If I put all of my watercolors in one palette, I think that my brain would explode 😮. Too many choices. But I have thought about starting a designated swatch book so that I can see all my colors. You’re so right. There is a difference between collecting as opposed to actually painting. I’m more of a collector given my physical impairments that prevent me from painting 😢. I won’t give up😂🎉
Aside from how gorgeous that selection is, I found it so interesting to see different brands next to each other and see the variation in your swatches. Satisfying and informative. Also - keep doing you. It’s lovely to see you exploring and enjoying. Just the inspiration I needed tonight!
As a naughty paint collector myself, I figure that the variation between brands is why I need more than one version of a color - to be sure I can select just the right one for the moment 😅
Hello! I’m in the process of organizing all my Qor watercolors today and this is such a reassuring video, and hearing someone say that it’s ok to blend brands makes my heart happy. Lovely job, beautiful chart and palette. Congratulations! 🌺
The perfectionist part of me would love to keep brands separately in different palettes, but that just wasn't working for me - I can't get away from the fact that my most favourite colours come largely from different brands. If I had to put together my dream palette of say 24 paints, there'd be at least 8 different brands in it.
Ahh, it's the opposite with me - I find them soooo relaxing and they just make my eyes happy. Almost all of them feel like old friends with different characteristics that interest me, even if I don't use them all the time.
I did something similar with one of my Son's old wooden block boxes. I cleaned it up, sanded it down and painted it up! It's now my huge daily Palette and all the colors are getting used!
I like the blue and turquoise combo on the tins, they’re very chic! That could be a new sideline for you 😉. I don’t think I could do something like this because I know I’d mess up the swatch card…even with a small palette I always muddle the order up & put the wrong name to a colour. 😳. Kudos to you for managing it successfully! Have fun with them.
How lucky are you that you reached dark purple just at the same time you reached the blue smudge on the paper? 😂 This is awesome Helen, it reminds me of those massive sets of Chinese paints that I just love to look at. It could be the video but quite a few look alike, it was very noticeable with some yellows. I can't wait to see your work using these gigantic palletes. This was lovely to watch and I don't have watercolour envy at all. 🤥😅❤
Wow what a glorious sight seeing all your watercolours together like this😍 It will be really interesting to see which colours you are most drawn to over the coming months. I should really get organised and do something like this but I'm still 'slowly' in the process of creating a swatch folder (inspired by yours) for all my various supplies. Super relaxing to watch, thank you as always🙏🏼
This is a great idea-reminded me of my first watercolor tin (4th grade birthday gift) which I still have and use occasionally. I think I will be doing this as soon as I find the appropriate container. I really like all the information you have on your swatch card
Cool idea! I get around the problem of not using my paints by not mixing up brands! Then if I want to paint something, I'll choose which brand I want to use and just grab that set!
That sounds fun! I only have a couple of sets from brands, so I couldn't manage with that very well (for example, I've no yellow Daniel Smith!) plus my ideal palette would consist of paints from different brands.
@@helencryer I just make sure I have a split primary for any brand I decide I want to try out. My biggest sets are my Roman Szmal, A Gallo and Schmincke ones :) but I also have smaller mixing sets for Sennelier, Daniel Smith, W&N, Daler Rowney, QOR and Isaro. I don't like mixing brands, I don't do it with my coloured pencils either!
Yes, you'd definitely need those! I'm not sure I think one brand makes the perfect range of coloured pencils either, so I have to mix and match those too 😂
What a wonderful undertaking. Inspiring, maybe a little overwhelming. Painting the tin lids is such a good idea. I've been frustrated that, even with big labels on the lids, I'm always opening the wrong tin and the cluttery designs on them is somehow tiring just to glance at.
I wondered if they might be too much altogether like that, but so far I absolutely love it! I'm using more paints than I did before, and have been able to navigate it pretty well.
Great! I did something like this a couple of months ago. I felt some of my tubes just weren’t getting used but, like this, they are so much more accessible. Very satisfying to get them organised, isn’t it 😀
I had a similar idea recently. My paints were spread across a few small palettes and they took up a lot of table space when I wanted to use them all so I bought a large empty Meeden palette that holds 52 half pans and put all of my paints in. I still have 31 empty slots though 😂 I do have a wishlist of 21 colors I might add, but they're mostly granulating paints as I purchased the basic colors I wanted first. No rush for them right now though, I'm working on buying a few professional colored pencils and watercolor pencils. I don't want to buy full sets because I know I"ll waste most of a 100/120 set. I don't do florals or anything that would really use all the bright pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, and purples. I just want a few landscape colors to start with and a couple of the brighter colors for my urban sketches. It's taken me time but I've learned that if I have too many choices, I choose nothing and I don't make any art. I thought that maybe I just wasn't in the mood but I realized when I had fewer supplies I was more likely to sketch something. I wish the manufacturers would release small sets for specific subjects, like landscapes. That would make a nice base to add to as needed. Decision fatigue is a real thing for me.
That just sounds really sensible!! I bought a couple of watercolour sets (mainly because it worked out not much cheaper to buy the individual tubes I wanted), but the rest I picked specifically a few at a time. I know I have a lot, but most of them feel like old friends! More definitely does not mean better though!
@@helencryer You have the ability to be able to pick your favorite version of each color across brands though, which I'd love to be able to do. I wish all of the paint manufacturers provided dot cards. Or even if the stores here would make swatch sheets so you can see the colors in the shop, that would be helpful. When I was starting out, trying to pick colors from an online or brochure printed swatch was terrible. I use mainly Daniel Smith now because of the lack of dot cards from everyone else. We don't get all the brands that you have though. New Zealand misses out on some of the European brands but picks up Australian and some Asian brands instead. With the pencils, the only brands I can buy in singles here are Faber Castell and Carandache. With the Carandache costing 2.5 times the price of the Faber ones. So I guess I'm sticking with Albrecht Durer and Polychromos pencils for now. The one good thing there is Faber Castell uses the same names and numbers across all their range so because I have a lot of Pitt artist pens already, I know what a lot of the colors are in the pencils.
