Winsor & Newton vs. Daniel Smith: Who is Better?
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- These heavy-hitting watercolor brands make choosing Daniel Smith vs Winsor & Newton really difficult! Let me make choose your next watercolor palette easier!
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Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Organizing my Winsor & Newton palette
0:46 - Winsor & Newton professional series watercolor review
3:35 - Organizing my Daniel Smith palette
4:25 - Daniel Smith watercolor review
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I feel a little cringe when I see a brand vs brand ‘showdown’… I have every watercolor brand in my palette and I just go with what color speaks to me. DS has some incredible colors - Cascade Green, Aussie Red Gold, Moonglow, the Primateks. W&N has Rose Dore, Aqua Green, Cobalt Turquoise Light… I could go on and on about wonderful hues from other brands. All major brands have something to offer. In most cases, I would advise artists choose based on availability, accessibility and budget… but don’t limit yourself to only one brand. So much of the fun is experimenting with the variety of supplies available to us!
I own pretty much every brand there is to be had as well. I too choose my palette for a session based on my mood! 😘
I completeLy agree. I have all brands i am a WN gjrl but have tons of all the major professional brands....DS Schminke Senn Qor BlockX M Graham etc. I hate LUKAS and dont have Asian ones
Tough call. Daniel Smith probably has more of something for everyone🤷🤷🤷 my main palettes have several brands. Best of many worlds. 💖💖💖
I especially agree with choosing based on availability, different countries have different prices and therefore make things more or less accessible
Ah, but for us newbies it helps us understand paint a bit better.
I am a Daniel Smith guy, but this is clearly a matter of personal taste. Both are excellent paints, but I could throw in at least a half dozen more brands that are comparable and arguably the best. What you paint; how you paint; what qualities you value most in a paint; what you are most used to using; availability; and a dozen more factors all enter into the equation. If you are having to choose between the two, then you are in pretty good shape.
Yes yes!!!
I'd love to hear what the other half a dozen brands you recommend are.
I would say Schmincke, M. Graham , Sennelier, Holbein, Di Vinci, and Qor.@@janinewoodhull3611
@@majtwh1218 Thank you! I have been considering M Graham.
@@janinewoodhull3611 I know this is totally off-subject, but when I read M Graham I cannot help but picture Robin Williams in Birdcage doing his Martha Graham imitation dance - brilliant!🤭
What can I say, I like them both. I love W&N for exactly the reasons that you named here, their transparency, flow and traditional beauty. And I think Daniel Smith in an absolute treasure when it comes to earth tones. Overall I believe that a good watercolor collection benefits from a multitude of brands. If I had to settle for just one brand of the two though, either W&N or DS, W&N it would be. There is only one brand of watercolor and gouache that I love more than W&N, and that is Schmincke. But of course this could be the result of living in Germany and where these two brands, particularly Schmincke, are the most available. If I lived in the US, who knows, maybe I would have formed this attachment to DS. Honestly, I think once you buy actual pro watercolors from the big brands, they are all very good quality, and it is not an objective matter but simply a question of your own personal taste and habits which is the better one.
Daniel Smith all the way! I know a lot of people are really loyal to Windsor and Newton and that's wonderful for them but I think price/vibrancy/overall user experience, DS has won out for me. I'm also a big fan of Maimeri Blu! They both have some really gorgeous primaries.
I believe it depends on the kind of watercolor work that you do. I love all brands! I am a watercolor infant portrait artist and realism is important in portraits. I love some of Daniel Smith paints but they are not best for realism. They are heavily staining but not as staining as M Graham. So far have not enjoyed much working with DS except for certain subjects because its got a bit of a gummy feeling. Many of my Primatek's have dried with a waxy surface on top and dropping in Glycerin didn't loosen it up. It started dissolving once I rubbed ox-gal on top. But its still so hard. I don't care for finding chunks of unground pigment in paint that is NOT suppose to granulate. I don't want my Quinacridones to granulate. Plus, as vibrant as DS is, I don't see as much of a fresh clean color that I see in Winser & Newton. Yes its in your face bright. But not as clean. W&N is not gummy and so smooth and organic. I get that same nice fluidity & freshness in both Holbein and Schmincke. I have been using Daniel Smith, Winser & Newton, Schmincke, Holbein & M Graham, DaVinci and MaiMeriBlu for 12 years. My go to for Baby portraits is Holbein because its the least staining and doesn't over react wet into wet. I prefer Schmincke for realistic botanicals. Daniel Smith and Holbein was wonderful for my Steam Engines on hot pressed. The Granulating affects of Hematite Genuine was a plus for the tracks, dirt and gravel. I have tried finding a total favorite brand.. I have none! I love them all because it depends on the subject matter and what kind of paper I'm using. ;-) So, how can I ever say one brand is better than another? None are.
Love this, thank you for chiming in!!
That's it! I said DS was "highly pigmented" (which sometimes works great, sometimes not), but so are even my Senelliers... but you're right: the _staining_ plays a huge role! I'm working more full-time now but need to go back through my paints and do MY OWN "staining" rating (not just DS probably), and also note which paints are particularly high-tinting strength. And I've got to figure out a way to mark the "duo colors" (DS duos, and Schm super-granulatings), too.
