Reddit reviews DANIEL SMITH 285610005 Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml

We found 7 Reddit comments about DANIEL SMITH 285610005 Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

DANIEL SMITH is the Innovative Manufacturer of Beautiful Watercolors for Artists Worldwide, and makes the largest range of watercolors of any manufacturer, more than 240 colors. The 240+ color collection includes the exciting PrimaTek watercolors made from minerals (like Amethyst) plus other unique colors (like Moonglow) not available elsewhere, and Luminescent Watercolors which allow artists to capture the luminescent colors that exist in nature that regular watercolors cannot capture!The DANIEL SMITH Essentials Watercolor Set has six, 5ml watercolor tubes that are just the right size to get started painting with DANIEL SMITH Watercolors for both the beginner and professional artist. The set gives artists an easy way to experience the excitement of painting with DANIEL SMITH Watercolors, is conveniently sized to take along for plein air painting, and makes great gift!The Essentials Set has three cool primary colors: Hansa Yellow Light, Quinacridone Rose, and Phthalo Blue (GS), and three warm primary colors: New Gamboge, Pyrrol Scarlet, and French Ultramarine.With the 6 colors in the set, you can mix a huge range of other colors including the secondary oranges, greens and violets. When mixing these 6 essential colors in different combinations, you can paint landscapes, still lifes, portraits…whatever you choose!Mixing colors is one of the foundations of painting, and DANIEL SMITH has made painting easy by selecting for you, these 6 colors. Get started painting with the DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Essentials Set!

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7 Reddit comments about DANIEL SMITH 285610005 Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml:

u/Meander_ · 11 pointsr/ArtFundamentals

First off, that's so thoughtful!

I'm no expert by any means. I am very much a beginner with not much to show for it, but I got into watercolor in a roundabout way through calligraphy and hand lettering. Now, despite only putting in some months experience, I have poured hours into finding a nice starter set for myself, so hopefully I can shortcut some of this for you.

I respectfully disagree with the other commenters. As convenient as national chain hobby shops are, they are pricey for that convenience, and I rarely find people who know a lot about one thing versus a little about a lot of things. The only exception I've found to this near me is Jerry's Artarama, but that might be different where you are. If I'm in a pinch and I can't wait the two days for shipping, I will only go into a Michaels or Hobby Lobby if I am armed with one of their 40-50% coupons. Even then, 9 times out of 10 it is more expensive than ordering via Amazon for the materials I am looking for. Additionally, since they can only carry so much inventory, I only find (1) the most basic (cheap in price and quality) items or (2) very famous names.

Watercolors can seem very expensive if you're measuring price per mL, but remember that high quality pigments are meant to be diluted with water, and a little bit goes a very long way. Watercolors are also meant to be mixed! Your SO will want to learn about color theory as she goes (tons of great youtube classes on this too), so that also means to start she doesn't need a massive set. So long as she has most of the primaries she will start coming up with all the colors she needs for her project. Additionally, as she gets more into it, she might find that while she likes her set from X brand, she likes the burnt sienna from Y brand, and the french ultramarine from Z brand. Getting tube colors + an empty watercolor tin will give her a strong base to start painting right away but the flexibility to add her own colors piece by piece as she plans more projects and paintings. Also, when tube paints dry in the tin (you can rewet them/reuse them later), they become portable, giving the same convenience of pan sets.

This was my starter set from [calligraphy] (https://www.amazon.com/Kuretake-Picture-Letter-MC20-36V/dp/B001MPA6W4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511058329&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kuretake+gansai+tambi+watercolors). I love the pigments, but in retrospect I could've gotten by with WAY LESS colors. In retrospect, I should've gotten something like this with a tin. Remember, the tin doubles as a mixing palette. Daniel Smith is a very popular American brand, but surely not the end all be all. Windsor & Newton, English brand, is also popular, and they have a fairly good "student" grade line called Windsor & Newton Cotman where you can save some money but not skimp out on too much quality.

Watercolor is almost exclusively done on paper. Now, since water and paper generally don't mix, you'll be concerned with the "pounds" of the paper. For everyday practice, many watercolorists are comfortable with 140 lbs spiral bound pads of cold press (meaning it's a bit rough in texture, not smooth). I like spiral bound because you can flip through and work on a few different concurrent projects (for the love of god, make sure they're completely dry first though q.q). These will buckle and warp with very heavy water application. Final projects, or anything meant for professional scanning and printing or super heavy wet work, you will probably be buying 200 lbs+ paper as needed. These can be bought in blocks/pads or as single sheets. As the pounds go up, so does the price.

Brushes! These can also get very pricey, but as with the pigments, there may be some sense in it. Higher end brushes are affixed with either natural or synthetic (or a mix) of hairs that (1) hold more water than cheap brushes and (2) keep the hairs from falling out into your paints or painting. I personally use Windsor and Newton brushes, but I don't have a lot of different types yet, and that seems to be fine to learn on. A round brush goes a long way, as you learn to put down a lot of color or very fine lines depending on how much pressure you put on the paper. As a starter set you might get two round brushes in two sizes like a 4 and a 12.

Finally, while there are lots of artists in Art Fundamentals, I might post this specifically in /r/learnart or /r/watercolor for more insight. Most of us here are working on constructional drawing with pen and paper, not necessarily painting.

u/awwman_ · 3 pointsr/Watercolor

Thank you so much for such a complete, thorough, and well thought out response! Never did I dream you would respond with such a wealth of information! Which is why I must apologize for my tardy reply. My health is not the best and when the nephropathy kicks into high-gear I come to a complete stop with the pain.

Still, I am blown away with everything you posted and if anything, makes me want to pick your brain even more! I have read your response several times and kept wondering where to start with my response. So I think I will start where you finished.

