I use both professional grade and cotman. Love them both. I am on an extreme budget so I paint with almost anything I can get my hands on. I also experiment with some very cheep brands. If I find them garage sailing or second hand stash of old art supplies. I have been reconstatuting dried paint and putting them into pans and swatching them . Some are very old. Student grade Windsor and Newton or grumbacker are pretty nice. I have many other colours from other companys professional grade but on some I see no difference. So for landscape I use student grade mostly. And for large floral studies I use professionals Windsor and Newton. Windsor and Newton is available in my area without ordering on line
Semi-beginner with almost the same name as you! I just bought tubes of Cotman and Arches paper thinking I was making a big upgrade from my previous paints…then I discovered they’re not the same as Windsor & Newton professional. I appreciate you making this video because it shows me that the difference might not be too bad for now as I’m starting out.
Not at all Elisa!!! Cotman are an excellent starting point. When you finish a color, you can gradually upgrade to artist range. Happy painting!! And thanks for your comment.
I hope you had a very merry Christmas and a fun New Years weekend! Thank you for this comparison. It seemed to show what I have experienced with Cotman paints in the past. Swatching wise they look okay but when painting with them, they don't seem to mix well with eachother and leave a lot of hard lines inside the painting where you wouldn't expect them to be, and many of the paints had an odd grainyness that wasn't normal granulation. Thanks again for all your wonderful videos! I especially love your multi-brand color comparison ones. 🙏😊
Nice review! I use some Cotman along with my better paints. Cerulean Hue is my favorite for skies, Permanent Rose as a softer, vintage pink, Payne's Grey as a soft black or charcoal (but it is not a proper Paynes Grey IMO), Phthalo Blue and Green because they are a little less intense and easier to add to mixes without overdoing it, Yellow Ochre as a "dirty" ochre, Burnt Sienna as a burnt orange, and Chinese White to add just a speck to other colors if I want them to have just a bit more "body", brightness, or opacity......this works really well with the cadmium hues to make them look more like cadmiums. The tube paint is better than the pans, but I like them both. Having said all of the above, I would not choose Cotman as my only paint , but I think they're great as a first set, and because they're not expensive they're great for learning mixing. Cotman has an amazing array of plastic palettes, and their little Sketcher's Box is worth buying, even to fill with other paints. Do try more Van Gogh paints.....they are shockingly good, with a wide range of colors. Turner is my favorite, though. To me, they are comparable to Daniel Smith, but much more affordable.
Wow great message! Thank you!! I am curious about the permanent rose, of all the colours you mentioned, and the burnt sienna. I owned (and finished) the small pans box they make. You’re right, it’s a great starting point for a beginner!! I will definitely try more Van Gogh!! Thanks a lot for your very informative message, and have a very happy new year!!
Hello Wendy. I have very few Van Gogh and a very large collection of Rembrandt. I will wait for a special offer or sale to buy some Van Gogh because I’m very curious myself….happy new year and thanks for stopping by 😄
A very Happy New Year to you. I hope 2024 brings you peace and comfort, along with the steady growth of your Channel! 😊 An interesting video Elisabetta. Something that struck me was how much easier the tubes of Cotman were to use, compared to their identical pan version. The pans simply have less lustre and are harder to rewet. However, I have noticed no difference between the tube and pan versions of the Professional range. I have noticed many professional artists use a selection of Cotman colours if they prefer the colour over the Professional version, so long as the lightfastness is comparable. 🖌️👩🏻🎨🎨❤️
Ooh, very excited to watch this! I’ve been revamping and replenishing my W&N palette and find there are a couple of instances I prefer Cotman. This will be interesting!
Thank you for making this video! I happen to come across these watercolours not too long ago but wasn’t sure which was better between the two! Having seen the outcome, I will probably buy a small range of the professional line and try it out. Also, hope you are having a great start to the new year!
Hi!! Actually if you can afford it, I would always choose professional grade over student grade….however Cotman is not child paint and it allows to achieve very good results. Thank you for your new year wishes, happy new year to you!!