Maybe it varies for each painter, as well, but I've started using cadmiums again (I did with oil, when I was a kid), and it reminds me that the companies don't always get the opacity right, either. Since I'm working more now, I have to force time to paint and can't go through my swatch books as much, but what a bummer when a DS paint name says "transparent" but OOPS 😂 it might be named that way, but it covers *sharpie!* Dang! (Or the opposite: you're thinking a PR101 is opaque and perfect... nah, it's transparent and will need a glaze or two 😩 which means drying time.) Doesn't sound like it, but minus some of the Primafakes, and DS is a great contender. I just need to re-catalogue them for MY tastes (not what's on the tube) so no heartbreaking surprises!
@@MelanCholy2001 You are so right! LOL! You might enjoy the book "Confident COLOR, by Nita Leland. Its such a great go to keeper that stays in my library. She explains so much about high key colors verses low key colors. Which work best together for special affects and so on. I started artist grade watercolor in 2008 and still have not found my stand alone brand. I played with watercolor as a child, oils as a teen, acrylics during my 20's but got so busy raising my children, I painted noting for years! & I chose to try watercolor in 2008. Came full circle!
Thank you for your in-depth comment! Extremely enlightening.
I've never had an experience with DS in the way described having??
I adore WN the more I venture out into other brands. The vibrant depth, intensity, and subtlety, draw me back to it time and time again. I love that ritualistic minute of waiting for water to reactivate the paint. It stills me, reminds me to be patient and attuned. And the idea of using rare earth treasures like amethyst in paint, when we can so easily mimic them synthetically, doesn't sit well with me.
Love this
wait til you hear about the meteorite paint! i dont know if i could paint with those rare paints either! but i bet it would feel special to use it so its tempting. i dont think i can bring myself to buy them though for the reason you said
Fair enough! Regarding rare minerals being used in pigment maybe nicer for creating art than stored up in jewelry boxes and worn once in awhile
I’m using products from both. I learned on and love Windsor and Newton and have used Daniel Smith also! To compare is like picking a favorite child! Each have their wonder and also their bumps! Personal choice is difficult, I use both and will pay more attention now, which one will I choose , I love them both! Thanks for just a little more confusion on my art table! ❤love learning from you, Karen Dirmish
I love them all. There's no rules that we can't mix any brand we like. My favorites colors to use are D.S Primatek piedmontite genuine, D.S moonglow, W&N cobalt Turquoise light and M. Graham Quin gold. I've got no loyalty what so ever!!! Ah!
No rules is right!!!
I am not disagreeing with you as I am new to all the different water colors, but, as a new painter, a video like this and all the comments that follow, help us, me anyway, to decide which to buy to start with.
When I first started learning watercolor painting, I took a course on Craftsy. The teacher said to get the Daniel Smith 6 primaries set. I learned a ton from the class, especially about color theory and mixing colors. Around the same time I got a Winsor & Newton 18 pan set. For a long time after finishing the class I used the W&N set. But then I got a little 12-pan Sennelier set and one half pan from Schmincke, to try. I prefer pan paints because I feel there is less waste. But I’m trying out your method of filling half pans with tube paint to see how it goes.
I hate granulation. To me it looks like junk got into the paint. It’s the main thing I don’t like about DS plus I live in Scotland and they are expensive here. I have since splurged and got a 24 half pan set from Schmincke and a 48 set from Sennelier, when they went on sale. I go back and forth between W&N, Sennelier and Schmincke. When we move back to the US I might try M Graham. And I have Paul Rubens glitter paints and Mozart paints just for fun.
My personal experience and in watching videos have shown me that among artist grade, certain brands will have a version of a color I like more than another brand’s version… so mixing and matching and creating a custom palette would be the “Ultimate Experience” 🤓
I’m on a lifelong Pershing of building my ultimate mix and match palette!
I like this thought!!
Thank you for your interesting comments. I’m just learning to use watercolor. I really appreciate your perspective.
I use both. I chose to use only the primary colors of Daniel Smith so I could work on my mixing/blending, etc. love it! I get a huge range of colors and they all look really organic and earthy, how I like it😎. I like to reserve DS for when I use Arches paper. I use W&N for anything else. I feel a certain vibrancy, a connection, if you will, to various pigments. The feel I get with DS is rich and deep. W&N...I don’t get the same depth and connection with it, but still, very respectable. Love your channel ❤️
I started out with WN several years ago. So after watching many tutorials and seeing what they were using, DS was the one I needed to try. I purchased the set with 6 colors each of blue, red, and yellow - one each warm and the other cool. I love working with them and I am going to start using these now and am expanding my colors. I took a long hiatus from painting because I psyched myself into thinking I wasn’t any good. My husband kept trying to encourage me but I didn’t listen. So after about 4 years many of my WN tubes dried and I am throwing the, away. Remarkably with some new confidence and instructions online I am feeling really good about my work.I know it won’t win any awards. It I am actually having fun making greeting cards. Does anybody have some favorite DS colors they can’t live without? I would like to know. So my vote is for Daniel Smith!
Don't throw the dried tubes away! You can cut them open...they are still usable!
Indigo from DS! It's really beautiful and a very nice addition to that six primary set. (I have the same! It's absolutely gorgeous! Between it and the French Ultramarine, you can make some absolutely gorgeous shadow mixes.)
Otherwise there are so so many I'm wanting to try. I've also got a couple of beautiful tunes from Maimeri Blu but I know this might be a controversial choice.
