I enjoy using Lukas watercolors, because of how light they can get in washes. They seem perfect for layering and matching color for more realistic representations. I've never experienced them as being chalky. I have come to think of each watercolor brand as suited for specific applications and subjects. The European watercolors (Lukas, Sennelier, White Nights) tend to work well for botanical drawing, portraits, architectural drawing, and realistic landscapes. The Asian watercolor brands (Mission, Kuretake) seem more suitable for single layer works, where spontaneous brush strokes, minimal layers, and strong expressive lines are required - for more modern and impressionistic works. The brands we find in the states (and Schmincke) seem to attempt to be a mix of both - spanning the spectrum of fine and bold. I like to mix and match depending on the subject - leading me to have invested a whole bucket ton of money - but hey, we're in a pandemic and buying shoes and cute outfits to go places isn't as necessary right now.
Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏 I think you are absolutely right. All the brands have different characteristics. Which brand is best can be individual to each painter. It just depends what your style of painting is and what you want from your watercolors.
Nice test, but rubbing off pigment does not mean the paint is chalky, but that there is not enough binder to hold the pigment to the paper. Chalky is measured by the amount of fillers in the paint, that are often chalk, which shows in a haze and an unusual opaqueness of the pigments and even more so in the water or when swatched on black paper. Lukas are very nice paints, they do use some fillers, but they're still amongst my favourites. :)
Chalky can mean many different things when it comes to water colour, which is why it’s not a good way to describe paints, because it means different things to different people. You can’t say you’re “right” and he’s “wrong”.
I use them to teach watercolor. I find teaching with student grade paints very frustrating. I also find that Phthalos can be tricky for beginners to use but Lukas brand Phthalo are extremely well behaved. They are a great value and have lots of single pigment colors. I enjoy using them even when not teaching. Great video!
@@JayNathanWatercolor they came to my mind concerning the budget cadmiums. I used the very old pans back when I studied, the paints were nice, the range was not my cup of tea, but I gather that now they have some more interesting options.
Nice painting. I just think Lukas are a very traditional style watercolor, with a matte look instead of the super vibrant, transparent look which is popular now (everything goes in cycles). They are very finely ground, which I have noticed gives a soft velvety matte look. Their binder is gum arabic, dextrins and glucose, which I guess makes them vegan (?). And like you say, they aren’t claiming those specific colors to be transparent.
I've never tried them, but on your video they do look a little chalky and certainly not very vibrant, so I would personally not bother with them. You can make very light washes with any vibrant paint, but you can't invent bold colors if the paint itself stays soft. So the only option you have is softness in your work. Which can suit certain artists, but it is in itself a limitation that doesn't make much sense when other paints are available out there with a higher, cleaner pigment load.
I have only used Indigo and Viridian from Lukas but I think they are quite nice. They seem soft and a bit less transparent than other brands but painting with them is enjoyable. Their Indigo is very intense, I use it as a base for dark colors. I have to say I don't reach for my Viridian much because it doesn't granulate as expected. They are a great value though. Your painting is lovely and inspiring! ^_^
I agree with you about these paints. They are less transparent than other brands but still a joy to paint with. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏🙂
They don't look chalky but they have a softness to them. They're not the loud, intense color art TH-cam tends to say is the best. I think it would be handy in some cases because you wouldn't have to mute the color as much to get a natural look, maybe? I wouldn't turn them down if they were offered 😄
I just got the full 70 set for my bday. THEY ARE NOT CHALKY. I've compared them to my Daniel Smith, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor& Newton professional, Kuretake, and my Holbeins. They aren't chalky. They are just as good as my others and they are beautiful to use. I also love that 48 of the 70 are single pigment , and if you don't like animal products this is a vegan product. One thing to keep in mind is every brand has a different way of working and each takes some time to get used to. These paints have VERY strong pigments in quite a few and a little of this paint goes a long way. Buy a tube or a half pan and judge for yourself
I have lots of Lukas colours, they are not chalky, except for some colours cobalt violet comes to mind. If you can get a good deal on these some of their colors are fantastic. I bought all of their cadmiums, and they've been lasting me for years they're so intense and they're huge tubes. Same with the cobalt blue one of my other favorites.