They are a thing of beauty! You have some beautiful colours and they look amazing all together, you can tell you’re a landscape painter. The box lids look lovely too. Have you ever challenged yourself to a limited palette painting? It would be interesting to see what shades of all your colours you would choose 🙂 x
Oh yes, that's why I mentioned about my Portable Painter Micro - I'm perfectly happy painting with my 6 paints! I did a video on how I chose them if you're interested. I enjoy colour mixing and can do it reasonably well. I just love variety too, and the different characteristics of all my paints, so I like the best of both worlds!
I’ve been in the exactly same situation. I have magnetic strips that I cut to attach to the bottom of the pans so that they don’t jiggle when using them. I have a couple of empty pencil tins that I’ve been using to store them in as well.
OMG What a work you had set up for you !! But it ended up really good. Hope it works out to have them like this. I just realized the other day, when I was doing my own watercolor paint, that pen tins are perfect for paint pans. But I didn´t give mine a makeover. LOVE the color you sprayed on the lids. Thanks for sharing! 😊
I actually loved every second! I love organising as much as doing art (which is why I know I'm not a true artist!!) I don't mind too much if it doesn't work out, but I'm excited for the experiment!
Ha ha 😅OK if that is the case I sure am NOT an artist, as well 😂 But I will try to spray paint the lids on my tins! But it might be a disaster because I´ve never used spray paint before. @@helencryer
😂 About the spray painting - one thing I forgot to mention in the video - I cleaned the lids really well with isopropyl alcohol to get any grease, oil pastel smudges off. Other than that, ventilate well, and spray thinly from a decent distance!
A beautiful mosaic of half pans and swatches. You also swatched the paints very well and brought out the granulation. I have a ‘healthy’ collection of watercolors and they are divided between five palettes I keep on rotation. Plus four unopened palettes😅. I’m not sure when I will open those!
Thanks! I honestly think Canson XL Watercolour paper is great at bringing out granulation. How did you decide what goes in each of your palettes, and when do you rotate them?
@@helencryer I’m surprised at the paper. My five palettes are: (1) mixed brand full pans; (2) mixed brand half pans; (3) Daniel Smith; (4) Jackman’s watercolors; (5) A Gallo. I rotate palettes after using one for a couple of weeks. ☺️ EDIT you’re welcome!
🤩 What a gorgeous sight to behold! So many beautiful colors; so many possibilities!! I have much the same arrangement for my studio palette, though I used a thin metal tin I bought from Shein that originally held some below-student-grade, chalky watercolor cakes in a plastic tray. I chucked the plastic and chalk and added my own half pans with a thin magnet glued to each underside so I can easily rearrange them if a new color comes along. I definitely find myself sitting down to paint more often since I'm not having to dig through my whole studio to find specific colors for a piece. Having them all in one spot, even though I only use a small grouping of colors at a time, is extremely convenient and helpful. 🙏😊 Thanks for sharing your technique and wisdom!
That sounds great! I didn't have a good experience when I tried that with magnet sheeting before, but I think it's because mine wasn't strong enough to hold the pans securely. One day I'll have to explore stronger magnet! I'm really happy to hear this paint arrangement has been working well for you!
Love this! I actually did this myself a few weeks ago- but some (my favorites) are full pans and others are in half pans. I put them in a wooden box with magnets on the bottom of the pans and poured resin in the lid to give myself a mixing area. I love that it is so compact now.
Oooooh, I love this!! I love seeing all your colors together!! Well organized and clever how you chose a black or white sharpie depending on the paint color! ❤
What a wonderfully cathartic process that must have been Helen. I’ve watched it three times this morning already, as I found it so soothing 😂. I’ve also seen a couple of colours I want to try myself - schmincke shire green was one that jumped and out made me say ooo!
That made me laugh - thank you!! Just a word on the Shire Green - it's not a strongly pigmented one - a little bit weak. Not trying to put you off it, just for info.
Wow!!! That was kind of overwhelming… I thought I had a lot of paints. I have a basic ‘go to’ 18 well brass palette but often I’d find that I needed occasional colours to create a particular atmosphere or subject and after much thought (years….) I decided that I’d get a Robax palette - which I reluctantly did because I don’t like plastic palettes, however the Robax palettes are extremely versatile. I bought the package with a large round 85 well palette that has a 41 well Insert with lid that is separate from the lid that goes over the entire larger 85 well palette that the insert fits into and 150 well liners. The well liners are what was key for me as they are like separate little pans that you can pop into the wells of the palette so that you can mix your colours around the palette and most importantly remove them from the palette when you only need to use one colour. When I need to use a colour that’s not in my ‘go to’ palette I squeeze some paint into a well liner, label it and pop it into a well in the 41 well insert with a lid, as this is not as big as the main 85 well palette the insert with lid sits comfortably on my desk out of the way and I just take out the occasional colours I’m using out of the insert & keep them next to my ‘go to’ palette while painting and pop them back into the insert when I’m finished. Should my 41 well insert get filled with paints then I’ll have to put newer paints into the larger palette but it is easy to swap the paints in and out of the palette and the insert with the well liners. I spent a lot of time mucking around trying to work out a way to have occasional colours handy while painting without having extra palettes cluttering up my little painting space, and despite the price and the dislike of plastic this solution has worked out really well for me as I only squeeze out new colours when I need them instead of spending hours putting all my paints into well liners & labelling them & not knowing when I’m going to use those colours AND once I’m finished I can clear my desk of these paints by putting them into the insert and out of my way…
That sounds very cool! I haven't heard of that brand palette before. I think it's so important we figure out what system works best for us individually, and it may take some trial and error! For most of us, art is a joyful thing, and keeping that as free flowing as possible is important. Our system needs to actually work for us!
Thank you, this was a nice opportunity to see colors from the different manufactures side by side. I love to have my travel palettes be influenced by either the season or by the environment I am visiting. Once I went to the drier side of the mountains and needed a completely different set of colors. Thanks again.
It’s lovely seeing all of the colours together. I’ll be interested to hear down the line on how well this will work for you. I think it’s a great way of seeing which colours you use more than others. I’m not sure how practical this would be for me in terms of trying to find the colour I want as the palettes are so big. I’m doing a lot of experimenting with how I arrange things. I’ve done the same as you and put all of my Roman Szmal colours together. They were split between 2 palettes so I never ending up using them. Having them all in one place is so much more convenient xxx
I'm interested too! I know my individual paints pretty well, but size may still be an issue for just getting to the exact paint as quickly as possible. I'm happy to change things again if I don't like it though!