I appreciate your sharing this informative video & the comparison paintings. I am glad you explained the similar & difference between these two brands. I am not going to be picking a single winner because I love them both. I love picking & choosing colors based on vibrancy but whether I can use them for certain painting subjects, or whether I just like the way the color looks. I have both & use them together in one palette 🎨.
Glad you liked this!! Yes, most brands mix and match well!
I recently started painting, and there are so many awesome reviews of Daniel Smith on CZcams that I got sucked in completely and am now a Daniel Smith brand loyalist! But I really respect W&N and may have one or two of their paints. Certainly their gouache is awesome too. Great video, thanks!
You’re welcome, thanks for watching!
I love DS paints. The colors and paints have personality. Some of the paints that are ground from rock make the most interesting textures. Kyanite is such a complex color that can look anything from blue to blackish, and if you paint it darker you can often see the shiny particles in it. There are 4 of the Prima Tek colors that do that, and I always get compliments when I use them.
I love knowing the paints in my palette inside and out! Mine is mostly Winsor and Newton (they’re like comfy slippers) with some Daniel Smith and Schminke additions.
I love Daniel Smith watercolors. I have some W and N paints and they are good quality, but i definitely like the Daniel Smith better. Theyhave never disappointed me and ive been using them for years. The pigments are delightful. They make me excited to paint, and the fact that they are made in the United States is wonderful too.
Yes!!
I just got my first Daniel Smith watercolors in their Inspiration palette (I wanted to try that Moonglow). I'm so excited to try even those six colors. I only have two W&N right now, Opera Rose and Phthalo Turquoise but have some of their Cottman. New at this but even so, I'm leaning towards DS.
Love this insight, thanks for sharing!!
I try to fit moonglow into every painting I do LOL I love it!
@@susanmeadows3706 😄
I vote Daniel Smith. Most of the tutorials I started out with used Daniel Smith, so that is what I went with , and I think they are great. I have a tube here and there of other brands just to give them a try. Your video today was so helpful! You explained some of the qualities of Daniel Smith, which helped me understand the reasons I like the brand too. Thanks!
Oh I’m so glad you liked the vid today! Thanks for watching!!
Lively video taking on two titans of watercolor, Kristy...Kudos...My first watercolors were WN...than DS came to town in 1993...literally...I live by Seattle WA...shopped, took many classes & tours at the store...with every watercolor teacher I bought more DS...but also was introduced to many other brands & colors to play with...though DS is my go to palette...i appreciate & use other colors & makers like...Schminke Transparent Orange, WN Rose Dore, Holbein Violet Grey, Mission Gold Shell Pink, SWC Jaune Brilliant #2..What an AMAZING time to be alive with so many paints to play with and adore!!!!
Indeed a great watercolor era we live in!!
So far I have used my Windsor Newton watercolor paint and I love the vibrant color of the tubes and the pans and when you painted the two pictures the Windsor Newton watercolor paint was rich beautiful color. I agree with the other person on the cheap look of the Daniel Smith but I think 🤔 it’s in the eyes of the beholder and just make your self happy with what you like and you can’t go wrong. Happy painting.
Yes yes!!
I collect my old paint chips too. I used the tin for my upgrade to liquid paints. At the time I thought I was a genius for coming up with the idea to save money and paint. 😂
Its been almost a year since I did that and I still love it. I never leave home without that and my art journal. ❤
The tin also came with a water brush. My water painting mind was blown 🤯. I didn’t even know those existed.
I tend to prefer Daniel Smith over Winsor Newton although I've been trying to make a point of using my Winsor Newton paints so they don't go to waste. I also like Sennelier. Maybe it's because it's honey-based but I like the way they look on paper and I like the way they feel when I paint with them.
I totally agree with all of this. Yes, to the Sennelier watercolors. They have such a lovely sheen, and feel rich when going down on the paper, but DS has the X factor.
The Daniel Smith green range is just amazing for botanical art. The reason why I use them all the time for leaves!
Yesss!
I love the Daniel Smith Primatek colors! The granulation is amazing. I am a beginner though and sometimes get frustrated. Moonglow, Cascade Green and Blue Apatite Genuine are my favorites. I do like Windsor and Newton as well.
I’m a sucker for granulation!!
I've only just started my watercolour obsession. However, I already have WN (Cotman-not professional) palette of 45 half pans), I have some sample packs of DS (literally just got the Mineral Marvels and Watercolour Confetti packs for my birthday and haven't tried them yet - going to play tomorrow), as well as a small collection of handmade samples from KMS Watercolours, and my Artistro 48 tin.
I have two wee Mungyo tins in which I will start my customized palette. I'm leaning towards DS, but they are expensive so it will be a very gradual build.
I have both W&N and D.S. on my regular palette and I like both, but I have another palette of just D.S. PrimaTeks, and I lovelovelove them! They are the most fun for experimentation. And BTW, they granulate even more obviously on Yupo paper, for those who can tolerate having much less control than on watercolor paper.
I soooo appreciated this review. As someone new to watercolor (art at all) I started with WN and have tried a few others, even some really cheap brands - and I'm soooo new I couldn't tell the difference. One person at the art store recommended QoR so i tried it - Yikes _ it moves all over the place. And I've been leaning toward DS lately along with Holbein - and I'm still too new to know the difference completely but this review really helped on the DS bandwagon. thank you!!