I was not fond of the m at first but I really like them after using them awhile. I keep going back to use my 12 color set. My wish list is their limited edition 24 full pan sets. I like the dawn and dusk or the ocean one. Has some beautiful blues in the set.
I like the Lukas watercolors, because they are different. To me, they are also a bit chalky. And I think that they use some kind of fillers in their paints. Especially if you buy them in tubes, you see that their consistence is much thicker and less shiny than other paints. This difference to other brands makes them worth to try out, if you've tried everything else before :). They seem to be a bit off-mainstream.
I was one of the people saying they were chalky. Mine did rub off with tissue, worse than my son's pan paints. I used 100% cotton paper, the same paper I swatch all my colors on. These are the only brand that has rubbed off. They are super opaque compared to other brands with the same pigment. I think they use tons of fillers, they switched manufacturers in the past couple of years, pigments are now chalky were not previously. It would be interesting to compare a 5 or 10 year old tube to a new one, see how they rated them previously.
Hey that would be a really good test. I wonder if anyone still has tubes that old? I know Lukas were bought by Daler Rowney but didn't know if they changed where or how they were made.
Of course if your only yellow is a cad yellow, everything will have a certain opacity to it. I am surprised that PV23 is semi-opaque in their range, along with PV19 and phthalos being semi-transparent. They have a somewhat muted “traditional” look even though they are using modern pigments. Although I don’t avoid opacity in general, I would choose something else for my style, but it might fit someone else.
You're right, it does depend on a person's style of painting as to whether they would enjoy using Lukas. The muted look is my kind of thing so they might be perfect for me. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
I only have the Verona Green Earth from Lukas, but it is a wonderful color. I add it to trees etc for a moss-effect. Its semiopaque, but that's normal with the pigment. Will probably buy more from the brand.
I don't reach for them very often because they are more opaque than other paints I have.I love watercolors for their transparency .If I want opaque paints I grab my gouache😁
Thank you! Some of us - including me - prefer less bright, less intense paints. I don't find either Lucas 1862 or their student line, Lucas Studio, to be chalky at all, and I use them both frequently. There are a few people who reviewed different non-chalky watercolor sets who thought they were chalky because they use the paints super thick, then layered them. And I expect that ** is correct and that some people think chalky refers to matte paints or maybe opaque paints.
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the video 🙏 I also prefer less bright, less intense paints. That's why I'm so addicted to the earth pigments. I am learning to love the crazy bright Mijello paints too though. I wonder what the paints Lukas class as transparent are like? Do you have any of them?
@@JayNathanWatercolor I just went through my Lukas 1862 colors, and only one is transparent - Cyan. I just drew a dark line, then painted over it with Cyan, Cinnabar Red, Dioxizine Violet, Burnt Sienna and Kaput Mortuum. I found the Cyan - they list is as transparent - and the Cinnabar red - they list it as semi-transparent - are too close to the same transparency for me to tell the difference. When I'm looking for transparent, I grab my Senneliers or my Schmincke Akademies.
I do think people sometimes confuse "opaque" with "chalky". I only have three Lukas 1863 colors, and I like them a lot. From what I've seen of reviews and paintings online, to me they have a nice "vintage" look about them. Can I ask what paper you used? I like the texture of it.
There's nothing wrong with more opaque if you want that--for example I find Sennelier is most transparent but I don't always want that. Lukas are a good compromise for better than student grade, but not as costly as professional grade.
Lukas do two ranges, a student grade and the 1862 grade. As they are vegan and use different binders I think this is the compromise they have had to make to get a range of colour that will all manufacture to a similar texture and Consistency. A lot of the student range are quite similar to 1862 and can easily be used interchangeably, the cheaper ones use cheaper pigments. I have a set of 24, very useable, and easy to handle with no colours that would swamp others. I think the are more of a European traditional style of watercolour, which were used a lot in the great design houses of the past, in fact some of their sets are arranged out specifically for teaching - as opposed to the English style of watercolour where transparency is so highly rated. For instance if you were designing for ceramics, in a professional capacity you might study and work using this style of paint. Which makes them paint for professional use. I have a tube of their cobalt turquoise, it sits very well with other watercolours and behaves well. And the tubes are HUGE. They certainly are not adding standard white pigment, but maybe a filler that stabilises their binder? They certainly don’t have the jewel like colours of some brands, but they are not student grade either, maybe somewhere in between. Interesting video.
