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Watercolor Brand Comparison - The RESULTS will surprise you!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video my friend, Sunny, and I try SIX different major brand watercolours and rate them from best to worst. Our answers might surprise you-- they surprised me! Which is your favourite?
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Let's Connect!
•Website & Shop: lesliestroz.com
•Tiktok: tiktok/@lastroz
•Instagram: / lesliestroz
•Facebook: / lesliestrozart
•Patreon: / lesliestrozart
Thanks for visiting my channel!
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:56 The Brands
07:40 The Winners
13:06 Final Reactions (New Winner)
16:25 Bloopers & Outtakes
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Items in this video:
US:
Daniel Smith: a.co/d/aHT0xBR
Winsor & Newton: a.co/d/j0ATY6r
M. Graham: a.co/d/0OaT8tD
Schmincke: a.co/d/hkM14TB
Sennelier: a.co/d/6ziCXt7
Koh-I-Noor Anilinky: a.co/d/eXTaOvS
UK/EU:
Daniel Smith: amzn.eu/d/07j6l83T
Winsor & Newton: amzn.eu/d/01BPHvP8
M. Graham: amzn.eu/d/0b6AIi15
Schmincke: amzn.eu/d/0hJszfI8
Sennelier: amzn.eu/d/05f2jNIM
Koh-I-Noor Anilinky: amzn.eu/d/06MtUB2D
"The best watercolor is the one that you already have."
Words of wisdom. ❤️
Saves money too! 😄
@LeslieStroz Also true! 😂
@@izzyg8316 that wasnt true for me until I had Daniel Smith, Davinci, Holbein, sennelier….etc
I pick and choose favourites from many different brands. QOR has the most amazing Quinacridone Magenta! Old Holland has the absolute best Dioxazine Mauve! And Old Holland creates the most amazingly smooth graduated washes of all the brands I have tried. Holbein's Cerulean blue is a favourite, and their single-pigment Marine Blue (PB16). Can you tell I am a nerd? I have a favourite Sennelier...Rose Madder Lake! Thanks for the video!
Oooh you’ve given me some fun colours to dream about! That Holbein Cerulean sounds divine! Thanks for the colour suggestions. 😊
Hello Leslie, I was happy to watch your video. Very intressting I think for a perfekt comparison you should paint the same picture with every different brand .I started with a small tin of schmincke then I carried on buying new colours wit the more expensive schmincke paint. What I also think is very important is the paper that you paint on . Or if you weten the paper before painting. Or if you paint on dry paper. ( I watched an Australien artist on TH-cam and he wetens th back of his paper.
So what do you think of my paper theorie hot pressed,cold pressed, rouge,or smooth extra white etc.
That is a jungle of its own.
But I went to the community College to a aquarell painting course where we learned how to mix colours by the technik of Johannes Itten . So what do you think. Many greetings Christiane 😊😊❤
I never thought I would read a post like this and think..."yeah yeah I've got that too and I agree" yet here I am. Love love love the QOR Quin Magenta. Love it! Their Dioxine Purple is insanely strong lol. I really really love Sennelier....oh my.....so creamy. The one brand I don't own 1 iota of is schmicke and I look at their pallette every day and say "I'm gonna buy that tomorrow" but maybe I should get over it. I definitely don't need it but "need"...lol... I think it's just more money towards my paper pile so I appreciate the input.
I appear to have developed watercolitis - in a VERY short time I have accrued far too many watercolour paint sets! I’ve had Winsor and Newton from my days at art college in the early 70s. Recently took up my brushes once again after a 50 year break, and thanks to lots of very talented and helpful TH-camrs I now have acquired sets from Schminke (x3), Daniel Smith, Sennelier and another W&N!! I need to get a grip 😂
I am not one to judge! 😅 Which is your favourite?
I still love W&N. I think I’m emotionally attached to the brand as from the age of 18 when I started art college (and the original set still re-wets beautifully) they have been the only pigments I’ve used - until I discovered all you wonderful TH-camrs! I do like Schminke - like a magpie I’m attracted to all the bright colours! My husband fears this might take over from my handbag obsession (230 bags until I started selling them off recently- which to be fair has helped fund the pigment purchases 😂). I fell for the Schminke “floral” set as I paint mainly botanicals and I find them lovely - can’t I’ve experienced any of the “gumminess” you mentioned. Love watching your videos - keep up the excellent work!
@@mgeiser6951 We have parallel histories. I went to art school in the 1970s, moved to a different career, recently re=engaged with painting...and now have quite a few w/c palettes. W/N is my over-all favorite and go to, possibly because they make the best 24 half pan set. Cheers and happy painting!
You’re fine. No need to get a grip 😅
@@mgeiser6951try Davinci. I love WN too. And sennelier. And DS etc etc. schmincke is my least favorite of the professionals except I love their granulation series and a few others
Hi Leslie, I also found the watercolor paper is as important to me as the brand of paint to accomplish the out come I strive for..I also have several brands, Daniel Smith, Sennile, M Graham, Smnicke, & Windsor Newton. Each brand has a few favorite colors for my taste and many times I'll put multiple brands into a painting. Blessings.
I agree- paper is more important than paint brand. I don’t know why, but I never mix brands… I always worry that the different binders won’t play well together (a totally unfounded theory!). 😊
One can't go wrong with Arches paper but recently used Baohong 300gsm CP a Chinese paper and I love it, it's fantastic!
@@gerryclarke9795 agreed! Love Bahong cp paper!
Czech watercolours tested are produced by Koh-I-Noor, old European stationery & art materials manufacturer. Their products are affordable and of good quality. The set shown in the video is their inexpensive set for school children, can be applied on food (egg colouring), therefore it is dye-based. (Proper pigments may be toxic if swallowed or used on food.) Despite their initial glossy look and ease of application (which is required), dye-based paints will fade, so they should not be used for serious projects, where colour accuracy and lightfastness are needed. Koh-I-Noor has pigment-based, artist-quality watercolour paints as well.