W+n pro raw umber br7 is also a very light version, v similar hue to the cotman. (And to schmincke raw umber, for instance.) As the pro is 2.5 times more expensive than cotman, you could be a little more liberal with cotman to match pigment density to the pro, and still be saving money. With the B27 for instance, or the r206 (which also contains rn/a pyrollidine to make it cooler).
Oooh this is an important information!! Raw umber is important for me for winter landscapes, and I meant to try Winsor and Newton version…thank you!! I definitely prefer cooler raw umbers. I might make a comparison video given the variety of interpretations. You have inspired me!
I prefer the Cotman Payne’s Grey because it’s made with PB29 and has a nice granulation. The professional version is fine but it’s nothing special. Happy New Year!
Those yellow ochres look beautiful here. I’ve only ever had half pans and it’s so dry and crumbly- thought I didn’t like it. Might need to reconsider! Thanks for sharing!
Thank to you for your comment!! I really value both W&N and Cotman yellow ochre very highly….I haven’t tried pans but even tubes dry quite hard once poured in a pan, this is an inconvenience. Happy new year!
Nice video! I don't know about the tubes, but I have a small set of cotman in pans and I quickly noticed the lack of pigment, at a certain point I would find myself rubbing the pans trying to get a more saturated or darker color for the painting and it just didn't happen, so I run out of some colours very fast. The Van Gogh paints are a much better option for beginners or if you are in a budget, at least in my experience, but as I said, I've only tried the pan version of the cotmans
Hello Laura!! I am really curious about Van Gogh, so many people speak very highly of them. Unfortunately I do not know them very well…. As per Cotman, I found that tubes are actually better than pans….pans I had ended up crumbling and, as you said, they really finish very fast..thanks a lot for your message and happy new year!!
Very helpful and interesting video. In my experience, some Cotman colors are very comparable to the professional line, as you have demonstrated. Some are very different, such as Payne’s Gray. I sometimes choose the Cotman range of Cadmium colors because of how expensive the Cad colors can be. But if cost is not a factor, definitely the pro line is preferable. Happy new year 🎉!
@@WatercolorElisabettaI like Van Gogh because they are very inexpensive paints but some of the colors are chalky. They donee-wet well and are very vibrant paints. They are definitely comparable to Cotman. Not sure which one I prefer though. Maybe a slight preference to VG.
One other follower told me that Payne’s gray by Cotman is also more beautiful. I will add your information because Sepia and Indigo are staples for me too for creating darks and depth. Thanks for your info!
Felice anno nuovo e grazie per i tuoi video, Elisabetta! I’m a fellow Italian artist (amateur), just discovered your channel and subscribed 😊 I’ve started with Cotman paints a few years ago and I really like them. I was now considering upgrading to W&N professional but meanwhile I’ve discovered MaimeriBlu. Got a dot card and there are so many beautiful colors and they seem great (transparent, single pigment…) and I’d love to support an Italian manufacturer. How do you think the MB paints compare to W&N professional? Also, Alizarin Crimson from Cotman is my favorite color ever. I just learned PR206 has been discontinued (watched your helpful video too!) and I’m looking for a replacement. Do you have any paint in your collection that has a very similar (ideally identical) hue but uses a different pigment? Grazie mille! Valentina
Ciao Valentina grazie mille!! ❤️…anche io sono amateur, nella vita “vera” faccio tutt’altro 😃. Per me il nuovo “permanent Alizarin Crimson” di W&N professionale è identico a quello con il PR 206, solo che usa il Perylene maroon Pr179… vai tranquilla!! Per me Maimeri è all’ altezza di W&N…dipende un po’ dal colore. Anche Daniel Smith mi piace molto…per non parlare di Sennelier….😂non devi chiedere a me io comprerei tutto anche a costo di mangiare pane e cipolla 😂 un abbraccio forte mi fa piacere avere una follower italiana! Buon anno!! 🎈🎊
Dear Denise, I double checked Emerald on W&N website, and I found the following description: “Winsor Emerald is a bright clean opaque emerald colour. First documented in 1822, it originally contained arsenic, and is said to have killed Napoleon as his wallpaper in St Helens was emerald green. Winsor & Newton have created a non-toxic version closely matching the original colour”. How interesting!! 😀
@@WatercolorElisabetta yes, interesting indeed. I had read someplace else that the original pigment is used now on ships' hulls as a treatment to keep algae and the like from growing on them.
