For those who value lightfastness and general stability in your paint investments: I can not recommend Malachite and Vivianite (or Azurite found in other rare/handmade paint brands). I feel like there should be a separate note on labels when a pigment is known to change from other reasons than sun. It's ok to say it is BW8 / LFI max lightfast rating for UV exposure, but even a brief mention of variable color changes seems like important info to not pass on to professional artists. "Environmental color changes" or something short to indicate an issue would be great. It's not like artist's haven't been documenting this for a long time, some of these pigments have been studied from ancient Greek murals. For many years the reputable pigment databases have had these notes available regarding Malachite, Azurite and Vivianite being "lightfast" but not permanent and color shifting due to chemical changes (such as this summary about yellowing at www.artiscreation.com/blue.html#vivianite ). Glauconite while interesting due to being a rare pigment, is unpleasantly streaky to work with. About half of these colors were quite nice, especially compared to almost any brand other than Daniel Smith (see 4:22 ) who happens to have them beat in color intensity/pigment load. This is notable when compared to Potter's Pink, Aquarius Gray and brown. Hematite Violet is personal preference, since D.S. is quite different and more dramatic in it's granulation/color separation. Lapis Lazuli (Lazurite) is a gummy weak pigment no matter the brand, but D.S. version is dramatically higher quality than R.S. in this natural mineral form of Ultramarine Blue. I think many people will find joy in the convenience color separating mixtures (like Misty Morning) though I seek to demystify them and make sure you know you're capable of DIY :)
Forgot to mention also that Malachite can be several shades of green, varying between darker green the more coarse it is and lighter pale green as it is ground up more finely as a pigment powder. The yellow tinge only starts once it begins to change chemically. Just in case it was not clear in the video, the Kremer and Roman Szmal have shown signs of yellow tinge, with the Paul Rubens being a fresh comparison example of how it should look. When my Kremer one was new, as well as a handmade version from "Poems About You" on Etsy, they were the same lovely pale green. About 6 months later they are so yellow in the pan that the paint looks as if it's leaking yellow when I touch it with a wet brush. These were not cheap. The disappointment is real :(
Absolutely, absolutely agree there should be environmental warnings. Rhodonite Gen. from DS is another one that really should have a warning: the rhodonite oxidizes (noticeably!) over time, and the granulation turns a buff tan color. I've seen some youtubers recommend it as a replacement for Quin Rose. Whenever I see people suggest that, I just imagine heartbreak that someone who had no idea put it on cheeks on a grandkid portrait or something. I've been planning to use it in a fantasy painting of a female fawn (the half-human kind) and enjoying seeing her go buff in areas without my intervention, but a straightforward replacement for quin rose it is NOT.
@@KimberlyCrick as a side note, malachite has asbestos in it, which SHOULD be fine when you're painting with it (I think. The water might keep it from blowing up. However, the binder might not keep it secured to the paper well enough once dry, so you might want to treat the dried pieces with caution and try not to move them around, or flake off the pigment), but I've seen articles recently about stone cutters getting the lung conditions associated with asbestos because of working with it. I hope that Etsier who made your paint knew to be careful when working with the malachite dust. In fact I hope DS's & RS's factory workers are being sufficiently protected. I imagine some small-scale paint makers just assume that grinding up a rock/mineral you can buy wouldn't have risks any worse than any other rock/mineral you can buy. Wish that were the case. It's a lovely color, of course. If I remember, Amazonite paint paints out similar colors, but I've never seen a lightfastness test of Amazonite.
100% agree on non-fading instability warnings! I always use genuine aureolin as an example - it doesn't fade, sure, but it gets all brown or grey and it's just not reasonable go sell that as a "stable" paint. I can't remember which, but I know there was talk about one of the pink Primatek paints having some kind of issue, too. I think it oxidised and turned brown. It feels disingenuous to me to sell that as something you know your buyers will read as "stable" or "permanent" (because that's definitely how people read lightfastness ratings).
Also, I'm on my way to buy potters Pink from every brand I like. Potters Pink, together with Cobalt Teal and Rose Madder Lake are my favourite watercolors to use. At least one of them is always in present in my paintings. Roman Szmals Potters Pink looks gorgeous 🥰
You have saved the day with this video. For the last week I have been researching RS watercolor paints trying to build a well balanced palette. It really has been an arduous task because I choose so darn carefully. Your insights on this video have sent me back to the drawing board and have been a huge help. I did pick only single pigment colours and planned on doing just what you have shown (mixing my own convenience separating colours instead of the premade ones). Now I am looking at a partial RS palette mixed with my DS and Qor paints. Way to save me some money and help me build a palette that I will find so much more satisfying in the end. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you. Also big thank you to many of the very enlightening comments below. Off to dump some stuff out of my cart and streamline this supply order.... :) Stay sane, stay healthy and stay lovely! Hugs :)
Thank you for your kind comment and I'm so glad to hear that it helped. I'm loving my multi-brand palette of mostly single pigment colors. I think you'll have a lot of fun creating your own mixtures and likely make ones that are even better than the pre-made convenience colors! Happy painting :)
You have one of the more complete and understandable you tube channels in the art world. Some presenters are all drama without any substance but your reviews and instruction are tight and unbiased. I appreciate your review of the Roman Szmal watercolors as I am considering their purchase. Subscribed. Thank you!
I never knew about the chemical issues for Malachite & Vivianite. I get that they change due to chemical exposure, but it seems so wrong to me that they are labeled lightfast. As always, beautiful artwork! Thanks for sharing this information!
Yeah I feel that way too. Mostly I feel like there should be a separate note when a pigment is known to change from other reasons. Ok if it's BW8 / LFI max lightfast rating for UV exposure, but even a brief mention of variable color changes seems like important info to not pass on to professional artists. "Environmental color changes" or something short to indicate an issue would be great. It's not like artist's haven't been documenting this for a long time either, for many years the reputable pigment databases have had these notes available regarding Malachite, Azurite and Vivianite being "lightfast" but not permanent and color shifting due to chemical changes (such as this summary about yellowing at www.artiscreation.com/blue.html#vivianite ).
I just recently heard of Roman Szmal and wasnt interested at first because I thought "Yeah, same as other brands, nothing interesting" Then I looked the colors up on Jacksons and oh my gosh! These colors look absolutely fantastic and gorgeous and are also very affordable. Nice and big color selection, pigments I barely see used by other brands, rare colors like Vivanite, and Glauconite and the best: lots of granulation and cobalt colors!! I. Am. So. Hyped. To get my hands on these paints. If they are nice to use too, I can see them becoming my number 1.5, just besides DS.
They are definitely on their way to being a close second to Daniel Smith! I only wish that some of the pigments were as strong as Daniel Smith's. I noticed that many colors including the Potter's Pink, Lapis Lazuli, Aquarius Gray and Brown were not as intense. I think many will be tempted by the more rare paints, but I definitely struggle with finding the usefulness of streaky Glauconite and am sad about the color changing problems of Malachite, Vivianite (and Azurite in handmade paints). For those who avoid fugitive or unstable colors, it can be disappointing. Otherwise Roman Szmal is a very exciting brand and I am working on a video going over a huge list of my favorite colors that I've collected from them. Many are lovely examples of those pigments that beat a lot of other brands in comparison. I think having full size pans at a reasonable price makes them a better pick than a lot of companies for certain colors :)
I've been looking forward to this video! I went a little overboard the day they became available on Jackson's and have quite a few of these waiting to be played with.
Great video, as always! I don't feel a particular need to buy any of these, I think - I like the Daniel Smith versions more in pretty much all cases. I do love the hue of Malachite, it really sucks that it's so unstable! I loved the demo painting, as always, and I really look forward to seeing the mixing palette video whenever that's ready!
I LOVE your bird painting! I have all of the new Roman Szmal colors in my Jackson's cart but put off clicking the order button as I felt some of them were very close to what I already have. I appreciate your reviews and that you're always quick to procure new paints and share your findings! There are several RS paints in this release that I'll pass on, but I still struggle with the Complete Set complex and FOMO. I must be strong! 😉😆 Thanks for sharing your findings!
Thank you! Part of why I decided to start this channel was because I have such a tendency to hoard all the new watercolor stuff and thought it would be a shame to keep my findings to myself lol. Now it's a little worse though because I don't hesitate to buy complete sets since it's "for a video" lol. I'm glad to help though :)
Like minds. I need some restraint and this channel provides it. I am currently trying to decide on one Roman Szmal set to play with. I will avoid those colors you said inherently changed. More research.