There is no such thing as a toxic paint pigment. They put more cadmium, lead, mercury, etc in baby food than in paint. Nothing is toxic in the proper qualities. Yet, water can be toxic if to much
@@phillipstroll7385 I think you are in the wrong hobby.
Sennelier is my favorite. I heard it said, "you can't overwork Sennelier", and I feel that's true.
I’ll have to test that theory! 👩🏻🎨❤️
me too. really big win for me
Sennelier are my favourite too. Very smooth with the honey content, perfect for botanical painting on quality hot press paper. Just watch how Billy Showell paints. She is amazing.
@@LeslieStrozI hope for a video on that theory! What a fascinating idea… can’t overwork using Sennelier? Now I really am curious!
I started watercolour painting again in 2020 during the first lockdown in the UK having not painted for 40yrs. I signed up for a course and was sent a box of Motzart watercolours which i love. I also love my winsor and newton some of which are my mothers and over 40yrs old! I have recently tried a few Daniel Smith and i love them and will buy more. I love the heavily pigmented Japanese paints.
I've been using Watercolours since the early 70s when W&N was the only brand that was readily available...But through the years I have tried and purchased countless brands and keep going back to my favorites...My top favorite of recent years has been my Roman Szmal Watercolours...The range goes from stunning muted colours to the most gorgeous vibrant paints I have ever used! A recent close second has become my Rosa Gallery collection of paints! ...As far as my old stand by I absolutely love the Daniel Smith paints but can become like a kid in a Candy Shoppe with all of the choices they have to offer! Thank you for this great video!!! It was fun to see your comparisons! Blessings, Rus from Bucks County Pennsylvania....❤️🖌🎨🤓
I keep coming back to the Winsor&Newton too- they are like an old friend. I’ve not yet tried Roman Szmal, but maybe someday. I can’t get on with Rosa Gallery (I have a long video about that!). I prefer more transparent, single pigment colours and found them to be a bit too much like gouache without actually being gouache. Their colours are pretty though. It’s always fun to try different brands. This year I’m trying to use the ones I have and hold off on adding more (for awhile at least!). 👩🏻🎨
I’m a Daniel Smith person, I started with Winsor and Newton and then was given a set of sennellier which I really preferred , but I’ve moved over to Daniel smith gradually because I found the honey in the Sennellier gave me problems, I use tubes and the honey separated out, in the tubes but also in the pans when I filled them, also in a travel set, which I refill the pans, they never seemed to dry out to hard so things could get very messy. I don’t have a problem with vibrancy in Daniel Smith but I do use different primaries when choosing a palette depending on the subject, I find this makes huge difference. Loved the video 🤗
Of the three you mentioned I think the Daniel Smith are the easiest in travel palettes. The Winsor&Newton have a tendency to shrink and crack when putting them in pans, and Sennelier are lovely in the studio but don’t travel well because of the slow drying time. Mine are over ten years old and still wet! 😅
I was surprised that Holbein wasn’t on your list. I mostly paint with Daniel Smith (love the granulation) but my Holbein is my next favorite for the vibrancy. Thank you for your review.
I’ve never tried them. Maybe someday! 🤔🤗
@@LeslieStrozJackson's sells a Holbein starter set of 6 5ml tubes for around 16£. They are great to mix and you can get all sorts of colours out of this humble unassuming starter set. I highly recommend this set to get to know the brand without spending a lot.
Agree! They are way up there for me too
I love Holbein as well, although the pan set which I finally was able to get was a major disappointment!
@@Angie-pl3uw really?? I love mine. I find I reach for it always because rich colors. Did you get palm box?
Roman Szmal (Polish brand available from Jackson's) is my everyday best-friend pan paints. When I'm in a tube mood, I have a mixed-brand palette of Qor, Daniel Smith (both U.S.) and Isaro (Belgium). There's a box of ignored Winsor & Newton tubes from when I started with watercolors. My instructor preferred W&N and wanted us all to use them so we could achieve the same effects in a predictable way. But I've never liked the way they flow or even mix, so I use a tube only when I'm out of something else.
I haven’t tried Roman Szmal or QoR, but one thing this exercise showed me is that different brands have strengths for different styles. I’m glad you’ve found brands that work for you! 😊
@@LeslieStrozim from poland! Im painting with roman szmal watercolors every single day since 2023. I love aquarius paints so much!
Also I have all the brands you mentioned as well as Holbein and Rockwell. I noticed you said you like to make your own orange, so I must share this with you. I bought Windsor Orange and WOW. Mix it with any and all off your blues. You’ll get the most vibrant and assorted browns. ❤
Oooh I think I have it- I’ll try that. Thanks! ☺️
Thanks for that Winsor Orange and blues tip. I'll have to put that in my memory bank for future reference.
Also I have tried some Holbein watercolors and liked them very much. Only problem is Holbein products tend to be rather pricey; taxes and duties I suppose.
@@jesmarco374 I own one Pro W&N paint … Transport Orange: gorgeous
Schminke is my first ever expensive professional watercolor set and I loved everything about it. Windsor newton is great too. I recently got Daniel Smith watercolors as a gift. I need to explore them more before I can decide on my favorite among these three. But for now, Schminke is my most favorite.
I’d recommend trying a little side-by-side demo like this one to really get a sense of the various strengths and weaknesses. 😊
I was working with colored pencils after an operation. One day I saw a Daniel Smith zoom call with their ambassadors and immediately got online and ordered a bunch of paint. In the last year I’ve never tried anything else. I think I lucked out. One less decision to make!
They are a lovely brand and I can see why you are pleased with them. I use them for my tiny paintings and love them for that. 😊
I would always choose the cruelty free option, which in this case is Daniel Smith. I don’t see a need to harm animals for a slight difference in paint handling. Note that Daniel smith have a few cruel pigments that contain bone black. No animal part is a byproduct as some say; so to me, ox gall, made overwhelmingly with the parts of very young animals who suffer immensely, is a cruel product. Add to that that animal agriculture and the farming of cows is one of the main causes of deforstestion, algal blooms that go thousands of miles into the sea killing fish and into the rivers doing the same, and that limit biodiversity and according to many highly credible sources are the leading cause of climate change (beating the transport industry of planes, cars and such combined in co2 emmisons when you take into account everything associated with the industry).