@@WatercolorElisabetta Woohoo! I’ve actually been waiting for a video of yours to comment First 🤣. I haven’t been writing first on UA-cam for about two months or so, but I started writing it again in the past few days; but I still have a lot of stored up itch to write first 🤣.
I use both professional grade and cotman. Love them both. I am on an extreme budget so I paint with almost anything I can get my hands on. I also experiment with some very cheep brands. If I find them garage sailing or second hand stash of old art supplies.
I have been reconstatuting dried paint and putting them into pans and swatching them . Some are very old.
Student grade Windsor and Newton or grumbacker are pretty nice.
I have many other colours from other companys professional grade but on some I see no difference. So for landscape I use student grade mostly. And for large floral studies I use professionals Windsor and Newton.
Windsor and Newton is available in my area without ordering on line
I love your approach Melanie! I also like to experiment, with cheap brands as well. Thanks a lot for your interesting comment!
Semi-beginner with almost the same name as you! I just bought tubes of Cotman and Arches paper thinking I was making a big upgrade from my previous paints…then I discovered they’re not the same as Windsor & Newton professional. I appreciate you making this video because it shows me that the difference might not be too bad for now as I’m starting out.
Not at all Elisa!!! Cotman are an excellent starting point. When you finish a color, you can gradually upgrade to artist range. Happy painting!! And thanks for your comment.
I hope you had a very merry Christmas and a fun New Years weekend! Thank you for this comparison. It seemed to show what I have experienced with Cotman paints in the past. Swatching wise they look okay but when painting with them, they don't seem to mix well with eachother and leave a lot of hard lines inside the painting where you wouldn't expect them to be, and many of the paints had an odd grainyness that wasn't normal granulation.
Thanks again for all your wonderful videos! I especially love your multi-brand color comparison ones. 🙏😊
Thank you so much for your very kind words!! Yes, multi brand comparison colors are the most fun for me! Happy new year!!
Really interesting, thank you 😊
Thank to you! It means a lot. 😄😄
Nice review! I use some Cotman along with my better paints. Cerulean Hue is my favorite for skies, Permanent Rose as a softer, vintage pink, Payne's Grey as a soft black or charcoal (but it is not a proper Paynes Grey IMO), Phthalo Blue and Green because they are a little less intense and easier to add to mixes without overdoing it, Yellow Ochre as a "dirty" ochre, Burnt Sienna as a burnt orange, and Chinese White to add just a speck to other colors if I want them to have just a bit more "body", brightness, or opacity......this works really well with the cadmium hues to make them look more like cadmiums.
The tube paint is better than the pans, but I like them both. Having said all of the above, I would not choose Cotman as my only paint , but I think they're great as a first set, and because they're not expensive they're great for learning mixing.
Cotman has an amazing array of plastic palettes, and their little Sketcher's Box is worth buying, even to fill with other paints.
Do try more Van Gogh paints.....they are shockingly good, with a wide range of colors.
Turner is my favorite, though. To me, they are comparable to Daniel Smith, but much more affordable.
Wow great message! Thank you!! I am curious about the permanent rose, of all the colours you mentioned, and the burnt sienna. I owned (and finished) the small pans box they make. You’re right, it’s a great starting point for a beginner!! I will definitely try more Van Gogh!! Thanks a lot for your very informative message, and have a very happy new year!!
There are a number of successful profession artists whom use Cotman watercolors on a regular basis.
I noticed that on UA-cam videos… some hues from Cotman are beautiful!
A very Happy New Year to you! This was very interesting! I would love to see a comparison of the Rembrandt and Van Gogh paint if possible.
Hello Wendy. I have very few Van Gogh and a very large collection of Rembrandt. I will wait for a special offer or sale to buy some Van Gogh because I’m very curious myself….happy new year and thanks for stopping by 😄
I love watching your little paintings, they make me want to get my paints out and practice daily doing something like this. So relaxing thank you ❤️
Aaawww thank to you!! You’re so kind!!