This is the most informative review I've watched on the new paints. I really appreciate how you gave unbiased criticism and comparison, which I found somehow lacking in other videos about the same paints who had appraisals most of all. You saved me money and frustration so, you have a new follower in me 😊
Thank you, I'm glad to hear it was helpful! I always try to be very honest and fair, but I know a lot of other channels seem to be scared to say when there are problems. I appreciate your feedback :)
Holy hell! I wish I had watched this before purchasing the malachite, azurite and lapis lazuli. I knew the lapis was a naturally weak pigment but I was excited to finally be able to afford a version of this paint since it’s usually at least twice the price than what RS is offering for it but I was totally unaware of the instability of the machine and azurite which is extremely disappointing. My version of malachite also has the yellowish tinge in places too :(
I'm so sorry I didn't catch you in time. I know some people were like me and snatched up a bunch of new colors the day we noticed them listed on Jacksons! I try to make videos quickly, but I'm too darn detail oriented and sometimes it takes me many days to get my thoughts together for reviews. I knew I wouldn't be able to warn the early people, but at least I can share my experience with you so you're armed with that information now. Definitely find a use for the Malachite and Vivianite in your practice paintings and sketchbooks perhaps, to get some use from them while they are more stable. I've noticed that once on the page, they seem to preserve better, probably because they are dry compared to in the pan. Hopefully you also got some of the nicer colors and can still enjoy your haul :)
Your review, as usual, is fabulous! And I love your database. I adore my Roman Szmal wc’s. I am so sad to hear about the Vivianite because I am so passionate about it that I’ve already bought a second pan. Sigh. Fortunately, I nowadays just make art for fun and not so sell. But I’m still am so happy you give us this accurate info about pigments, Kimberly. 💖your lovely bird portrait, btw!
Short note on the misty morning. I just recently mixed some of my DS colors for fun and I discovered similar colors to misty morning: DS Mayan Red + Cobalt Teal DS Mayan Violet + Cobalt Teal DS Purpurite + Cobalt Teal I used Sennelier Turquoise Green, actually, it is more blue than DS Cobalt Teal, but it is PG50 too. Any Cobalt Teal/Turquoise that is more of a blue shade than greenish should work for the mixes. Side note: If you like color separation and granulation I really recommend using Purpurite and Mayan Red for mixing experiments, it looks just gorgeous!
Yes, I have just about everyone's Cobalt Teal and many of them are lovely. Both Cobalt Teal PG50 and Turquoise PB28 can be used to similar effect. I avoid recommending Mayan colors though due to their less than perfect lightfastness. I love Purpurite as a nice granulating dull purple, but that mineral is made up of pigments we can commonly get otherwise (PV16 manga violet and PBk11 black iron oxide, so I often mix my own). I also love PV15 ultramarine violet in some brands, like Winsor and Newton, Rembrandt or White Nights. I'm starting to worry there may actually not be a paint I don't own, too obsessed with color lol.
@@KimberlyCrick Is Purpurite a "safe" choice? Does it have a misleading LF rating or have any other environmental color change issues? It's a color I've been eyeing for a long time.
@@jenniferalvarez4041 Yes, purpurite is lightfast and has been stable even in hot humid Florida. A lovely color for sure. Also, if you're interested in replicating/DIY dupe - Purpurite is the natural impure form of Manganese Violet PV16 (before any iron particles and other secondary minerals found int he rock have been filtered). Because of that you could use any brand's Mauve/Manga Vio made from PV16 mixed with Black Iron Oxide/Mars Black PBk11 to achieve the same effect (and have a little more versatility as separate colors). I use Winsor and Newton's pan version of those pigments. Happy painting :)
Received Misty Morning just today and was so disappointed with the fact that you need to add plenty of water before you'll see colour separation. DS Cobalt Teal + Magenta made almost an EXACT Misty Morning colour plus it has beautiful granulation thanks to DS' Cobalt Teal.
So, I actually learned while researching crystals and rocks independently from watercolors that malachite releases toxic fumes when wet. I was shook, and wondering how it ever started being used on watercolor. Maaaaybe the binder coats it temporary? But if it's going off, I'm gonna guess the water has something to do with it. I have a pan of it, and this reminded me I need to toss that thing! Thank you as always for sharing your wealth of knowledge, Kimberly!
Oh no! I found something similar about that type of water activated toxic and flammable fume release when researching pyrite fools gold, which some etsy sellers had turned into watercolor. I've gotten increasingly skeptical about how much research people do before offering things as paint, some of these things are just better left out of art materials. I keep meaning to make a post about the scariest thing I've ordered. I got a collection of rare mineral paints from Paul Rubens (via aliexpress China import), it included things like malachite, lapis lazuli, tigers eye genuine, schorl (tourmaline) AND some neat volcanic rock watercolors made of "realgar" and "orpiment" and "cinnabar". All of which are apparently far more toxic than Cobalts and Cadmiums - like hazmat suit up when handling them, because they contain mercury and arsenic! Aside from the standard aquatic life hazard symbol printed very small on the tube (which makes it hard to understand the level of toxicity, since that's even on Phthalo colors because of copper being poisonous to fish) there was no mention on their charts/sale images/listings that they should be handled with extreme care. So with no advanced warning something toxic was being mailed to me, of course one of the tubes came slightly leaking... thank goodness I wore gloves opening that package.
@@KimberlyCrick Big yikes! I'm glad you're okay. Cinnabar is no joke! And I'm glad I came across the gemstone information elsewhere, but its really unfortunate that that information is not openly shared in the art community. Its very well shared in the metaphysical realm because of the rising popularity of "crystal elixirs" and adding things to baths.
Well, crap...I have a pan of malachite watercolor paint from an artisan paint-maker. It's beautiful, not to mention expensive, so I'd hate to have to toss it out. Maybe gloves and a gas mask are in order. 😬
True, 💕🖌️ I found out about malachite being toxic while wet from a jewelry maker. She cautioned me never to wear it in beaded form and only when a silver setting was touching the skin. Apparently light sweating will have the same toxic effects while around your neck. I haven't been buying handmade paints with minerals because I find it highly doubtful that most if any Etsy sellers are doing research on toxicity. Anyhow, thank you both for the reminder on safety and abundance of good information 💗💗💗
By the way, I love your honesty. It is rare, probably because most artists are hoping to get sponsorship on youtube? Also, they probably have not reviewed the information in-depth enough to see the difference that you do.
Yay! I have been waiting for a review of their new colors. I already ordered several and have been waiting for them to arrive but it's still nice to hear your take on it. Misty Morning is out of stock at Jackson's so this is a great rescue to learn how to mix my own! Thanks so much.
Great video! Really informative. I already bought Malachite but it'll be useful to keep in mind the color changing issue - first time I heard about it. I loved the comparison with other colors - especially the DS Lapis Lazuli. I only swatched this version from a dot card and it was so much weaker (even though the pigment is weak in general). The DS version is really a lot more vibrant than the Aquarius one.
Yes I was sad at how little information is shared about potential color changes like that in Malachite. I know what you mean, these hard to re-wet colors like Lapis Lazuli are really bad for dot cards. It's not enough paint to really get a good idea of either because its a weak color that performs better when you can pick up more and having a chunk that's not so dried out. The tube I got worked well in a pan, but I know people in northern climates with dry seasons or indoor heating can have a harder time with it. Maybe adding a drop of vegetable glycerin or honey to the pan would fix that, I totally need to experiment with that.
These unstable colors may have a place in artist’s palette for sketches, scanned works or just intentionally impermanent/changing works, however, they all should bear a clear warning.
Stunning your artwork! I love the cobalt colours,I will certainly handpick a few colours in the future, I saw them on Artemiranda and look so interesting. Strangely enough from the Daniel Smith Dot Chart I was not able to get much of a colour either out of the lapizlazuli,the same problem you have here with the Roman colour. There is a lapizlazuli at the shop Choosing Keeping which you might know,I haven't got it as its so expensive,like 30 dollars for just the pan, and though I love blues, I think this is more of a reddish blue and I tend to like the colder blues.