So satisfying ❤ Makes me swoon with colour delight! I think I may find this overwhelming tho.I have my empty gansai pans waiting to do this, and my 100 Inktense pencils just turned up so I should have enough empty tins to do it now….I think!😂❤
So many lovely paints! This looks very organized. My paints are all over the place in different pallets and it causes me confusion. I don’t have nearly as many as this so I can’t imagine how you were managing all those different pallets. 😮 I’ve swatched them by brand and choose from the swatches what I will use, but trying to find each paint pan is a mess. I hope your system evolves into a workable solution for you.
I didn't get confused, just knew that I was overlooking certain colours because they were in less used palettes. My Swatch folder matches the order of the paints in these tins too now.
My eyes and brain lit up! And I think I started to drool. 😂 I think it would be wonderful if you got a high resolution pic of your swatch chart and uploaded it to Spoonflower to make your own fabric. I recently put mine into 2 48 pan palettes, but had to leave space. I found it hard searching for the color I wanted; my eyes got lost. Now I remove the colors I want to use and place them in front of me. I have a (failed for its original use as a bowl cover) square piece of silicone that I place them on and they don't slip around. I'd love to hear how it goes using these gorgeous super large palettes.
@@helencryer I forgot to mention about gold. I've seen other people use the powder but no one mentioned it rubbing off. I have my tried and true Fine-Tec selection, now also sold as Coliro. The price has doubled over the last 4 years, yikes!. I saw a couple of options on the UK Amazon. Try the single pan of Arabic gold. My palette has 6 options, but I use the Arabic gold and Bronze the most. They both pack just the right amount of bling. Can't wait to see what your muse has you working on this year.
Ahh, thanks ever so much for thinking of me! I havd a couple of the Finetec paints, and also the Gansai Tambi metallics - I should get them out and play with them some more! I found one solution for my gold powder though - I didn't really want to buy anything this month like gum arabic (which a few people had mentioned), but I remembered seeing someone use 'Coloured Pencil Touch-Up Texture' mixed with paint pigment, and I have some of that, so I tried it, and it worked well to make opaque gold paint.
Love the tin colors the way they are, very pretty Helen! They both look so lovely all of your color choices are so beautiful, tin #2 is so gorgeous love all the colors they are my jam! lol It will be interesting to see what colors you are drawn to, I hope you will do an update on them down the road.
Yay another swatch video, and a massive one at that. That is a lot of paint pains lol. I cant wait to see what you paint while carrying around this giant paint palette. Will the large amount of colors be a hinderance or a big help? Can't wait to find out. Enjoyed this video immensely!
I definitely won't be carrying it around - it's for my table top only! That's why I've still kept a couple of little travel palettes, with a few duplicate colours. I'm excited to find out! I'm remaining open minded!
Wonderful, I’ve thought about doing this too. Another idea for you-I had such a big collection of watercolors too so I made one palette of “non granulating” paints so when I was in a hurry and didn’t want granulation I knew which palette to reach for. I like granulation but I’ve been surprised by paints doing that in certain cases where I didn’t want that effect. So in the heat of the moment I can get the look I want without having to look it up or have a massive memory.
It's good you found a system that works for you! For me, I absolutely love my granulating ones mixed in, because that's how I use them - as a contrast to smoother paints. I know the characteristics of my individual paints pretty well, so know which ones will granulate or not.
@@helencryer I like granulation too but one time my sky granulated in an extreme way and I can’t recall what happened another time so I do enjoy knowing that one palette has zero granulation in it. But I most like granulation and embrace it wholeheartedly. Thanks!
I use a large sheet magnet on the bottom of the tin and then cut little magnets for the pans....so once i have chosen my colours for a piece i can pop them beside me on another empty palette with the sheet magnet attached XXX
@@helencryer TMS Magnetic Sheets Self-Adhesive | For Magnet Die Storage, Crafts, Cars, Taxis, Vehicles, Sign Making and Outdoor Use | Extra Sticky, Strong Flexible Vehicle Grade (1.5mm thick, A4 Sheet, 1) here's the link for the one i brought and they don't budge, I promise Helen XXX
THANKS HELEN...I always wondered what it could be like to do what you did...but was AFRAID...of it all...still am...but...HATE having these zillion palettes everywhere with preprietory paints in each one......not able to access my fav. say...D.S. colour...while in the Schmincke palette...gosh...is there ever a solution...Possibly...with your swatch cards...specifically yellows/reds/oranges...you can basically pick your fav....cool yellow...warm yellow...1 orange...one warm red...one cooler red...then fav...Magenta.....then add some SPECIAIL COLOURS...FAV...THIS AND THAT...FINALLY ENDING UP with a palette full of every colour you like and could ever need or want...but not duplicates...or different brands of the same hue....hopefully I may get there one of these days...but I doubt it...rather dabble with paints all over the place...though ONE THING...WANNA GO THROUGH AND FIND DUPLICATES...SCHMINCKE AND A. GALLO...AND OTHERS...AND SET ASIDE THE DUPS...soooat least I seemy COLLECTION...AS IT WERE...WITH ONE OF EACH.
Yes, I really am enjoying having them all together!! I know what you mean about having that one definitive palette, and have been thinking about it quite a bit actually. I'd be happy to do a video on it. What would be your ideal number of paints, just out of curiosity?
I have done the same exact thing, but my tin is slightly smaller. Its a colored pencil box as well, and i have used magnets in place of hot glue. My tin holds 90 colors.
Wow, that's an impressive collection of paints -- and now so beautifully organized! I agree -- acquiring art supplies is an entirely different hobby from using them! 😆 My colored pencil collection is over the top -- but not nearly as organized as yours!
Oh I envy you! I have 2 palettes filled with different colors that don’t make sense! I need to remove the paint from each and arrange them in each palette so they are more usable. Maybe a floral palette and a landscape palette. Ok I will get it done soon 😅.
I like the second tin so much, it will be interesting to see which one will get used most. I think I could never do this because already with very small palettes I find it difficult to choose and rely more on mixes. I would just wind up procrastinating for eternity!
They look great! 😊 I did something similar with my gansi tambi paints. And Ive been meaning to do this with my watercolors though they almost all fit in one pan. But having your organizational order will save me a bunch of time organizing the colors without having to reswatch or figure out where I swatched each of them when I got them. Thanks!