If you want to paint cute animals and plants and all the things many of us like to paint perhaps consider this in choosing your art supplies. QOR and (depending on your source of information) Holbein are also cruelty free again avoiding bone black as a pigment.
I forgot to mention that honey isn’t a kind option either. Our world bees are in crisis and commercial honey is made by taking the honey from our pollinators and feeding them sugar syrup. Bees need honey to survive. Feeding the, sugar takes away so many nutrients and other properties of the food they were evolved to eat that it has been shown they get sick quicker and die sometimes in their droves. Leave the honey to the bees so they can pollinate the plants we all need to survive.
Years ago when I was teaching myself to paint I had the cheapest paints, paper, and brushes. I used them a lot. As I improved I bought my first “real” paints, the Cotman sketch set. I used it for years before moving into WN professional paints. I know that having cheap supplies helped free me up to practice and improve. I love trying different brands but WN is my favorite. Recently I’ve started using some Daniel Smith, I’m finding colors I really love to add to my regular palette.
Yes, I started with WN Cotman too. I loved them, though it was definitely a “revelation” when I got my first professional ones! Such vibrancy! 😅
I love this review! When I was asked to teach some watercolor workshops at a local library, they said they'd provide all the materials, so I wanted to find a curated palette of just a few colors and ended up with Da Vinci, being the best saturation, purest colors, transparency and at the best price point. We ended up with just four basic pigments: Hansa yellow lemon, Quin rose, Violet, Manganese blue hue. I added a thalo yellow green at the last minute.
Oh those are interesting colours! How did it go? 😊
Huge Da Vinci fan here! Also my Zecchi that I bought at the store in Florence, Italy. My big souvenir from a special trip.
@@LeslieStroz it went very well! I brought assorted leaves from plants in my yard, we had some simple fruit - pears, nectarines, blueberries - so people could self-select their subjects and levels of difficulty for the two hour workshops. We did some basic brush and color mixing exercises, and then set them to it. Those few colors gave them a full range to mix with without too many choices to confuse them.
I enjoy your videos! And I'm sure you've heard this many times, but your speaking voice is so soothing! I just love it. There, I said it. Have a splendid day.
Hi Leslie, gorgeous video. I've been searching for a brand to outshine WN too, and was teetering on the edge recently of deciding Schmincke might be it. But when I compiled a colour swatch folder of all the brands, I noticed repeatedly that, though other brands are sometimes brighter than WN in individual colours, WN achieves greater tonal variation within each colour. With the other brands, I would have to glaze a second layer to achieve the same dramatic dark tones - and work extra hard to gradate out to white paper (due to the over-enthusiastic spreading capacity of other brands). :-)
Thanks, Lisa! Yes, I found that the Winsor&Newton was much quicker at achieving the look I wanted. I’d probably say the same about the M Graham. It’s always nice when the colours go down the first time without needing a lot of fussing. 😊
Dyes are always nice colors. They fade since they are not lightfast. Same issue for people who love copic markers, they’re only good for sketches or for scanning digitally.
I often use multiple sets of paints when I work on a project because there are colours or effects that I can achieve with different brands. (I use M. Graham, W&N, Daniel Smith, Holbein, and sometimes even Van Gogh, which are the most economical as well as others.) However, the one paint set I tend to dip into the most is Roman Szmal. I don't know what it is but those paints just work for me and help me to achieve the results I want with the least effort. Like you, Leslie, my goal is almost always for realism - unless I'm just fooling around or practising things like colour combination bubbles. However, I do tend to 'save' my Roman Szmal paints for my more serious work. :)
Thanks for the tip. Many here have rated the Roman Szmal. I’ve promised myself to more fully explore the brands I already have before adding more, but they are now definitely on my wish list. 😊
@@LeslieStroz I made the same promise to myself some time ago - and promptly broke it. However, I now have so many palettes to choose from that It has been almost a year since I bought anything new. To be honest, I probably have enough paints to last the rest of my life - lol - Also, thank you for the great video! I have been reading all the comments and find them very interesting and helpful, too. I am so glad I found your channel! Warm regards.
I think I am the polar opposite or in a parallel art universe from most commenters.🤔 I really love Schmincke , M. Graham (best indanthrone blue),Michael Harding (so pigmented!), Roman Szmal,and Sennelier. To me, Winsor Newton is meh, except for a handful of colors. I have a lot of Daniel Smith, which is a great brand, but after the aggressive and deceptive way they handled the primatek controversy, I fell out of love with them. Which is too bad because I can get them 2 miles from my house. Still, it is interesting to see what other people use and enjoy. Thanks for the video!
Wow! I had NO idea about the Primatek controversy and have just gone down a research rabbit hole about it. As an artist who prefers single pigment colours for their mixing predictably I feel wholly dissatisfied with the Daniel Smith official response (on the Jackson’s website). I did wonder how they kept these colours consistent. I need time to digest all of this new information, but it is definitely a total turn off. I can’t help but feel deceived by the company and “gaslit” in their handling of legitimate concerns. Thanks for mentioning it! 🥴
I enjoyed that. Your M.Graham painting was great! Great color!
Thanks so much! 😊
Always fun to have TH-cam find me another person to follow. I loved the comment about what “you” have is the best. It’s good to get information to get started and then also fun to experiment with new and different colours and brands. Sennelier is one of the best bang for your buck professional paints. Larger tube and large amounts of pigment used versus binders. I love them. They perfom a bit differently than Winsor and Newton ( which I admit is use the most and so most comfortable with as I know what they will do), but the vibrancy and rewet ease are lovely. What’s really special is to go to Paris, go to the store and buy some! Monet shopped there too!!!! Thank you for this comparison. Going to watch some of your tiny painting videos now. I am intrigued. ❤
Out of the brands I own, my preference is for the honey based watercolors, Sennelier and M. Graham. I just really enjoy the feel of those paints while I'm painting.