Take the pressure off yourself, try what looks interesting, make notes and keep painting. There’s no right way to travel on this journey, it’s just important that you’re on it!
I just picked up winsdor and newton dry colors, and I wanted to tru tubes. Thanks for this!
I have some of both and I love them both. They both are vibrant but I also love convince colors and surprises and I've been on the hunt for some downright amazing metallic so I can do some awesome art on black watercolor paper, and I accidently found out that I make any daniel smith sparkle lite a gem by mixing their own shimmer collection with their other colors. And that has made some outstanding results on both black and white paper. I did an a beautiful sky and ocean picture on white paper and their sparkle is so fine that you don't see it on white paper until the light hits it. So my friends and family were shocked and amazed after seeing with the light bouncing off of it.
I guess my over all experience is that you get more bang for your buck with the daniel smith and painting will never become a one way street with this brand. However both are outstanding products and it's always a debate on which pallet I want to play with. In fact just earlier it was both at the same time.
Just bought your brushes! Love Love ❤️
Aww thanks!!
I haven’t used either one … I’m brand new to watercolors and am waiting for my 48-color MeiLiang paint set to arrive in a few days - based on YOUR recommendation 😊. I’ve also bought a set of watercolor brushes (don’t recall which brand at the moment), but still need to get some good watercolor paper. I have loved creating with color for the past 60 years or so, but have never had much success with painting. I love the look of both watercolors and alcohol ink and hope to make things like book marks to give as gifts. I very much enjoy your channel and painting style and look forward to playing with my new supplies this week 😁 Hugs & Blessings from Alaska 🙋🏻♀️
I agree with the women that said "I love them all"...
I have preferred wonderful colors & styles of Watercolors in each brand: I started with Sennilier in the 1990s during art school...soon came Holbein & W & N.
Discovered Daniel Smith in 1993 & fell in love... !
But was not a huge fan of the granulation effect for a few years...it just didn't fit me back then.
But now am liking Granulation more & more & just purchased 3 sets of the Schmincke Supergranulation Sets. I am returning to Watercolor Painting after a 10 year hiatus & thought the pretty granulation effect would help spark some joy & loosen up my "re-learning" effots.
Just discover your Channel & VERY much like your approach & your teaching style...Merci beaucoup...! ! !
Whew, I don't know much about either DS or W&N. I have a ten pack of DS that included moonglow, Aussie red gold and opera pink. I love them! My only W&N is a big tube of lamp black. Love it! Hands down my favorite for painting bloomy granulate-y shadow shapes and fur. With a hake brush you can get gorgeous light washes that blend so smooth. I do have to say that M Graham is a favorite of mine. Don't know why, really. Something about the way it dries vibrantly. Tyfs!
Love this!!!
I have been saving as much money as I can for the Van Gough set. He is one of my favorite artists. Monet, and Thomas Kinkade round out my top three. I have been curious about the Daniel Smith sets. I have been working lately with h2o pencils and found a set of Derwent graphite pencils that are water soluble
Awesome!
I love them both. However if I sell my paintings I will use Windsor Newton. They are tried and true. With DS artists are finding a few colors that are not lightfast that DS says are.
Interesting, thanks for this input!! Love hearing everyone’s angle!
My favorite is neither. I prefer M Graham above all others. It has the highest pigment load and is always ready, no pre-spraying required.
Some other favorites are tube Sennelier, Mission Gold, and Schmincke.
Okay that’s it! I’m getting my M Graham back out!!
Personally I would describe Windsor and Newton as the older, more traditional, classic type of sibling and Daniel Smith as the younger more flamboyant sibling, who has some traditional nuances but with much more of a unpredictable side what with their range of one of kind specialty paints. Winsor and Newton was my first step into professional paints, I love em and they hold nostalgia for me. Daniel Smith definitely has worked it’s way into my pallets too. I have several other brands but lately I’ve been trying to narrow it down to specific, higher quality paints with permanence and fade resistance since my pieces are selling and I’m getting commissions. So I’ve been searching for information like your video, so thank you! Lol
Perfect metaphor thank you!!!!
Oh and I also ordered your book, How to make art for Joy’s Sake and Your travel pouch! Can’t wait for them to arrive! 😎
Thank you so much for the support!! XO
I prefer Daniel smith. Mainly because I adore their iridescent and duochrome line. So beautiful. But their normal colors are gorgeous too. Their dot cards were a gateway drug for sure. Led me into a 600$ rabbit hole 😂
Gateway drug 😂😂😂
@@KristyRice “pssst-hey kid- you wanna buy some...::opens trench coat:: WATERCOLORS?”
The duochrome in Daniel Smith isn't a real duochrome they are actually misusing the term really, as a real duochrome will shine two separate colours depending on how you tilt the paper. Or in other words the colour should change when the light hitting it reflects from different angles and not depend on the colour under to change it like Daniel Smith does. If you want to experience a real duochrome the best is finetec although they are expensive the effect is truly magical ,look from the left and it's green yet when you change your viewing angle it becomes magenta for instance. They have so many beautiful combinations of colours ,they have the most special and spectacular effects .sorry but Daniel smith's duochrome just can't compare really your just stuck with the one colour depending on what's under it ,finetec switches between two regardless of the colours under, constantly shifting with the viewer.