Those were for my two lots of whole pans - one for Roman Szmal, and the other Rosa Gallery. If I'd had space I'd probably have mixed those in with the others too.
“…and I have one palette I keep in the car.” 💕 Sounds like me ‼️ The Florida Girl during hurricane season 🌀… because … Hurricane Season ‼️ What if I need to leave town quickly 😮…
Sounds sensible to me!! I always keep a few things for overnight trips in my car - a mattress, duvet, solar lamp, snacks, clothes, camping cooker, water, paint!!
oh wow! i just did this same thing this past weekend 😍😍 put all my professional colours in one large qor tin (fit 101 colours) cause like you i really wanted to have them all in one place rather than several different palettes. you’ve inspired me here to maybe look for a larger tin where i can have some space inbetween and maybe even fit some more pans :) thank you for sharing! really enjoyed this video :)
@@helencryer😂 i know right! too funny! can i ask what size the derwent tin is? is it massive!? lol i have a 72 colour tin here wondering if it’s around the same size.
Now I’m wondering should I do a gouache version and what about a neo colour one as well as I have all the colours including the discontinued ones😂 Are you still using your neo colour palette?
I've only used it a couple of times, and also my gouache palette. They're fun and work fine, but at the end of the day, I probably prefer gouache from the tube, (or for travel purposes, mixing watercolours with white gouache), and using the Neocolor II's as sticks.
You can! I'm not good, I try to paint flowers and such but I just haven't practiced enough. But I absolutely love doing swatch charts, color mixing charts and making reference cards with information such as opacity and pigment information. It's very relaxing to just watch the pigment dance in the water on the paper. You don't have to be an amazing artist to swatch colors, and it's very therapeutic.
What a great idea to have everything in one set! I am a slow mover on projects, but I have finally collected trading card folders to start my swatch books! I am going to one book of swatches and one book of "color puddle" mixes I enjoy. I figure between the two I would get definitely inspired to paint!
If that's what suits you, that's fine! It's definitely the advice I would give to someone starting out, and definitely all you need. However I also love paints in their own right, aside from any painting I actually do with them, so I'll do what I enjoy!
@@helencryersure.. if you have the money - go for it! I just see so many of these channels pushing thousands of paints towards consumers... and the comments just filled with "I MUST HAVE THOSE!"... and then, they sit in pans in the closet never getting used while these same folks complain about never "getting to go on a vacation" or "buy that fancy coffee machine". Lol.. what a world!
Personally I've never come across anyone complaining they can't do x or y, because they bought some watercolours, but absolutely - people need to understand their finances and prioritise their disposable income. My priority for my spare money last year was art materials. This year, not so much. I don't judge people for having a fancier car or TV than me, or choosing to spend more money than I do on clothes/makeup/home decor/photography equipment/surfing gear (whatever their hobby is), neither do I feel like they are 'pushing' their money priorities onto me.
If I put all of my watercolors in one palette, I think that my brain would explode 😮. Too many choices. But I have thought about starting a designated swatch book so that I can see all my colors. You’re so right. There is a difference between collecting as opposed to actually painting. I’m more of a collector given my physical impairments that prevent me from painting 😢. I won’t give up😂🎉
I'm so sorry that you're not able to paint as you'd like!!
Yeah - I don't really mind lots of choice!
Sticky-back plastic….that takes me back to a childhood watching Blue Peter in the 70’s and early 80’s! Lovely video as always.
Haha, yep! Or covering my school books!
The swatches are a pleasure to watch! Thank you for sharing this Helen! It was so therapeutic to watch you swatch all the gorgeous colors!!
I'm happy you enjoyed it!
Can you please come and organise my house? 😂😂
Fabulous range I wish you good health to use them for many years to come ❤
I really like organising!! 😂 Thanks! My paints will no doubt outlive me, but I've already told my kids who to pass them on to 😁
Gorgeous, I noticed 3 whole rows of blues.
My favourite colour!!
Aside from how gorgeous that selection is, I found it so interesting to see different brands next to each other and see the variation in your swatches. Satisfying and informative. Also - keep doing you. It’s lovely to see you exploring and enjoying. Just the inspiration I needed tonight!
Thanks ever so much!!
As a naughty paint collector myself, I figure that the variation between brands is why I need more than one version of a color - to be sure I can select just the right one for the moment 😅
Hello! I’m in the process of organizing all my Qor watercolors today and this is such a reassuring video, and hearing someone say that it’s ok to blend brands makes my heart happy. Lovely job, beautiful chart and palette. Congratulations! 🌺
The perfectionist part of me would love to keep brands separately in different palettes, but that just wasn't working for me - I can't get away from the fact that my most favourite colours come largely from different brands. If I had to put together my dream palette of say 24 paints, there'd be at least 8 different brands in it.
Ooohhh just looking at all of those I'm already overwhelmed ... Though I also have a lot 😂😂😂
Ahh, it's the opposite with me - I find them soooo relaxing and they just make my eyes happy. Almost all of them feel like old friends with different characteristics that interest me, even if I don't use them all the time.
I did something similar with one of my Son's old wooden block boxes. I cleaned it up, sanded it down and painted it up! It's now my huge daily Palette and all the colors are getting used!
That sounds gorgeous!! I'm really glad to hear it's a system that's working for you!
❤❤❤ GORGEOUS!! Love seeing them all together like this!!
Love it! A perfect way to have it all at an arms reach and truly see what you use. Wonderful 👏
Thanks! I'm keen to see how it works out!
I like the blue and turquoise combo on the tins, they’re very chic! That could be a new sideline for you 😉. I don’t think I could do something like this because I know I’d mess up the swatch card…even with a small palette I always muddle the order up & put the wrong name to a colour. 😳. Kudos to you for managing it successfully! Have fun with them.
Hahaha! Thanks so much! (I'm all about the swatch charts!!)
what a fantastic palette, its so inspiring ☺☺☺
How lucky are you that you reached dark purple just at the same time you reached the blue smudge on the paper? 😂 This is awesome Helen, it reminds me of those massive sets of Chinese paints that I just love to look at. It could be the video but quite a few look alike, it was very noticeable with some yellows. I can't wait to see your work using these gigantic palletes. This was lovely to watch and I don't have watercolour envy at all. 🤥😅❤
Haha, I know!!