They are definitely lush! 😊
Try Roman Szmal, they're honey based and just luscious.
This was really interesting.
Loved all the little paintings.
I think there may an inherent difference between original pan paints and the tube paints.
They rewet a little differently.
Sennelier is my first love, and these days I use a mix of D.S, W&N, S ...
Love them all.
I have read that Sennelier is specially formulated for a lot of thin layering of washes.
Yes, that’s so true. I always prefer making my own pans with tubes. I find rewetting the pre-made pans to be much more difficult! Thanks for your feedback. 😊
I think all your little paintings are beautiful! My only paints are Winsor &Newton (Cotman). I’ve got 15 half pans in an altoids tin. Just recently I’ve been thinking about upgrading but I don’t want to start having lots of sets (too many decisions means I don’t do anything haha), so I’m still planning to stick to 15 colours and just replace the ones Ive got with higher quality. I was planning to stick with W&N because I know I can get those at a local shop, so I was very happy to hear that they were your favourite brand! Too many options just get overwhelming for me and I can’t afford to buy lots of brands to test for myself. So, thank you!
I think that’s a smart plan! With fewer colours you’ll better learn their mixing capabilities too. 😊
Fun review! Great to meet your friend Sunny!❤
Spontaneously, I want to say that QoR is my favourite paint to paint with. I wouldn't say they're the "best" paint, though - I think there are certain markers of quality that may distinguish one brand as better or higher quality than another (honest marketing, disclosure of pigments etc), but "best" is so very individual. It depends both on your own taste, preference, and techniques, but also on your supplies and circumstances. Really cheap paint that's full of filler is awful with watercolor techniques and watercolor paper, but may be perfect for a crafter painting on cardstock or someone doodling on printer paper. Honey based watercolors may be great for someone in dry, arid climates where the honey makes them easier to rewet, but a frustrating, permanently sticky mess for someone in a humid climate.
I don’t know if I’d like QoR… I tend to prefer more traditional pigments and binders. Sunny might like them though! It’s all so personal, isn’t it? I live in a cooler, humid climate and yes, the honey based paints never really dry completely, but I still like them. We are lucky to have so many choices these days! 😊
My alltime favorite watercolor is White Nights. Affordable and very good in every way.
My favorite brand overall is DaVinci. At first I bought it because it was the most affordable professional brand I could find, but now that I’ve tried other brands I continue to use it because I honestly prefer it. I also love Winsor & Newton and M. Graham, but M. Graham is a bit too gooey for my travel palettes. I have Daniel Smith and it’s fine, but I never thought it was better or even as good as DaVinci. I don’t plan to buy any more Daniel Smith paint and I rarely actually use what I have because it’s my least favorite of the brands I own. I haven’t tried Sennelier, Roman Szmal, or A. Gallo yet, but I’d like to!
Yep my two favourites in my pallet are winsor and newton's love love love their blues and m Graham's . Glad to see someone else loves them as well. I also paint realistically.
I think both are great brands for realism, as well as glazing. 😊
My favourites are Roman Szmal and Rosa gallery. I use those the most. I have a set of schminke that I haven’t opened yet. And a few Daniel smith tubes with PO48 pigment. I’ve never owned any Windsor and Newton or MGraham. What a fun video. 😊
Hi. I have to agree on Sennelier. They are my go to everytime. I have MG watercolors, and I only used them once. The paint is vibrant and catches the eye quickly, but it isn't my fav to use. My Schmincke watercolors are beautiful, too, but I still always reach out to Sennelier 95% of the time. I have a few colors from DS, but they are too inconsistent in quality to want a tube set for this brand. For example, my lamp black stinks like ALOT, and that is after a year that I opened the tube again to fill my new palette. Wow, it's bad. I do like the variety offered by them, but that is it. This is only my experience and my personal preference.
I’d not heard that before about DS… I’ll have to pay attention! I agree that their variety is appealing, and I do like that they have many nontoxic options. MG are very pretty and they blend well, but it seems half of them have toxic pigments. I will definitely be giving Sennelier some more focus, and of course I still love Winsor&Newton. 😊
Now I just want to sit with ALL my watercolors and do a comparison. I think I will!!! :)
I paint most often with Da Vinci watercolors and I think I prefer them. I also have the full set of Schmincke super granulating paints and like many of them (though several are really hard to rewet). I like A. Gallo, Daniel Smith, and Sennelier as well but don’t use them as often as my Da Vinci palette
I’ve never tried DaVinci… maybe I’ll put it on my wish list. I’m excited to see how my Schmincke granulating watercolours compare to this set (better I hope!). 😊
Yep. DaVinci rocks. Especially Denise's palettes
Davinci s my fave too.
@@AmandaMG6those are the ones that got me started with Da Vinci! I have both her Earth-Friendly Palette and the Embrace Opacity Palette.
@@LeslieStrozI wonder if they are available outside the USA? The company is based in Southern California, I believe.
I like Daniel Smith, but live near Seattle, and feel a loyalty, having bought their paint since they were a very new company. I also have a few Winsor Newton, and particularly like their lemon yellow for some reason. I like to make custom palettes for my projects, and am switching out half pans to do this. Because of this, I do not particularly like M. Graham, as I am always managing to get my fingernail full of paint from a dry pan, although I do like the colors they have. I have a few other brands sitting around, and one time tried out several different brands of Ultramarine, which was fun. Great video. Thanks!
MG is such a joy to paint with I put up with the consistency 😊
Oh, I’d feel loyalty to DS too if I lived there. I feel that way about WN since I live in England. 😅 The consistency of honey based paints is definitely different. I don’t really do travel painting with them for that reason, though they are nice in the studio. 😊
Isn’t that funny - I live in downtown Seattle and feel a similar loyalty to Daniel Smith!
I began with a cheap Prang set (because I wanted to see if I would like watercolors at all). I am trying to use that set up before getting anything more professional, and in the mean time I've made my own watercolors out of mica powders and usually paint with Dr. Martin's India Inks which are pigment based and lightfast. I like the ease of pan/tube based watercolors but the India Inks are so vibrant and make some stunning colors. I don't paint realistically so I enjoy the colors.