@@JayNathanWatercolor I have only seen the sets. There is a comparison from a couple of years or so ago that shows how they compare, I don’t remember whose channel. My set is neither of the common ones, but it is half pans. The tubes are great value and I think probably a different formulation and maybe also better….? Good for those who want to practice at a larger scale…
Thank you for the review. I had heard about them. Maybe give them.a try one of these days but...with clear bright transparent colors, I can water them down for a paler look or add a complimentary cool to grey it a bit. No matter what, you clearly have skills -- your painting is very nice 😊
Aw thank you. That's very kind. You're welcome. 🙏 I would say give them a try one day though if you're happy with using bright, transparent colors then they might not suit you.
That's great. I hope you enjoy trying them. They have a primary yellow, cyan and magenta is that is the kind of basic mixing colors you go for? You might be right about their tinting strength. I will paint with them more and see.
I have never tried this brand, but I won't bother now. I see less chalky and more filler. What's amazing to me is they are honest about the fact that their paints aren't transparent. Sometimes it seems the way companies label opacity is quite different than I would state, and other swatchers on TH-cam say the same!
I got 5 artist grade color to test, only the ultramarine deep dried up the second day and hard as a rock, showing the chalky appearance, it is quite hard to reactive compared to the rest. Not sure if that’s its nature or the vendor has shipped me one that has been sit on the shelf for too long. All 5 do look a very slightly soft than my MG, SN, and HB, but don’t have the residue on fingers issue.
I find Lukas blues to be weirdly opaque compared to other artist quality brands. Their reds and yellows and earth tones are fine, but their blues are very opaque and chalky.
Lukas are definitely more opaque than many other brands but then again they do list most of their paints, that we would expect to be transparent, as semi transparent. The only blues I've tried of theirs are the phthalo and cerulean blues. The cerulean is expected to be more opaque so no problem with that one. The phthalo is more opaque than I would expect but I still like it.
I heard that Lukas 1862 is chalky, too. But I think you should check out LanaGoesArt's video. She is talking about the binder in her Lukas video. She said that Lukas didn't use honey in their binder. They use sugar syrup to replace the honey.
Ah I see. I wonder how she found that out? I have no idea what difference that would make so I'll definitely check out her video. Thanks for the recommendation 🙏
@@JayNathanWatercolor I have just a few tubes but I think they have that more matte look when the paint have dried. That doesn't mean that they are chalky but some of them are actually nice. I'm a little sad that they don't have an Ultramarine Violet.
I've seen some reviewers rub their finger over the real cheap paints and there is residue on the finger. I always thought that meant they were chalky. I had some student Lukas and they certainly didn't do that.
I saw that on a few videos too but, as you say, they were the really cheap watercolors. They were the type that come in a round, solid, puck. I tried rubbing some tissue over these Lukas paints and nothing came off.
is it just me or does that raw sienna look almost like rembrandt’s raw umber? shame the cerulean blue doesn’t seem to granulate much. i’ve had my eye on their cobalt green and verona green earth because those granulate. still unsure how much i’ll use them so haven’t taken the plunge yet 😅
Is it that this raw sienna looks like Rembrandt raw umber or is it that Rembrandt Raw umber looks more like a raw sienna? 🤣 I actually didn't think about the cerulean not granulating. Maybe that's the reason I like this one? As for the Cobalt and Verona green, when has how much you will use them ever stopped you buying paints before? Haha 🤣
@@JayNathanWatercolor good point, the raw umber does look more like a raw sienna 🤣 hmm, probably because it's not granulating and also because it's the PB36 cooler version than the more standard warmer PB35. oh.... 🙊.... 🤫.... 🤣
Thanks for the great review! I live in Canada and was able to pick up a bunch of Lukas tubes quite inexpensively at 2 online places I use. In both cases it seems to be because they won't be carrying them any more. I haven't painted a lot with them yet but was glad to see your review. I did notice thst they seem to have more mixed pigments in a lot of their hues, but I am not worried by that. I also got a bunch of their gouache for the same cheap reason and I do like using it. I wonder how much difference there is in opacity between their watercolours and their gouache?
