I live in Europe and it’s wonderful that this talented artist and her creative husband have worked together to produce such a beautiful range of colors ideal for our landscapes and available to us in the Eurozone. I use my set of A. Gallo paints when I want to create a subtle, nuanced landscape or floral painting. Relatively expensive, but they are after all handmade and beautifully presented. Ten out of ten from me 😊
What a lovely way to spend my Sunday morning while sipping my coffee and saying "ohhh" and "niceeeee" when that brush dances across the page with those beautiful colors Denise... So glad you're back again....
I have the A. Gallo Signature 2 palette and just bought Morellone from Jackson's. I find the Chromite Brown to be quite transparent and lift-y (which is why I wanted more convenience brown options) but the rest of the paints work great for me on etchr paper with lots of layers. YinMn Blue is so absurdly pricey on its own, but it's an absolute star for me, along with the Medici Red, which made me fall in love with warm reds. Her Quin Gold is also spectacular. This palette is my current favorite. It's just so unique and granulating (and smells delightful to boot). I had been using Princeton Neptune and Trekell Onyx brushes with them, but just received a Tintoretto mop that I'm super excited about trying. My palette came with the mop brush instead and I loved it, but I don't want to wear out the more expensive travel version before I actually travel again.
Interesting. With the A. Gallo paints that I own I have not noticed any lifting. I only know that they are in a different category than big brand paints ~ because they are handmade. They are easily rewettable and are soft beautiful colors. You don’t get the huge dark pigment loads like other paint. You get soft beautiful colors that produce stunning paintings. I watched closely as you said they lifted the paint ~ I watched you paint and could see absolutely no lifting as your brush layered more color. Could you please do a demonstration using different papers to show us how it lifts from color to color? I’d like to know what you’re talking about. I haven’t had any problems with lifting. The only thing I have noticed is that when layering I need to use sometimes more than two layers because the paint is so beautifully soft. I love it and will be ordering more. They are a very beautiful line of paint that we are blessed with.
I didn't see lifting in my paints at all...using 90lb Fabriano all cotton...you need a watery mixture to glaze...not too thick...even the granulating colours were glazing over dried paint...beautiful stain glass look...you can achieve so many different colours by glazing...These a glazing beautifully for me...and I have nearly all her paints...think I was using some mixture of all her palettes I put together...Tyrian,Ultra Violet,Arancione,Zirconian,Notturno,vermillion,and PB60 + some more...I too would love a demo, of the paint lifting with glazing...gotta be bone dry, and gotta use a squirrel or sable soft brush...I think the brush is at fault perhaps...having synthetic fibres in the mix. I like the softness as well...no mission gold here, that is for sure, thank goodness....though they are great for a bold bright look...like an abstract poster paint look.
I did a full post on Patreon talking about how these paints lift and glaze. It was quite interesting, but I stand by what I said in the video. Some of the paints reactivate under subsequent washes, meaning certain colors did not build up in value. To each their own! These are lovely paints for single washes, but they won't be replacing my usual line up.
I adore mine, they're so easy to rewet and flow beautifully on Saunders Waterford CP or rough textured paper, as well as on Arches. I'm mainly a landscape or loose floral painter, so I find them absolutely perfect for working wet on wet in washes and then finer concentrated details on top. As I'm in the UK, they're definitely worth the money to me for a handmade quality highly pigmented paint over some of the mass produced highly pigmented paints which can cost us more to get here in Europe. I also very much appreciate that they're going for a "traditional" colour range, influenced by the old masters, and not the overly bright pigmented colours that can be found in other ranges. They are expensive yes, but they're expensive because every step of the process is done by hand and I very much appreciate all the care and consideration that goes into the production of these paints, from the products themselves through to the packaging and the finer details that come with them, including the hand painted paint wrappers, the Arches paper they use for swatches in the box, the marble paper which they're wrapped in etc.
Insightful review as always. I recently treated myself to the 24 colour Naturale set because, frankly, I've never been more inspired by a pallette than when I saw that one. It was pricy (for me), and I am still in the "precious-precious" phase with them but I need to take the time to enjoy something very special. That stunning velvety purple-red PR101 Morellone, the green earth and copper blue are just amazing. And I was also excited by the inclusion of the "novelty" pigments of genuine rose madder and indigo.
I bought my 1st set in 2018 directly at the website. The only shipping option was through the expensive DHL. But it was quick. Now, I'm happy to see AGallo is already available at Jacksons. Morelone is also my favorite! I told about this to Alina on my review. On my 2nd purchase, she gave another morelone pan as a gift. 🎨
I appreciate this review-- I have a set of these from a while back before they started getting more popular, and after seeing so many extremely glowing reviews, assumed my reaction to the set was just because their formulas hadn't been refined yet. They were beautiful paints, but they lifted far too much for me regardless of paper used (a personal preference, not a negative), and I also had quite a few paints where the pigments did not seem fully bound in their binder, or had heavy flocculation (not granulation) that indicated they needed more mulling time, as well as a good number that were very difficult to rewet, though the ones that *did* rewet well were absolutely dreamy. I still think they're very precious and keep my set in my collection, and I love the dedication to color stories around historical pigments, but at the same time it's nice to finally see a review that hits on a few of the qualities that I noticed with mine and wished I had known before purchasing.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, CB! I too was a bit surprised with how they resonated for me given how much everyone (truly and genuinely) loves them. I'm still excited to see how they work with other papers, though it's definitely worth noting that not all supplies work for all artists!