Prang used to be the “high class” of the student watercolours… so much better than Crayola! You are much braver than me! I found the Anilinky easier to control than the Dr PhMartins, though I’m sure they gets easier with practice. 😊
I really enjoyed this video what a fun way to discover yourself and reach new conclusions. So much fun. ❤
Thanks so much! It was fun to use them side-by-side like this. 😊
I love Winsor and Newton, Da Vinci and Sennelier. I’m in the US and have managed to resist Daniel Smith! Thank you for the comparison video.
I just don't like granulating colors, which Daniel Smith is famous for. Perhaps for landscapes? But W & N are my favorite!
I have not had the privilege to try schminke, sennillier or m Graham yet out of all the handmaids that I've tried honey watercolors are my absolute favorite. M Graham is my dream paint. Hopefully someday I will get to try those three. I do use my Daniel Smith and my da Vinci's quite a lot as well as my sonnets a bit
Yes on senn and m graham. Imo no need for schmincke if you have those beauties
It sounds like you have some great brands to explore for now. 🤗
I love that there is a different watercolor brand for everyone. I agree that schminke has a different feel but it's one of my favorites ❤
M Graham seems to be priced evenly with Daniel Smith, so I am also curious to try m graham.
Gradually changing over from Holbein (which are very good) to Winsor Newton. Glad they ended up in your first place.
I am a new at this but I am currently loving Qor (started with Sennelier) But, I would really like to try Daniel Smith
Alas, I have way too many tubes of watercolor paint which is crazy since I mainly paint in oils. But every time I watch one of your videos I want to go pull out my watercolors. On the rare occasions when I use watercolors, I've liked QOR and Sennelier. I was surprised by how nice the QOR colors were and Sennerlier has always used such rich pigments in all their products. I especially like Sennerlier's soft pastels. Holbein, also uses very rich pigments and interesting combinations; I like their violets--Mineral Violet PV15 and Mars Violet which is a nice convenience color comprised of PR101, PV23 and PBr7. Daniel Smith's Carbazole Violet could probably be used to mix a brown violet and their Quinacridone Gold is such an essential warm color. Schmincke's Transparent Orange is wonderful also. And finally, I got a set of 6 pans of Rublev earth reds from Natural Pigments that I like.
Lovely suggestions! I’ve not tried QoR because I’m nervous about their special binder… I prefer to use things that have stood the test of time, old curmudgeon that I am. I tend to paint best with a limited palette, though it’s always fun to discover and include some fun extras! Thanks for the suggestions! 😊
Clicked on the video for the comparison, didn't expect the surprise Sunny! :D
Awww 😊
Thank you for the help!🙏 I was looking for someone who would do a comparison By the way your studio looks amazing!❤ I prefer winsor and Newton the most 😊
Thank you!! I wish Winsor and Newton offered more colours, but the ones they do are always so great. 😊
@@LeslieStroz Yes i also wish they would but i think they have added a few more colours if I'm not wrong🤔 AND thank you for replying leslie❤
@@LeslieStrozguess what, they are just launching another special set, with a couple of interesting hues. At the moment only Cass seems to have them in two sets. If they are as popular as the jewel tones they may make part of the permanent collection.
Winsor & Newton are my favorite. I also use Qor watercolors, but I sort of have a love/hate relationship with them. It kind of depends what I'm working on with those. But W&N is solid. I like experimenting with other brands, but I know I can rely on my W&N.
I’m a little afraid of using QoR because their binder is so new. I gravitate towards the materials that have already stood the test of time, but lots of people seem to love them. 😊
Yes, Winsor and Newton is the gold standard in that it just does the job without one having to think too much. Daley Rowney is also like this.
I’m so happy you liked the Sennelier. I’ve had mine almost 10 years and love them. I buy tubes and have a few palettes made up - I have the full boxed set of every colour (gift from hubby) also the neutral and natural colours are gorgeous! Please persevere.
Only thing of concern is you need to squish the tube about a bit if they’ve sat for too long. Honey seemed to separate in the tube. So you squeeze out a heap of clear liquid before the paint in some tubes. I still love the paint. It’s moist and lush :). I also have Koh I nor which I love for the intensity when doodling… w&N I also have and find them ok but not as much as Sennelier- agree with schminke…. Love Daniel Smith’s translucent orange so I have a full cake of it.
I like all your sketches but sennelier is my fav and I did like W&N and the Koh I nor one. :)
I get it about the Schmincke. I have to be in the mood for those paints.
I tried the Schmincke Whisky palette set and i was surprised how underwhelming they were. In fact, I've gotten so used to Cotman that I'd rather paint with those than Schmincke.
W&N have an extensive range, which at 108 is on the high side, however, too many brands, like DS and Schmincke are focusing more and more on expanding their ranges into sweet-shop crushed mineral and gimmick convenience colours, which only appeal to collectors of paint or effects that can be created through mixing or glazing.
Any range only needs to focus on primary, secondary and tertiary hues with warm and cool versions. A few greys and whites maybe useful. After that, provide granulating, lifting or staining properties and the jobs done. A range of 80 should be plenty.
I have found W&N watercolours to be very transparent and vivid, even the opaque pigments are ground finer so seem lighter and less propensity to make mud. They are the most consistent watercolors, imho. I have tried many other brands but naturally reach for the W&N set.
DS and Schmincke are marketing over substance. DS focusing on crushed minerals, while Schmincke focus too much on their poured pans. Their pans look lovely, but once used lose this look straight away. You pay extra for the time taken to pour the pans. Extrusion gives the most consistent and cost effective pan paints which is important at this time when the cost of art supplies are rising rapidly.