I like your sane approach to paints. Keeping in mind all you've seen and know about Roman Szmal paints, which of their colours would you actually recommend?
I'll definitely be doing a Roman Szmal brand overview video in the future where I'll sit down and pick out all my favorite colors. I'll also be going over a lightfast test I've been running for over 60 of his colors, so I can make sure that none of the ones I liked are fugitive.
Thank you for this - again - very thorough and useful review. I just ordered the set of 25 newbies. Info about contamination is so important. What I wanted to ask: do you also use distilled water to paint, rince etc with? And as always use put the paints in use with a beautiful subject... Lovely.
I use purified water to paint with. A few years ago I had texture problems with M Graham paints that turned out to be a reaction to hard water from the tap and switched to using a purified jug water instead. However, it's important to note that the Malachite is effected by humidity and I live in southern USA, so places like here, South America and Asia will have discoloration issues faster due to the air moisture and ph level changes.
@@KimberlyCrick It's really great to have a heads up on the malachite (and v.). I too use purified water (we call it distilled water) because of possible contaminations through tap water to any of my paints at all. I have no malachite yet (although I own several pieces, rocks, gems from Africa, when I was there). RS's will be my first WC-paint and your review is invaluable. Just great!
I've been looking for a less expensive alternative to Daniel Smith's Goethite (I may just end up getting a new tube) but just in case besides Roman Szmal's do you know of any that are comparable? I love honey based watercolor (Sennelier in particular, but they offer a limited palate) but am disappointed to hear that Roman Szmal's version is yellower. Thanks for your great review, I found you recently and love your detailed information.
I have not found any others that have this level of granulation (other than from handmade paint makers on Etsy using Goethite pigment powders available from Russia, but that is typically even more expensive). I have noticed batch to batch differences with Goethite from Daniel Smith. My last batch was not quite as granulating which was disappointing. I have a feeling there may be variables with this pigment. Since it is natural it is possible in the future there may be more or less differences between Roman Szmal and Daniel Smith. I think both are lovely, but R.S. definitely seemed to have more yellow disperse in wet washes when comparing these two samples. No other brands seem to come as close to each other as these though. Happy painting :)
Thank You. I saven some money. I want buy Misty Morning co;o, but you show how I can create it myself. White Nights price in my location is 1,5-2$ for pan and Roman Szmal prise 6,6$ for pan
Such a bummer, I didn't read your comment on that PO 64 first ^^' I just got Schmincke's Saturn Red with my latest batch of colours I bought- exactly because it was supposed to be somewhat lightfast and isn't completely opaque - and it's such a lovely colour ^^' I would have thought, that with a renowned brand as them those ratings would be somewhat ratified, but hey, I guess, I'm back to mixing oranges again 😅🤦🏼♀️😅
I love love the white nights cobalt turquoise is my favorite teal color. Especially for mixing. I would love to try more r.s. paints, I only have 2 atm.
It's such a useful color! Often I shy away from mixing it with anything because White Nights cobalt turquoise is so pretty used by itself... but mixed with Venice Purple (perylene maroon) it makes such interesting granulating gray mixtures, as well as mixed with quin red or rose for making this dusty purple that color separates out into tendrils of blue and pink like "misty morning". Love it :D
Some of these colours are historic type pigments and I wonder if their inclusion is mainly for restoration artists who will definitely appreciate them for their great price. But there are also enough other pigments to whet the appetite for a bit of colour retail therapy! Or experimentation, whatever suits you best! I have a half pan of malachite from an Italian seller untouched and have not noticed any yellowing. Do you think it is the presence of water that might be changing it? I will probably buy a pan of the RS malachite just so I can play with it and not feel over guilty.
The introduction of water of any kind, purified or not, will change the PH level in the pan over time so it's definitely a potential source for yellowing over time. It's also possible to get Malachite from a source that had pre-exposed it to something before you ever get it, which seems to be what happened to my Kremer pigments one. I had bought an extra un-used pan from them that was inside it's ziplock wrapper for about a year before it was used, yet somehow it had already developed yellowish brown crystal formations and leaked yellow as soon as my brush touched the green looking paint. I was so sad because I had thought I protected it from anything else by never having used it, I can only assume it was already exposed to something that caused it's change during manufacturing. A pan from another company was in a set containing ultramarine and vivianite and when that one quickly changed I assumed it was due to being close to the other paints after reading about PB29 sulphurs reacting with copper carbonate. I assume due to air pollution and ph levels speeding this up that the delay in change can be quite variable, possibly years. I'm not sure how much demand there is from restoration artists, but the common artist should definitely be warned of potential issues.
Kimberly Crick Art, mine is a half pan from a box of 12 half pans by Nila Colori. Bought just under two years ago as a kind of special gift for me, my choice but from a family member. I have not used this set, but transferred to to a Fome heavy weight box for 14 colours, to which I added the very week DS Lapis Lazuli and a Kremer Star Gold. I always understood that this set had fugitive historic pigments and would not likely be suitable for regular hung work. I was in truth interested in seeing how they could be used for a fragile type of result and what would happen to any work I did with them over time. I liked the idea of something more ephemeral than my intent and the possibility of working within those limitations as artists must have done before the introduction of more permanent pigments. As it is they have not been touched because I became seriously ill and my environmental needs changed drastically. That has now all been overcome and I looked at the box only the other day and noticed nothing untoward. I am very interested in your findings as I have a batch of dry malachite pigment too, the synthetically produced version which I understood to be chemically identical. I was not well enough to mull this and that remains completely untouched since .i put it away, so ?I will be interested to see whether the dry pigment has changed at all. Am also interested in the possibility that climate might play a part, light levels too? I am in the UK, at the same latitude as Moscow but we have the advantage of the Gulf Stream. When I mull I shall not be using honey, but will use glycerine instead. With clove oil. And distilled water. I was surprised that you find yellowing in vivianite too. I would like to know more. And at the price of it! Is this the most expensive of the RS pigments? IMO lazurite is just one component of Lapis mineral, and not the purest form of the pigment made from it, and should not be confused with the refined version of Lapis lazuli, which is a beautiful colour. It is the greyish byproduct of the refining process. As it does have some tinting ability it would not have been wasted but it is not the precious part of this mineral. It would have been used for less important parts of an image. As an aside comment, I wonder if such colour changes were understood by artists of the past who might have used them to effect knowing there would be a shift? We value permanence and exact colour matches so greatly now, but if that was not what they had to work with would they have played with what they had? That colour shifted Malachitefor instance, the yellowed version might have produced a green they could not otherwise achieve... Lastly, yes there is quite a lot of demand for historic pigments for restoration, it is in part what Kremer Pigmente caters to as a small part of their very large pigment business, and in recent years the Eastern European nations have been restoring their treasures assiduously. Kremer offer some very specially produced colours for exactly those kind of purposes.
@@lindyashford7744 I have a feeling humidity harms it quite a bit, so worse in climates like southern USA, South America, Asia compared to up in Canada/England etc. Dry powder in a sealed jar might be one of the best ways to store it long term. I'm honestly not sure about the effects of light. I've heard its very lightfast and all of the changes I experienced happened in dark drawers and closed palettes.
oh kim! i forgot to ask, what do you think of malachite paint from paul rubens? i was thinking of buying it more to feed my primal raven brain that likes shiny unique things, given the fact it is a relatively affordable tube on aliexpress. is it too weak as in the level of lapis lazuli weakness of roman szmal? or is it somewhat decent?
Because all malachite has a risk of hardening or yellowing over time (particularly when mixed with honey based paints) I prefer to replicate it with diluted cobalt green, or cobalt green mixed with a less opaque white (like chinese/mixing white pw4). That being said, Paul Rubens is one of the best malachite paints I've ever tried and remains stable for many years because they don't use honey. Every honey binder based paint from roman szmal, handmade makers like poems about you/oto kano, kremer pigment etc. has had some chemical intereaction (maybe an acid) that caused it to become unusable with hard yellow stripes. Since cobalt green goes further and is more stable, I think it's a better investment. Hope that helps :)
This channel is just amazing! Thank you so much! Btw, I still don't understand the love for potter's pink. I have bought it from three professional-level paints and the three disappointed me greatly.
The thing about Potter's Pink is that it is the only pigment in that color range with dramatic granulation. This makes it particularly useful for unique mixtures, such as with cerulean or cobalt teal. I can definitely understand not being a huge fan of the dull brownish pink color on its own!