A few look very similar - often when I've bought a set and they include the same main colours. Very few behave in the same way though.
always love your videos! Would like to see swatches of EVERY color you have (including tubes!)
Thanks! This is all my watercolours swatched out:
th-cam.com/video/4EoS57UnI7k/w-d-xo.html
Wow what a glorious sight seeing all your watercolours together like this😍 It will be really interesting to see which colours you are most drawn to over the coming months. I should really get organised and do something like this but I'm still 'slowly' in the process of creating a swatch folder (inspired by yours) for all my various supplies. Super relaxing to watch, thank you as always🙏🏼
I haven't had chance for painting yet, but I keep looking at them lovingly when I walk past!
This is a great idea-reminded me of my first watercolor tin (4th grade birthday gift) which I still have and use occasionally. I think I will be doing this as soon as I find the appropriate container. I really like all the information you have on your swatch card
That's so cool you still have it!!
I love the color you chose for painting your tins and it's very satisfying seeing all your half-pans together like this.
Thanks!! I keep doing happy glances at them when they're out!
Palette 2 with all the landscape colours is 😍
Cool idea! I get around the problem of not using my paints by not mixing up brands! Then if I want to paint something, I'll choose which brand I want to use and just grab that set!
That sounds fun! I only have a couple of sets from brands, so I couldn't manage with that very well (for example, I've no yellow Daniel Smith!) plus my ideal palette would consist of paints from different brands.
@@helencryer I just make sure I have a split primary for any brand I decide I want to try out.
My biggest sets are my Roman Szmal, A Gallo and Schmincke ones :) but I also have smaller mixing sets for Sennelier, Daniel Smith, W&N, Daler Rowney, QOR and Isaro.
I don't like mixing brands, I don't do it with my coloured pencils either!
Yes, you'd definitely need those!
I'm not sure I think one brand makes the perfect range of coloured pencils either, so I have to mix and match those too 😂
Well these are things of joy to behold! How lovely 😍
That's how I view them! 😁
Wauw, the tins look beautiful, inside and out!! Such a great idea to have them all equally accessible.
I've yet to see how usable it is, but at least I just love looking at it so far!
What a wonderful undertaking. Inspiring, maybe a little overwhelming. Painting the tin lids is such a good idea. I've been frustrated that, even with big labels on the lids, I'm always opening the wrong tin and the cluttery designs on them is somehow tiring just to glance at.
I wondered if they might be too much altogether like that, but so far I absolutely love it! I'm using more paints than I did before, and have been able to navigate it pretty well.
Brilliant,I just love this,soooo satisfying to watch let alone do.❤
Great! I did something like this a couple of months ago. I felt some of my tubes just weren’t getting used but, like this, they are so much more accessible. Very satisfying to get them organised, isn’t it 😀
It's wonderful! Glad you feel it's working!
Looks beautiful, Helen! 🥰
I had a similar idea recently. My paints were spread across a few small palettes and they took up a lot of table space when I wanted to use them all so I bought a large empty Meeden palette that holds 52 half pans and put all of my paints in. I still have 31 empty slots though 😂 I do have a wishlist of 21 colors I might add, but they're mostly granulating paints as I purchased the basic colors I wanted first. No rush for them right now though, I'm working on buying a few professional colored pencils and watercolor pencils. I don't want to buy full sets because I know I"ll waste most of a 100/120 set. I don't do florals or anything that would really use all the bright pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, and purples. I just want a few landscape colors to start with and a couple of the brighter colors for my urban sketches. It's taken me time but I've learned that if I have too many choices, I choose nothing and I don't make any art. I thought that maybe I just wasn't in the mood but I realized when I had fewer supplies I was more likely to sketch something. I wish the manufacturers would release small sets for specific subjects, like landscapes. That would make a nice base to add to as needed. Decision fatigue is a real thing for me.
That just sounds really sensible!!
I bought a couple of watercolour sets (mainly because it worked out not much cheaper to buy the individual tubes I wanted), but the rest I picked specifically a few at a time. I know I have a lot, but most of them feel like old friends! More definitely does not mean better though!
@@helencryer You have the ability to be able to pick your favorite version of each color across brands though, which I'd love to be able to do. I wish all of the paint manufacturers provided dot cards. Or even if the stores here would make swatch sheets so you can see the colors in the shop, that would be helpful. When I was starting out, trying to pick colors from an online or brochure printed swatch was terrible. I use mainly Daniel Smith now because of the lack of dot cards from everyone else. We don't get all the brands that you have though. New Zealand misses out on some of the European brands but picks up Australian and some Asian brands instead. With the pencils, the only brands I can buy in singles here are Faber Castell and Carandache. With the Carandache costing 2.5 times the price of the Faber ones. So I guess I'm sticking with Albrecht Durer and Polychromos pencils for now. The one good thing there is Faber Castell uses the same names and numbers across all their range so because I have a lot of Pitt artist pens already, I know what a lot of the colors are in the pencils.
They are a thing of beauty! You have some beautiful colours and they look amazing all together, you can tell you’re a landscape painter. The box lids look lovely too. Have you ever challenged yourself to a limited palette painting? It would be interesting to see what shades of all your colours you would choose 🙂 x
Oh yes, that's why I mentioned about my Portable Painter Micro - I'm perfectly happy painting with my 6 paints! I did a video on how I chose them if you're interested.
I enjoy colour mixing and can do it reasonably well.
I just love variety too, and the different characteristics of all my paints, so I like the best of both worlds!
th-cam.com/video/cdwEDR-atr8/w-d-xo.html
@@helencryer thank you, that’s one of yours I haven’t seen x
I like how neat they look in the tin. And the teal/turquoise combination of the outside is very nice.
Thanks!
I’ve been in the exactly same situation. I have magnetic strips that I cut to attach to the bottom of the pans so that they don’t jiggle when using them. I have a couple of empty pencil tins that I’ve been using to store them in as well.
I had magnetic strip before but it wasn't strong enough. Someone's recommended a better one, so I may well gradually move over to your system too!
💖💞💝This was wonderful, Helen!!! Thanks so much for sharing....
