Review on 🎨 Daniel Smith Hand Poured Watercolor Blues Set: 6 Half Pans, 9 Empty Pans, Plastic Travel Case (16 Pieces) - 285650004 by Kristen Reid

This set is completely blue. While this shouldn't be considered a standalone set (they expect you to fill in the empty spaces with whatever colors you have), only blue can be used for painting. This is a good example of what Daniel Smith has to offer in the form of blues not typically included in the set. Typically, pan sets come with phthalo blue, ultramarine, and sometimes a terribly runny Prussian blue, which luckily isn't included in this set. While any color can create a monochrome image, this selection definitely covers more than one shade of blue. The three navy blues may look similar at first glance, especially in Massstone (full strength), but they appear different when used in wet washes. Granulate four of the six colors. Everything is easy to remove (wash). Lunar Blue and Sodalite are capable of extreme texture and color separation effects when wet (particularly when large amounts of water are used on textured cold or rough press papers). I find this set very useful for painting underwater scenes, mermaids, night and winter landscapes. For those who paint abstractly they can be used for great contrast and texture effects that only the Daniel Smith brand can offer. Some of these colors are not available from any other paint manufacturer as the pigment ingredient is exclusive to DS. They are all lightfast, easy to pick up with a wet brush, and only cerulean appears weaker than other colors (but that's normal with this pigment in its dry form). If you are looking for a non-toxic alternative to cobalt Turquoise Turquoise Turquoise is authentic but slightly softer than teal. For just one tube of this color you can spend most of the cost of this set. It's really worth it if you just want to try the color. I don't need 6 tubes minor blues and wasn't sure which one I would like best. After using them for a few months I will see what colors I continue to achieve over time. If I use a pot of paint, it's time to buy a tube of that paint. Although they cost more, tubes are always better in terms of price per milliliter (15ml tubes can fill half a tray about 7 times). I try not to stock up on too many consumables that I won't be using, so I'll treasure this little sample piece until I know I'll be using the paint often enough to warrant a full tube. Overall I think the cost was better than other kits they made (especially compared to their "Final Mix Kit" which was mostly regular cheap paints) due to the special pigments used in this kit. The housing is very simple, with no mixing zone. This has disappointed many people who wanted a travel-ready suitcase that doesn't leak (the lid doesn't close on the folded side, so the paint splatters). The lid doesn't open smoothly, so it can be difficult to mix large pools of paint without them running down the lid and onto the table. I paint with small colors and haven't had any problems with this, but you can decide to use a few empty spots in the blending pan to make it work for larger strokes. Using a water brush or mixing colors directly onto paper and painting in a sketchbook or small format makes this MUCH easier. This case has one very nice perk - it's absolutely tiny. The most compact watercolor box I have seen is only 3" x 4" and 3/4" thick. It fits easily in your bag. The bag fits several sets. If you use a water brush or paints on paper and don't mix and match on a pallet, this case might be for you. Being made from plastic and not a metal can which can have sharp edges it will not rust over time or accidentally it also features a beautiful embossed Metal logo on the front for a sleek look Move the inserts to another Altoid case or tin and then use that case without the tube inserts, so it's not ideal for shaky hands or knees as you could spill paint I found that the lid closes securely but is easy to open when lifted at the edges (rather than the center). I've seen a few reviews saying they were rough on it and the pots spilled on the floor but if you know in advance what to expect shouldn't be a problem. For those new to the watercolor technique, almost all public panorama sets (dry) are in a small format called "half panes". Tiny 18 x 11 x 10mm rectangles of paint should suffice for dozens of small paintings. I generally don't recommend half-form kits for people who like to draw in large sizes (greater than 8" x 10"). If you paint big, tube watercolors and a dedicated palette are cheaper to save on costs, mix, and give big brushes the space they need to choose. paint without damaging them. These little sets work well for artwork from ATC to 5" x 7" with round brushes up to a size 8 or about 1/4" flat brushes. Knowing these things in advance helped me make an informed purchase transact and be happy with what I got I hope you found this review helpful :)