@@KimberlyCrick thank you so much! I am quite new to watercolors, as you might have guessed, my background in arts is more the black/gray and white of the pencil, but it never occurred to me to try mixing it! I am going to finish the three pinks off this weekend mixing them with everything I can think of 😁. Thank you!
I've seen artists use it to desaturate a bright paint color without changing the color of the paint they're desaturating. Maybe try playing around with that? But if it's not your thing, it's not your thing. Life is too short to do stuff you don't enjoy cause it works for other people. Happy painting :)
@@annedavis3340 that is a very interesting idea too. Thank you! I will try. I like playing around with colors. I still can't believe I didn't think about mixing it. Maybe because it's a little bit more difficult to mix granulating paints? I imagine it can be interesting in an opposition to create an interesting gray. I will try on Saturday, if I can wait until then 😁. And you are right, if I still don't find it appealing, I will stop and go for things that make my heart sing 😉. I wish there was a place where people could exchange or offer paints and arts supplies. I have so many I want to offer to someone in a less fortunate situation.
@@huskytail expect the granulation to separate out, you're not going to get one even smooth color. That's part of the beauty of watercolor, though, so let it happen and don't stress about trying to control it too much
Have you found a use for glacuonite? And is it still streaky when a lot of water is used? Also is the lapis lazuli worth it if it is noticeably weaker?
No, haven't found a good use for it and yeah very streaky. Lapis is too weak for me to be happy with it at all. I don't think I'll ever really find a good use for these two.
Is the Roman szmal cobalt blue deep comparable to Rembrandt’s version? I have seen swatches of both on your website but I cannot tell for sure if they are the same general look or not. Also, I am trying to decide between schmincke and Winsor and Newton for potters pink as Roman szmal was not quite what I expected. I had a lot of trouble with that color. And my third question is about Rosa gallery- I recently ordered a couple new pans from their line since I already had their 28 set and found that I accidentally ordered a color that I already had (English red). I have tried to contact them about this but have received no reply so I am wondering if I should return it when it gets here, as I don’t really need two of the same color especially since it is a full pan. In that same order, I should have picked Rosa gallery’s cobalt turquoise since that was what I did not have in the 28 set but grabbed English red instead and I wanted to ask if this color (cobalt turquoise) is the same as the white nights version since I am ordering some paints from Jackson’s very soon. thank you sm for your reviews and I am very sorry if this is a bother to reply to, it is a long message lol. I really enjoy your channel and your voice is very soothing to listen to:)
I think Schminke's cobalt blue deep has the most granulation, and Rembrandt doesn't has as much texture. Because Cobalt Blues are so similar to Ultramarine Blues, I don't usually like to use Cobalt Blue because it's more toxic and expensive compared to PB29. In general, it's not usually necessary to buy multiple versions of one color if the brand is similar enough to others that you can't see much of a difference in swatches. Roman Szmal's potter's pink is quite different from others, being pale and milky almost in comparison to stronger versions like Schmincke's. Winsor and Newtons pan version is ok, but I would not get their tube or daniel smiths tube of potters pink because they are hard to re-wet. If you're getting White Nights cobalt turquoise it is better than Rosa Gallery. I wouldn't bother returning a rosa pan unless you paid a huge amount for it, because they are often so cheap it may not be worth the shipping costs to worry over it. I would just start mixing it with other colors to experiment and see if you find an unusual use for your extra english red. Or use it for monochromatic studies when you practice. It makes a good black alternative when mixed with ultramarine blue. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick thank you so much for your fast response! I have learned more about pigments and watercolor in the last year from your channel than any other place. I will go for schmincke potters pink and Roman szmal cobalt blue deep then. I really liked the granulation so will get it but after this purchase, I am going to try to limit cobalt colors on my palette. It is good to hear that the white nights version is stronger than Rosa’s. I did think that there was more granulation in WN. Also quick question, is the schmincke cobalt turquoise better or the same as the white nights one? I have it in my cart right now but the half pan alone is 9 ish dollars and it is making me a bit unsure lol.
@@kamalitarajagopalan2671 I think if you get the White Nights you don't need the Schmincke. They are very close. The only one that is reaaaaly unique and looks different from other turquoise/teals is the one from Daniel Smith that has extra granulation. As far as schminke - cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0148/7342/8032/files/PG50_Schmincke_Horadam_Cobalt_Turquoise_Watercolor_Paint_Color_Chart.jpg?v=1577241998 vs white nights - cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0148/7342/8032/files/PB28_White_Nights_Watercolor_Cobalt_Turquoise_Teal_Blue_Aqua_Paint_Color.jpg?v=1601687195 it's too close to spend so much more on Schmincke.
Listen, I'm about to go crazy. The Misty Morning color (along with some many other ones, actually!) is CONSTANTLY out of stock on Jackson's. Last time, they said it'd be on stock today (7.3), and already when I entered the website afternoon my time, it was gone and now says "Awaiting stock - due date unavailable" (for the other colors as well). I am desperate at this point 😞 I love watching your vids and know your appreciation for Szmal colors, so I was thinking to ask for you advice. Is there ANYWHERE else they sell to, worldwide?
It's just bad timing right now since on January 13th nearly all colors were available and in stock, but then the 15 new colors were released and there was a sale so they all sold out. Then global shipping is backed up to replace these (fedex and ups are no longer servicing russia or ukraine during the invasion, and the refugees are fleeing to poland where Roman Szmal is made) so I expect there to be massive delays in shipments and wait times to re-stock no matter where you try to find them. I know ArtMiranda spain sells Roman Szmal, but depending on your country it may take much longer to receive them from there than it would be to wait for Jackson's to obtain their stock.
I didn't find a link, could you share where you got the blank swatches? Have searched Blick's, Amazon. I usually just make a full sheet divided spaces, but the single cards would be nice
Are the Shadow violet light PB36/PB29/PR176 and the Przybysz’s grey PB29/PR177/PG26 fugitive? because I read that PR177 was a fugitive pigment Thank you for your hard work
Yes, their PR177 and Przybysz’s/any mixtures with it fade. I have not yet finished testing Shadow Violet Light to know how badly PR176 will fade, but there are definitely other colors in this brand that will fade too (NBr8, PR170, PB27, PO64 etc.) I've posted some lightfast test result images on my brand review page at www.kimcrick.com/pages/roman-szmal-aquarius-watercolor-review-color-chart-swatch-card-lightfast-test and will update it as further results come in.
So is Paul Ruben's brand Malachite. Unfortunately all Malachite is chemically ready to change over long periods of time. In Northern climates where it is more dry and indoor heating is used in cool months it can take many many years. In Southern climates with humidity like Florida, South America, Asia etc. it can happen a lot faster, about a year, due to the air humidity and altering PH levels. In any climate an interaction between Malachite and certain chemicals is possible, such as Nickel and Sulphur reactions. This is not brand specific.
For those who value lightfastness and general stability in your paint investments: I can not recommend Malachite and Vivianite (or Azurite found in other rare/handmade paint brands). I feel like there should be a separate note on labels when a pigment is known to change from other reasons than sun. It's ok to say it is BW8 / LFI max lightfast rating for UV exposure, but even a brief mention of variable color changes seems like important info to not pass on to professional artists. "Environmental color changes" or something short to indicate an issue would be great. It's not like artist's haven't been documenting this for a long time, some of these pigments have been studied from ancient Greek murals. For many years the reputable pigment databases have had these notes available regarding Malachite, Azurite and Vivianite being "lightfast" but not permanent and color shifting due to chemical changes (such as this summary about yellowing at www.artiscreation.com/blue.html#vivianite ).