@@InLiquidColor I also had the same reaction. I will say that I pull my set out occasionally when I want to paint something moody with a granulating effect, and I do love some of the unique colors, but I don't totally understand the hype.
Absolutely stunning as usual. I'm always so fascinated by your paint choices. They're ones I would never choose for myself but your eye for interesting palettes is incredible. These paints are so pretty, but the number of pigments in them is usually too many for what I like. I understand they're doing it to not use the heavy metal paints but not what I'd like personally. Someday I might grab the dot cards and mess around and see if there are any I really like. Thanks so much for your honest review. Love to see whenever you post! Hope you're well.
I bought the Signature 24, and the Naturale 24 sets. Love many of the colors, though I thought there was too little variety in the Naturale set. Both came with the Tintoretto brush, and one had a decent point while the other did not. Personally, I prefer Sable brushes, so that may have influenced how I felt about the brushes.
It's fascinating to see how different artists respond differently to different paints - I love a watercolor with a mind of its own (but then I started with QoR). On the other hand, I would have had no idea that you were struggling with the paint's properties - the cassowary came out beautiful! Thanks as always for the thoughtful review.
I LOVE A. Gallo. I use this brand and Roman Szmal. The Natural colors are my favorite. If I had to pick one color I gravitate toward it would be Copper Blue. Beautiful for Seascapes.
I just purchased a basic kit today and I had two extra colors in my cart and one sold out just before I could checkout! They really do sellout within hours. Sign up if you want to be notified, know what you want ahead of time and set an alarm the day before! I'm looking forward to testing them out. Thanks for sharing and your painting is absolutely stunning 😍
I wish I could have gotten this video to you before the launch instead of during, my apologies! I was up aaaaall night working on it. Do check out Jackson's to see if they have your missing color in stock!
I will definitely check them out .. I really want that color (noturnno)! But no worries because I've seen a lot of reviews and I have been waiting patiently for them to restock! They also sent a discount code so it was worth the wait. Thanks again for a great demonstration 🤩
I haven’t seen some of your recent uploads but I finally checked your account again, I’m so happy to hear your voice and reviews I’ll definitely binge the newer videos now :)
One of my favorite paintings by you. Very “moody” and daring, in a good way. If you haven’t done so already, you might consider making your own paints, too. You know so much, have taught me a great deal particularly about earth tones, I’ll bet you’d do a great job! I haven’t yet tried A. Gallo, but I hope to one day. They certainly seemed to unleash a different facet of your creativity, at least IMO.
Thank you for the kind words! I would *love* to be able to make paints (even bought supplies!) but my chronic pain issues directly conflict with mulling paint, unfortunately. Glad I still get to enjoy other people's creations though!
Patty- I happen to love Cassawaries. Your painting of the bird was amazing. You really captured the spirit if the bird. The colors you chose were perfect. Thank you for sharing your opinion and a new paint company. Stoneground. Have a great rest of the day.
OMG I was finally able to place an order before they sold out! I have a handful of single pans that I got from Jacksons but I have been wanting to order a couple of sets from them and now they are on the way to me. Giggidy.
The granulation is beautiful but as a watercolorist and seeing these swatched so much I probably would use them for backgrounds or landscapes but not for the detailed work that I do. I use a lot of layering and stick to the transparent and earth tones pretty much. Thank you Denise 😊
I love granulation, so I love these paints. I haven't bought any for a few years, and was drooling over her many new colors. Alina is a dream to work with. She goes above and beyond for her customers. My favorites are Buckhorn Green, and Morellone. I do abstract floral and landscapes mostly.
Thanks for making this video. So appreciate the time you took to show such a useful comparison. Love your swatches! I'm worried for your nice brush with all that swirling and scrubbing on the paints. Maybe consider pre-wetting. Also, "More ell ohn neh." (You are pretty close, so nice! It means big mushroom. You can get Morels (mushrooms) in some places in the US.) And "Tin-tor-et- toe." (Named after a famous Italian painter.) Thanks again!
Thanks Margaret! I promise I do pre-wet my handmade colors when I paint usually. This was specifically to show you all how easy or not they are to rewet. The swirling is also to cut down on damage to the brush tip :)
The PR101 they use is most likely the same that Schmincke supplies as a dry pigment. I know this due to it being the one and only dry pigment I currently own and have made watercolors from
pr101 is a pigment you can get from several suppliers around the world. Would be very surprised they get it from smincke. They might buy at the same source but I suspect not.
I've had a similar issue with Schmincke Supergranulation paints, most of them lift very easily and are not good for glazing, especially more opaque ones when applying new layer of paint, it would push the pigment from previous layer and it builds up on the edges...I like the paints on their own but found them very difficult to work with, maybe it's just because I'm a beginner or it takes time to get used to them... Nevertheless, I plan on buying from A. Gallo this month, they have some special pigments and wonderful blends, I was sorry to see they may not be the easiest to work with as well but I still wish to try them. Your swatching video is great and helped a lot in choosing the colours :)
I have the Naturale 1 set 24 half pans. I believe I bought it in 2018 and I started an Italian Urban scene, but then went through a lot, but it aside and still have not gone back to it. But I will because I really like what I accomplished so far in the piece. My favorite? hmmmm there are several or more favorites! I like the green earth warm, Potter's pink, and Dragon's blood. I really like Morelone too. well I like the whole set to be honest. Some beautiful blues in my palette: Copper Blue, Zirconium, Lapis Lazuli, Indigo genuine. This palette was a gift to myself. I would love to buy more but maybe in the future. (price is the factor) I use them often in other pieces of art . Thanks Denise!