That’s a thorough assessment. I agree that I prefer when brands have fewer quality colours and less fancy extras. My biggest problem with many of the newer, beautiful colours some brands sell is that they are already made with a few pigments and thus don’t mix well with others. But I gravitate towards a more traditional, limited palette, which suits my style. Thanks for your feedback! 🤗
If you're going to go for paints from Czechia, you need to try Roman Szmal - they are beautiful quality paints, and really great value with a big range of single pigment colours.
I have mostly Windsor Newton and Daniel Smith, and Holbein, but recently have been introduced to DaVinci which I love. They have a beautiful green, Joyce’s Mother Green, their Hematite Genuine is my black, and the Artemis and Alizarin Gold!!
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll keep them in mind! 😊
I love all the extrafine paints I have : Sennelier (cheaper because I leave in France), W&N, Blockx, Isard, Schmincke, and Daniel Smith for sure. My favorite is Daniel Smith I guess. But all brand will be ok to enjoy watercolor !
I’ve only really used Daniel Smith, I love that they are Seattle based (I’m a Washingtonian) and I love supporting them by also buying them from local art supply stores. So it’s a double support. lol.
But recently I was gifted a Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor Palette, and they have been lovely!! and so smooth! I believe they are a Japanese brand, it’s interesting to see the differences.
I’ve not heard of those- interesting! I love Pentel products (another Japanese company), and they are definitely ahead of the game with certain products (like the Aquash brushes!). 😊
@@LeslieStroz from what I’ve found is Kuretake has been around for 100+ years and started with developing inks for traditional brush painting and calligraphy and has grown from there. The only downside is they don’t come in tubes, only pans, so I can’t put them into my small setup. But it’s been fun dipping my brushes into something new!
@ajah2956 - I love the Kuretake Gansai Tambi palette, too. I use these paints almost exclusively when doing my floral studies. I also like that I can use them on thinner paper (though always 100% cotton) and the paints don't bleed through or cause other problems. I adore the colours, too!
water color people do like there paint i've been using the same 6 colors of oil paint from the same company for 20 years
I have Derwent Graphitint Paint 12 Pan Palette watercolors set. They are very muted and may appeal to your non vibrant preference. You have to apply protective wax afterwards to protect the Graphitint. I also have metallic watercolors because I like the shine.
I love the Graphitint! I have the pencils and the pans and don’t use them nearly enough. Thanks for the reminder! 😊
@@LeslieStroz Glad I could be of help :))
Windsor and Newton brand has always been my fave.
They are so reliable 😊
I picked up a tiny Sennelier pan set at the 2022 convention. I thought it was cute. I was surprised at how much I like them. I have the other brands discussed here, but I'm interested in trying Sennelier tube paints when I need more.
Yes, I was surprised at how pretty they were, and easy to use too. I layered A LOT with the blue pot and things didn’t get muddy- amazing! 😊
This is a great video because it proves 2 things 1. You don't have to spend a lot (did you see her favorite? Her work is lovely and she was using that pan set? Fantastic!). 2. It's all personal and there honestly no good or bad just personall choice.
Great video, new subscriber!
My favorites are Daniel Smith and a wild card from Etsy Mashas Watercolors. I have so many set, sample, cards and tubes. I’ve tried so many, I always come back to these two! Thanks for the video! Super fun!
I love small brands too. My friend, Joanne Green, makes incredible natural watercolours, and I also like The Art of Soil and A. Gallo. 😊
Windsor and Newton for me, they always seem consistent. Sadly, they are expensive.
I really enjoyed this video, and all of your paintings, as well as your friend's paintings. I like the one with the blue pot and the frog vase in the vibrant cheaper paint best, lol. I'm like your friend and very drawn to bright colors. I wonder if your friend would like the Mei Liang or Paul Rubens paints as they are also very vibrant.
I don't have Winsor and Newton professional, but i love my Cotmans. I also have a lot of fun playing with my cheaper paint sets, like Mei Liang, Mozart Komarabi, Mungyo Gallery, etc. I also love Derwents lines of Paint Pans, especially the Graphitint.
Last year during World Watercolor Month I won my first set of professional paints; Rembrandt by Royal Talens, and they are amazing. I love them. I recently got a trial set of QOR for 0.75 UK money (P?) and they are so bright and cheery and I love the way the just explode in water. And last week I bought a set of Paul Rubens and just tried them yesterday and love them. I think I love everything I've tried except for the chalky dollarama paints, lolol. I need to stop shopping; I have a problem, lol. So far, I've been using a different set of paints every day for World Watercolor Month, lolol. Sorry for writing a book here, lol. Have a great day!
Oh that’s a fun idea for World Watercolour Month! I think those two were also my favourite (next to the WN). I liked the Anilinky but realise that they aren’t very lightfast. There are so many options these days… it’s fun to have lots of options and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having multiple brands of something you like to do that brings you joy. ❤
Yes, Winsor & Newton is always an excellent, traditional, reliable brand (in the artists'/professional range) and they and the Daler Rowney Artists' watercolours (and even the vintage Georgian paints) are my favourite. Those were the only two brands I stuck with for decades, but now I also have to add to the list Roman Szmal and Rembrandt; such lovely paints. I also have a box of Sennelier, and they are very good, but I place them fifth out of those five, but like you, I need to explore them some more. I hope to not add any more brands as five are enough for me!
@MoonstoneCastle1 - I really love Roman Szmal paints, too. They are definitely my favourites at this point in time. :)
@@Jaline_on_TH-cam Yes, indeed, I love them, they are beautiful paints!
@@MoonstoneCastle1 I agree that they are beautiful paints. I was so lucky to have found them on an incredible sale - I now have all the colours and I love the wide variety of bright and muted tones. They behave so nicely, too - both in mixing with themselves as well as with other brands of paint. That really amazed me. :)
@@Jaline_on_TH-cam Wow! How wonderful to have them all! I love mixing colours myself, but these are so irresistible. I have 34 and have my eye on about twelve more colours in particular...at the moment! :)
@@MoonstoneCastle1 Like you, I enjoy mixing colours, too - except mixing while painting means my piece sometimes gets too dry. I do try to pick and mix my colours ahead of painting but it seems inevitable that a particular tone I need isn't pre-mixed. So far, Roman Szmal's paints have saved me grief many times - LOL
Sennelier is really good for layering - give that a try when you are checking it out.