Glauconite while interesting due to being a rare pigment, is unpleasantly streaky to work with. About half of these colors were quite nice, especially compared to almost any brand other than Daniel Smith (see 4:22 ) who happens to have them beat in color intensity/pigment load. This is notable when compared to Potter's Pink, Aquarius Gray and brown. Hematite Violet is personal preference, since D.S. is quite different and more dramatic in it's granulation/color separation. Lapis Lazuli (Lazurite) is a gummy weak pigment no matter the brand, but D.S. version is dramatically higher quality than R.S. in this natural mineral form of Ultramarine Blue. I think many people will find joy in the convenience color separating mixtures (like Misty Morning) though I seek to demystify them and make sure you know you're capable of DIY :)
Forgot to mention also that Malachite can be several shades of green, varying between darker green the more coarse it is and lighter pale green as it is ground up more finely as a pigment powder. The yellow tinge only starts once it begins to change chemically. Just in case it was not clear in the video, the Kremer and Roman Szmal have shown signs of yellow tinge, with the Paul Rubens being a fresh comparison example of how it should look. When my Kremer one was new, as well as a handmade version from "Poems About You" on Etsy, they were the same lovely pale green. About 6 months later they are so yellow in the pan that the paint looks as if it's leaking yellow when I touch it with a wet brush. These were not cheap. The disappointment is real :(
Absolutely, absolutely agree there should be environmental warnings. Rhodonite Gen. from DS is another one that really should have a warning: the rhodonite oxidizes (noticeably!) over time, and the granulation turns a buff tan color. I've seen some youtubers recommend it as a replacement for Quin Rose. Whenever I see people suggest that, I just imagine heartbreak that someone who had no idea put it on cheeks on a grandkid portrait or something.
I've been planning to use it in a fantasy painting of a female fawn (the half-human kind) and enjoying seeing her go buff in areas without my intervention, but a straightforward replacement for quin rose it is NOT.
@@KimberlyCrick as a side note, malachite has asbestos in it, which SHOULD be fine when you're painting with it (I think. The water might keep it from blowing up. However, the binder might not keep it secured to the paper well enough once dry, so you might want to treat the dried pieces with caution and try not to move them around, or flake off the pigment), but I've seen articles recently about stone cutters getting the lung conditions associated with asbestos because of working with it.
I hope that Etsier who made your paint knew to be careful when working with the malachite dust. In fact I hope DS's & RS's factory workers are being sufficiently protected. I imagine some small-scale paint makers just assume that grinding up a rock/mineral you can buy wouldn't have risks any worse than any other rock/mineral you can buy.
Wish that were the case. It's a lovely color, of course. If I remember, Amazonite paint paints out similar colors, but I've never seen a lightfastness test of Amazonite.
100% agree on non-fading instability warnings! I always use genuine aureolin as an example - it doesn't fade, sure, but it gets all brown or grey and it's just not reasonable go sell that as a "stable" paint. I can't remember which, but I know there was talk about one of the pink Primatek paints having some kind of issue, too. I think it oxidised and turned brown. It feels disingenuous to me to sell that as something you know your buyers will read as "stable" or "permanent" (because that's definitely how people read lightfastness ratings).
@@FaerieDust you're talking about Rhodonite Genuine, guaranteed. It's the color of a Quinacridone rose and gets brown patches from contact with air
Also, I'm on my way to buy potters Pink from every brand I like.
Potters Pink, together with Cobalt Teal and Rose Madder Lake are my favourite watercolors to use. At least one of them is always in present in my paintings.
Roman Szmals Potters Pink looks gorgeous 🥰
You have saved the day with this video. For the last week I have been researching RS watercolor paints trying to build a well balanced palette. It really has been an arduous task because I choose so darn carefully. Your insights on this video have sent me back to the drawing board and have been a huge help. I did pick only single pigment colours and planned on doing just what you have shown (mixing my own convenience separating colours instead of the premade ones). Now I am looking at a partial RS palette mixed with my DS and Qor paints. Way to save me some money and help me build a palette that I will find so much more satisfying in the end. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you. Also big thank you to many of the very enlightening comments below. Off to dump some stuff out of my cart and streamline this supply order.... :) Stay sane, stay healthy and stay lovely! Hugs :)
Thank you for your kind comment and I'm so glad to hear that it helped. I'm loving my multi-brand palette of mostly single pigment colors. I think you'll have a lot of fun creating your own mixtures and likely make ones that are even better than the pre-made convenience colors! Happy painting :)
You have one of the more complete and understandable you tube channels in the art world. Some presenters are all drama without any substance but your reviews and instruction are tight and unbiased. I appreciate your review of the Roman Szmal watercolors as I am considering their purchase. Subscribed. Thank you!
Thank you, I appreciate your kind comment! I definitely strive to be informative and helpful, so I'm glad to hear that. Happy painting :)
I never knew about the chemical issues for Malachite & Vivianite. I get that they change due to chemical exposure, but it seems so wrong to me that they are labeled lightfast. As always, beautiful artwork! Thanks for sharing this information!
Yeah I feel that way too. Mostly I feel like there should be a separate note when a pigment is known to change from other reasons. Ok if it's BW8 / LFI max lightfast rating for UV exposure, but even a brief mention of variable color changes seems like important info to not pass on to professional artists. "Environmental color changes" or something short to indicate an issue would be great. It's not like artist's haven't been documenting this for a long time either, for many years the reputable pigment databases have had these notes available regarding Malachite, Azurite and Vivianite being "lightfast" but not permanent and color shifting due to chemical changes (such as this summary about yellowing at www.artiscreation.com/blue.html#vivianite ).
Such beautiful colors. Your input is always so helpful - thank you for taking the time to do this and share with us!
I just recently heard of Roman Szmal and wasnt interested at first because I thought "Yeah, same as other brands, nothing interesting"
Then I looked the colors up on Jacksons and oh my gosh! These colors look absolutely fantastic and gorgeous and are also very affordable.
Nice and big color selection, pigments I barely see used by other brands, rare colors like Vivanite, and Glauconite and the best: lots of granulation and cobalt colors!!
I. Am. So. Hyped. To get my hands on these paints.
If they are nice to use too, I can see them becoming my number 1.5, just besides DS.
They are definitely on their way to being a close second to Daniel Smith! I only wish that some of the pigments were as strong as Daniel Smith's. I noticed that many colors including the Potter's Pink, Lapis Lazuli, Aquarius Gray and Brown were not as intense. I think many will be tempted by the more rare paints, but I definitely struggle with finding the usefulness of streaky Glauconite and am sad about the color changing problems of Malachite, Vivianite (and Azurite in handmade paints). For those who avoid fugitive or unstable colors, it can be disappointing. Otherwise Roman Szmal is a very exciting brand and I am working on a video going over a huge list of my favorite colors that I've collected from them. Many are lovely examples of those pigments that beat a lot of other brands in comparison. I think having full size pans at a reasonable price makes them a better pick than a lot of companies for certain colors :)
I've been looking forward to this video! I went a little overboard the day they became available on Jackson's and have quite a few of these waiting to be played with.
Great video, as always! I don't feel a particular need to buy any of these, I think - I like the Daniel Smith versions more in pretty much all cases. I do love the hue of Malachite, it really sucks that it's so unstable!
I loved the demo painting, as always, and I really look forward to seeing the mixing palette video whenever that's ready!
I LOVE your bird painting! I have all of the new Roman Szmal colors in my Jackson's cart but put off clicking the order button as I felt some of them were very close to what I already have. I appreciate your reviews and that you're always quick to procure new paints and share your findings! There are several RS paints in this release that I'll pass on, but I still struggle with the Complete Set complex and FOMO. I must be strong! 😉😆 Thanks for sharing your findings!
Thank you! Part of why I decided to start this channel was because I have such a tendency to hoard all the new watercolor stuff and thought it would be a shame to keep my findings to myself lol. Now it's a little worse though because I don't hesitate to buy complete sets since it's "for a video" lol. I'm glad to help though :)
Like minds. I need some restraint and this channel provides it. I am currently trying to decide on one Roman Szmal set to play with. I will avoid those colors you said inherently changed. More research.
This is the most informative review I've watched on the new paints. I really appreciate how you gave unbiased criticism and comparison, which I found somehow lacking in other videos about the same paints who had appraisals most of all. You saved me money and frustration so, you have a new follower in me 😊
Thank you, I'm glad to hear it was helpful! I always try to be very honest and fair, but I know a lot of other channels seem to be scared to say when there are problems. I appreciate your feedback :)
Holy hell! I wish I had watched this before purchasing the malachite, azurite and lapis lazuli. I knew the lapis was a naturally weak pigment but I was excited to finally be able to afford a version of this paint since it’s usually at least twice the price than what RS is offering for it but I was totally unaware of the instability of the machine and azurite which is extremely disappointing. My version of malachite also has the yellowish tinge in places too :(
*malachite not machine 🤦🏻♂️
I'm so sorry I didn't catch you in time. I know some people were like me and snatched up a bunch of new colors the day we noticed them listed on Jacksons! I try to make videos quickly, but I'm too darn detail oriented and sometimes it takes me many days to get my thoughts together for reviews. I knew I wouldn't be able to warn the early people, but at least I can share my experience with you so you're armed with that information now. Definitely find a use for the Malachite and Vivianite in your practice paintings and sketchbooks perhaps, to get some use from them while they are more stable. I've noticed that once on the page, they seem to preserve better, probably because they are dry compared to in the pan. Hopefully you also got some of the nicer colors and can still enjoy your haul :)
Great info and swatching. Loved the painting too. Thanks Kimberly!