I do this too Helen x I love them all out when I'm painting.....they look so beautiful too x love Alli XXX
I'm happy I'm not the only one!!
So satisfying to see, nice video
Thanks!
OMG What a work you had set up for you !! But it ended up really good. Hope it works out to have them like this. I just realized the other day, when I was doing my own watercolor paint, that pen tins are perfect for paint pans. But I didn´t give mine a makeover. LOVE the color you sprayed on the lids. Thanks for sharing! 😊
I actually loved every second! I love organising as much as doing art (which is why I know I'm not a true artist!!)
I don't mind too much if it doesn't work out, but I'm excited for the experiment!
Ha ha 😅OK if that is the case I sure am NOT an artist, as well 😂 But I will try to spray paint the lids on my tins! But it might be a disaster because I´ve never used spray paint before. @@helencryer
😂 About the spray painting - one thing I forgot to mention in the video - I cleaned the lids really well with isopropyl alcohol to get any grease, oil pastel smudges off. Other than that, ventilate well, and spray thinly from a decent distance!
A beautiful mosaic of half pans and swatches. You also swatched the paints very well and brought out the granulation. I have a ‘healthy’ collection of watercolors and they are divided between five palettes I keep on rotation. Plus four unopened palettes😅. I’m not sure when I will open those!
Thanks! I honestly think Canson XL Watercolour paper is great at bringing out granulation. How did you decide what goes in each of your palettes, and when do you rotate them?
@@helencryer I’m surprised at the paper. My five palettes are: (1) mixed brand full pans; (2) mixed brand half pans; (3) Daniel Smith; (4) Jackman’s watercolors; (5) A Gallo. I rotate palettes after using one for a couple of weeks. ☺️ EDIT you’re welcome!
🤩 What a gorgeous sight to behold! So many beautiful colors; so many possibilities!! I have much the same arrangement for my studio palette, though I used a thin metal tin I bought from Shein that originally held some below-student-grade, chalky watercolor cakes in a plastic tray. I chucked the plastic and chalk and added my own half pans with a thin magnet glued to each underside so I can easily rearrange them if a new color comes along. I definitely find myself sitting down to paint more often since I'm not having to dig through my whole studio to find specific colors for a piece. Having them all in one spot, even though I only use a small grouping of colors at a time, is extremely convenient and helpful.
🙏😊 Thanks for sharing your technique and wisdom!
oh i love this! do you have a link of the set on shein? :)
That sounds great! I didn't have a good experience when I tried that with magnet sheeting before, but I think it's because mine wasn't strong enough to hold the pans securely. One day I'll have to explore stronger magnet!
I'm really happy to hear this paint arrangement has been working well for you!
Love this! I actually did this myself a few weeks ago- but some (my favorites) are full pans and others are in half pans. I put them in a wooden box with magnets on the bottom of the pans and poured resin in the lid to give myself a mixing area. I love that it is so compact now.
That's sounds cool! I have liked to include my full pans too, but didn't have enough space!
Just lovely! ❤
Oooooh, I love this!! I love seeing all your colors together!! Well organized and clever how you chose a black or white sharpie depending on the paint color! ❤
Thank you!!
What a wonderfully cathartic process that must have been Helen. I’ve watched it three times this morning already, as I found it so soothing 😂. I’ve also seen a couple of colours I want to try myself - schmincke shire green was one that jumped and out made me say ooo!
That made me laugh - thank you!!
Just a word on the Shire Green - it's not a strongly pigmented one - a little bit weak. Not trying to put you off it, just for info.
Wow!!! That was kind of overwhelming… I thought I had a lot of paints. I have a basic ‘go to’ 18 well brass palette but often I’d find that I needed occasional colours to create a particular atmosphere or subject and after much thought (years….) I decided that I’d get a Robax palette - which I reluctantly did because I don’t like plastic palettes, however the Robax palettes are extremely versatile. I bought the package with a large round 85 well palette that has a 41 well Insert with lid that is separate from the lid that goes over the entire larger 85 well palette that the insert fits into and 150 well liners. The well liners are what was key for me as they are like separate little pans that you can pop into the wells of the palette so that you can mix your colours around the palette and most importantly remove them from the palette when you only need to use one colour.
When I need to use a colour that’s not in my ‘go to’ palette I squeeze some paint into a well liner, label it and pop it into a well in the 41 well insert with a lid, as this is not as big as the main 85 well palette the insert with lid sits comfortably on my desk out of the way and I just take out the occasional colours I’m using out of the insert & keep them next to my ‘go to’ palette while painting and pop them back into the insert when I’m finished. Should my 41 well insert get filled with paints then I’ll have to put newer paints into the larger palette but it is easy to swap the paints in and out of the palette and the insert with the well liners. I spent a lot of time mucking around trying to work out a way to have occasional colours handy while painting without having extra palettes cluttering up my little painting space, and despite the price and the dislike of plastic this solution has worked out really well for me as I only squeeze out new colours when I need them instead of spending hours putting all my paints into well liners & labelling them & not knowing when I’m going to use those colours AND once I’m finished I can clear my desk of these paints by putting them into the insert and out of my way…
That sounds very cool! I haven't heard of that brand palette before. I think it's so important we figure out what system works best for us individually, and it may take some trial and error! For most of us, art is a joyful thing, and keeping that as free flowing as possible is important. Our system needs to actually work for us!
Thank you, this was a nice opportunity to see colors from the different manufactures side by side. I love to have my travel palettes be influenced by either the season or by the environment I am visiting. Once I went to the drier side of the mountains and needed a completely different set of colors. Thanks again.
That's a lovely way of doing it - thank you!
It’s lovely seeing all of the colours together. I’ll be interested to hear down the line on how well this will work for you. I think it’s a great way of seeing which colours you use more than others. I’m not sure how practical this would be for me in terms of trying to find the colour I want as the palettes are so big. I’m doing a lot of experimenting with how I arrange things. I’ve done the same as you and put all of my Roman Szmal colours together. They were split between 2 palettes so I never ending up using them. Having them all in one place is so much more convenient xxx
I'm interested too! I know my individual paints pretty well, but size may still be an issue for just getting to the exact paint as quickly as possible. I'm happy to change things again if I don't like it though!