Thanks for the tip! 😊 I layered a lot on the blue pot and was surprised that the colours didn’t turn muddy.
So interesting to see how you compared the colors and brands . One of the things I like about M Graham is that they do not harden or dry up as WN or Daniel Smith . My tubes dry out and I need to soak them to reactivate and open DS and WN tubes Is that just me with that problem..PS I am loving your UTube and awaiting my tiny sketchbook Thank you
Top quality are Schmincke and Daniel Smith ......they are fantastic.....I used to use these inexpensive set Koh-I-Noor in Czechoslovakia when I was in the school as kid.
In India like most people do I used camel for so long. But they had binder pigment separation issue then I came onto mungyo watercolors. They're amazing for practice and I hope to save for a nice expensive set of watercolors.
Please recommend me stuff ❤❤
I’ve never heard of Camel! Off to investigate! Are any of these brands affordable in India?
I wish that you had worked on a larger paper so we could see how the various companies looked in "Wet On Wet" and some other techniques..
I use all of them in sense that i use different colors from each brand together in same painting.
Color is always based on the subject at hand.
My most used one is lukas though. They stand out to me so when i need strong colors i reach for lukas. For example black that i use is lukas. It is the strongest.
I've just discovered Schmincke and also what I believe to be a Sennelier OEM (Jackson's) recently, and I found I did like the both of them - but haven't found anything odd texturally; I generally focus on the colours and brightness myself. But now I've something to focus on when it comes to Schmicke's "rubberiness" - I want to see if it'll do anything weird when I play with it more!
That could be an anomaly with my colours (the rubbery thing). I wish I liked them, but for me the others are so much easier to use. 😊
I love and prefer pigment based water color. However for Xmas my sister bought me a set of dye based watercolor. I have been playing with them and while I still prefer my pigment based I have found the dye based 5o work really well on mixed media and in my Art Journal that is mixed media paper.
I think I’ll like them to add the occasional “pop” of colour in my regular paintings. 😊
Thanks for sharing ❤ I love your videos ❤ you’re very informative and inspiring ✨
Thank you so much! ❤
I’ve been lucky over the years to try out W&N, DS, M. Graham, Sennelier, Da Vinci, Schmincke, and Roman Szmal. No one has mentioned the fact that each company has different properties of pigment, binders and such to make the painting experience unique. Then, taken in to consideration if your go to norm is using a harder to rewet paint versus a juicer paint then a more delicate touch is required. My Schmincke paints are amazing but they are unique in that I can easily wet and paint immediately and use many layers. I love that watercolor paint doesn’t go bad, but the binder and pigment can separate. I’ve had tubes from DS, M. Graham that squeeze out unevenly, but that can occur and I needed to keep squeezing to get the pigment/binder out to then mix it up. Schmincke is a traditional paint company that is finely ground and need very little touching to use but, if you don’t like the results you might try adding more water to your brush and gently taping and swirling pan to get the paint moving and swirling on a plate to make sure the paint mixture is really mixed if it “feels gummy”. So far my favorite to use are the DS, and the Schmincke and I just got the Da Vinci for Christmas so still learning. I think they are all so fun, except for when I stick my fingers accidentally in my sticky Sennelier or M. Graham paint! 🥳😉
It’s so true about companies using different binders and grinding techniques. It’s one reason I don’t really “mix” brands. I tend to use only one brand at a time. I think Schmincke are probably better for graduated washes, which is not really my forte. I should explore that (maybe with the granulating sets I have). The “gummy” thing doesn’t bother me because I prewet my colours and use a palette. Sunny’s style is much faster and more fluid than mine, so I can totally see the appeal of dye based watercolours for her. Thanks for your comment- it’s true that I isn’t talk enough about the different binders and their properties, which makes such a big difference. 😊
I like certain colors from Schmincke, but I agree that for those of us in the US the high price of Schmincke doesn't warrant total devotion to the brand. I have never bought any of the "supergranulating" mixes, but I think Schmincke does really well at the highly granulating colors such as PG26, PB29, PB74, PV16. I just prefer to make my own mixes. I do love M. Graham, although the sticky feel turned me off at first -- it was an acquired taste. I'm also a big fan of Qor (but they are very vibrant so maybe not for you). The flow is amazing though. If you love W&N a lot I think you might really enjoy DaVinci. They are so affordable and such a great family company. They have great sales on their website as well.
Thanks for the tips! I haven’t tried DaVinci, but I’ll add them to my list. And yes, I think QoR might be too vibrant for me, and I am a bit nervous about new binders that haven’t stood the rest of time. I agree about mixing your own. The supergranulating paints will be fun for special paintings but I doubt I’ll want to add any to a permanent palette because of their mixing limitations. 😊
Kohinoor soft pastels and pastel pencils are very good quality too, and not expensive.
These videos are fascinating ☺☺
My choices would be M Graham, Windsor & Newton, and Sennelier.
Give qor a try. I was truly shocked at their travel. I too love Sennelier. Especially using those super vibrant colors to make neutrals.
I don’t know if QoR would be my cup of tea. I tend to eschew the more modern pigments and am leery of their mystery binder! 😅
@@LeslieStroz so there's info on that binder that is interesting. Used for museum restorations...?
I'm totally new to watercolours and am exploring it currently, doing abstract things. After a cheap chinese set, I bought Winsor & Newton Sketcher's Pocket Cotman. They are obviously much better quality than the Chinese one. But after a bit I realized I really missed my bright purple. Googling I discovered that purple is quite a difficult colour! In the end I bought Van Gogh Pocket Box Vibrant Colours and there are several colours in there that I love a lot: the purple, the pink and the 'aquamarine' I would call it.
But much depends on what you like to make. If you paint nature scenes you wouldn't have much use for that very bright pink!
I look forward to experimenting more with both boxes.
Can you lift dye based colors. It seems like dye would make it tough.