Your review, as usual, is fabulous! And I love your database. I adore my Roman Szmal wc’s. I am so sad to hear about the Vivianite because I am so passionate about it that I’ve already bought a second pan. Sigh. Fortunately, I nowadays just make art for fun and not so sell. But I’m still am so happy you give us this accurate info about pigments, Kimberly. 💖your lovely bird portrait, btw!
Short note on the misty morning. I just recently mixed some of my DS colors for fun and I discovered similar colors to misty morning:
DS Mayan Red + Cobalt Teal
DS Mayan Violet + Cobalt Teal
DS Purpurite + Cobalt Teal
I used Sennelier Turquoise Green, actually, it is more blue than DS Cobalt Teal, but it is PG50 too. Any Cobalt Teal/Turquoise that is more of a blue shade than greenish should work for the mixes.
Side note: If you like color separation and granulation I really recommend using Purpurite and Mayan Red for mixing experiments, it looks just gorgeous!
Yes, I have just about everyone's Cobalt Teal and many of them are lovely. Both Cobalt Teal PG50 and Turquoise PB28 can be used to similar effect. I avoid recommending Mayan colors though due to their less than perfect lightfastness. I love Purpurite as a nice granulating dull purple, but that mineral is made up of pigments we can commonly get otherwise (PV16 manga violet and PBk11 black iron oxide, so I often mix my own). I also love PV15 ultramarine violet in some brands, like Winsor and Newton, Rembrandt or White Nights. I'm starting to worry there may actually not be a paint I don't own, too obsessed with color lol.
@@KimberlyCrick Is Purpurite a "safe" choice? Does it have a misleading LF rating or have any other environmental color change issues? It's a color I've been eyeing for a long time.
@@jenniferalvarez4041 Yes, purpurite is lightfast and has been stable even in hot humid Florida. A lovely color for sure. Also, if you're interested in replicating/DIY dupe - Purpurite is the natural impure form of Manganese Violet PV16 (before any iron particles and other secondary minerals found int he rock have been filtered). Because of that you could use any brand's Mauve/Manga Vio made from PV16 mixed with Black Iron Oxide/Mars Black PBk11 to achieve the same effect (and have a little more versatility as separate colors). I use Winsor and Newton's pan version of those pigments. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick Thank you for your reply. I just placed my first order with you & can't wait to receive it.
Received Misty Morning just today and was so disappointed with the fact that you need to add plenty of water before you'll see colour separation. DS Cobalt Teal + Magenta made almost an EXACT Misty Morning colour plus it has beautiful granulation thanks to DS' Cobalt Teal.
So, I actually learned while researching crystals and rocks independently from watercolors that malachite releases toxic fumes when wet. I was shook, and wondering how it ever started being used on watercolor. Maaaaybe the binder coats it temporary? But if it's going off, I'm gonna guess the water has something to do with it. I have a pan of it, and this reminded me I need to toss that thing! Thank you as always for sharing your wealth of knowledge, Kimberly!
Oh no! I found something similar about that type of water activated toxic and flammable fume release when researching pyrite fools gold, which some etsy sellers had turned into watercolor. I've gotten increasingly skeptical about how much research people do before offering things as paint, some of these things are just better left out of art materials. I keep meaning to make a post about the scariest thing I've ordered. I got a collection of rare mineral paints from Paul Rubens (via aliexpress China import), it included things like malachite, lapis lazuli, tigers eye genuine, schorl (tourmaline) AND some neat volcanic rock watercolors made of "realgar" and "orpiment" and "cinnabar". All of which are apparently far more toxic than Cobalts and Cadmiums - like hazmat suit up when handling them, because they contain mercury and arsenic! Aside from the standard aquatic life hazard symbol printed very small on the tube (which makes it hard to understand the level of toxicity, since that's even on Phthalo colors because of copper being poisonous to fish) there was no mention on their charts/sale images/listings that they should be handled with extreme care. So with no advanced warning something toxic was being mailed to me, of course one of the tubes came slightly leaking... thank goodness I wore gloves opening that package.
@@KimberlyCrick Big yikes! I'm glad you're okay. Cinnabar is no joke! And I'm glad I came across the gemstone information elsewhere, but its really unfortunate that that information is not openly shared in the art community. Its very well shared in the metaphysical realm because of the rising popularity of "crystal elixirs" and adding things to baths.
Well, crap...I have a pan of malachite watercolor paint from an artisan paint-maker. It's beautiful, not to mention expensive, so I'd hate to have to toss it out. Maybe gloves and a gas mask are in order. 😬
True, 💕🖌️ I found out about malachite being toxic while wet from a jewelry maker. She cautioned me never to wear it in beaded form and only when a silver setting was touching the skin. Apparently light sweating will have the same toxic effects while around your neck.
I haven't been buying handmade paints with minerals because I find it highly doubtful that most if any Etsy sellers are doing research on toxicity.
Anyhow, thank you both for the reminder on safety and abundance of good information 💗💗💗
oh wow, I'm glad I picked amazonite over malachite ages ago when I boght some primateks, I didn't know malachite was so unstable D:
By the way, I love your honesty. It is rare, probably because most artists are hoping to get sponsorship on youtube? Also, they probably have not reviewed the information in-depth enough to see the difference that you do.
Beautiful birds painting👍👍
Yay! I have been waiting for a review of their new colors. I already ordered several and have been waiting for them to arrive but it's still nice to hear your take on it. Misty Morning is out of stock at Jackson's so this is a great rescue to learn how to mix my own! Thanks so much.
Great video! Really informative. I already bought Malachite but it'll be useful to keep in mind the color changing issue - first time I heard about it. I loved the comparison with other colors - especially the DS Lapis Lazuli. I only swatched this version from a dot card and it was so much weaker (even though the pigment is weak in general). The DS version is really a lot more vibrant than the Aquarius one.
Yes I was sad at how little information is shared about potential color changes like that in Malachite. I know what you mean, these hard to re-wet colors like Lapis Lazuli are really bad for dot cards. It's not enough paint to really get a good idea of either because its a weak color that performs better when you can pick up more and having a chunk that's not so dried out. The tube I got worked well in a pan, but I know people in northern climates with dry seasons or indoor heating can have a harder time with it. Maybe adding a drop of vegetable glycerin or honey to the pan would fix that, I totally need to experiment with that.
These unstable colors may have a place in artist’s palette for sketches, scanned works or just intentionally impermanent/changing works, however, they all should bear a clear warning.
Thank you for this helpful video. I was curious for Malachite comparisons and no video was helpful until this. I think I'll try Rubens version.
Just ordered my first RS 12 half pan set. Super excited.
Thank you for this great video! I took copious notes. ♥️😻♥️
The idea of sullying my pans haunts me so i think i'll pick up a pan of misty morning, as always thanks for the info! :D
That painting is beautiful ❤️
Stunning your artwork! I love the cobalt colours,I will certainly handpick a few colours in the future, I saw them on Artemiranda and look so interesting. Strangely enough from the Daniel Smith Dot Chart I was not able to get much of a colour either out of the lapizlazuli,the same problem you have here with the Roman colour. There is a lapizlazuli at the shop Choosing Keeping which you might know,I haven't got it as its so expensive,like 30 dollars for just the pan, and though I love blues, I think this is more of a reddish blue and I tend to like the colder blues.
I like your sane approach to paints. Keeping in mind all you've seen and know about Roman Szmal paints, which of their colours would you actually recommend?
I'll definitely be doing a Roman Szmal brand overview video in the future where I'll sit down and pick out all my favorite colors. I'll also be going over a lightfast test I've been running for over 60 of his colors, so I can make sure that none of the ones I liked are fugitive.
