandably so) weaker than the Phthalos and Quins on it, but I really enjoy it's more muted tone and softer granulation. Also, never really had trouble with rewetting, but that's maybe dur to my tendency to prep my pans with a drop of water anyway and maybe because I'm basically from the same area as the manufacturer, so the formula might just suit my climate here ;)

[@waymire01]

I've wondered about that in the past.. if the climate where the paint is produced influences the formula used to create it. It would make sense since their in house testing would be very different in pacific NW US or the UK (temperate and humid) for example than desert SW US (hot and dry) or equatorial areas (hot and humid). I live in the central US which is quite dry and M.Graham for example stays sticky but sets up just fine in only a couple of days.. I've heard reports from other areas of it taking weeks to set up and/or not at all, or even molding. On the other hand I get extreme shrinkage from Daniel Smith which is made in a much more humid area than I am. Watercolor is so touchy literally everything affects it.

[@LunaBianca1805]

@@waymire01 That'll surely make sense. Guess companies would refine their recipes so they get the best performance for the markets they are predominantly sold in. Especially if it's more traditional companies that started manufacturing their paints literal ages ago. It'll totally make sense for Schmincke to tailor their paints to our German climate here, which is definitely quite moderate with decent humidity levels and mild temperatures. So it'll only be logical that I here in Germany would have less trouble with rewetting and such than one someone that lives in more arid or simply warmer climates :)

[@HemuArtWorld]

It's awesome and great job, stay safe and stay connected

[@FayeWulf]

I've been buying single pigment paints to make the new schmincke granulation paints that you've suggested ! I've been looking into virdian a lot because I've been loving them in the more earthy/green ones but I tried to be cheap and purchased a DS one instead and it doesn't texture as much :(

[@KimberlyCrick]

Bummer! On the bright side it should still lend some level of color separation in mixtures? Hopefully you'll find a good use for it, I've been having a lot of fun re-creating popular mixtures and finding new fun things like this Magenta combo :)

[@LauraCRiker]

Love this video. I clicked to see Kimberly Crick so quick..😂..sorry I'm a goof. 🤣. I learn a lot from your content. I so appreciate your hard work shared with us all.......off topic.......ANYONE ELSE SEE THE SCARY CAT FACE 👀 IN THE RIGHT SWATCH AT 5:04?????? Lol

[@amyr.862]

I bought a pan of Roman Szmal Viridian a month ago and it's hard to rewet. On its own it was paler than expected but works all right in mixes. My first hard to activate paint 😅 I wonder if it's just a stubborn top layer of paint that's the issue.

[@KimberlyCrick]

Could definitely be a factor. I have had some problems with the sticker insert they put on Roman Szmal's pans leaving a waxy residue embedded into the top layer of the paints. It could be that a minute with a drop of water on top could help soften it up. I've heard from several people now though that it looks like Roman Szmal has had some batch to batch variances and it could be that things have changed ingredients wise since I got mine.

[@amyr.862]

@@KimberlyCrick I'll have to let it sit longer with the water before I try it again. I'm used to a few minutes of waiting. I'll try 10 or 15 next time. Thanks!

[@beaast4249]

I first bought PG18 from QOR and was not very impressed. Then I bought M. Grahams one, and mine doesn‘t have that much granulation than yours. I think the granulation depends on the particle size and probably this varies from batch to batch?

[@KimberlyCrick]

Probably, there seems to be a lot of varying reports for each brand. I'm a little surprised about MGraham though, as this is my 3rd tube over the past 6 years and each one from them has been pretty similar for me. I have to wonder if some of the variances also has to do with individual artist things including local humidity, amount of water used and paper that best demonstrates granulation texture. Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@chedoodles]

this is the kind of green that I like having on my pallete. I like to mix my green but violets doe😤

[@mischka_baerchen]

Have you tried the brand maimeri blu? Are their watercolors any good?

[@KimberlyCrick]

I love their Potter's Pink and Mars Brown. Like most brands, they have a handful of rare or exclusive colors, some they do really well and some colors to avoid. You can see my swatch card images and recommended pigment list for MaimeriBlu at www.kimcrick.com/pages/maimeri-blu-watercolor-and-gouache-review-lightfast-testing-and-color-chart-swatch-cards

[@mischka_baerchen]

@@KimberlyCrick thank you!

[@portaminast7265]

Kimberly, un your opinion which brand la the BEST in quality-price relation?

[@KimberlyCrick]

It really depends on how affordable these are in your area/shipping rates for certain online sellers. If you can get it for under $15 USD, M.Graham's is really nice and the tube will fill a few full pans making it pretty affordable as a tube in comparison to pre-made pan brands. Schmincke really has a great quality one, but it's more affordable in Germany compared to how much it costs after being imported to the USA. If you live in a humid climate and re-wet has never been much of a problem, Roman Szmal or any brand other than Lukas may be a totally acceptable option.

[@portaminast7265]

@@KimberlyCrick thanks you so much

[@OlifOks]

💚

[@alexehrhardt1104]

Viridian is one of my absolute favorite watercolors! I have Daniel Smith's version, and it is difficult to rewet, but I add a little glycerine or honey when I put it in a pan so that it's easier.

[@cherryhuang8028]

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