A very Happy New Year to you. I hope 2024 brings you peace and comfort, along with the steady growth of your Channel! 😊
An interesting video Elisabetta. Something that struck me was how much easier the tubes of Cotman were to use, compared to their identical pan version. The pans simply have less lustre and are harder to rewet. However, I have noticed no difference between the tube and pan versions of the Professional range. I have noticed many professional artists use a selection of Cotman colours if they prefer the colour over the Professional version, so long as the lightfastness is comparable. 🖌️👩🏻🎨🎨❤️
Thank you Anita dear! Your comments are always very insightful. Have a very happy new year!! ❤️
omg this is so useful! I have been looking to upgrade to the professionals from the cotmans. this is so helpful!
Thank you so much! I’m really glad it helps ☺️. Your words are very important to me.
Ooh, very excited to watch this! I’ve been revamping and replenishing my W&N palette and find there are a couple of instances I prefer Cotman. This will be interesting!
I would love to know which one you prefer in Cotman!!
That was a very useful video, thank you so much!❤️🎨
Thank you! I thought it was useful too ❤️
Thanks so much. I have wanted this demo and comparison.
Thank you! Actually I wanted for a long time too, so I decided to do it myself 🤗
this is fantastic, I love it, Happy New Year ☺☺
Happy new year to you!! Thanks a lot for being such a constant and active follower ❤️
Thank you for making this video! I happen to come across these watercolours not too long ago but wasn’t sure which was better between the two! Having seen the outcome, I will probably buy a small range of the professional line and try it out.
Also, hope you are having a great start to the new year!
Hi!! Actually if you can afford it, I would always choose professional grade over student grade….however Cotman is not child paint and it allows to achieve very good results. Thank you for your new year wishes, happy new year to you!!
W+n pro raw umber br7 is also a very light version, v similar hue to the cotman. (And to schmincke raw umber, for instance.) As the pro is 2.5 times more expensive than cotman, you could be a little more liberal with cotman to match pigment density to the pro, and still be saving money. With the B27 for instance, or the r206 (which also contains rn/a pyrollidine to make it cooler).
Oooh this is an important information!! Raw umber is important for me for winter landscapes, and I meant to try Winsor and Newton version…thank you!! I definitely prefer cooler raw umbers. I might make a comparison video given the variety of interpretations. You have inspired me!
I prefer the Cotman Payne’s Grey because it’s made with PB29 and has a nice granulation. The professional version is fine but it’s nothing special.
Happy New Year!
Happy new year dear Sonya!! Wow so now I’m itching for a Payne’s Gray comparison!! I will put it in my list 😉😃. Thank you for your inspiration!
Those yellow ochres look beautiful here. I’ve only ever had half pans and it’s so dry and crumbly- thought I didn’t like it. Might need to reconsider! Thanks for sharing!
Thank to you for your comment!! I really value both W&N and Cotman yellow ochre very highly….I haven’t tried pans but even tubes dry quite hard once poured in a pan, this is an inconvenience. Happy new year!
Happy New Year!
Just spray them with water a few minutes before use. Then they will be smooth to work with.
Nice video! I don't know about the tubes, but I have a small set of cotman in pans and I quickly noticed the lack of pigment, at a certain point I would find myself rubbing the pans trying to get a more saturated or darker color for the painting and it just didn't happen, so I run out of some colours very fast.
The Van Gogh paints are a much better option for beginners or if you are in a budget, at least in my experience, but as I said, I've only tried the pan version of the cotmans
Hello Laura!! I am really curious about Van Gogh, so many people speak very highly of them. Unfortunately I do not know them very well…. As per Cotman, I found that tubes are actually better than pans….pans I had ended up crumbling and, as you said, they really finish very fast..thanks a lot for your message and happy new year!!
Yes, Happy New Year!!
I have both Cotman and Van Gogh and definitely prefer the Van Gogh, too.