I have never tried Lukas. It's weird, just PR264 transparent? I also think that a lot of opaque or semi-opaque pigment is not necessarily a bad thing, many people like to paint with opaque colors, I think more and more. Great masters use quite a few opaque colors. Another thing would be that pastel effect, I personally don't like it at all. Good review.
Thank you 🙏 Well out of this selection PR264 was the only one Lukas claim as transparent. Looking at their color chart they only claim 12, out of the 70 paints they offer, to be transparent, 28 semi-transparent, 16 semi-opaque and 14 opaque
@Jose Using opaque colours is definitely a personal choise with the semi transparent ones, if they're used in a wash and not mass tone, it doesn't really matter as much for the end result as watering down makes them even more transparent. ;)
Sorry, first time watching this.... I really enjoyed this..... Anyway, chalky means, the pigments didnt sticked into the paper after it painted on. And when you rubbed it, you will see some pigment on you finger tips.... That's what you call chalky.... Like, you got a chalk on your hands.
Chalky ? What a nonsense idea. Its a beautiful and technically best color and is my favourite, much better than Daniel Smith. Only M. Graham can reach it. Lukas is an old company, Van Gogh already got colors from his brother in Paris , who owned a shop. He said : " The best color I ever got,is this Lukas, please send me more ". But it was difficult that time to get more. The color was made with a secret " every time wet " formula, without honey etc. . Not sticky like D.Smith !The agreement with the University Duesseldorf was to sell them for a best price. Until today Lukas are the top colors for a very good price. Miello Gold is also better than D Smith and cheaper. There is also a student line by Lukas , used also by professionals. Lukas created top colors and concentrated on best quality and not to many colors, no gimmicks ( like most D.Smith colors ) . Smith has less quality, but a higher price. People think its expensive and must be good. Thats wrong. Sennelier, the old French company has the same philosophy like Lukas .They are also better than D.Smith colors and much cheaper and have 21 not 14 ml inside. Forget al colors from USA ! They dont have the tradition and knowledge of the old German , Belgian and French companies.. US dont has a painter culture like France and Germany with their great artists until today. The only USA culture is fast food and fat people, most on drugs ! A clean culture makes clean colours. Schmincke , Lukas , Blockx and Sennelier is the right choice and not the gimmick stuff for house wives like D.Smith ( which is chalky because they perhaps mix plaster inside to make more and more money, ) the American way :)
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I enjoy using Lukas watercolors, because of how light they can get in washes. They seem perfect for layering and matching color for more realistic representations. I've never experienced them as being chalky.
I have come to think of each watercolor brand as suited for specific applications and subjects. The European watercolors (Lukas, Sennelier, White Nights) tend to work well for botanical drawing, portraits, architectural drawing, and realistic landscapes. The Asian watercolor brands (Mission, Kuretake) seem more suitable for single layer works, where spontaneous brush strokes, minimal layers, and strong expressive lines are required - for more modern and impressionistic works. The brands we find in the states (and Schmincke) seem to attempt to be a mix of both - spanning the spectrum of fine and bold. I like to mix and match depending on the subject - leading me to have invested a whole bucket ton of money - but hey, we're in a pandemic and buying shoes and cute outfits to go places isn't as necessary right now.
Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
I think you are absolutely right. All the brands have different characteristics. Which brand is best can be individual to each painter. It just depends what your style of painting is and what you want from your watercolors.
Nice test, but rubbing off pigment does not mean the paint is chalky, but that there is not enough binder to hold the pigment to the paper. Chalky is measured by the amount of fillers in the paint, that are often chalk, which shows in a haze and an unusual opaqueness of the pigments and even more so in the water or when swatched on black paper. Lukas are very nice paints, they do use some fillers, but they're still amongst my favourites. :)
Yes you're quite right and I agree that they are very nice paints. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
Chalky can mean many different things when it comes to water colour, which is why it’s not a good way to describe paints, because it means different things to different people. You can’t say you’re “right” and he’s “wrong”.