"...I don't have anyone to geek out about watercolor with. Sorry for the wall of text!" PLEASE! No apology necessary! If anything, I owe you a WALL OF THANKS!

I totally get what you mean about not having anyone to "anyone to geek out about watercolor with." It really does make a difference in ones life, quality of life, when we can spend time immersing ourselves in the things we enjoy doing with others who also enjoy the same thing. I call those things the anti-toxins of daily life. The energies we derive from spending time with others enjoying the things that jazz up our lives and get our motors racing. I, too, have no one around here that can or will, "geek out" about watercolor or art in general.

Looking at your early work, thank you u/peekabook for such a GREAT question!, I think I am about where you were a few years ago. And, like you, I too have been watching Anna Mason, Steve Mitchel (Mind of Watercolor), and Louise de Masi. So, it is nice to know I am following your lead there.

As far as materials, I recently began transiting to Daniel Smith pigments and ordered the "DANIEL SMITH 285610005 Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Watercolor, 6 Tubes, 5ml "

I seem to be 'stuck' at the level you were at a few years ago. I have been painting/studying watercolor casually for about 2.5 years. Albeit, casually and sporadically because of my medical problems.

So, if you don't mind, can we 'geek out' about "Practice"?

Specifically, WHAT and HOW do you, did you, practice to get over that hump from the level you were at 2 years ago, to the level you are now that made me say, O!M!G!??

I have been thinking I need to find projects, subjects, ideas, that I can learn and practice on a small scale, due to my medical problems, and then transition what I have learned to a larger scale painting.

It is hard to describe but often I just do not have the energy, or the pain is so high I can not focus or sit for extended periods of time to paint or practice. So, any ideas on WHAT I can practice and or HOW to practice, so I can join you on the other side of this hump?

Thank again. And in case you are not yet sure, I absolutely LOVE your work! And definitely volunteer to be your watercolor net geek to geek out with!

u/Thespeckledkat · 3 pointsr/Watercolor

Daniel Smith Essentials set $23 , Arches Hot Press Watercolor Pad $11, Pentel Waterbruahes 3 pack - $13 , and a bottle of [India Ink $3] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001E6CUPC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1478233526&amp;sr=8-3&amp;pi=AC_SX280_SY350_QL65&amp;keywords=india+ink&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51a6zmSbLPL&amp;ref=plSrch). If I had a little extra, I'd spring for the da Vinci round 6 sable travel brush - favorite all around brush for smaller paintings :)

What about you? What would you have purchased? Or are you looking to buy?

u/KetoPixie · 2 pointsr/Watercolor

u/teatimetomorrow · 2 pointsr/Watercolor

That is called pilling, and it happens on low-quality papers due to fillers in the paper (not 100% cotton rag) and poor sizing (sizing is what makes the paper less absorbent and suitable for water mediums). I looked it up and that brand in particular has awful reviews for just what you're experiencing. With paper of such low quality you really can't do more than 1-2 layers of painting, you can't scrub the paper at all, etc. In my opinion paper is the area you should splurge on even if you can't anywhere else - you can work with lower quality paints and brushes but paper will literally destroy itself.

If you really can't afford much for paper, try out strathmore 400 series - it's at Michaels and maybe Hobby Lobby. I was able to do a lot to it before I moved on to artist grade papers. But I would recommend Fabriano Artistico (that's the artist quality in the line), you can get 20 sheets of 9x12 cold press for about $22. There is also Arches, Saunders Waterford, and Canson Heritage - there are more but these are the ones I've tried and I prefer Fabriano.

This brush set is $35 and comes with 3 different sized round brushes from a good brand:

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Brush-SLM-Basic-Painting-Watercolor/dp/B008BRYGEK

And this is $25 for a single brush but it's an excellent brush I highly recommend you pick up eventually:

https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-4750Q-6-Synthetic-Squirrel-Watercolor/dp/B00512C1VS

This type of brush holds a ton of paint and water and it behaves a bit differently than others in that it is very soft, so the bristles all move and you have to adjust the brush, but it's wonderful once you get used to that.

And this is $14 for a good set of student grade paints:

https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Cotman-Colour-Sketchers/dp/B00004THXI

^^ You can find that in the store as well but it's double to triple the price Amazon charges.

But if you can afford to spend more, my favorite brands are Daniel Smith, M. Graham and Holbien. They are expensive, around $10 per tube but you must remember that a tube will last a VERY long time, you'll need much less paint as these are full pigment with no fillers. You can get a small 5ml (read: SMALL!) set of Daniel Smith to try out:

https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Smith-285610005-Essentials-Introductory/dp/B00WT5VRF6

for about $27. These tubes are small but should still last you months. And you should be able to mix most colors that you want with just these shades (just look up a mixing guide). If you want to purchase individual 15ml tubes of any of these brands I recommend Dickblick.com, it's $2-3 cheaper per tube than Amazon which really adds up.

u/Sallymeding · 1 pointr/Watercolor

How about some paint to go with the paper......eg, Daniel Smith essentials set (Professional artist quality) with a warm and cool version of the 3 primary colors https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Smith-285610005-Essentials-Introductory/dp/B00WT5VRF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492900047&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=daniel+smith+essentials+watercolor+5ml+set+6-colors

u/ER_DeeCee86 · 1 pointr/arttools

Since she’s been doing this for a few years, she might be interested in higher quality watercolors. Daniel Smith is a well loved quality brand, and they have a decently priced intro set.

The tubes are kind of small, but worth it. I’ve personally used it and learned a ton about color mixing using just the 6 colors. Blick carries this set and a ton of open stock colors, but recently my local Michaels also started carrying the sets as well.

If she paints with metallics at all, check out Kuretake paints. Really well reviewed!

Good luck!