Thank you for this - again - very thorough and useful review. I just ordered the set of 25 newbies. Info about contamination is so important. What I wanted to ask: do you also use distilled water to paint, rince etc with?
And as always use put the paints in use with a beautiful subject... Lovely.
I use purified water to paint with. A few years ago I had texture problems with M Graham paints that turned out to be a reaction to hard water from the tap and switched to using a purified jug water instead. However, it's important to note that the Malachite is effected by humidity and I live in southern USA, so places like here, South America and Asia will have discoloration issues faster due to the air moisture and ph level changes.
@@KimberlyCrick It's really great to have a heads up on the malachite (and v.). I too use purified water (we call it distilled water) because of possible contaminations through tap water to any of my paints at all.
I have no malachite yet (although I own several pieces, rocks, gems from Africa, when I was there). RS's will be my first WC-paint and your review is invaluable. Just great!
Thank you for the highly informative video! I loved Misty morning and I will absolutely try to reach a custom one with paints I already own~~
I've been looking for a less expensive alternative to Daniel Smith's Goethite (I may just end up getting a new tube) but just in case besides Roman Szmal's do you know of any that are comparable? I love honey based watercolor (Sennelier in particular, but they offer a limited palate) but am disappointed to hear that Roman Szmal's version is yellower. Thanks for your great review, I found you recently and love your detailed information.
I have not found any others that have this level of granulation (other than from handmade paint makers on Etsy using Goethite pigment powders available from Russia, but that is typically even more expensive). I have noticed batch to batch differences with Goethite from Daniel Smith. My last batch was not quite as granulating which was disappointing. I have a feeling there may be variables with this pigment. Since it is natural it is possible in the future there may be more or less differences between Roman Szmal and Daniel Smith. I think both are lovely, but R.S. definitely seemed to have more yellow disperse in wet washes when comparing these two samples. No other brands seem to come as close to each other as these though. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick Thank you so much!
I love your reviews of these colors.
Thank You. I saven some money. I want buy Misty Morning co;o, but you show how I can create it myself. White Nights price in my location is 1,5-2$ for pan and Roman Szmal prise 6,6$ for pan
I'm happy to help, I love White Nights, you'll make such beautiful mixtures :)
Such a bummer, I didn't read your comment on that PO 64 first ^^' I just got Schmincke's Saturn Red with my latest batch of colours I bought- exactly because it was supposed to be somewhat lightfast and isn't completely opaque - and it's such a lovely colour ^^' I would have thought, that with a renowned brand as them those ratings would be somewhat ratified, but hey, I guess, I'm back to mixing oranges again 😅🤦🏼♀️😅
I love love the white nights cobalt turquoise is my favorite teal color. Especially for mixing. I would love to try more r.s. paints, I only have 2 atm.
It's such a useful color! Often I shy away from mixing it with anything because White Nights cobalt turquoise is so pretty used by itself... but mixed with Venice Purple (perylene maroon) it makes such interesting granulating gray mixtures, as well as mixed with quin red or rose for making this dusty purple that color separates out into tendrils of blue and pink like "misty morning". Love it :D
@@KimberlyCrick it does! It is so pretty.
I feel like I want to share that it changes shade in the sun and becomes less green, which I imagine alters its mixes slightly, just so you know!
@@hannahthufvesson interesting that did not happen when I did a lightfast test. Good to know.
@@hannahthufvesson it did not change color in the slightest hung for 3 months in my window with direct sunlight.
Some of these colours are historic type pigments and I wonder if their inclusion is mainly for restoration artists who will definitely appreciate them for their great price. But there are also enough other pigments to whet the appetite for a bit of colour retail therapy! Or experimentation, whatever suits you best! I have a half pan of malachite from an Italian seller untouched and have not noticed any yellowing. Do you think it is the presence of water that might be changing it? I will probably buy a pan of the RS malachite just so I can play with it and not feel over guilty.
The introduction of water of any kind, purified or not, will change the PH level in the pan over time so it's definitely a potential source for yellowing over time. It's also possible to get Malachite from a source that had pre-exposed it to something before you ever get it, which seems to be what happened to my Kremer pigments one. I had bought an extra un-used pan from them that was inside it's ziplock wrapper for about a year before it was used, yet somehow it had already developed yellowish brown crystal formations and leaked yellow as soon as my brush touched the green looking paint. I was so sad because I had thought I protected it from anything else by never having used it, I can only assume it was already exposed to something that caused it's change during manufacturing. A pan from another company was in a set containing ultramarine and vivianite and when that one quickly changed I assumed it was due to being close to the other paints after reading about PB29 sulphurs reacting with copper carbonate. I assume due to air pollution and ph levels speeding this up that the delay in change can be quite variable, possibly years. I'm not sure how much demand there is from restoration artists, but the common artist should definitely be warned of potential issues.
Kimberly Crick Art, mine is a half pan from a box of 12 half pans by Nila Colori. Bought just under two years ago as a kind of special gift for me, my choice but from a family member. I have not used this set, but transferred to to a Fome heavy weight box for 14 colours, to which I added the very week DS Lapis Lazuli and a Kremer Star Gold. I always understood that this set had fugitive historic pigments and would not likely be suitable for regular hung work. I was in truth interested in seeing how they could be used for a fragile type of result and what would happen to any work I did with them over time. I liked the idea of something more ephemeral than my intent and the possibility of working within those limitations as artists must have done before the introduction of more permanent pigments. As it is they have not been touched because I became seriously ill and my environmental needs changed drastically. That has now all been overcome and I looked at the box only the other day and noticed nothing untoward. I am very interested in your findings as I have a batch of dry malachite pigment too, the synthetically produced version which I understood to be chemically identical. I was not well enough to mull this and that remains completely untouched since .i put it away, so ?I will be interested to see whether the dry pigment has changed at all. Am also interested in the possibility that climate might play a part, light levels too? I am in the UK, at the same latitude as Moscow but we have the advantage of the Gulf Stream. When I mull
I shall not be using honey, but will use glycerine instead. With clove oil. And distilled water. I was surprised that you find yellowing in vivianite too. I would like to know more. And at the price of it! Is this the most expensive of the RS pigments?
IMO lazurite is just one component of Lapis mineral, and not the purest form of the pigment made from it, and should not be confused with the refined version of Lapis lazuli, which is a beautiful colour. It is the greyish byproduct of the refining process. As it does have some tinting ability it would not have been wasted but it is not the precious part of this mineral. It would have been used for less important parts of an image.
As an aside comment, I wonder if such colour changes were understood by artists of the past who might have used them to effect knowing there would be a shift? We value permanence and exact colour matches so greatly now, but if that was not what they had to work with would they have played with what they had? That colour shifted Malachitefor instance, the yellowed version might have produced a green they could not otherwise achieve...
Lastly, yes there is quite a lot of demand for historic pigments for restoration, it is in part what Kremer Pigmente caters to as a small part of their very large pigment business, and in recent years the Eastern European nations have been restoring their treasures assiduously. Kremer offer some very specially produced colours for exactly those kind of purposes.
@@lindyashford7744 I have a feeling humidity harms it quite a bit, so worse in climates like southern USA, South America, Asia compared to up in Canada/England etc. Dry powder in a sealed jar might be one of the best ways to store it long term. I'm honestly not sure about the effects of light. I've heard its very lightfast and all of the changes I experienced happened in dark drawers and closed palettes.
oh kim! i forgot to ask, what do you think of malachite paint from paul rubens? i was thinking of buying it more to feed my primal raven brain that likes shiny unique things, given the fact it is a relatively affordable tube on aliexpress. is it too weak as in the level of lapis lazuli weakness of roman szmal? or is it somewhat decent?
Because all malachite has a risk of hardening or yellowing over time (particularly when mixed with honey based paints) I prefer to replicate it with diluted cobalt green, or cobalt green mixed with a less opaque white (like chinese/mixing white pw4). That being said, Paul Rubens is one of the best malachite paints I've ever tried and remains stable for many years because they don't use honey. Every honey binder based paint from roman szmal, handmade makers like poems about you/oto kano, kremer pigment etc. has had some chemical intereaction (maybe an acid) that caused it to become unusable with hard yellow stripes. Since cobalt green goes further and is more stable, I think it's a better investment. Hope that helps :)
This channel is just amazing! Thank you so much! Btw, I still don't understand the love for potter's pink. I have bought it from three professional-level paints and the three disappointed me greatly.
