Renesans PANS & TUBES Watercolor Review
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- The long overdue Renesans review is finally here! Today we are looking at both pan and tube ranges from this Polish brand of watercolors. Due to the naming and formula changes that Renesans has done since I was sent my two palettes from viewers years ago, a color-by-color Swatch With Me style video was not in the cards.
However, I did my due diligence and spent months painting with and assessing these paints to try to make up for it. I was rewarded with a truly formative experience after my six and final painting that I did in preparation for this video. I hope that this combination swatching footage paired with my voice over review is helpful for your future buying decisions.
NOTE: Somewhere in the edit, I lost a sentence. During the pan swatching, I mentioned the CInnabar Green Pale as a standout color. After that, the voice over should have also included: "I also enjoyed their browns, including their hues for Stil de Grain, Burnt Umber, and Sepia, though the Burnt Umber is more akin to a dark Indian Red or more vibrant Raw Umber Violet in hue."
* Resources Mentioned *
U.S. Seller of Renesans Watercolors
A Little Creative Me: www.etsy.com/shop/alittlecrea...
Jane Blundell (tubes): janeblundellart.blogspot.com/...
Jane Blundell's (pans): janeblundellart.blogspot.com/...
Kimberly Crick (tubes): www.kimcrick.com/pages/renesa...
* Denise's Palettes *
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* Timestamps *
0:00 Pans Swatching
9:08 Pans Paintings
10:04 Tubes Swatching
17:00 Tubes Paintings
19:26 Names & Pigments
* Captions *
Captions will be uploaded as soon as possible.
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This is going to be a longer comment so tl;dr: Renesans tubes and Renesans pans are DIFFERENT LINE OF PRODUCTS. And that's by design, i know it's confusing but youre not supposed to use those two as different consistency of the same product.
I'm Polish and I've started using watercolours around 2007 maybe, at that time it was a rather niche medium amongst Polish painters. At the time there were 3 brands on the market that were afordable and widely available: Renesans watercolours, sold in half pans that were dirt cheap (comparing to the others, i think at one point you could buy one halfpan for 4 PLN so around 10 cents) that were meant as an entry level paint, if you wanted a larger set for cheap that was of decent quality. Slightly higher and more expensive were Karmański moist watercolors (Polish brand started in 19th century in Cracaw) that were honey based and only available in black full pans that paints would shrivel like raisins in and fall out of. Both of those were much more opaque due to high pigment content (and let's be honest - some sort of filler). 3rd brand that was seen as an even higher quality product that was available in bigger shops on the bigger cities were Leningrads or as they're more known as now, St. Petersburgs or White Nights (sidenote - the name white nights comes from the polar nights, since St.Petersburg gets those, and they're called white because of the long and brights sky in polar summer).
Now consider the White Nights and their quality when they first became popular in the US to maybe imagine what kind of paints we're talking about if conpared to them White Nights were almost a premium product. They were still considered student grade but only Szał (internet art store) was carrying Maimeri Blu and Winsor&Newton artist's watercolors, so those 3 were the most afordable someone wanting to try watercolors could get that was not kiddie sets of pill watercolor paints.
(And although i said they were of lower quality - to a professional watercolor painter at least, who has to care more about light-fastness and pigment quality than a novice - they were realy great at being what they were: entry level, predictable and afordable paints that would teach you how to use watercolor before you decided to invest in imported and expensive paints.)
But then, around mid 2010's, something happened: watercolors became trendy. Also e-commerce and getting in touch with formerly unaprochable brands became more easy, more shops started to carry popular brands of paints people were watching Western youtubers review (3rd sidenote: i bought my first Dan Smiths from a shady looking site around 2016-17 and they were the starter tube set of primaries and another set of 3 tubes plus one tube i really wanted; i still have them - in my repurposed Karmanski empty black pans. Anyway, they were a fortune then). And soon after that Roman Szmal released Aquarius watercolours to the market, and those were not only of great quality for the price, they were available in all art materials stores in bigger cities and online! Soon after that Renesans released their first premium artist's grade watercolors: the Intense Water line.
Now, we need to talk about the reputation Renesans has in Poland. Their products are afordable and better than most, especially if you're a broke student, but some of their products quality are decent at best and inconsistent at worst. Their painting mediums and brushes were always very popular and liked, but their paints were never considered by pros as "extra fine artist grade". Untill the Intense Water. It really looked like they were trying to bring in something unique and, dare I say, good. And they were in tubes, so you could pour them and rewet them, since it was drilled into everyone that watercolors from tubes are better because you can pour them yourself and you know whats in it, in theory. But their student grade half pans are there still, and still student grade. Comparing those two would be like comparing Cotman watercolors with AWC.