Beautifully painted,I love how the colours granulated and how when you have layered of course they became more vibrant,but they still allowed the white paper to shine through which I love about watercolours.I do think you found the second layer and the others easier than the first ,this I feel would scare beginners off a bit ,and would make them walk away from the work..I am not exactly a beginner !but I am re- learning again after many years ,so I would have found it daunting,but would have continued to finish.That’s because I understand the layering aspect of watercolours.They do look beautiful,once you get used to them and I hope you will do another painting on cotton paper just to chech if it is just your paper causing the problem.I love the painting though 🥰
Thank you for reviewing these--your reviews often go into issues/details that others bypass. (Jae mentioned the handmade paints of Poems about You in another comment. My experience with Poems has been good and like Jae I would be interested to see your review of those paints should you have the chance/interest in future.)
Wonderful video and a wonderful painting. After watching your video and re-watching Oto's video about the Naturale 24 palette I couldn't hold myself back and used the discount code you provided to get that gorgeous palette. Pretty sure I'm not the only one :)
I am in Canada so these paints are expensive! But I do have 4 of their colours and plan to add more over time. I love them and they suit how I paint very well.
You could try that thing where you put them into the freezer for a few minutes before unwrapping to see if that tightens things up a bit for unwrapping.
Thank you for sharing these with us! I personally love these! I have the blue palette and 2 custom palettes I created. I really enjoy using these and wish I knew about them before spending any money on d.s. yeah d.s is widely available but I have a very unpopular opinion about d.s and quite frankly a few other top brand names which I feel are very overpriced especially for what your receiving I feel they are over-hyped and not the best quality out there. But like I said this is my opinion. Anyway, I'll stop my tangent! These have a lot of character and the smell of the clove oil is very relaxing and it sounds silly but I feel it helps me relax more while painting. I'm probably going to get an essential clove oil diffuser so I can experience it at all times. I think if you have the money these are at least worth a try. They are super professional, package everything beautifully and have amazing customer service. I personally havent had any problems with their colors rubbing off including phthalos. Maybe theres a small variance in between batches as Im sure its nearly impossible to make them exactly the same but this is probably the case for all paint manufacturers ( handmade and more commercially available) Have a great day
Thank you for the wonderful review, it’s always glad to hear your opinions on these products because you are so knowledgeable. I wonder if you have ever reviewed/tried Poems About You handmade watercolors, and if so how these compare? I have a few colors by them and I absolutely adore how they rewet and the colors are very vibrant and pigmented. I crave the A Gallo paints so deeply but I don’t know if it’s worth it (beyond an ethical consumption perspective but both companies are wonderful) when I have so many PaY colors on my wishlist and already in my palette. I do know that I will eventually get that lovely wooden palette with the Tintoretto brushes because it is a DREAM, but not sure if its worth it to splurge. I’m building up a collection of handmade art supplies and will hopefully one day have an entire handmade plein air watercolor kit, so these are very high in my wishlist but I just cannot justify them yet 😭
I haven't had a chance to try Poems About You paints yet, but I've heard good things! I have an extensive list of reviews in the queue, but I'll keep them in mind for when I widdle things down!
The paper was 100% cotton? Etchr Perfect sketchbook? I'm curious why so much trouble ... and now I'm inspired to try it myself with more granulating paints I barely have experience in. 😆 I'm more used to Winsor and Newton transparent colors but have most of the Daniel Smith Primatek paint, just begging to be used. 🤔 Hmm....
Indeed, cotton! I did some more tests on Arches and am inclined to say that they're just extremely liftable paints. Great for people who want lifting colors! Not as great for people who like layers.
I keep marking these out when they go live and the exchange rate is killing me....and the one thing I want is sold out in less than 15 minutes anyways. Maybe one day the one colour I really want to try will be mad available to me but today is not that day 👀
That's very fair! They're not inexpensive. I would not have been able to afford a set yet myself. I'd like to save up for a few more colors, but it'll definitely take some time!
@@InLiquidColor Handmade paints are often expensive; I didn't realize these were also sold at Jackson's (they DO have the set I want available...). Too bad I'm in Canada 😭 Not hate for it being expensive by nature, lots of sadness around inaccessibility in general ;)
@@SaraBeet Jackson's ships to canada...sometimes for free!...depending if it is paper...more delivery charge...been ordering from Jackson's for years...to the Yukon Canada
I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but your music choice for the video reminds me so much of the music throughout the series _Medici_ and really captured the essence of the early Italian renaissance lol These paints look very finicky and like they require a lot of babying if that makes any sense. I hope you share more footage of them with Arches and if they perform any better with that paper or if it genuinely is the paints being difficult.
Thank you! I always try hard to match the music to the video subject, and I really appreciate you noticing :) I did some more testing with these paints on Arches paper (not full paintings) and posted them to Patreon if you're interested!
I went all in, so to speak, and purchased the 48 pan set plus 4 additional colors (the additional pans fit nicely). I've painted three pictures and have the same problem trying to increase a value, like a shadow, only to have the dried layer lift. I contacted A. Gallo and they said to be mindful of transparency and granulation. IOW, paints with low transparency and/or granulation will not layer-up well. I use Arches and high-quality synthetic brushes. I guess I have to use these paints in two-three layers. No more. I admit, this is very disappointing for me.