I couldn’t, no. It was frustrating! 😊
thanks! It was fun to see your take on the different brands. I love Daniel Smith, W&N, Neva Palette (White Nights), Schmincke supergranulating series (except reds and yellows). I mix and match all of these to have my "perfect" palette. Roman Szmall is OK too. I feel that QOR stay most vibrant in the painting, but I didn't have chance to fully investigate them yet. I didn't like the way A Gallo behave, but I feel I need to paint with them more to fully understand.
I have M.Graham, Schminckes, Sennelier and Daniel Smith. I like M.Graham and D.S.
Two great companies. 😊
I think Schmincke paint from a tube is better than the premade pans. But I'm biased because Schmincke and Qor are my two favorite brands to use after trying a lot of different brands! I started out with Daniel smith and just find I don't like them so much now that it's been a few years. Schmincke is more consistent for me. And Qor is just so fun and more opaque feeling? I'm not sure how to describe it I just love working with them. I also enjoy winsor newton. And I really liked the flow from M Gram but I gave mine away because they were always molding on me or smelling funny. (the daniel smith primetek controversy was also a huge turn off from the brand for me)
i do like the granulating schminke. It is fun. I guess, I rarely use entirely one brand in my paintings.
You are much braver than I am. I tend to use one brand at a time. I might make an exception if I like the Schmincke granulating ones!
I did some testing with Winsor Newton, Daniel Smith and M Graham before settling on M Graham. I live in a dry environment and the fact that the paint stays soft is a bonus. The M Graham paints also stick to my pallet where as the Winsor Newtons dry up, crack and break loose. The Daniel Smiths are in between, they don't crack and stay stuck in the pallet I use, but what I prefer is how easy it is to grab a little M Graham paint.
I love Winsor and Newton but recently bought some Daniel Smith I am going to try out this week.
I've always used different colours from different brands.
I like Daniel Smith, but it doesn't have, for example, the Old Holland Ultramarine Blue Deep, the most beautiful ultramarine of all.
I mean, I'll never use a palette with a single brand. I use different brands in my palette.
It works.
I enjoyed your post. i have many different brands of watercolor paint. I love M Graham, QOR, Sennelier, Mission Gold, Rosa Gallery, and several others, but for different reasons. Sennelier is perfect for layering and glazing, QOR for vibrancy, etc. There are so many excellent brands now that I could not rate a best of the best at all. I think many of us tend to prefer the ones that we start out with and get comfortable with and for me that was M Graham. i do love the honey based ones a lot!
I’m sure it’s true that we love what we learn with. For me that was Winsor&Newton. I do also love the M Graham, even though I had a bad day here with them. I feel like I made a great discovery with the Sennelier! They’ve been hiding in my drawer for too long! 👩🏻🎨
@@LeslieStroz Sennelier is awesome. If you use it on fabriano paper, you can lift the color totally out, even when the paint has dried. I love being able to erase my mistakes.
I have never owned or used Schmincke watercolors. However i have watched one artist (I have long forgotten his name) using Schmincke for his cartoon illustrations and for that purpose they looked phenominal and he seemd extremely happy with them.
I think they appeal to artists who use a lot of graduated washes. I tend to do more glazing and find they lack definition for that. I am still excited to try their granulating colours. 😊
Sennelier was my first brand of professional paints and I love them :') It's a shame they don't expand their color range though. I like Winsor and Newton and Roman Szmal too. Daniel Smith is my biggest disappointment, it's very expensive in my country and I bought quite a bunch of paints and the only one I like is Manganese Blue Hue :')
Oh, that is disappointing! I felt that way about the Rosa Gallery. I think I’ll reserve Sennelier (and M Graham) for the studio since they don’t travel well in my humid climate. Someday I’ll try the Roman Szmal! 😊
@@LeslieStroz At least it's nice to have so many options and share our experiences :'D I hope when you try Roman Szmal's paint you'll like them ☺
This is the first time I saw someone have the same opinion as me. After trying all the brands, winsor and newton is still my favorite, sennelier is up there at the top, even though it’s hard to explain why - but maybe the luminosity. And schmincke is my least fave :(
Art twins! 😊
WOW, Leslie, all I have to say is . . . WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL and VUNDERBAR! - Thank you so much for this episode!
SUBSCRIBED & LIKED! Aside from being an artist whose work I LOVE to see, this format is just so much fun and I learned a lot!
Thank you so much! I can't wait to peruse YOUR CHANNEL AND LEARN MORE! - God Bless! ~
First I bought Schmincke Academy , some Colors from Sennelier and Daniel Smith. At least I bought a few Colors from Van Gogh and I am so glad because these I've better bought from the first beginning. Now Van Gogh are my favorate colors 😊 And yes I love vibrant colors the most.
That’s interesting! I’ve not tried VanGogh yet. Maybe someday. 😊
Roman Szmal Aquarius it's my favourite:)
I love the colours in the W&N line, but I find them difficult to re-wet. I have to remember to wet them well before I want to use them. I have less of this issue (or almost no issue) with Daniel Smith, M Graham, Da Vinci, and Sennelier. The re-wetting issue is a big one for me as patience is not my best virtue, lol. Regarding Schminke, overall, the colours looked "grayed" or muted to me. Thanks for this video, Leslie!
I really vibe with m graham, but if you place them in pans certain colors will never harden, which means traveling with them is not as convenient. I've also noticed that their staining colors are wayy more staining than other brands.
@@Holyfuckingshit40000 They travel quite well. They don’t melt or anything. (Maybe if you are in the Sahara or Gobi) They’re the consistency of a Bit O Honey, if you know what those are.
If you see some Rosa Gallery tubes give them a try. They are Ukrainian, Rich, creamy, strong and very budget friendly
This is a great comparison! I have been using W&N pans and tubes and enjoy them... however, I recently bought a set from Beam Paints and I love the richness, smoothness, and vibrancy of their paints! They use all-natural ingredients with lightfast pigments, and they are plastic free! They are my new favourite!
I’ve not heard of Beam! So many companies, it’s hard to pick a favourite! 😊