How do i know all this? I'm a big nerd with ADHD who had to study art at the time. So, sorry for this deep dive. Or you're welcome.
Thank you so much for this additional context. It makes so much more sense now! While editing this video, I literally had the exact thought "these feel like two different lines of watercolor." Glad to know I can trust my gut!
Looking at the scans, you can definitely see the pans are more opaque in nearly every color, and not always because of the pigment used. That would be keeping in line with a student grade paint. The variation in the tube line is still really interesting to me. Some colors I can see being an absolute deal while others perhaps not so much. Thank you again for your added insight!
I got some intense tubes last year and if you choose pigments wisely, they are great on high quality paper, not so grade and shiny on bad papers, but regardless great for the price.
P.S. one thing always puzzled me about watercolors in Poland. Since 2007-8, browsing on Deviantart, whenever I see cool watercolor architecture, the artist is very likely to be from Poland. Do you have any insight on why this genre is so popular in Poland?
Thanks fir this. As in other areas in life, context is everything!
@@InLiquidColorand @berolinastrassmann thank you, I'm glad to be of service, I'm really happy that Polish brands get recognition, but stuff like above may make them confusing not only for foreign buyers but even to younger Polish people who don't know about the context. Which is a pity, because I tried Cotman once and they were so... Mediocre, I was really bitter that I paid that much money for a set that was of the quality I could get so much cheaper amongst domestic brands. (I just repurposed the small cute box for Sennelier, I know WN changed the design, but those old white boxes were the best in my opinion)
I started my watercolor journey with Karmanski and I did a lot of good and valuable learning with them, I still had my set last year with plenty of paint to go but now I use other brands so I gave it away to a friend so they can teach another person. Due to something, probably filler and binder combo, you couldn't do a lot of special effects with them, they're just too dense and opaque for salt techniques for example. I'd assume it would be similar with Renesans half pans.
I wanted to make a video about the Polish brands but I lack commitment, maybe I'll do it after all.
Anyway, Renesans will never get much shit from me because they really make decent products available for artists here, and that's always ok in my book! (Their synthetic watercolor brushes that came out around 2019 are really great, they also came out with 100% cotton watercolor paper that I'm yet to check out fully but it's produced in Italy)
@InLiquidColor @duod7847
I agree for the most part 😊 (fellow watercolor nerd from Poland here 😂 I started with watercolors around 2013 :))
Karmański was always not that certain for me as they give no info about the pigments used :’) because of that I only have one pan of their Indigo colour, which I tested for lightfastness and it turned out to be okay (it’s most likely pb15:3, pg7 and some black pigment anyways)
I used lots of Renesans colors over the years, so when I tried a few Intense ones and I liked them, I jumped in and bought quite a few of them when a good deal happened :) (the first range was starting for about 7zł a tube (less than 2$) before the pandemic and I was able to get them even cheaper then for a black friday or smth like this)
I think they are extremely affordable here and I love quite a lot of their colors. The sheen that comes up on most of the colors after painting doesn’t bother me that much, BUT I actually got a few that unfortunately got so much binder that they’re basically non-usable :( (in my case it was cad yellow pale, potter’s pink and manganese violet especially, they are actually sticky and very weak :c).
On the other hand their ultramarine is one of the most beautifully granulating pb29 I came across (kinda like a french ultramarine 😊) and royal brown pbr25- it’s just gorgeous ❤ though overall, they for sure have quite a lot of binder, as they evaporate quite a lot during drying in half pans etc. and because of the case of the "sheen" (in some colors more and in some less prominent) after drying.
As for the Roman Szmal, back then when they started I started hearing a lot about them, so in 2019 I got my first one- Quin. Gold ❤ Over those few years I collected a full big and little palette of them, and can proudly say (as they’re a polish brand as well) that they are my favorite, especially because I love the different textures and wide range of pigments available). Still, I use different brands alongside them, often for different purposes (both Renesans lines, White Nights, Rosa Gallery, Indigo from W&N P., Van Gogh, a few Schmincke colors and a bunch of other ones 😊), but for sure are on the pricier place on the spectrum (though I think they are very much worth it, especially here).