I use them to teach watercolor. I find teaching with student grade paints very frustrating. I also find that Phthalos can be tricky for beginners to use but Lukas brand Phthalo are extremely well behaved. They are a great value and have lots of single pigment colors. I enjoy using them even when not teaching. Great video!
Thank you 🙏 I think they are great value too. Especially the cadmiums and cobalts.
@@JayNathanWatercolor have you used White Nights paints?
@@mikepolo2887 I've used them in the past but I didn't like their tubes. Something weird and rubbery about the texture. The pans are great though.
@@JayNathanWatercolor they came to my mind concerning the budget cadmiums. I used the very old pans back when I studied, the paints were nice, the range was not my cup of tea, but I gather that now they have some more interesting options.
Nice painting. I just think Lukas are a very traditional style watercolor, with a matte look instead of the super vibrant, transparent look which is popular now (everything goes in cycles). They are very finely ground, which I have noticed gives a soft velvety matte look. Their binder is gum arabic, dextrins and glucose, which I guess makes them vegan (?). And like you say, they aren’t claiming those specific colors to be transparent.
I think you might be right about them being a more traditional style. Do they market themselves as such?
I think Lukas are vegan yes.
Yes they are vegan-which I like,
I've never tried them, but on your video they do look a little chalky and certainly not very vibrant, so I would personally not bother with them.
You can make very light washes with any vibrant paint, but you can't invent bold colors if the paint itself stays soft. So the only option you have is softness in your work.
Which can suit certain artists, but it is in itself a limitation that doesn't make much sense when other paints are available out there with a higher, cleaner pigment load.
I have only used Indigo and Viridian from Lukas but I think they are quite nice. They seem soft and a bit less transparent than other brands but painting with them is enjoyable. Their Indigo is very intense, I use it as a base for dark colors. I have to say I don't reach for my Viridian much because it doesn't granulate as expected. They are a great value though. Your painting is lovely and inspiring! ^_^
I agree with you about these paints. They are less transparent than other brands but still a joy to paint with. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏🙂
They don't look chalky but they have a softness to them. They're not the loud, intense color art TH-cam tends to say is the best. I think it would be handy in some cases because you wouldn't have to mute the color as much to get a natural look, maybe? I wouldn't turn them down if they were offered 😄
You're quite right. I spend most of my time trying to mute the bright colors I have. 🤣
I just got the full 70 set for my bday. THEY ARE NOT CHALKY. I've compared them to my Daniel Smith, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor& Newton professional, Kuretake, and my Holbeins. They aren't chalky. They are just as good as my others and they are beautiful to use. I also love that 48 of the 70 are single pigment , and if you don't like animal products this is a vegan product. One thing to keep in mind is every brand has a different way of working and each takes some time to get used to. These paints have VERY strong pigments in quite a few and a little of this paint goes a long way. Buy a tube or a half pan and judge for yourself
You have only been painting for 2 years? I’m impressed!
Thank you :-)
I have lots of Lukas colours, they are not chalky, except for some colours cobalt violet comes to mind. If you can get a good deal on these some of their colors are fantastic.
I bought all of their cadmiums, and they've been lasting me for years they're so intense and they're huge tubes. Same with the cobalt blue one of my other favorites.
I like the Lucas paint .
I was not fond of the m at first but I really like them after using them awhile. I keep going back to use my 12 color set. My wish list is their limited edition 24 full pan sets. I like the dawn and dusk or the ocean one. Has some beautiful blues in the set.
I like the Lukas watercolors, because they are different. To me, they are also a bit chalky. And I think that they use some kind of fillers in their paints. Especially if you buy them in tubes, you see that their consistence is much thicker and less shiny than other paints. This difference to other brands makes them worth to try out, if you've tried everything else before :). They seem to be a bit off-mainstream.
Always wondered about the Lukas range paints, they look fine. Thanks for sharing 👍
I think they are fine too (especially for the price) as long as people are aware that many colors are more opaque than other brands.
@@JayNathanWatercolor opaque isn't always a bad thing, they definitely have their place 😀
I love the sample painting 😍 i think they are just more opaque that's why they look like chalky paints👀
Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏 I think so too. They're nice paints just more opaque than most others.