Very helpful and interesting video. In my experience, some Cotman colors are very comparable to the professional line, as you have demonstrated. Some are very different, such as Payne’s Gray. I sometimes choose the Cotman range of Cadmium colors because of how expensive the Cad colors can be. But if cost is not a factor, definitely the pro line is preferable. Happy new year 🎉!
Thank you for your comment! Do you prefer Van Gogh over Cotman? I have very few Van Gogh but I find them beautiful. Happy new year!!
@@WatercolorElisabettaI like Van Gogh because they are very inexpensive paints but some of the colors are chalky. They donee-wet well and are very vibrant paints. They are definitely comparable to Cotman. Not sure which one I prefer though. Maybe a slight preference to VG.
Ciao Elisabetta..nuova subscriber anche io italiana e appasionata del aquarello. Mi piacciono i tuoi video! 😊
Ciao Alessia!! Benvenuta 🤗. Che piacere !! ❤️🇮🇹
Have just been looking. Really comparing two staples of mine: sepia and indigo. I think I actually prefer Cotman indigo.
One other follower told me that Payne’s gray by Cotman is also more beautiful. I will add your information because Sepia and Indigo are staples for me too for creating darks and depth. Thanks for your info!
Thanks 😊
Felice anno nuovo e grazie per i tuoi video, Elisabetta!
I’m a fellow Italian artist (amateur), just discovered your channel and subscribed 😊
I’ve started with Cotman paints a few years ago and I really like them. I was now considering upgrading to W&N professional but meanwhile I’ve discovered MaimeriBlu. Got a dot card and there are so many beautiful colors and they seem great (transparent, single pigment…) and I’d love to support an Italian manufacturer. How do you think the MB paints compare to W&N professional?
Also, Alizarin Crimson from Cotman is my favorite color ever. I just learned PR206 has been discontinued (watched your helpful video too!) and I’m looking for a replacement. Do you have any paint in your collection that has a very similar (ideally identical) hue but uses a different pigment?
Grazie mille!
Valentina
Ciao Valentina grazie mille!! ❤️…anche io sono amateur, nella vita “vera” faccio tutt’altro 😃. Per me il nuovo “permanent Alizarin Crimson” di W&N professionale è identico a quello con il PR 206, solo che usa il Perylene maroon Pr179… vai tranquilla!! Per me Maimeri è all’ altezza di W&N…dipende un po’ dal colore. Anche Daniel Smith mi piace molto…per non parlare di Sennelier….😂non devi chiedere a me io comprerei tutto anche a costo di mangiare pane e cipolla 😂 un abbraccio forte mi fa piacere avere una follower italiana! Buon anno!! 🎈🎊
@@WatercolorElisabetta 😂😂 Allora "toccherà" provarli tutti anche a me!! Grazie mille per la tua risposta e ancora tanti auguri per un fantastico 2024!
The Cotman Emerald looks too opaque. I think there is white or some other undeclared pigment in it.
I agree!! It’s surprisingly opaque.
I think the yellow in it is rated semi-opaque.
Dear Denise, I double checked Emerald on W&N website, and I found the following description: “Winsor Emerald is a bright clean opaque emerald colour. First documented in 1822, it originally contained arsenic, and is said to have killed Napoleon as his wallpaper in St Helens was emerald green. Winsor & Newton have created a non-toxic version closely matching the original colour”. How interesting!! 😀
@@WatercolorElisabetta yes, interesting indeed. I had read someplace else that the original pigment is used now on ships' hulls as a treatment to keep algae and the like from growing on them.
Cotman raw umber looks more like a raw sienna.
Yes, it is definitely an earthy yellow…nice, but not really a raw umber! Thanks for commenting and happy new year!
First!
First of 2024!! 🍾
@@WatercolorElisabetta Woohoo! I’ve actually been waiting for a video of yours to comment First 🤣. I haven’t been writing first on UA-cam for about two months or so, but I started writing it again in the past few days; but I still have a lot of stored up itch to write first 🤣.
@awatercolourist may I tell you in advance or that won’t count??
@@awatercolouristHappy New Year AW!! I wish you much joy and contentment in 2024. 😊
@@anitadavidson1266 Thanks 😃. Same to you!!