With the Intense line I love making my own color mixes and tiny diy travel palettes 😊 (if you want to you can see one on my ig (@tlu.vi)) and it has some of the colors I gravitate very often to :) In terms of the pigment saturation I actually most often prefer the half pans though, but I never saw them described as a student line 🤔 maybe there was some older ones, but I always used the "extra fine" half pans and I reeaally like some of their colors :) the magenta, golden green, purple and turquoise ones (their names were also changed along the way) are what I would describe as inky or saturated 😊
So overall, if you pick and choose what you like I think they are great if you can get them for a decent price 😊
P.S. it’s kinda wild to see that their US price is "the same" as here, but here it is in PLN (so basically about 4 times more expensive for US 😅)
Omg just seeing the title alone made me excited. I have their tubes and half pans! Can't wait to see what your opinion is of these paints and I HOPE Renesans Polska is watching!!!
Very interesting to see such a detailed and comparative review!
I myself had some quite interesting experience with these paints. The "self-leveling" you've mentioned stood out for me because when I poured the tube paints into the pans, those were the prettiest pans I've ever poured, even and flat. I do agree with shininess for tube paints (though I've never found it too much of a problem for myself, maybe I don't build the darks that far). However for most tube colors I didn't find it much harder to rewet than pans, with one huge exception being Potters pink. I just can't rewet it to full color anymore and I gave up on it in favor of Roman Szmal's.
Ever since I first tried these paints, both of their Cinnabar greens in pans (the darker one is very lovely too!) and both of their PBr25s just wouldn't leave my palette, no matter how much I change it. It's interesting to note that their Polish brown (tube) is a very unique shade of PBr25 I've never seen elsewhere. I found it has some texture to it, unsure if granulation or something else, but I really love using it because of that.
I saw that they had that second hue for PBr25! I'm definitely intrigued. I also noticed that some of their cobalts are interesting hues as well. It's rare to see a PG50 that muted (in a good way!). Thank you for sharing your experience with them!
I got the Renesans tubes from a friend directly from poland when I was a beginner in watercolor. I had no experience with honey based colors (and still have not, because of the bad experiences I made with renesans). Some of the colors traveled around the whole palette, some were not able to glaze. Many of them had a shine, which I didn't like and some of them were still sticky after drying. Every color behave differently, but not one of them got my love, so I never bought them again, even if the price is good, I found it difficult to learn to paint with them. Now as a more experienced painter I try to use them up with sketches and other "unimportant" paintings but I still feel sorry that I ever bought them and had my friend to organize them for me. But: I learned what I do not like with watercolors and this is also a win.
I'm sorry they were a miss for you! I can definitely see these being a challenge as your first watercolor with honey! They definitely handle differently from the other professional watercolors with honey, so I think there's also more binder in a lot of the colors as well. Thanks for sharing your experience with them!
My friend brought me a dozen watercolor tubes last summer from Poland to US. I could not get them to perform for me. Straight from the tube they were goopy and diluting them with any water made them very weak and pale. I had to chunk them into the bin 🫤
I love that otter painting so much!! Those blues and greens are so beautiful.
I love blooms in watercolour, so I don’t think these would be the right fit for me, but it’s always cool to learn more about other brands and you made some beautiful paintings with them! (I already mentioned the otter, but that rhino too. Wow)
Can’t wait for the new series too!
I always love your reviews Denise, you explain your thoughts so well ☺☺☺
Wonderful review, thank you! It was very valuable to hear your thoughts on it and also the insights. I felt like your observations of the rhino painting that you painted with the Renesans kind of relates, why I enjoy Lukas 1862 for animals. They perform so nicely with fur etc.
As for the differences in pigments between pans and tubes. I think they are different lines. The pans are called "Extra-fine Artists's Watercolours" and the tubes "Intense Watercolours" on the Renesans page and they don't handle it as the same. So to me it explained, why they have different properties and pigments when color names match or vice versa.
What an enlightening reveal of these paints. Not knowing that there was a difference between the pans and tubes could lead to some concerning issues, especially when looking to refill used pans with tube paints. The Payne's Grey being the biggest surprise, for me, as the only common relation was the PBK11! That's just wild. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on these paints and while your finished work is wonderful, I get what you presented in trying to duplicated the results. Hoping you are all well on your end! ~ Mark
Thanks Mark! I'm glad it was helpful!
Gret video. I relate about the stress and extra self guilt. Good to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Thank you, Denise! Great review as usual!
This came in just in time. A seller here in 🇩🇪 has a sale of Renesans tubes for 1.99€ and after seeing your review, I will definitely get a few, rather than go for the pans. Well done for stucking with the idea of the video all through your eventful last couple of years. Thanks Denise!