Ditto!!! I hear ya on the money....its become a healthy addiction!! LOL
@@nokiot9 Accurate 😂 Sketchy white van with “free watercolors” on the side? Sold…
I got more excited about your vintage tins than about the WNP vs DS. I've converted several of my vintage tins to usable ones with different color palette in each one. Would love to see your collection!!! If you figure out what to do with the vintage paint chips let us know. I'm saving mine too.
Back to WNP vs DS. Neither is my favorite but I have favorite tubes from each. Also I have favorite pigments from Holbein, Da Vinci, American Journey, Sennelier, Maimeri Blu, Schmincke, Qor , M Graham, Turner.
I find the process of collecting and converting these tins to be just as relaxing as the painting!!
I originally bought Hobien watercolour and have used them since 2019. And for Christmas I was given 40 Danial Smith tube watercolour (like that’s a lot) and I LOVE THEM!!! My go to watercolour is Danial Smith but it’s a personal choice. I have 20 Winsor and Newton watercolour tubes and use them for some paintings. But I use all my watercolour for different things.
Wow someone loved you for Christmas, lol!!
DS for me❣️I got dot cards for both brands before I decided. I found W&N to have a chalky appearance + I felt DS had more saturation of color as well.
Yesss the dot cards, such a good way to dive in!
I love DS! The wide range of colors to choose from, to the great characteristics they leave on the paper! 💖💖💖
Oh yes!
I've only got a limited selection of Daniel Smith paints, just the 6 essentials and 6 primatek sets so I can't speak for the rest of their line, but I still struggle with them a little bit. I find for my style of painting I really have to make my layers a lot lighter and build up more than I do with my Winsor & Newton paints. Don't get me wrong, they're lovely, vibrant paints that mix well, but I've only made a couple pieces that I'm properly happy with when painting with them.
Another factor to why maybe I like them less than my W&N paints is possibly due to the price difference from being in the UK. Amazon UK sells the 6 essentials set for £33 or about $45. Meanwhile Amazon USA sells the essentials set for $35, which would be about £26! I break the bank a lot less buying W&N paints since they're a UK based brand vs the expense of DS, which is almost certainly caused by import duties and stores needing to make a profit.
Yes if you do more realistic work or portraits that require more precision and predictability DS could be frustrating…. thanks for chiming in!!
@@KristyRice It's a fun experience to try new paints and see how you get along with them, I'm sure there's some DS colours out there that could knock my socks off!
Ive not personally tried W&N professional and got fixated on DS after creating my own charts with a bunch of lower-end brands I started with and some DS reds and violets. My goal is to do boranicals, so now im slightly regretting not getting the greens set for DS yet,but i looove mixing my own greens. I Love DS vibrancy and find it waters down really well, but manages to stay vibrant. That said, i may try some of the W&N professionals and other brands' colors recommended here.
I've used Winsor & Newton for years but have yet to try Daniel Smith. After watching this, I may have to invest in some. Thanks for the information.
You’re very welcome!
Just waiting for my Daniel Smith little collection to arrive. Can’t wait !!🎉
Have fun!
I'm just getting some of the W&N and DS. I will probably mix and match based on the pallet I'm looking to create.
Love it :)
Your collection of colors is impressive!
Hahaha thanks!
My first professional paint was W&N. But over time they are all being replace by DS! I just love their paints!
W&N needs to shake things up and release something groundbreaking or DS is going to take over!!
Patty-I like vibrant colors, so I'll have to go with Daniel Smith based on what saw. However, I've never used it and I'm a beginner. I just purchased my first MGraham tube, Natural/Neutral Tint. I don't remember which one it was. That went down nicely. I think they both seemed to lay down with ease.
OMG Your swatches are The best! ))
Awww thanks!!
These comparisons are so helpful for me when trying to decide "who to buy first"
Yay!! So happy for you :)
I would LOVE to see you do a Mission Gold video!! I ADORE the granulation so many of their paints have and they make the honest to goodness best and most useful Cobalt Violet Brilliant Light!! If you don’t have it you NEED it!! Let’s not even get started on the vibrancy and transparency of their paints 😍 They just gosh color o to the page with a light tough of a wet brush and it’s AMAZING !! They awe me each and every time I use them 🙃🙃
It’s coming I promise!!
I love DS, they have great personality and flow and have a big collection, but have some W&N favorites too, and like you it was my first watercolor and my first gouache in design school. Have too many DS favs to list, but my fav W&N are Cerulean Blue PB35 (perfect for tropical skies & much greener than DS Cerulean Chromium PB36 which I also love), Winsor Violet PV23 (a bit more subtle than other dioxazine violets), and Rose Madder Genuine for floral painting (it smells like roses and bergamot!!) I really miss old versions of WN yellows, Transparent Yellow PY97 (so transparent and glowy until they changed it to PY150) and New Gamboge PY153 haven't found anything as perfectly transparent as those two, but other yellows work fine. I'm also eager to try their Smalt PV15 and Potter's Pink PR233 because it looks a bit pinker than the DS version which I use as a neutral. Many WN colors are hard to rewet, so I just add a tiny drop of glycerin to make it easier on brushes in palettes. I also use the glycerine in DS cobalts and Primateks. Loved reading all the comments , showdowns are fun :)
Thank you for this!!! I never noticed that about Rose Madder Genuine!!?