Oof, I'm so sorry to hear that, Erica! I really didn't anticipate the lifting when I did the initial swatching on the dot card. I did some more testing on Arches and found the same. They lift very easily, even with a soft brush. The granulation really is remarkable and deserving of a spotlight, but I won't be able to use them for every project.
@@InLiquidColor Definitely and I think you are the first "reviewer" to mention it. I'm going to try them on much thicker paper. I bought 30 quarter-sheets of Saunders Waterford, 640 gsm. I need to make these paints work.
Great video! I’ve hear many good things about A Gallo but still have a few questions : -Firstly, it is a bit strange that A Gallo do have PY150 ( labeled possibly carcinogenic) in some of their colors, but they advertise their paint as non-toxic. -Secondly, after looking at a lot of swatches online, it seems to me that A Gallo paints don’t seem to be too vibrant ,but rather a bit soft ( like Schmincke or Sennelier but more noticeable), is it true ? I havent’t heard any reviewers talk about this.
Also, it is quite strange that you rarely see these hand-made watercolors being compared side-by-side with the normal artist grade paints, while I appreciate Denise throughout comparisons , I think many artists would appreciate seeing the different between these handmade paints and their familiar paints .
@@parleymanderson7490 No it's not, you can't compare something hand made with something machine made because they don't exist on the same playing field, that's why no one compares them. It's like comparing gouache to the gansai paint, yeah similar, but not quite enough to compare. Things would pop up which are 100% explained by creation process but are not actually relevant if you consider the product works exactly as intended. Maybe get a dot card and see if you like handmade paints? Not everything is for everyone. I probably won't get these because like Denise I like to work in a lot of layers. So, beautiful, but not for me.
@@cris_ad Gouache and gamsai paint are advertised to be different . However, the differences between of handmade and industrially made watercolors are never made clear in these reviews, the only thing usually said about these paints are that they are proffesional grade (suggesting that these and normal watercolor are the same kind). I get that handmade paints have their own charms which many artists may seek for . It is just a bit misleading to just advertised them as good artist grade watercolor without mentioning any differences at all
Hi Parley! I replied on another comment thread. Check out Oto Kano's database for comparisons! It's extensive. PY150 is made with nickel. I cannot speak for the company, but I believe the four metals they listed are the most toxic pigments in traditional paints, so it's fair to start there. As for "non-toxic" as a label, different countries have different classifications for materials, so I'm inclined to acknowledge and respect that information may be different in different parts of the world. I hope that helps!
It's the Silver Black Velvet, a synthetic-squirrel hair blend. It's really soft, holds a lot of water and haa a great point. Some people have said that it is too soft though so if you like stiffer brushes this may not be the best brush for you.
So, you’re telling me that a $100-$200 12-color watercolor set comes with a synthetic fiber travel brush?!?! Idk ‘bout that! I don’t think that’s right at all!
Hi! You are saying "morleone" while it is Morellone (like the wine), same letter, same tonic accent, just the order is different. (If you really want to say it perfectly be aware that for the double L you need to quickly press the tongue behind your teeth instead of just tapping it). Hope this help!
I adore using their paints. I use Etchr sketchbooks mostly. I use what ever brushes I have on hand, Princeton, Rosemary n co, Trekkel. I love the granulation and unique colors. I do a lot of wet in wet, even in details and they are a joy for that.
I live in Europe and it’s wonderful that this talented artist and her creative husband have worked together to produce such a beautiful range of colors ideal for our landscapes and available to us in the Eurozone. I use my set of A. Gallo paints when I want to create a subtle, nuanced landscape or floral painting. Relatively expensive, but they are after all handmade and beautifully presented. Ten out of ten from me 😊
Couldn't agree more Diane (I'm here in the UK and it's a joy to be able to get these paints here).
@@Mirrigold hi Mirrigold, yes, I agree. Where are you based? I lived in England for most of my life!
@@DianeAntoneStudio I'm up here in Yorkshire, not too far outside of Leeds.
@@Mirrigold oh lovely. I used to love our family holidays in the Yorkshire Dales …
Love your channel, Diane.
Lindsay (the frugal crafter) had lots of wonderful things to say about you on her Sat Chat. i agree 🥰
A. Gallo's "Harbor Blue" is one of my top favorites of all my watercolors.
What a lovely way to spend my Sunday morning while sipping my coffee and saying "ohhh" and "niceeeee" when that brush dances across the page with those beautiful colors Denise... So glad you're back again....
I have the A. Gallo Signature 2 palette and just bought Morellone from Jackson's. I find the Chromite Brown to be quite transparent and lift-y (which is why I wanted more convenience brown options) but the rest of the paints work great for me on etchr paper with lots of layers. YinMn Blue is so absurdly pricey on its own, but it's an absolute star for me, along with the Medici Red, which made me fall in love with warm reds. Her Quin Gold is also spectacular. This palette is my current favorite. It's just so unique and granulating (and smells delightful to boot).
I had been using Princeton Neptune and Trekell Onyx brushes with them, but just received a Tintoretto mop that I'm super excited about trying. My palette came with the mop brush instead and I loved it, but I don't want to wear out the more expensive travel version before I actually travel again.
They just released a new set. I love the creativity and inspiration behind the paint choices.