Each time I watch a video it brings me real joy and makes me happy. How can you do that? It has started years ago, and it has not changed. A miracle, it can’t something else….. to stay happy I am looking for your videos again, where you show your favorite. Unfortunately I need some and … well … last time I loved your recommendations. But I wuld like something new. And I would like to be able to be able to paint like you. Okay, the last part it just a dream..
And yes, also this tutorial was helpful., not only because of the much and helpful information you offer, but also I really like a few colors and I am not a master of mixture 🙈. Take care💕
I have a set of 21 half pans I chose myself bought here in England where there was only one source. I really liked them and very much appreciated their unusual greens. They are remarkably similar to the paints sold by Zecchi. They are enjoyable paints to use, but I had no inclination to buy the tube range which seemed very different from all accounts. I have never regretted buying my half pans, but believe one or two of the colours are likely to be fugitive, though most will be fine. They are a great taster for something better and more interesting than student Cotman. I know watercolourists in and around the small town where they were available swore by them for value and usage. I read about them on a pigment site,and contacted the seller direct, she was very helpful, but the little gallery has since disappeared. Since the pandemic nearly all my supplies come via the internet, so pre-2020 almost seems like a. Different era.
I am glad you got around to doing this review. Overall I like the colors, mostly prefer the pan colors. I thought this would be great to get for my grandsons, but the price is a bit more than I would like to pay, considering their age. I love your reviews, so keep them coming!
In Europe is one of the most affordable brands.
@@chopin4525 Yes it would be, but I live in the US. I really like these paints overall.
Ooooh, another PG8 paint. I find it interesting that more brands have a PG8 either as a single pigment or in a mixture in their paint lines.
Love pg8!
It's so dang pretty. I don't care that it's not lightfast 😆
@@InLiquidColor it is!
I never used the pans but own some of their tube paints.
The last batch I bought was on sale for 3€´(3.30$) per 15 ml tube (Europe 😎). That is a no-brainer for this quality.
I havn't paint to much with these but had the impression that the paint does not move as easy/uncontrolled as some others do. I like that in times. If you want to woosh colors freely into another you may use some other brand.
I would not call the area where I live arid but had no issue with wandering paints so far, including Potter's Pink.
Thank you so much for this and your other videos and be well!
What a deal! Thanks for sharing your experience with them. Maybe there's a precise topping point for that humidity haha
The glow is courtesy of PY83. It is such a beautiful yellow, vibrant and with almost duochrome nature to it. It's one of the few exception I allow myself in terms of lightfastness because there is simply no substitute to it.
@@monsoon_magic2874Not really. There is more or less the same difference between PY3 and f.e. PY184/PY175. It's hard to explain in words but compared to the PY83, PY110 and PY153 both look rather flat (?!) to me when they are dry. A much closer pigment to me is PY181.
It's such a beautiful yellow!
I also like pans from Renesans more that tubes. If you like opacity you should try their new gouache branded as Renesans Cover.
I live in the south of Brazil and have just finished a lightfastness test on White Nights and PG8 didn't changed at all
It was a north facing window (which means in the south hemisphere that it got sunlight for the whole day)
Hullo Denise, I do enjoy watching your videos and seeing your art! I loved the ferrets, I am wondering if these paints should be separate lines of paints? Such a difference from pan to tube is not good for replacement. I have no reason to invest in another line of paints as I am still discovering how DaVinci can give me joy and surprises enough for me!
I was given a set of Sennelier watercolors and they are a fine paint, yet I am not replacing my studio palette colors and it is not looking like I will. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and thank you for posting this lovely video.
Check out the pinned comment! It explains more about the origins of the line and that they indeed are two different lines of paints.
@@InLiquidColoryep I did! I was making a shorter comment that the company should make it obvious for the buyers!
You made a wonderful video as always! Thanks!!
I want to know if you have the ferrets as a print. I just lost my to little boys who were a white and a sable and I would love a print.
I'm so sorry for your loss 💜 I had originally planned for the ferrets to be a Patreon print, but it got pushed back for a couple reasons. I still haven't decided, but if you can send me an email (contact form on my website) I'll let you know ASAP!
@@InLiquidColor I didn't see a contact form only the news letter sub and your business email. I sent it to the business email. I hope that's OK.
@@KitarraChaosWeaver that works! I'll get back to you ASAP :)
I’ve seen a few reviews about these paints where they look paler than other professional paints. Do you see that problems in the ones you reviewed?
It's hard to give a blanket statement as a response. There is a lot of variation between colors even within the same lines. For the tubes, some colors are weaker, and some colors are just as strong as other brands.
I'm guessing it's pointless to remind you to be less hard on yourself 😂