I was one of the people saying they were chalky. Mine did rub off with tissue, worse than my son's pan paints. I used 100% cotton paper, the same paper I swatch all my colors on. These are the only brand that has rubbed off. They are super opaque compared to other brands with the same pigment. I think they use tons of fillers, they switched manufacturers in the past couple of years, pigments are now chalky were not previously. It would be interesting to compare a 5 or 10 year old tube to a new one, see how they rated them previously.
Hey that would be a really good test. I wonder if anyone still has tubes that old?
I know Lukas were bought by Daler Rowney but didn't know if they changed where or how they were made.
You should most definitely do more demo painting videos.
Of course if your only yellow is a cad yellow, everything will have a certain opacity to it. I am surprised that PV23 is semi-opaque in their range, along with PV19 and phthalos being semi-transparent. They have a somewhat muted “traditional” look even though they are using modern pigments. Although I don’t avoid opacity in general, I would choose something else for my style, but it might fit someone else.
You're right, it does depend on a person's style of painting as to whether they would enjoy using Lukas. The muted look is my kind of thing so they might be perfect for me.
Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
Nice
They look stunning to me! Definitely go to get some of these for myself
Lyndsay weirich On TH-cam has done some lovely portraits with the Lukas watercolour line. The skintones are wonderfully velvety.
I've never heard of her but I will definitely take a look. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
I only have the Verona Green Earth from Lukas, but it is a wonderful color. I add it to trees etc for a moss-effect. Its semiopaque, but that's normal with the pigment. Will probably buy more from the brand.
I've never tried that color but it definitely sounds useful. Thank you for watching and commenting 🙏
@@JayNathanWatercolor I think it's just a fancy name for a darker cobalt green ;)
I don't reach for them very often because they are more opaque than other paints I have.I love watercolors for their transparency .If I want opaque paints I grab my gouache😁
That's a good point. They're definitely not for a painter who wants transparency.
Thanks for watching and commenting 🙏
Wow loved the painting my friend🥰 👌
Thank you 😊🙏
Thank you! Some of us - including me - prefer less bright, less intense paints.
I don't find either Lucas 1862 or their student line, Lucas Studio, to be chalky at all, and I use them both frequently. There are a few people who reviewed different non-chalky watercolor sets who thought they were chalky because they use the paints super thick, then layered them. And I expect that ** is correct and that some people think chalky refers to matte paints or maybe opaque paints.
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the video 🙏
I also prefer less bright, less intense paints. That's why I'm so addicted to the earth pigments. I am learning to love the crazy bright Mijello paints too though.
I wonder what the paints Lukas class as transparent are like? Do you have any of them?
@@JayNathanWatercolor I just went through my Lukas 1862 colors, and only one is transparent - Cyan. I just drew a dark line, then painted over it with Cyan, Cinnabar Red, Dioxizine Violet, Burnt Sienna and Kaput Mortuum. I found the Cyan - they list is as transparent - and the Cinnabar red - they list it as semi-transparent - are too close to the same transparency for me to tell the difference. When I'm looking for transparent, I grab my Senneliers or my Schmincke Akademies.
@@patticake5311 Thank you for going through them. 🙏
I do think people sometimes confuse "opaque" with "chalky". I only have three Lukas 1863 colors, and I like them a lot. From what I've seen of reviews and paintings online, to me they have a nice "vintage" look about them. Can I ask what paper you used? I like the texture of it.
I see what you mean about them having a vintage look.
The paper is Leyton 350gsm I think. I will double check for you tomorrow 🙏
I was wrong about the paper. It's actually Baohong Academy Paper 300gsm Cold pressed.
There's nothing wrong with more opaque if you want that--for example I find Sennelier is most transparent but I don't always want that. Lukas are a good compromise for better than student grade, but not as costly as professional grade.
Lukas do two ranges, a student grade and the 1862 grade. As they are vegan and use different binders I think this is the compromise they have had to make to get a range of colour that will all manufacture to a similar texture and Consistency. A lot of the student range are quite similar to 1862 and can easily be used interchangeably, the cheaper ones use cheaper pigments. I have a set of 24, very useable, and easy to handle with no colours that would swamp others. I think the are more of a European traditional style of watercolour, which were used a lot in the great design houses of the past, in fact some of their sets are arranged out specifically for teaching - as opposed to the English style of watercolour where transparency is so highly rated. For instance if you were designing for ceramics, in a professional capacity you might study and work using this style of paint. Which makes them paint for professional use. I have a tube of their cobalt turquoise, it sits very well with other watercolours and behaves well. And the tubes are HUGE. They certainly are not adding standard white pigment, but maybe a filler that stabilises their binder? They certainly don’t have the jewel like colours of some brands, but they are not student grade either, maybe somewhere in between. Interesting video.