Interesting. With the A. Gallo paints that I own I have not noticed any lifting. I only know that they are in a different category than big brand paints ~ because they are handmade. They are easily rewettable and are soft beautiful colors. You don’t get the huge dark pigment loads like other paint. You get soft beautiful colors that produce stunning paintings. I watched closely as you said they lifted the paint ~ I watched you paint and could see absolutely no lifting as your brush layered more color. Could you please do a demonstration using different papers to show us how it lifts from color to color? I’d like to know what you’re talking about. I haven’t had any problems with lifting. The only thing I have noticed is that when layering I need to use sometimes more than two layers because the paint is so beautifully soft.
I love it and will be ordering more. They are a very beautiful line of paint that we are blessed with.
I didn't see lifting in my paints at all...using 90lb Fabriano all cotton...you need a watery mixture to glaze...not too thick...even the granulating colours were glazing over dried paint...beautiful stain glass look...you can achieve so many different colours by glazing...These a glazing beautifully for me...and I have nearly all her paints...think I was using some mixture of all her palettes I put together...Tyrian,Ultra Violet,Arancione,Zirconian,Notturno,vermillion,and PB60 + some more...I too would love a demo, of the paint lifting with glazing...gotta be bone dry, and gotta use a squirrel or sable soft brush...I think the brush is at fault perhaps...having synthetic fibres in the mix. I like the softness as well...no mission gold here, that is for sure, thank goodness....though they are great for a bold bright look...like an abstract poster paint look.
I did a full post on Patreon talking about how these paints lift and glaze. It was quite interesting, but I stand by what I said in the video. Some of the paints reactivate under subsequent washes, meaning certain colors did not build up in value. To each their own! These are lovely paints for single washes, but they won't be replacing my usual line up.
I adore mine, they're so easy to rewet and flow beautifully on Saunders Waterford CP or rough textured paper, as well as on Arches. I'm mainly a landscape or loose floral painter, so I find them absolutely perfect for working wet on wet in washes and then finer concentrated details on top.
As I'm in the UK, they're definitely worth the money to me for a handmade quality highly pigmented paint over some of the mass produced highly pigmented paints which can cost us more to get here in Europe. I also very much appreciate that they're going for a "traditional" colour range, influenced by the old masters, and not the overly bright pigmented colours that can be found in other ranges.
They are expensive yes, but they're expensive because every step of the process is done by hand and I very much appreciate all the care and consideration that goes into the production of these paints, from the products themselves through to the packaging and the finer details that come with them, including the hand painted paint wrappers, the Arches paper they use for swatches in the box, the marble paper which they're wrapped in etc.
Here here Mirrigold!
Insightful review as always.
I recently treated myself to the 24 colour Naturale set because, frankly, I've never been more inspired by a pallette than when I saw that one. It was pricy (for me), and I am still in the "precious-precious" phase with them but I need to take the time to enjoy something very special. That stunning velvety purple-red PR101 Morellone, the green earth and copper blue are just amazing. And I was also excited by the inclusion of the "novelty" pigments of genuine rose madder and indigo.
I bought my 1st set in 2018 directly at the website. The only shipping option was through the expensive DHL. But it was quick. Now, I'm happy to see AGallo is already available at Jacksons. Morelone is also my favorite! I told about this to Alina on my review. On my 2nd purchase, she gave another morelone pan as a gift. 🎨
I appreciate this review-- I have a set of these from a while back before they started getting more popular, and after seeing so many extremely glowing reviews, assumed my reaction to the set was just because their formulas hadn't been refined yet. They were beautiful paints, but they lifted far too much for me regardless of paper used (a personal preference, not a negative), and I also had quite a few paints where the pigments did not seem fully bound in their binder, or had heavy flocculation (not granulation) that indicated they needed more mulling time, as well as a good number that were very difficult to rewet, though the ones that *did* rewet well were absolutely dreamy. I still think they're very precious and keep my set in my collection, and I love the dedication to color stories around historical pigments, but at the same time it's nice to finally see a review that hits on a few of the qualities that I noticed with mine and wished I had known before purchasing.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, CB! I too was a bit surprised with how they resonated for me given how much everyone (truly and genuinely) loves them. I'm still excited to see how they work with other papers, though it's definitely worth noting that not all supplies work for all artists!
@@InLiquidColor I also had the same reaction. I will say that I pull my set out occasionally when I want to paint something moody with a granulating effect, and I do love some of the unique colors, but I don't totally understand the hype.
You can also buy them from Soho Art Materials in NYC, USA. Harbor Blue, Arancione, Morellone and Ruby are some of my favorite colors.
The pink and light blue granulating mix is really lovely, the way the colors separate :)
Have quite a few of these paints…..they are first class that is for sure! Brilliant colors and handle extremely well!
Absolutely stunning as usual. I'm always so fascinated by your paint choices. They're ones I would never choose for myself but your eye for interesting palettes is incredible.
These paints are so pretty, but the number of pigments in them is usually too many for what I like. I understand they're doing it to not use the heavy metal paints but not what I'd like personally. Someday I might grab the dot cards and mess around and see if there are any I really like. Thanks so much for your honest review. Love to see whenever you post! Hope you're well.
I bought the Signature 24, and the Naturale 24 sets. Love many of the colors, though I thought there was too little variety in the Naturale set. Both came with the Tintoretto brush, and one had a decent point while the other did not. Personally, I prefer Sable brushes, so that may have influenced how I felt about the brushes.