This is good fun to watch
So satisfying ❤ Makes me swoon with colour delight! I think I may find this overwhelming tho.I have my empty gansai pans waiting to do this, and my 100 Inktense pencils just turned up so I should have enough empty tins to do it now….I think!😂❤
Double ooooooh!!!! Have fun on both counts!
All are natural and beautiful colors you have ❤
Thanks - I love them!
WHAT a good idea. Ive been feeling the same about all my various palettes...........think I will do the same,
It will be an interesting exercise at the very least!
So many lovely paints! This looks very organized. My paints are all over the place in different pallets and it causes me confusion. I don’t have nearly as many as this so I can’t imagine how you were managing all those different pallets. 😮 I’ve swatched them by brand and choose from the swatches what I will use, but trying to find each paint pan is a mess. I hope your system evolves into a workable solution for you.
I didn't get confused, just knew that I was overlooking certain colours because they were in less used palettes. My Swatch folder matches the order of the paints in these tins too now.
My eyes and brain lit up! And I think I started to drool. 😂 I think it would be wonderful if you got a high resolution pic of your swatch chart and uploaded it to Spoonflower to make your own fabric. I recently put mine into 2 48 pan palettes, but had to leave space. I found it hard searching for the color I wanted; my eyes got lost. Now I remove the colors I want to use and place them in front of me. I have a (failed for its original use as a bowl cover) square piece of silicone that I place them on and they don't slip around. I'd love to hear how it goes using these gorgeous super large palettes.
Haha - that's how I am with colour too!
That sounds a good system - I've yet to see if mine is too big to be practical yet!!
@@helencryer I forgot to mention about gold. I've seen other people use the powder but no one mentioned it rubbing off. I have my tried and true Fine-Tec selection, now also sold as Coliro. The price has doubled over the last 4 years, yikes!. I saw a couple of options on the UK Amazon. Try the single pan of Arabic gold. My palette has 6 options, but I use the Arabic gold and Bronze the most. They both pack just the right amount of bling. Can't wait to see what your muse has you working on this year.
Ahh, thanks ever so much for thinking of me! I havd a couple of the Finetec paints, and also the Gansai Tambi metallics - I should get them out and play with them some more! I found one solution for my gold powder though - I didn't really want to buy anything this month like gum arabic (which a few people had mentioned), but I remembered seeing someone use 'Coloured Pencil Touch-Up Texture' mixed with paint pigment, and I have some of that, so I tried it, and it worked well to make opaque gold paint.
Love the tin colors the way they are, very pretty Helen! They both look so lovely all of your color choices are so beautiful, tin #2 is so gorgeous love all the colors they are my jam! lol It will be interesting to see what colors you are drawn to, I hope you will do an update on them down the road.
I guess it will depend on the subject matter - and if I keep on with mainly realistically coloured landscapes!
Yay another swatch video, and a massive one at that. That is a lot of paint pains lol. I cant wait to see what you paint while carrying around this giant paint palette. Will the large amount of colors be a hinderance or a big help? Can't wait to find out. Enjoyed this video immensely!
I definitely won't be carrying it around - it's for my table top only! That's why I've still kept a couple of little travel palettes, with a few duplicate colours.
I'm excited to find out! I'm remaining open minded!
Wonderful, I’ve thought about doing this too. Another idea for you-I had such a big collection of watercolors too so I made one palette of “non granulating” paints so when I was in a hurry and didn’t want granulation I knew which palette to reach for.
I like granulation but I’ve been surprised by paints doing that in certain cases where I didn’t want that effect. So in the heat of the moment I can get the look I want without having to look it up or have a massive memory.
It's good you found a system that works for you!
For me, I absolutely love my granulating ones mixed in, because that's how I use them - as a contrast to smoother paints. I know the characteristics of my individual paints pretty well, so know which ones will granulate or not.
@@helencryer I like granulation too but one time my sky granulated in an extreme way and I can’t recall what happened another time so I do enjoy knowing that one palette has zero granulation in it. But I most like granulation and embrace it wholeheartedly. Thanks!
I use a large sheet magnet on the bottom of the tin and then cut little magnets for the pans....so once i have chosen my colours for a piece i can pop them beside me on another empty palette with the sheet magnet attached XXX
It's a great idea - I need to find stronger magnetic sheeting because I tried this once but the pans still moved around!
@@helencryer TMS Magnetic Sheets Self-Adhesive | For Magnet Die Storage, Crafts, Cars, Taxis, Vehicles, Sign Making and Outdoor Use | Extra Sticky, Strong Flexible Vehicle Grade (1.5mm thick, A4 Sheet, 1) here's the link for the one i brought and they don't budge, I promise Helen XXX
Brilliant - thank you!
Absolutely gorgeous. I'm interested to see which of your paints you will use the most over the next few months. 😀
Knowing me, I'll probably develop a deep need to use oil pastels now!!!
🤣@@helencryer
THANKS HELEN...I always wondered what it could be like to do what you did...but was AFRAID...of it all...still am...but...HATE having these zillion palettes everywhere with preprietory paints in each one......not able to access my fav. say...D.S. colour...while in the Schmincke palette...gosh...is there ever a solution...Possibly...with your swatch cards...specifically yellows/reds/oranges...you can basically pick your fav....cool yellow...warm yellow...1 orange...one warm red...one cooler red...then fav...Magenta.....then add some SPECIAIL COLOURS...FAV...THIS AND THAT...FINALLY ENDING UP with a palette full of every colour you like and could ever need or want...but not duplicates...or different brands of the same hue....hopefully I may get there one of these days...but I doubt it...rather dabble with paints all over the place...though ONE THING...WANNA GO THROUGH AND FIND DUPLICATES...SCHMINCKE AND A. GALLO...AND OTHERS...AND SET ASIDE THE DUPS...soooat least I seemy COLLECTION...AS IT WERE...WITH ONE OF EACH.
Yes, I really am enjoying having them all together!!
I know what you mean about having that one definitive palette, and have been thinking about it quite a bit actually. I'd be happy to do a video on it. What would be your ideal number of paints, just out of curiosity?
Oh wow! That's so nice! So organised! 😍👏
Thanks!
ooh that must have been so satisfying to put together. They look beautiful.
It was soooooo satisfying!!
I have done the same exact thing, but my tin is slightly smaller. Its a colored pencil box as well, and i have used magnets in place of hot glue. My tin holds 90 colors.
