Part 3, on other palettes and changing brands!

Continued from Big Changes in My Travel Palette…

Okay, remember when I said that I was going to stick with December’s travel palette?
I lied… I’ve changed it up twice and think I may have colors to stay with for awhile.

So here are the new colors, which I’ve worked with for a month:

DS Burnt Iron Oxide  *  DS Sepia

Holbein Quin Gold  *  QoR Ardoise Grey (until I use it up)

DS Opera  *  DS Imperial Purple

MG Quin Red (the clearest transparent red)  *  DS Carmine

DV Rose Dore  *  Holbein Brilliant Orange

DS Quinophthalone Yellow * Holbein Permanent Yellow Orange

DS Sap Green  *  DS Green Gold

DS Terre Green (can go soft or deep)  *  DV Hooker’s Green

Sennelier Phthalo Green Deep #807  *  DS Perylene Green

Holbein Prussian Blue  *  DS French Ultramarine

DV Indigo  *  DS Graphite

I’ve been considering paint companies after swearing by Daniel Smith (DS) for years.
I still will buy DS (especially Primatek, which I LOVE),
but I am also trying other paint companies.  Why?
DS has grown BIG and been purchased from the original owner.
I see more air pockets in the paint tubes which can lead to paint drying in the tubes.
I have also seen more separation in the newest batches.

Who to move on to of the many companies?

Here is my take on the ones I love so far and the ones I am “meh” about<
not necessarily in order of preference.  Bottom line,
I  will buy more Da Vinci and Sennelier and MGraham, in that order..
My bias is that I love clear transparent colors, I want to know the light-fast rating.
These are all artists grade paints; and none of these are handmade paint companies.

I tried Holbein paints early, and may try more.
I can’t say they are my favorite paint company,
and I am not sure why, but I love many of their paints.
They make a Quin Gold that I will always have in my palette
(and always make sure I have a couple in storage as I’d die without it)
as it is a softer QG and it makes wonderful skin tones…
I love their Prussian Blue, Permanent Yellow Orange and
their brilliant orange is amazing.
The colors I have are all creamy and have good pigment.

I’ve tried several Da Vinci (DV) paints (above) and I am buying more through a trade —
replacing many Daniel Smith pigments with them as I empty tubes.
They are wonderfully creamy when rewetted in pans,
with amazing high pigment content (look at the colors above!)
I’ve only found one color I am so-so about, the Benzimida Orange DEEP.
I have a dozen colors in my cart and when I have spending cash they will be mine!
The palette above will soon be a Da Vinci palette filled from my trade and new tubes!

I love MGraham (MG, a Portland Oregon company) but they don’t dry
completely or quickly in my end of NW Portland Oregon,
so I don’t use more of them in my travel palette.
Heavenly paints, the richest color.  I love all that I’ve bought except the Mineral purple, which is dull dull dull (above, the one between the purple and pink).
I intend to buy more of them for the studio,
though because they stay tacky is a bit of a challenge.
I have a cat hair and fuzz problem: my studio is in our upholstery room and
bits of cotton and airborne fabric from cuttings tend to stick even in MG’s “dry” state.

Right now they are sharing
a palette, above, with Schminke (half pans) but as I acquire
more they will end up in their own palette.  I wrote a review of
the Schminke set.  I am so repelled by the muddy colors I don’t
know if I will get back to them.
The pigments that
came in the last set were disappointing…  However, several others swear by them and I am getting to try a couple other clear colors out in my trade, so we will see.  I can’t recommend.

PHTHALO 226

Sennelier is excellent, a bit more expensive.  I love their paint.
I bought some in tubes early on, and wish they were a bit less expensive.
My first pan set was Sennelier, and this deal is still on at Blick’s
(shown above as I used it for a time with some additional pans).
I frankly HATE half-pans, which is why I’ve not used the half-pans,
and I’d love to figure a way to rectify that, as the paint is great!

Personally, I have never found a favorite in Windsor Newton (WN).
I know some people love them but I find them to be pricey and meh.
QoR is outrageously priced (smaller tubes for higher prices)
and just don’t get it the draw for the price,  though I have two colors I buy from
them because I love them — Green Gold and Bohemian (an umber-y green)
though if I found the same in DV or Holbein I’d stop buying them altogether.

My painted ladies palette — for Victorian homes.

Victorian Homes on Glisan.

I have travel palettes for specific things.
My painted ladies palette sits at the bottom of my travel bag.
Colors I rarely use, except when out to sketch Victorians in Portland.

And though I own almost all the DS Primateks, I have 9 I use constantly,
and so have another travel pan (below) which houses a dozen colors.
I switch out the Rhodonite, Monte Amiata, and Terre Ecola.

My current travel palette

Primateks I use all the time

Da Vinci

M Graham + Schminke

My painted ladies palette — for Victorian homes.

Above are my five go-to “travel” palettes,
and all but the Painted Ladies palette sits bedside. 

For info on all my colors, go here…

Finally, I was thinking of doing a post on how to use dot cards
but someone sent me this and when it is done perfectly why redo it?
I give you a (long) perfect explanation of dot cards use!

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☾

Da Vinci, MatteoGrilliArt, Sennelier, Holbein,
MGraham, DS Primatek and Daniel Smith Watercolors.