Thank you for the information. I've never tried the Lukas student grade. Do they come in the chunky 24ml tubes also?
@@JayNathanWatercolor I have only seen the sets. There is a comparison from a couple of years or so ago that shows how they compare, I don’t remember whose channel. My set is neither of the common ones, but it is half pans. The tubes are great value and I think probably a different formulation and maybe also better….? Good for those who want to practice at a larger scale…
Thank you for the review. I had heard about them. Maybe give them.a try one of these days but...with clear bright transparent colors, I can water them down for a paler look or add a complimentary cool to grey it a bit. No matter what, you clearly have skills -- your painting is very nice 😊
Aw thank you. That's very kind. You're welcome. 🙏 I would say give them a try one day though if you're happy with using bright, transparent colors then they might not suit you.
I think I'm going to give some basic mixing colors a try. I'm wondering if they have a lighter tinting strength so they seem pastel.
That's great. I hope you enjoy trying them. They have a primary yellow, cyan and magenta is that is the kind of basic mixing colors you go for?
You might be right about their tinting strength. I will paint with them more and see.
I have never tried this brand, but I won't bother now. I see less chalky and more filler. What's amazing to me is they are honest about the fact that their paints aren't transparent. Sometimes it seems the way companies label opacity is quite different than I would state, and other swatchers on TH-cam say the same!
Great video. Love the piece you did. Thanks for sharing💚💚
Thank you for watching 🙏
I got 5 artist grade color to test, only the ultramarine deep dried up the second day and hard as a rock, showing the chalky appearance, it is quite hard to reactive compared to the rest. Not sure if that’s its nature or the vendor has shipped me one that has been sit on the shelf for too long. All 5 do look a very slightly soft than my MG, SN, and HB, but don’t have the residue on fingers issue.
Hi. Thank you for commenting. I don't know about the Lukas Ultramarine as I've never tried it. I hope you enjoy using them ☺️🙏
I find Lukas blues to be weirdly opaque compared to other artist quality brands. Their reds and yellows and earth tones are fine, but their blues are very opaque and chalky.
Lukas are definitely more opaque than many other brands but then again they do list most of their paints, that we would expect to be transparent, as semi transparent. The only blues I've tried of theirs are the phthalo and cerulean blues. The cerulean is expected to be more opaque so no problem with that one. The phthalo is more opaque than I would expect but I still like it.
I heard that Lukas 1862 is chalky, too. But I think you should check out LanaGoesArt's video. She is talking about the binder in her Lukas video. She said that Lukas didn't use honey in their binder. They use sugar syrup to replace the honey.
Ah I see. I wonder how she found that out? I have no idea what difference that would make so I'll definitely check out her video. Thanks for the recommendation 🙏
@@JayNathanWatercolor I have just a few tubes but I think they have that more matte look when the paint have dried. That doesn't mean that they are chalky but some of them are actually nice. I'm a little sad that they don't have an Ultramarine Violet.
I wonder why they don't have it?
@@JayNathanWatercolor They should add one! 😁😊
It will be opaque 🤣
I have an art shipment on the way. I ordered Lucas Raw Sienna and Cyan Blue .
That's great. I hope you enjoy using them :-)
I've seen some reviewers rub their finger over the real cheap paints and there is residue on the finger. I always thought that meant they were chalky. I had some student Lukas and they certainly didn't do that.
I saw that on a few videos too but, as you say, they were the really cheap watercolors. They were the type that come in a round, solid, puck. I tried rubbing some tissue over these Lukas paints and nothing came off.
is it just me or does that raw sienna look almost like rembrandt’s raw umber? shame the cerulean blue doesn’t seem to granulate much. i’ve had my eye on their cobalt green and verona green earth because those granulate. still unsure how much i’ll use them so haven’t taken the plunge yet 😅
Is it that this raw sienna looks like Rembrandt raw umber or is it that Rembrandt Raw umber looks more like a raw sienna? 🤣
I actually didn't think about the cerulean not granulating. Maybe that's the reason I like this one?