I am in my first year in watercolor. My instructor had me buy Windsor Newton, the basics. However, I am quite taken by Daniel Smith. I love them!!!
W&N is a solid standard, you could paint forever with them!! DS is fun though!!
Recently broke down and got a couple Daniel Smith (1 tube and 1 watercolor stick) and the depth of pigment blew me away! And have to say the watercolor sticks are so much more bang for your buck.
I neeeed to try those sticks!!!
I'm W&N all the way. I appreciate all the colors that DS offers, but don't find a need for all of the "gimmicky" shades they offer. I can mix just about anything except a metallic or color shifting shade from the W&N 28 colors that I use and rebuy. I don't find them hard to re-wet - just spray my palette lightly before I begin to paint.
If you want to mix pearlescent colors Schmincke sells an additive that you can add to any wc and pure shimmer
Thanks for sharing!!
Fiona- do you fill your own half or full pans to put in trays or buy them preloaded?
@@sheryllamoureux1068 Winsor Newton also has one and they have a granulation one also so there you go you get it all maybe. I started out with W&N so I can't really say which I like the best. So much to do so little time.
Thank you Kristy
I agree. I have never found rewetting W&N an issue.
I have a small handful of Daniel Smith but I always go for my M Graham tubes!
Love!!
I am new to watercolor, but I would say Daniel Smith. I recently purchased Daniel Smith’s Jean Haines’ Master Artist set, and I can’t wait to try them out. I learned about your channel from the lovely Kori at Colorfully Optimistic. I am enjoying your videos 😊. Thanks for what you do.
Wonderful!
I use both but that's moreso due to personal preference of specific pigments. For example, WN cobalt violet is the best out there for that color, IMO. But DS makes unique colors you can't find anywhere else. Undersea Green and Jadeite have the most beautiful separation and granulation and that's exclusive to DS. Just have to play and find what you like. Mix all the brands into one palette and keep your favorite pigments.
I feel like I’ve been on a mission to build my favorite palette for sooo long!
@@KristyRice the beauty of favorites is that they constantly change. The act of playing in art is so important just because your taste and style evolve constantly. I used to be hardcore black and white pencil artist who loves realism. 10 years later, I use watercolors with texture to make more expressive pieces. It's so interesting to watch yourself grow.
I have a hell of a time re-wetting my W&N paints and I had never heard that was a known problem with them. Now I feel less crazy! Ive recently gotten into trying some DS colors and I literally can’t tell a difference. Then again I’ve only been doing this for a few months…so I guess that’s why. Haha. I do appreciate DS having a wider range, but it’s so friggin overwhelming and for someone who gets analysis paralysis, it turns me off when I’m ready to pick some new colors. I like that DS makes sets to kind of narrow it down.
I spray my palettes and let them sit for a good minute before painting so that solves any resetting issue! And no you’re not crazy!!!
When I tried some handmade mica paints, they came with the advice to wet them and leave them for 3-5 minutes before painting.
I now do this with all of my paints, and never have the problem of them not activating properly. Sometimes have to activate them a second time, because I ran out of paint... 😉
@@jennyb-aeternabitart7436 ya know, I feel like that could also be my problem! I’m still working on figuring out consistency and probably use too much or not enough. I have no idea what I’m doing but I’m having a good time 😂
I add a tiny drop of glycerin to my WN watercolor pans to make them more rewettable. Also use it for DS (and other brands) cobalts, minerally pigments and Primateks. I bought a small bottle of glycerin in a chain drugstore for about $4.
I too like both of them. I tend to purchase the more affordable paints which both of these are comparable in price. I would say that I would choose Daniel Smith. I may be a little bias (I live in Seattle) but honestly, I like the vibrancy of DS and the unexpected nature of the paint as well. Thank you, Kristy, for sharing this video. Love to see more comparisons done on other watercolors. Don't know what the heck you're gonna do with all those vintage paints, could you melt them down and mix your own??? Humm, just a thought.
I was thinking of organizing the chips by color family and then re-mulling them into a master vintage palette!!
@@KristyRice yes 😋🌾🍚 That sounds fantastic
@@KristyRice
Do you know what is in them? They used to use all sorts of nasties in paints... 😳
Thank you for your video! Your insight and that of your commenters help us, me anyway, to decide which to buy to start with. As new painters we are inundated with information such as - buy this, this is best, buy that, I wouldn't use anything else! Makes my head spin! But this video shares a common sense approach that gives us permission to purchase with a different approach - that you don't have to stick to just one brand, and that many have similar results, or that the differences can enhance your painting. Thank you, everyone!
I have some tubes of Daniel Smith paints due to ease of buying and for the quantity of paint per tube so I prefer DS. Comparing your two paintings, weeeell, I don’t have a preference, I love them both. I cannot think of any other way to use your paint chips except to make a mosaic.
Hahaaa thanks!!
Great idea, an artist in Australia made an opal chip portrait of Jesus for a church. I only saw a picture way back and cannot find it in the Universe of the Internet, but it was beautiful.
I like to have reliability in colours, especially if I expect a certain effect when I paint. But I also love the "new" colours, the unexpected, so I would use both of them, depending on what I am doing! As long as they have a certain quality, not too unreliable so it pisses you off because you can't trust them, then I'm all for having two, three or more parallell palettes.