I have ruby red and morellone. I love them! I paint landscapes, florals and desserts - and not many layers.
Beautiful! And of course, I love that they were so mindful of the ingredients they use.
It's fascinating to see how different artists respond differently to different paints - I love a watercolor with a mind of its own (but then I started with QoR). On the other hand, I would have had no idea that you were struggling with the paint's properties - the cassowary came out beautiful! Thanks as always for the thoughtful review.
I LOVE A. Gallo. I use this brand and Roman Szmal. The Natural colors are my favorite. If I had to pick one color I gravitate toward it would be Copper Blue. Beautiful for Seascapes.
I just purchased a basic kit today and I had two extra colors in my cart and one sold out just before I could checkout! They really do sellout within hours. Sign up if you want to be notified, know what you want ahead of time and set an alarm the day before! I'm looking forward to testing them out. Thanks for sharing and your painting is absolutely stunning 😍
I wish I could have gotten this video to you before the launch instead of during, my apologies! I was up aaaaall night working on it. Do check out Jackson's to see if they have your missing color in stock!
I will definitely check them out .. I really want that color (noturnno)! But no worries because I've seen a lot of reviews and I have been waiting patiently for them to restock! They also sent a discount code so it was worth the wait. Thanks again for a great demonstration 🤩
@@madelinegrudens Noturno is one of my all time favourites. I'm just starting with watercolours, and this colour is delicious methinks.
Awesome watercolors from A Gallo. Thank you for the review.
I haven’t seen some of your recent uploads but I finally checked your account again, I’m so happy to hear your voice and reviews
I’ll definitely binge the newer videos now :)
Their shop just went live this very moment. Excellent timing, Denise!
I was desperately trying to get it out on time 😅 glad I made it!
@@InLiquidColor 😄
A Gallo's Morellone is one of my absolute favourites of their single pigment colours...it's so rich.
One of my favorite paintings by you. Very “moody” and daring, in a good way. If you haven’t done so already, you might consider making your own paints, too. You know so much, have taught me a great deal particularly about earth tones, I’ll bet you’d do a great job! I haven’t yet tried A. Gallo, but I hope to one day. They certainly seemed to unleash a different facet of your creativity, at least IMO.
Thank you for the kind words! I would *love* to be able to make paints (even bought supplies!) but my chronic pain issues directly conflict with mulling paint, unfortunately. Glad I still get to enjoy other people's creations though!
Wow! Well done Denise
Patty- I happen to love Cassawaries. Your painting of the bird was amazing. You really captured the spirit if the bird. The colors you chose were perfect. Thank you for sharing your opinion and a new paint company. Stoneground. Have a great rest of the day.
I LOVE Stoneground and hope to have a review up soonish!
OMG I was finally able to place an order before they sold out! I have a handful of single pans that I got from Jacksons but I have been wanting to order a couple of sets from them and now they are on the way to me. Giggidy.
The granulation is beautiful but as a watercolorist and seeing these swatched so much I probably would use them for backgrounds or landscapes but not for the detailed work that I do. I use a lot of layering and stick to the transparent and earth tones pretty much. Thank you Denise 😊
I love granulation, so I love these paints. I haven't bought any for a few years, and was drooling over her many new colors. Alina is a dream to work with. She goes above and beyond for her customers. My favorites are Buckhorn Green, and Morellone. I do abstract floral and landscapes mostly.
Thanks for making this video. So appreciate the time you took to show such a useful comparison. Love your swatches!
I'm worried for your nice brush with all that swirling and scrubbing on the paints. Maybe consider pre-wetting.
Also, "More ell ohn neh." (You are pretty close, so nice! It means big mushroom. You can get Morels (mushrooms) in some places in the US.) And "Tin-tor-et- toe." (Named after a famous Italian painter.)
Thanks again!
Thanks Margaret! I promise I do pre-wet my handmade colors when I paint usually. This was specifically to show you all how easy or not they are to rewet. The swirling is also to cut down on damage to the brush tip :)
I love their paints. I have the Signature I and some colors I added.
The PR101 they use is most likely the same that Schmincke supplies as a dry pigment. I know this due to it being the one and only dry pigment I currently own and have made watercolors from
pr101 is a pigment you can get from several suppliers around the world. Would be very surprised they get it from smincke. They might buy at the same source but I suspect not.
@@amvisions1 that is true, but i've not seen the same pr101 hue as a dry pigment anywhere else
I bought a small set from Jackson’s Art just to treat myself. I saved the packaging. It’s all so beautiful. The paints smell nice too.
I've had a similar issue with Schmincke Supergranulation paints, most of them lift very easily and are not good for glazing, especially more opaque ones when applying new layer of paint, it would push the pigment from previous layer and it builds up on the edges...I like the paints on their own but found them very difficult to work with, maybe it's just because I'm a beginner or it takes time to get used to them... Nevertheless, I plan on buying from A. Gallo this month, they have some special pigments and wonderful blends, I was sorry to see they may not be the easiest to work with as well but I still wish to try them. Your swatching video is great and helped a lot in choosing the colours :)
I bought some last year and it was instant love.
This is a really thorough review 😊 the paints look lovely, I didn’t realise this brand was handmade? 😮
I have the Naturale 1 set 24 half pans. I believe I bought it in 2018 and I started an Italian Urban scene, but then went through a lot, but it aside and still have not gone back to it. But I will because I really like what I accomplished so far in the piece. My favorite? hmmmm there are several or more favorites! I like the green earth warm, Potter's pink, and Dragon's blood. I really like Morelone too. well I like the whole set to be honest. Some beautiful blues in my palette: Copper Blue, Zirconium, Lapis Lazuli, Indigo genuine. This palette was a gift to myself. I would love to buy more but maybe in the future. (price is the factor) I use them often in other pieces of art . Thanks Denise!