As for the Cobalt and Verona green, when has how much you will use them ever stopped you buying paints before? Haha 🤣
@@JayNathanWatercolor good point, the raw umber does look more like a raw sienna 🤣 hmm, probably because it's not granulating and also because it's the PB36 cooler version than the more standard warmer PB35.
oh.... 🙊.... 🤫.... 🤣
I definitely prefer it to the PB35 I have
Thanks for the great review! I live in Canada and was able to pick up a bunch of Lukas tubes quite inexpensively at 2 online places I use. In both cases it seems to be because they won't be carrying them any more. I haven't painted a lot with them yet but was glad to see your review. I did notice thst they seem to have more mixed pigments in a lot of their hues, but I am not worried by that. I also got a bunch of their gouache for the same cheap reason and I do like using it. I wonder how much difference there is in opacity between their watercolours and their gouache?
I don’t think they look chalky, I like them and wouldn’t mind trying them.
I agree. They're not chalky. Just more opaque than other brands. You should try them. They're great value I think.
@@JayNathanWatercolor Are they more opaque because they pack more pigment??
I have never tried Lukas. It's weird, just PR264 transparent? I also think that a lot of opaque or semi-opaque pigment is not necessarily a bad thing, many people like to paint with opaque colors, I think more and more. Great masters use quite a few opaque colors. Another thing would be that pastel effect, I personally don't like it at all. Good review.
Thank you 🙏 Well out of this selection PR264 was the only one Lukas claim as transparent. Looking at their color chart they only claim 12, out of the 70 paints they offer, to be transparent, 28 semi-transparent, 16 semi-opaque and 14 opaque
@Jose Using opaque colours is definitely a personal choise with the semi transparent ones, if they're used in a wash and not mass tone, it doesn't really matter as much for the end result as watering down makes them even more transparent. ;)
@@LanaGoesArt Yes, of course, totally agree, myself try some opaque colors and some I like a lot, especially for specific mixtures.
As much as I love my Lukas 1862 I do agree that they appear "chalky" when painted over a dark line. Maybe it's fillers or brighteners or something.
Sorry, first time watching this.... I really enjoyed this..... Anyway, chalky means, the pigments didnt sticked into the paper after it painted on. And when you rubbed it, you will see some pigment on you finger tips.... That's what you call chalky.... Like, you got a chalk on your hands.
They are not chalky. But just act differently.
Not chalky to my eye.
BTW clean your brush all dirt is coming outside !
Chalky ? What a nonsense idea. Its a beautiful and technically best color and is my favourite, much better than Daniel Smith. Only M. Graham can reach it.
Lukas is an old company, Van Gogh already got colors from his brother in Paris , who owned a shop. He said : " The best color I ever got,is this Lukas, please send me more ". But it was difficult that time to get more.
The color was made with a secret " every time wet " formula, without honey etc. . Not sticky like D.Smith !The agreement with the University Duesseldorf was to sell them for a best price. Until today Lukas are the top colors for a very good price. Miello Gold is also better than D Smith and cheaper. There is also a student line by Lukas , used also by professionals. Lukas created top colors and concentrated on best quality and not to many colors, no gimmicks ( like most D.Smith colors ) . Smith has less quality, but a higher price. People think its expensive and must be good. Thats wrong. Sennelier, the old French company has the same philosophy like Lukas .They are also better than D.Smith colors and much cheaper and have 21 not 14 ml inside. Forget al colors from USA ! They dont have the tradition and knowledge of the old German , Belgian and French companies.. US dont has a painter culture like France and Germany with their great artists until today. The only USA culture is fast food and fat people, most on drugs ! A clean culture makes clean colours. Schmincke , Lukas , Blockx and Sennelier is the right choice and not the gimmick stuff for house wives like D.Smith ( which is chalky because they perhaps mix plaster inside to make more and more money, ) the American way :)
I hate this brand of paint. Hate hate hate