I hear you!
Oh how I love all the watercolor brand choices. My wallet not so much. I look at them from so many different views. W&N what I learned with through art school. But vibrancy unpredictablity is what I love so in this case DS wins. As a retired art therapist the more inexpensive brands with good pigment payout were amazing.. QoR and the DS Primatek line are some of my most used especially as a silversmith when I paint a piece of kingman turquoise with kingman turquoise paint. Then I literally have at least 15 other brands I have pallets that are brand specific and ones that are favorite color specific. I have my art school swatches and my joyful fun swatches. I guess that’s why your channel has always been a safe fit for me know the rules sure but break them definitely.
Omgosh you’re a silversmith!? I’m soooo intrigued!
Daniel Smith is the BEST! Sooo many beautiful choices. Thank you for this demo 🙏
You’re welcome!
I like Schminke and Daniel Smith....I have both and find they work for my painting style. I also have a small set of Qore that I'm warming up to.
Nice!
So I was ready to upgrade my watercolours from a student grade and wasn't sure which to invest in. I follow Lois Davidson who uses some granulating colours and I love that affect! I'm leaning towards Daniel Smith but also wanted to check into Paul Reubens. 🤔
Def get a few Daniel Smith to try! Also if you like granulating look at 31 Purplefish handmade watercolors!
I have the Daniel Smith essentials set. I have green gold from Windsor and Newton and Opera Rose from W&N.
Plus 2 or 3 different pallets from Amazon.
I don't know what I like best.
Yet!
The fun is finding out!!
My biggest disappointment is that Moonglow isn't lightfast, even though DS claims it is. The only other non-light-fast pigments are the typical ones, like Opera and Prussian Blue, the ones you would expect. I wish DS would tighten up their credibility ship though.
Kimberly Crick here on CZcams has a video about mixes that are similar to Moonglow and are actually light-fast if you're interested.
Thanks!!
Yesss it has a startling color shift :(
Heard that about the credbility several times about DS makes me kind of shy away. Winsor Newton is great. I did use M Graham on some of my Christmas cards this past Christmas and was thrilled to see that the more layers I put on the belts etc. the more they stuck out. They became so opaque I was so happy as that was exactly what I wanted it to do.
I'd keep the paint chips in a jar with a lid as decor for my studio ❤️
That’s exactly what they’re doing now! 😂😂
Excellent idea. And in a vase with a single faux lovely flower in it
I love Holbein and have tried a few of several brands. I always go back to Holbein. Recently I got a set of Mijello pure pigments and put them in half pans about 10 days ago. They shrunk about 50% but still aren't dry.
Oh wow interesting about the pure pigments! 50% shrinkage is extreme!!
@@KristyRice I thought so too. My set is the 24 pure pigments. I am newish to WC and also noticed some colors poured quite liquid and others were like pudding particularly reds and a couple earth tones. Would that be the pigment used?
These aren't negative complaints just observations as I'm learning.
Do you live in a very wet or humid environment?
Being Newish to the watercolor world, I have gone with a basic good supply - but have an addiction to collect more,More,MORE! I also have quite the supply of watercolor , gels, metalic and permanent pens! Whoa! I just love color!!
Nothing wrong with that!!
I use W&N and Daniel Smith, mostly, along with a smattering of other brands. I agree with your assessment, but couldn’t live without a combination of both/all.
Me too honestly.
Since I’m a beginner and in America, I decided to go with DS and bought a 6 color mixing set in tubes. I’m going to add ( when ready) hopefully using their sticks since they sound like a great deal to me. Unfortunately the entire line isn’t available in sticks, but they say they’re adding 11 new colors in stick in Nov.
Any input on sticks vs tubes vs pans?
DS all the way!
I do have other pallets, Qor, Sennelier, M Graham, some colours in WN, Holbein, Sennelier, and Schmincke but I LOVE DS…
Probably because they were my first professional WC paints but I just love some of the Primatek greens so much, it would be hard to give them up!
Never give them up!!
Exactly the video I was looking for....THANK YOU!!
I've been at it for 3yrs and feel that I've grown enough to warrant a step up in quality pigment, so, naturally I was wondering which route to go, WN or DS. In my country, WN is triple the price per quantity as DS which makes me want to really KNOW which to invest in. I did buy a couple of DS on a whim the other day but haven't tested it out yet.
Thank you for this review, it does make me feel more at ease for spending that type of money.....which "surprized" my Husband at the checkout station! I don't feel guilty anymore, hehe!!
Have a grand ole day my friend....hugs from Cape Town xx
🌼🤗💛⚘🕊
Daniel Smith are my favs, they were my first professional paints!
Awesome!!!
I have both and used them according to my feeling but lately I am driving to Daniel Smith.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
W & N was what I started with a few years ago and I enjoyed it but definitely drier paints than D.S. For sure, love the variety and interesting colors from D.S. Several other brands are also beautiful, certain colors especially, but between the two you compared, D.S. is my winner!
If you had one other brand to mention alongside Daniel Smith and W&N what would it be?? Like if I were to do another comparison. So curious!!
@@KristyRice Van Gogh and Schminke, for sure. Color range and vibrancy is great.