The thing about Potter's Pink is that it is the only pigment in that color range with dramatic granulation. This makes it particularly useful for unique mixtures, such as with cerulean or cobalt teal. I can definitely understand not being a huge fan of the dull brownish pink color on its own!
@@KimberlyCrick thank you so much! I am quite new to watercolors, as you might have guessed, my background in arts is more the black/gray and white of the pencil, but it never occurred to me to try mixing it! I am going to finish the three pinks off this weekend mixing them with everything I can think of 😁. Thank you!
I've seen artists use it to desaturate a bright paint color without changing the color of the paint they're desaturating.
Maybe try playing around with that? But if it's not your thing, it's not your thing. Life is too short to do stuff you don't enjoy cause it works for other people. Happy painting :)
@@annedavis3340 that is a very interesting idea too. Thank you! I will try. I like playing around with colors. I still can't believe I didn't think about mixing it. Maybe because it's a little bit more difficult to mix granulating paints? I imagine it can be interesting in an opposition to create an interesting gray. I will try on Saturday, if I can wait until then 😁. And you are right, if I still don't find it appealing, I will stop and go for things that make my heart sing 😉. I wish there was a place where people could exchange or offer paints and arts supplies. I have so many I want to offer to someone in a less fortunate situation.
@@huskytail expect the granulation to separate out, you're not going to get one even smooth color. That's part of the beauty of watercolor, though, so let it happen and don't stress about trying to control it too much
Have you found a use for glacuonite? And is it still streaky when a lot of water is used? Also is the lapis lazuli worth it if it is noticeably weaker?
No, haven't found a good use for it and yeah very streaky. Lapis is too weak for me to be happy with it at all. I don't think I'll ever really find a good use for these two.
Is the Roman szmal cobalt blue deep comparable to Rembrandt’s version? I have seen swatches of both on your website but I cannot tell for sure if they are the same general look or not.
Also, I am trying to decide between schmincke and Winsor and Newton for potters pink as Roman szmal was not quite what I expected. I had a lot of trouble with that color.
And my third question is about Rosa gallery- I recently ordered a couple new pans from their line since I already had their 28 set and found that I accidentally ordered a color that I already had (English red). I have tried to contact them about this but have received no reply so I am wondering if I should return it when it gets here, as I don’t really need two of the same color especially since it is a full pan. In that same order, I should have picked Rosa gallery’s cobalt turquoise since that was what I did not have in the 28 set but grabbed English red instead and I wanted to ask if this color (cobalt turquoise) is the same as the white nights version since I am ordering some paints from Jackson’s very soon.
thank you sm for your reviews and I am very sorry if this is a bother to reply to, it is a long message lol. I really enjoy your channel and your voice is very soothing to listen to:)
I think Schminke's cobalt blue deep has the most granulation, and Rembrandt doesn't has as much texture. Because Cobalt Blues are so similar to Ultramarine Blues, I don't usually like to use Cobalt Blue because it's more toxic and expensive compared to PB29. In general, it's not usually necessary to buy multiple versions of one color if the brand is similar enough to others that you can't see much of a difference in swatches. Roman Szmal's potter's pink is quite different from others, being pale and milky almost in comparison to stronger versions like Schmincke's. Winsor and Newtons pan version is ok, but I would not get their tube or daniel smiths tube of potters pink because they are hard to re-wet. If you're getting White Nights cobalt turquoise it is better than Rosa Gallery. I wouldn't bother returning a rosa pan unless you paid a huge amount for it, because they are often so cheap it may not be worth the shipping costs to worry over it. I would just start mixing it with other colors to experiment and see if you find an unusual use for your extra english red. Or use it for monochromatic studies when you practice. It makes a good black alternative when mixed with ultramarine blue. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick thank you so much for your fast response! I have learned more about pigments and watercolor in the last year from your channel than any other place. I will go for schmincke potters pink and Roman szmal cobalt blue deep then. I really liked the granulation so will get it but after this purchase, I am going to try to limit cobalt colors on my palette. It is good to hear that the white nights version is stronger than Rosa’s. I did think that there was more granulation in WN. Also quick question, is the schmincke cobalt turquoise better or the same as the white nights one? I have it in my cart right now but the half pan alone is 9 ish dollars and it is making me a bit unsure lol.
@@kamalitarajagopalan2671 I think if you get the White Nights you don't need the Schmincke. They are very close. The only one that is reaaaaly unique and looks different from other turquoise/teals is the one from Daniel Smith that has extra granulation.
As far as schminke - cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0148/7342/8032/files/PG50_Schmincke_Horadam_Cobalt_Turquoise_Watercolor_Paint_Color_Chart.jpg?v=1577241998
vs white nights - cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0148/7342/8032/files/PB28_White_Nights_Watercolor_Cobalt_Turquoise_Teal_Blue_Aqua_Paint_Color.jpg?v=1601687195
it's too close to spend so much more on Schmincke.
@@KimberlyCrick yay that reduces my total by a lot. This just made my day. Thanks 😁😁
Listen, I'm about to go crazy. The Misty Morning color (along with some many other ones, actually!) is CONSTANTLY out of stock on Jackson's. Last time, they said it'd be on stock today (7.3), and already when I entered the website afternoon my time, it was gone and now says "Awaiting stock - due date unavailable" (for the other colors as well). I am desperate at this point 😞 I love watching your vids and know your appreciation for Szmal colors, so I was thinking to ask for you advice. Is there ANYWHERE else they sell to, worldwide?
It's just bad timing right now since on January 13th nearly all colors were available and in stock, but then the 15 new colors were released and there was a sale so they all sold out. Then global shipping is backed up to replace these (fedex and ups are no longer servicing russia or ukraine during the invasion, and the refugees are fleeing to poland where Roman Szmal is made) so I expect there to be massive delays in shipments and wait times to re-stock no matter where you try to find them. I know ArtMiranda spain sells Roman Szmal, but depending on your country it may take much longer to receive them from there than it would be to wait for Jackson's to obtain their stock.
Luckily it looks like after a month long delay, they did actually end up popping back into stock availability today :D
I didn't find a link, could you share where you got the blank swatches? Have searched Blick's, Amazon. I usually just make a full sheet divided spaces, but the single cards would be nice
My rubber stamp swatch cards can be found at www.kimcrick.com/collections/art-supplies-watercolor-pens-paper thank you :)
Thank you for the video ❤
Are the Shadow violet light PB36/PB29/PR176 and the Przybysz’s grey PB29/PR177/PG26 fugitive? because I read that PR177 was a fugitive pigment
Thank you for your hard work
Yes, their PR177 and Przybysz’s/any mixtures with it fade. I have not yet finished testing Shadow Violet Light to know how badly PR176 will fade, but there are definitely other colors in this brand that will fade too (NBr8, PR170, PB27, PO64 etc.) I've posted some lightfast test result images on my brand review page at www.kimcrick.com/pages/roman-szmal-aquarius-watercolor-review-color-chart-swatch-card-lightfast-test and will update it as further results come in.
@@KimberlyCrick oh NBr8 is fugitive? I didn't know! Thanks for the heads-up!!
@@KimberlyCrick And thanks again for all the work you have done on your blog it is extremely useful!
Malachite from A. Gallo paints in Italy is wonderful...
So is Paul Ruben's brand Malachite. Unfortunately all Malachite is chemically ready to change over long periods of time. In Northern climates where it is more dry and indoor heating is used in cool months it can take many many years. In Southern climates with humidity like Florida, South America, Asia etc. it can happen a lot faster, about a year, due to the air humidity and altering PH levels. In any climate an interaction between Malachite and certain chemicals is possible, such as Nickel and Sulphur reactions. This is not brand specific.
I think granulation is aweful looking except for the multy color paints like misty. I don't get it!
Wow. Amazing. 👌
I heard leave the paints in the freezer for a few hours and then the wax paper comes off super easy 😬
Sadly that does not work in humid climates or when the paints are very new. What you see in the video is after freezing.
@@KimberlyCrick darn lol
Thank you for your honesty showing your paints were not dry sticking to paper when you received them. Put me off, I can tell you.
2:16 pretty sure DS's Lapis Lazuli fades anyway, waste of money and whatever they put in the tube. :/
Eeeeeek!!!! 🎊