Interesting review , if you will be using paint. I like using graphite pencils and sometimes, charcoal. I have also used ink and wax on some of my work using both Fabriano and Arches papers. In my journey, I find that how the various papers react ( and I have tried many different papers over the years), depends greatly on the quality of the media one chooses to use AND how one goes about it. Each of us have our own ways of applications, so don't be shy about pushing the materials you use to their limit. You will eventually come to find the right combinations that fit your style...at the moment. Seek the moment.
Thanks for confirming some ideas I’ve been thinking about for my palette. Especially the individual pans with magnets & small porcelain dishes from a thrift store. I would rather spend money on quality paints & brushes than on accessories, lol.
And that says it all. The first three are so faint I can’t see them. Only the last four are serious contenders, and of those the Blackwing seems most legible. I favor a dark pencil, obviously.
Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache are my favorites. GrafWood, Castell 9000, Pitt Matt... I love them. I never found myself having fun with the Staedtler's any product, and I won't be using them in the future. Blackwinng, on the other hand, they're really nice and feels premium. However, I think it's overrated, It's nice but I just don't like the design. Tombow Mono is also in my favorites, it's nice. But I'm disappointed that graphites and charcoals are the (certainly) only thing Tombow is good at. I was really disappointed by their markers, colour pencils and other products. This includes Staedtler, I just can't get to like that brand. Prismacolor Turquoise is nice, but Prismacolor has lots of issues with breakage and shipping. It doesn't feel premium. Sometimes it comes off with off-centered cores and damaged. If these weren't the issues, Prismacolor would be in my favorites. Uni?? I always loved Uni, their markers, coloured pencils, pens and fountain pens (they're not my favorite but I like it), I would love to try theirs. My absolute favorite brands are Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache as usual. In every medium.
Both are inferior when compared to Japanese paper. Poor North Americans are only allowed a few brands of everything. They have a dictatorship type of businesses
For drawing Faber Castell is No1, no other comes close, not even Staedtler. Mitsubishi Hi Uni are great for nice looking handwriting but they need sharpening much more often than Faber Castell. For drawing, I use a set of Faber Castell TK9071 2mm/3.15mm leads (2H,HB,2B,6B), loaded in TK4600/TK9400 lead holders,for the darkest black, I use a Pitt Matt graphite 12B. For quick sketches, my favorite are Faber Castell Aquarelle graphite pencils, they are awesome. For charcoal drawing, General's charcoal pencils set and for classic Red Chalk/Sepia etc I use Koh-I-Noor either wooden pencils or their 5.6mm leads loaded in 5347/5344 lead holders. Those are the best pencils for drawing/sketching in my humble opinion.
After buying that Bao Hong paper (do not believe it’s 100% cotton) & lifting colors was very difficult & if sketching can do it on hot press Arches. I also agree on getting the rolls and soak to stretch.
Arches now offers Extra White for some of their paper and, assuming front and back are equally sized, the back of the CP paper, at least, is quite smooth. I'm torn between these three and Hahnemuhle - The Collection, as all perform well, in my experience. Also, those poor papers! So much scrubbing! Grab a larger brush and use more water. 😅
I enjoyed the mechanical pencil reviews and they helped me a lot in making my decision. I look forward to your review videos on Pilot S20, Staedtler Hexagonal and Hedera 0.5 pencils.
I use watercolour brushes but actually paint acrylics. Whats the pros and cons of natural hair versus synthetic hair for detail brushes, liners, daggers etc ??
I'm always in doubt if I buy or not this sharpner because I think I will like the point less square but I never have experience with this type of sharpner isn't so common in my place, here is more the common plastic school ones.
I like to use small compact nearly undestructable metal tins, but I don´t like the beading and stain that can make every next mixture muddy and dirty. thats why I like to use a tiny white porcelain plate or white flat ceramic bowl for mixing if I need. so I can better see what I´m doing and pick up the color that I want from my mixture.
Does that cap perfectly align with the plateau? It looks like it's off slightly. I'm asking because mine does the same thing. It doesn't align completely.
I love baohong paper. I've so far been able to do everything I wanted with it. Love the texture and the way it holds water compared to less textured papers
Thanks for the pencil review. I wanted to ask where you picked up that pencil box? I have been looking for a pencil box that is just the size of pencils like the one you showed.
actually can't se the clear picture of the paper in terms of more textured or rough so can you tell me which brand is more textured or rough I am looking for a rough texture in cold press thanks plx reply
Can anybody recommend me a lead holder type? I was using a mechanical one from Faber Castell before, but I broke it when trying to dissamble it. I will start learning writing arabic calligraphy and want one for doing some notes while studying. I came here after seeing the TK from Faber Castell in a shop today but wanted to make sure it suits my needs. Any advice will be of great help!