Beautifully painted,I love how the colours granulated and how when you have layered of course they became more vibrant,but they still allowed the white paper to shine through which I love about watercolours.I do think you found the second layer and the others easier than the first ,this I feel would scare beginners off a bit ,and would make them walk away from the work..I am not exactly a beginner !but I am re- learning again after many years ,so I would have found it daunting,but would have continued to finish.That’s because I understand the layering aspect of watercolours.They do look beautiful,once you get used to them and I hope you will do another painting on cotton paper just to chech if it is just your paper causing the problem.I love the painting though 🥰
Thank you for reviewing these--your reviews often go into issues/details that others bypass. (Jae mentioned the handmade paints of Poems about You in another comment. My experience with Poems has been good and like Jae I would be interested to see your review of those paints should you have the chance/interest in future.)
Wonderful video and a wonderful painting. After watching your video and re-watching Oto's video about the Naturale 24 palette I couldn't hold myself back and used the discount code you provided to get that gorgeous palette. Pretty sure I'm not the only one :)
I am in Canada so these paints are expensive! But I do have 4 of their colours and plan to add more over time. I love them and they suit how I paint very well.
I am glad someone mentioned this! As gorgeous as the paints are they aren’t cheap!
I’m on a no buy this year but if I were to break it it would be for A Gallo 😂😫
I really like how the hand mulled paint looks
You could try that thing where you put them into the freezer for a few minutes before unwrapping to see if that tightens things up a bit for unwrapping.
They aren't sticky, the pigment rubs off the dry tops of some colors.
Thank you for sharing these with us! I personally love these! I have the blue palette and 2 custom palettes I created. I really enjoy using these and wish I knew about them before spending any money on d.s. yeah d.s is widely available but I have a very unpopular opinion about d.s and quite frankly a few other top brand names which I feel are very overpriced especially for what your receiving I feel they are over-hyped and not the best quality out there. But like I said this is my opinion. Anyway, I'll stop my tangent! These have a lot of character and the smell of the clove oil is very relaxing and it sounds silly but I feel it helps me relax more while painting. I'm probably going to get an essential clove oil diffuser so I can experience it at all times. I think if you have the money these are at least worth a try. They are super professional, package everything beautifully and have amazing customer service. I personally havent had any problems with their colors rubbing off including phthalos. Maybe theres a small variance in between batches as Im sure its nearly impossible to make them exactly the same but this is probably the case for all paint manufacturers ( handmade and more commercially available) Have a great day
Hi, Danielle! It's rosmary oil, not clove, and yes, I like it, too.
Thank you for the wonderful review, it’s always glad to hear your opinions on these products because you are so knowledgeable. I wonder if you have ever reviewed/tried Poems About You handmade watercolors, and if so how these compare? I have a few colors by them and I absolutely adore how they rewet and the colors are very vibrant and pigmented. I crave the A Gallo paints so deeply but I don’t know if it’s worth it (beyond an ethical consumption perspective but both companies are wonderful) when I have so many PaY colors on my wishlist and already in my palette. I do know that I will eventually get that lovely wooden palette with the Tintoretto brushes because it is a DREAM, but not sure if its worth it to splurge.
I’m building up a collection of handmade art supplies and will hopefully one day have an entire handmade plein air watercolor kit, so these are very high in my wishlist but I just cannot justify them yet 😭
I haven't had a chance to try Poems About You paints yet, but I've heard good things! I have an extensive list of reviews in the queue, but I'll keep them in mind for when I widdle things down!
Well, after looking at their website, I may be doomed 🤣🤣
never have tried these paints, yu did a lovely job with them 😃
there are 1 of these birds in the Edinburgh zoo, it wanted to kill me lol
A less staining phthalo blue would definitely be of interest to me.
The paper was 100% cotton? Etchr Perfect sketchbook? I'm curious why so much trouble ... and now I'm inspired to try it myself with more granulating paints I barely have experience in. 😆 I'm more used to Winsor and Newton transparent colors but have most of the Daniel Smith Primatek paint, just begging to be used. 🤔 Hmm....
Indeed, cotton! I did some more tests on Arches and am inclined to say that they're just extremely liftable paints. Great for people who want lifting colors! Not as great for people who like layers.
@@InLiquidColor I just found out about the Primatek lies. 😭 Whyyyyyy!
I keep marking these out when they go live and the exchange rate is killing me....and the one thing I want is sold out in less than 15 minutes anyways. Maybe one day the one colour I really want to try will be mad available to me but today is not that day 👀
That's very fair! They're not inexpensive. I would not have been able to afford a set yet myself. I'd like to save up for a few more colors, but it'll definitely take some time!
@@InLiquidColor Handmade paints are often expensive; I didn't realize these were also sold at Jackson's (they DO have the set I want available...). Too bad I'm in Canada 😭
Not hate for it being expensive by nature, lots of sadness around inaccessibility in general ;)
@@SaraBeet Jackson's ships to canada...sometimes for free!...depending if it is paper...more delivery charge...been ordering from Jackson's for years...to the Yukon Canada
From Jackson’s to Canada : duties/broker fees are killing me! 😢
I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but your music choice for the video reminds me so much of the music throughout the series _Medici_ and really captured the essence of the early Italian renaissance lol
These paints look very finicky and like they require a lot of babying if that makes any sense. I hope you share more footage of them with Arches and if they perform any better with that paper or if it genuinely is the paints being difficult.