Sounds great!!
Wow, that's an impressive collection of paints -- and now so beautifully organized! I agree -- acquiring art supplies is an entirely different hobby from using them! 😆 My colored pencil collection is over the top -- but not nearly as organized as yours!
People don't seem to understand that though, and get cross that I own more than I strictly need! They make me so happy!
@@helencryer ❤❤❤
Oh I envy you! I have 2 palettes filled with different colors that don’t make sense! I need to remove the paint from each and arrange them in each palette so they are more usable. Maybe a floral palette and a landscape palette. Ok I will get it done soon 😅.
Sounds a good plan! I love organising art materials, but mainly to make them as accessible as possible for whatever suits my needs at any given time.
I like the second tin so much, it will be interesting to see which one will get used most. I think I could never do this because already with very small palettes I find it difficult to choose and rely more on mixes. I would just wind up procrastinating for eternity!
Haha! I love that we're all different! I'm pretty decisive, so I'm excited to have them all to hand!
I admire your work ethic!
Haha, thanks!
They look great! 😊 I did something similar with my gansi tambi paints. And Ive been meaning to do this with my watercolors though they almost all fit in one pan. But having your organizational order will save me a bunch of time organizing the colors without having to reswatch or figure out where I swatched each of them when I got them. Thanks!
Great! Good luck!
They look so lovely...what did you put in the smaller tins? The colours look amazing .... Thanks for letting us watch!
Those were for my two lots of whole pans - one for Roman Szmal, and the other Rosa Gallery. If I'd had space I'd probably have mixed those in with the others too.
“…and I have one palette I keep in the car.” 💕 Sounds like me ‼️ The Florida Girl during hurricane season 🌀… because … Hurricane Season ‼️ What if I need to leave town quickly 😮…
Sounds sensible to me!! I always keep a few things for overnight trips in my car - a mattress, duvet, solar lamp, snacks, clothes, camping cooker, water, paint!!
Dreamy!
oh wow! i just did this same thing this past weekend 😍😍 put all my professional colours in one large qor tin (fit 101 colours) cause like you i really wanted to have them all in one place rather than several different palettes. you’ve inspired me here to maybe look for a larger tin where i can have some space inbetween and maybe even fit some more pans :) thank you for sharing! really enjoyed this video :)
Haha! That's so funny!
@@helencryer😂 i know right! too funny! can i ask what size the derwent tin is? is it massive!? lol i have a 72 colour tin here wondering if it’s around the same size.
I used the 72 Inktense tin for one and the 100 Lightfast time goes the other.
@@helencryerwhat are the dimensions of the 72/100 tin?
They're both approx 35cm x 20.5cm. The 72 is 2.5cm deep, and the 100 is 3.5cm deep.
Now I’m wondering should I do a gouache version and what about a neo colour one as well as I have all the colours including the discontinued ones😂 Are you still using your neo colour palette?
I've only used it a couple of times, and also my gouache palette. They're fun and work fine, but at the end of the day, I probably prefer gouache from the tube, (or for travel purposes, mixing watercolours with white gouache), and using the Neocolor II's as sticks.
Where did you find a tin big enough for all your paints?
One of the tins held 72 Derwent Inktense pencils, and the deeper one held 100 Derwent Lightfast pencils.
Wish i could do watercolor
You can! I'm not good, I try to paint flowers and such but I just haven't practiced enough. But I absolutely love doing swatch charts, color mixing charts and making reference cards with information such as opacity and pigment information. It's very relaxing to just watch the pigment dance in the water on the paper. You don't have to be an amazing artist to swatch colors, and it's very therapeutic.
@jennifermcgehee357 it's not that
I can't get anything literally
Is that because of availability or funds? If funds, I'd recommend saving for just a couple of pans of Rosa Gallery paints.
@helencryer availability and finds
We are broke
I can't get anything online
And our michaels has Cotman at $24.99 per tube and ds for $69.99
Woah - that's insane!! Where do you live?!
What a great idea to have everything in one set! I am a slow mover on projects, but I have finally collected trading card folders to start my swatch books! I am going to one book of swatches and one book of "color puddle" mixes I enjoy. I figure between the two I would get definitely inspired to paint!
Oh that sounds just lovely! Enjoy!
Oooooooooo ❤
Why not glue wood scewer sticks down. This will space out the pans at least in one direction
I was happy just getting on with my own spacing, but that might help if someone's not confident!
🐨👍
Am I second or third?! EDIT may be I’m fourth! 😅
Haha! I think 2nd, because I'm ignoring Awatercolourist's 2nd comment on account of his frankly ludicrous remarks! 😉
@@helencryerLOL!
First!
Am I in second or third place?
@@shadowguard3578 hmmm… have no idea 😂. Haven’t seen you in a long time 👋🏼. Hope you are well!
@@awatercolourist 😆. I’m well thanks, I hope you are too. I’m around on YT though not always in the art and watercolor community. 😀
@@awatercolourist 👋👍
@@shadowguard3578 In other parts of TH-cam?? Oooo! You’re one of those people with an actual life 😂. I’ve heard about them but I’ve never met one 😆😆.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many half pans 😂.
NO SUCH THING!!!!!
@@helencryer 🤣🤣🤣
Too many... just get 6-12 high end (Daniel smith) colors and forget the rest... obsession instead of art perhaps?
If that's what suits you, that's fine! It's definitely the advice I would give to someone starting out, and definitely all you need. However I also love paints in their own right, aside from any painting I actually do with them, so I'll do what I enjoy!
@@helencryersure.. if you have the money - go for it! I just see so many of these channels pushing thousands of paints towards consumers... and the comments just filled with "I MUST HAVE THOSE!"... and then, they sit in pans in the closet never getting used while these same folks complain about never "getting to go on a vacation" or "buy that fancy coffee machine". Lol.. what a world!
Personally I've never come across anyone complaining they can't do x or y, because they bought some watercolours, but absolutely - people need to understand their finances and prioritise their disposable income. My priority for my spare money last year was art materials. This year, not so much. I don't judge people for having a fancier car or TV than me, or choosing to spend more money than I do on clothes/makeup/home decor/photography equipment/surfing gear (whatever their hobby is), neither do I feel like they are 'pushing' their money priorities onto me.