I like Winsor & Newton and have a couple of their paints on my palette, and I've tried Daniel Smith too but only kept one color. For me, M. Graham and Da Vinci are the best as I'm not a fan of DS granulation and W&N is more expensive where I live.
I need to build a full DaVinci palette!
Wow. Thank you. The difference is startling.
You are so welcome
I think the Daniel Smith painting looked more interesting but I’ve never seen those paints before. So I was very interested and now have to go and find out if we have them here in New Zealand.
Hope you can find them!!!
DS is available at Gordon Harris bought some today...
I think Daniel Smith wins over all!!! I love how there paints reset and the vibrancy is top!! The pigment is so true to the stones that they grind it from. The flow of the colors are the best!! I will say there is one color that I love from core that is a bit better than Daniel's and that's yes the orange. The core orange out blast any of the other brands in my opinion! I love it! ❤️ Other than that Daniel Smith is the best!!!! Thank you for the comparison. Appreciate it. 😊 FLORIDA.
I feel the same way about DS. They are my goto. I do like WN too but, I like it gritty much more. I am a self taught mixed media artist, who was a doll artist and did restorations of Shirley Temples. DS feeds my desire for texture and character in my paintings or doodles or whatever you want to call it. I am older and it is all about the play for me. I love your videos and that playful nature comes thru.
Oh how fun to hear!! A doll artist! So cool :)
Have to agree with Daniel Smith.
Somehow DS speaks to me, and is easy for me to work with.
I really love the look of Daniel Smith. I’m using up my WN then look out DS!!
Look out!!
I like W and N, but would be happy with either.
Clearly, the answer is BOTH! I do love all the DS earth colors though.
This prompted me to count the number of each in my inventory. Not surprisingly, there are 55 tubes of Daniel Smith and 16 of Winsor and Newton with an additional 27 Sennelier tubes and pans. DS dominates my mixed palette and that says it all. That said, there are several WN colors that I prefer over DS like Green Gold, Scarlet Lake, Permanent Rose and Payne's Gray, but that's a personal thing.
Oooh Green Gold is magic!!
I love them both
Me too! XO
I started my watercolor journey with Daniel Smith and Holbein. That's all I used for about a year and a half into it. Being in several watercolor groups, people were using different brands. I thought I'd give Winsor and Newton a try. I also gave their gouache a try. I am totally not a fan of either. The watercolor is inconsistent. The cad red and ultramarine violet hardly had any pigment. The Indian red was like sticking my brush into glue. The mauve separated into purple and a weird yellow...not in a good way. That said, I really like the Winsor Newton cad yellow, gold ocre, and Winsor violet. Their gouache is just a plain watery mess straight out of the tube...oof. I then tried Schminke...I love it! I'm slowly building my collection. Their gouache is luscious too!
Oh I need to try Schmincke gouache!!!
I want to try the Schmincke gouache too, but Schmincke is just expensive in the states. I have W&N and Daler Rowney gouache, but don't use them because they are either dry or watery. But I do often add Titanium White watercolor to my watercolors to get a similar effect for small illustrations. Thanks for the tip!
@@everartokelli I'm also in the states. I buy all of my Schminke from Jackson's in England. Even with international shipping, it's cheaper. I buy the small tubes since they last me a long time. Maybe that's the difference, but I still feel I get a better deal.
I LOVE Daniel Smith. over the last year and a half I've bought about two thirds of the whole range.
Oh you sound like me!!
I’ve loved Daniel Smith paints, especially the ones that granulate they just are so lusciously full of texture. The Windsor & Newton, I have tried hasn’t been great. ( looking at you Paynes gray) Now I can’t say I’ve tried their whole line - I mean, I only have so many pieces of furniture I can sell to buy watercolour paints, just kidding. But seriously it adds up especially when you’re buying anything three and four series. I am very curious though to try the Windsor and Newton cobalt violet after watching a demo. The colour just seems incredible.
I have the Wilcox book on watercolors. Unfortunately published before Daniel Smith came on the market. Many of my old tubes of watercolors lack pigment information and the Wilcox book is a big help there. But it was published in 1991, and new pigments have come out since then. I like the few Winsor & Newton paints I have left, but when I buy new it's usually going to be Daniel Smith. I still use the book to check lightfastness of the pigment (s) used in a particular color and will change brands for a specific color.
I use both and it varies depending on the color. I make the best of both worlds.
Wow, fun to read all the comments. I agree with most of the folks that say to choose the colours and brand of that colour that works for you. I enjoy a mixed bag of different brands in my palette 😱 sorry OCD folks… I do admit to having MANY Winsor Newton as they are most familiar to me and work for how I paint. And I LOVE granulation. It’s like little surprises I can’t duplicate on purpose…But not all colours. Sennelier is booting them around and Shminke is starting to push others off the palette too. Winsor lemon is too dry and cakey for example. I have some Daniel Smith in some colours I prefer. Their sap green is SO pretty. M.Graham rewets so beautifully and they are less expensive. Mission Gold single pigments are expensive and often strangely named so I look for pigment number… and the list goes on and on as we know. This was a great fun video just for generating a great discussion. Like art I feel it is subjective. So just keep painting anyway…
Yesss! Love this! Thanks for sharing!!
I am personally a huge fan of D&S but when I am on a budget I go to W&N. W&N is my go-to oil paints too so I feel the company is reliable but when it comes to water color I would have to say I enjoy D&S more.