It’s been awhile since I last posted here and during the times that I was not posting, I was basically working and goofing around with Watercolor, journaling, and calligraphy. I have been to a few places as well during my blog posting hiatus and crossed off Boracay and Taal off my list of places to visit. I have been very active in Instagram though and post there incessantly. I post mostly things I draw or my calligraphy stuff and also my art journal entries. It has been fun discovering more about watercolor and I basically try to paint one artwork a day because this is a new medium for me. I currently have three watercolors and the first one I bought was a student grade one. I will be reviewing the three of them and I just want to say that I am no expert. It has been barely a year since I started with this medium and I still feel lost at times when it comes watercolor. It is such a tricky medium and sometimes, the idea that I have in my head that is so perfect becomes lost when I try to paint it with this medium. But I do know that practice is the key, and I am a bit more proud of my work now. But for those who want to dive into this medium, here are a few watercolors that I think can give you a great start and I say this because I have used them and am a beginner so yeah, I know what would work for people like me.
Sennelier Aquarelle - Student Grade
I got my Sennelier at Art Nebula. I actually have gone through some serious decision making when I bought this set. I was worried that this isn’t what I wanted. Theres the tube watercolors that I feel I don’t need but maybe I was wrong. Ultimately, I decided with the student grade Sennelier since it is much more affordable and I wanted to try student grade colors before I even try premium grade ones so that I get to appreciate the difference. I am happy with this watercolor, but there are times that the pigments are quite lacking for me. But as a beginner, it barely mattered, really. I just enjoyed it and learned a thing or two about watercolors in the process.
St. Petersburg Whitenights Premium Grade
By the time I found out about whitenights, I have been watching a lot of watercolor artists videos. I especially loved iraville and she suggested that for people who want to try a premium grade watercolor without having to spend much to buy this brand. Luckily enough, I found a seller selling this in Shopee. The box is nothing special. It is plastic and I actually saw enough Schminke and Winsor and Newton to fancy the metallic containers that they are in. But, upon trying this, I was amazed. I have never seen blue watercolor granulate like this one. It is hard to control and just does what it wants. I was amazed. I used it but I ultimately failed in creating a masterpiece. I knew that I needed more practice. And it is far more pigmented than the student grade one, for sure.
Prima Watercolor - The Classics Premium Grade
I actually ordered this one in Amazon and I purchased this before I even bought the Whitenights. But I had to actually wait for my relatives package from the US to arrive before I can have it along with the Tombow and Micron Pens I bought. I love the combination of colors in this set. I especially loved the fact that it has purple and pink in there. I often have to combine colors to get this ones so it is a relief to have ready made colors. But, I am not as amaze with this as I was with whitenights. I think I prefer if for my calligraphy stuff rather than for my watercolor painting. It is also highly pigmented, but I feel that it does not granulate and mix with other colors as well. It is pretty awesome for calligraphy though and I often use it for my journaling and I love that it is in a metallic container.
So I think I did the right thing by buying the student grade one first and I would suggest this to other aspiring watercolorists. You would appreciate the premium grade ones this way and you will really be amazed by how watercolor moves on water. But my dream watercolor is really Schminke, but it is oh so expensive. Hopefully, I can get a set this year on Christmas. I like giving gifts to myself and I plan to get that for myself as a Christmas gift.
Sennelier Aquarelle - Student Grade
I got my Sennelier at Art Nebula. I actually have gone through some serious decision making when I bought this set. I was worried that this isn’t what I wanted. Theres the tube watercolors that I feel I don’t need but maybe I was wrong. Ultimately, I decided with the student grade Sennelier since it is much more affordable and I wanted to try student grade colors before I even try premium grade ones so that I get to appreciate the difference. I am happy with this watercolor, but there are times that the pigments are quite lacking for me. But as a beginner, it barely mattered, really. I just enjoyed it and learned a thing or two about watercolors in the process.
St. Petersburg Whitenights Premium Grade
By the time I found out about whitenights, I have been watching a lot of watercolor artists videos. I especially loved iraville and she suggested that for people who want to try a premium grade watercolor without having to spend much to buy this brand. Luckily enough, I found a seller selling this in Shopee. The box is nothing special. It is plastic and I actually saw enough Schminke and Winsor and Newton to fancy the metallic containers that they are in. But, upon trying this, I was amazed. I have never seen blue watercolor granulate like this one. It is hard to control and just does what it wants. I was amazed. I used it but I ultimately failed in creating a masterpiece. I knew that I needed more practice. And it is far more pigmented than the student grade one, for sure.
Prima Watercolor - The Classics Premium Grade
I actually ordered this one in Amazon and I purchased this before I even bought the Whitenights. But I had to actually wait for my relatives package from the US to arrive before I can have it along with the Tombow and Micron Pens I bought. I love the combination of colors in this set. I especially loved the fact that it has purple and pink in there. I often have to combine colors to get this ones so it is a relief to have ready made colors. But, I am not as amaze with this as I was with whitenights. I think I prefer if for my calligraphy stuff rather than for my watercolor painting. It is also highly pigmented, but I feel that it does not granulate and mix with other colors as well. It is pretty awesome for calligraphy though and I often use it for my journaling and I love that it is in a metallic container.
So I think I did the right thing by buying the student grade one first and I would suggest this to other aspiring watercolorists. You would appreciate the premium grade ones this way and you will really be amazed by how watercolor moves on water. But my dream watercolor is really Schminke, but it is oh so expensive. Hopefully, I can get a set this year on Christmas. I like giving gifts to myself and I plan to get that for myself as a Christmas gift.