You should try either the Hahnemuhle Mould made sheets, or the Hahnemuhle Collection paper!! Best paper quality by far! (better than Arches, best in the world) My only complain with watercolors, is that te paints are VERY expensive here in Greece. 16$ for a tiny tube of paint, makes it difficult to enjoy this hobby,,
I happened to be on their site the other day, looking at some of their "lab" pencils. In the description, it says, that all of their "lab" pencils are ones that didn't pass quality control, such as the scratches and dings and such, but are 100% usable and work the same as the others.
Thank you for this video. It was interesting for me to see how these papers performed in a side-by-side comparison, and the tests you were doing were basic things that even beginners could do, so you did fine even if you aren't a watercolorist. In fact, it is this most basic information that I wanted. I am very tempted by the Saunders because I love paint that spreads out, and it did so in the most gorgeous way. However, someone below commented that it doesn't retain those properties in long-term storage, which is a real bummer. If that is the case, then I am going to stick with Arches. The Fabriano tests were helpful here, too. I have bought it, and I didn't really like it, but I couldn't put my finger on why. I didn't do any side-by-side comparisons like you did here, I just avoided it. Now, I would take it over a whole lot of alternatives (including the Baohong Academy that people are pushing these days. I'll take a hard pass on that paper), but if I can buy Arches instead, then I will. Or maybe Saunders. I was really excited about the Saunders, so I am going to have to google around some and try to get the scoop on what is happening there. Thank you again for doing these tests because it was truly helpful. 😊
@@penpencilpaint It was very helpful, and very much appreciated. I'm also sorta kicking myself for not doing similar tests when I had Fabriano paper - which I won't have anymore now. 😆 Also, in case you may not have seen, my questions about the Saunders paper were answered in that the unpainted paper may lose its properties over time (possibly, the sizing may go bad), but if it has already been painted on, the painting won't change. I had the poster's comment twisted up, and was worrying that an already painted sheet might change somehow (other than light exposure), but that wasn't it. Whew. 😂 I really, really appreciate the video where you tested that Baohong Academy paper because my fingers had been hoovering over the buy button a few too many times due to hearing so many rave reviews from others. That first box showed it is clearly not my paper. I do wonder, however, as I think about it, if it might not have had a better spread if about half as much paint had been used? It would be lighter, certainly, but maybe it would have a little more life? And maybe that is how others are using it? Every so often, I want cauliflowers, and I don't know that paper can pull them off. Saunders definitely can make some gorgeous ones, but the paper may not have aged well. Argh. Arches it is - and I will be grateful for that! Thank you your time and efforts here, they were appreciated. 🙂
I am really glad that I came across this video, and you just saved me wasting some time and money. A good number of artists have been recommending this Baohong Academy line as equal to or better than Arches. They also say that it is better than the Baohong artist grade paper. This shows it is not better than Arches, and that was from your very first drop of paint. That first square on the left on both brands of paper . . . watercolor is all about moving paint in water, it's the life of the paint, but the Baohong Academy line looks like it sorta froze. Solid and dull. Lifting, too, is really important, so the choice is a paper that allows you to do that. The blending and glazing seemed about equal, or good enough, for both brands. It's that first square, however, that really decides it for me. I was playing yesterday with some Canson XL (which I not so affectionately refer to as 'Canson crap'), trying to practice but not waste good paper, but my paint just looks solid and dull - like that first square on the Academy here. Definitely can't use the same touch on the Canson crap as good paper or it just sits there. It's the worst paper for beginners, so I am half-way pleased to have a semi-okay painting now whereas in the beginning everything just soaked into it and sucked. I almost quite because of that awful paper. I'm going to now watch your video comparing the Saunders paper. I am really tempted to buy some 200lb, but not sure. I love the way paint can flow across 140lb with good sizing, but not the way it can buckle. 300lb could be great, but it is not because it takes a ton of paint and water to get anything to move. Could 200lb be the sweet spot? At the same time, if the price of 300lb and 140lb were the same, I'd buy 300lb all day long and learn to deal with the issues because I do love the heavier paper. 😀
Thanks for this review. I’ll,pass, although I love Blackwing pencils for sketch books but not for final work. Like you, disappointed they didn’t do better work on this x
Honestly, I watched the rest of your videos to see the smallest hint or sample of your "artistic" watercolor skills but couldn't find any. That said, should you really be comparing such top-notch papers? Let alone complaining about Artistico paper.