Thank you! I always try hard to match the music to the video subject, and I really appreciate you noticing :) I did some more testing with these paints on Arches paper (not full paintings) and posted them to Patreon if you're interested!
Beautiful 😍
I went all in, so to speak, and purchased the 48 pan set plus 4 additional colors (the additional pans fit nicely). I've painted three pictures and have the same problem trying to increase a value, like a shadow, only to have the dried layer lift. I contacted A. Gallo and they said to be mindful of transparency and granulation. IOW, paints with low transparency and/or granulation will not layer-up well. I use Arches and high-quality synthetic brushes. I guess I have to use these paints in two-three layers. No more. I admit, this is very disappointing for me.
Oof, I'm so sorry to hear that, Erica! I really didn't anticipate the lifting when I did the initial swatching on the dot card. I did some more testing on Arches and found the same. They lift very easily, even with a soft brush. The granulation really is remarkable and deserving of a spotlight, but I won't be able to use them for every project.
@@InLiquidColor Definitely and I think you are the first "reviewer" to mention it. I'm going to try them on much thicker paper. I bought 30 quarter-sheets of Saunders Waterford, 640 gsm. I need to make these paints work.
Great video! I’ve hear many good things about A Gallo but still have a few questions :
-Firstly, it is a bit strange that A Gallo do have PY150 ( labeled possibly carcinogenic) in some of their colors, but they advertise their paint as non-toxic.
-Secondly, after looking at a lot of swatches online, it seems to me that A Gallo paints don’t seem to be too vibrant ,but rather a bit soft ( like Schmincke or Sennelier but more noticeable), is it true ? I havent’t heard any reviewers talk about this.
Also, it is quite strange that you rarely see these hand-made watercolors being compared side-by-side with the normal artist grade paints, while I appreciate Denise throughout comparisons , I think many artists would appreciate seeing the different between these handmade paints and their familiar paints .
@@parleymanderson7490 No it's not, you can't compare something hand made with something machine made because they don't exist on the same playing field, that's why no one compares them. It's like comparing gouache to the gansai paint, yeah similar, but not quite enough to compare. Things would pop up which are 100% explained by creation process but are not actually relevant if you consider the product works exactly as intended. Maybe get a dot card and see if you like handmade paints? Not everything is for everyone. I probably won't get these because like Denise I like to work in a lot of layers. So, beautiful, but not for me.
@@cris_ad Gouache and gamsai paint are advertised to be different .
However, the differences between of handmade and industrially made watercolors are never made clear in these reviews, the only thing usually said about these paints are that they are proffesional grade (suggesting that these and normal watercolor are the same kind). I get that handmade paints have their own charms which many artists may seek for . It is just a bit misleading to just advertised them as good artist grade watercolor without mentioning any differences at all
Hi Parley! I replied on another comment thread. Check out Oto Kano's database for comparisons! It's extensive.
PY150 is made with nickel. I cannot speak for the company, but I believe the four metals they listed are the most toxic pigments in traditional paints, so it's fair to start there. As for "non-toxic" as a label, different countries have different classifications for materials, so I'm inclined to acknowledge and respect that information may be different in different parts of the world. I hope that helps!
@@InLiquidColor Thank you for explaining
I love my paints, but I really don't like the tintortto brush. It seems hard to control and it just seems a bit wonky
It's a tricky one for me, too!
What was the second brush you used other than the Tintoretto?
It's the Silver Black Velvet, a synthetic-squirrel hair blend. It's really soft, holds a lot of water and haa a great point. Some people have said that it is too soft though so if you like stiffer brushes this may not be the best brush for you.
It looked like a Silver Black Velvet round, but unsure on the size, maybe a 6? They're great brushes!
That one is always in the description (and I talked about it in the voice over :)). It's a Size 8 Round SBV.
Living dinosaur. It's a pleasure to watch the delicate brush strokes.
I ve looked into these paints before i was put off of the price its double for a half pan of other brands
Handmade watercolors are more labor intensive, which is why they're more expensive.
They are always sold out of everything every time I visit their website :( 😞
Nikkie they only do a sale once a month when they restock. However, Jackson's Art Supplies sells them here in the UK and they export globally.
There is no A sound in Italian. Letter A only has the sound Ah.
So, you’re telling me that a $100-$200 12-color watercolor set comes with a synthetic fiber travel brush?!?! Idk ‘bout that! I don’t think that’s right at all!
First comment!
You really take being first to the next level... 🤭 🤭 🤭 👏 👏 👏
@@Lauraisabelgonzalezart 😂😂😂 Never thought I’d read that 😂
Hi! You are saying "morleone" while it is Morellone (like the wine), same letter, same tonic accent, just the order is different.
(If you really want to say it perfectly be aware that for the double L you need to quickly press the tongue behind your teeth instead of just tapping it).
Hope this help!
Too broke for A. Gallo.
I adore using their paints. I use Etchr sketchbooks mostly. I use what ever brushes I have on hand, Princeton, Rosemary n co, Trekkel. I love the granulation and unique colors. I do a lot of wet in wet, even in details and they are a joy for that.