I have to add, I have seen prior reviews Becca has done. She is always consistent, she is very kind and helpful. Her reviews and expertise help us as customers make informed decisions before making purchases. There are a lot of gimmicky art supplies that are not worth the price and don't deliver what they promise. The ethical practices of other reviewers are questionable, when they are receiving the products for free, and may tend to be bias to continue to receive free art supplies. With Becca she pays out of pocket and the help of her patrons. Becca delivers reviews I can trust.
Becca Thank you for your refreshing, honest, helpful, reviews! And for understanding we are looking for respectful, unbiased viewpoints before we choose to spend our hard earned money. Kudos to you for spending the time to educate us all so well. ❤
Oh my-I just wrote out this huge long book of a comment, & then deleted it to say what I’m about to say--because -YES!!! Yes to EVERYTHING you have not only pointed out about Jenna Rainey in regard to the way she produced her art book (have not seen it BUT did pay for her course last year and for the first time EVER I stopped mid-course and didn’t even LOOK at part two when I asked for a REFUND🫣🫣🫣shame )but come ON, Jenna Rainey!! Everything you’ve said here I second in that her channel used to be really quite warm and fun and entertaining and educational but THEN…it’s like someone got ahold of her and and said, “ya know, you can PRODUCE A BUNCH OF INSTRUCTIONAL STUFF AND MAKE A TON OF DOUGH!”….(see sketchy production dude twirling his skinny mustache as dollar signs tango over his head)… to which it SEEMS Jenna may have replied, “Oh, no thanks-I’m ‘self-taught’ (not realizing this puts a kabash on all the hard work of all the many online and familial etc…instructors who had some effect on her as she ‘educated herself’ about watercolor) “and I don’t know much at all about color theory, or perspective, or reference to illustration transformation, or writing books or courses or anything…I just make authentic, kinda basic but obviously in demand loose floral watercolor art on RU-vid …” To which the sketchy, dirty, mustache-twirling production company dude was like, “no problem! The people who buy your book and classes don’t care! Just half-ass EVERYTHING, and we’ll take it from there!” And I believe that is PRECISELY what Jenna did. Super sad, too, because she only seems to care about selling her overpriced & highly underinformed underproduced books and courses now, along with her “elite 1:1 French painting tours…like what is this? She paints FLOWERS! Only! I mean, she does other stuff but none of it is anything special except the loose florals and she doesn’t seem to apparently think being (authentically) THE LOOSE FLORAL CHICK is good enough so she FAKES allllll the other stuff. She is a fraud and I know this sounds mean of me but it’s so gross because all she had to do was wait a while and LEARN the stuff she fakes with those half assed chapters in her course and obviously her book as well, and THEN share that knowledge OR ELSE LEAVE IT OUT! Never half ass it and believe people won’t be able to tell. It’s super sad-she is obviously loaded with dough now (that is not the complaint from me at all-I support a person’s success 100% IF the product is a quality one!) In Jenna’s case-she’s a faker. And a fraud. And like I said at the start-when I was a new painter I believed she could help me to learn all the confusing questions I had about warm vs cool colors (I was dying when you pointed that color wheel out because IN HER $275 course, she SPECIFICALLY STATES that she will “teach color theory to even advanced painters”… -(of which I was NOT-I was the newest of newbs- ) “in a NEW WAY that will make EVERYTHING CLEAR that used to be fuzzy…” And painting like 6mos max I was just really confused and hadn’t ever done art before of any kind and was 47! I wanted HELP and paid a fair bit to get it because JUST LIKE YOU described in this video, I TOO have ADHD, and so many things I read I was overthinking and ended up totally lost on as a result ( I sure WISH I had found YOUR CHANNEL back then-I cannot believe what a faker I was paying for that stupid course, when YOU’RE OVER HERE WITH ALLof this tremendous knowledge to impart?!)😂😂 Ah well, I got a refund for the course after the first lessons and I felt terrible requesting a refund but man did she oversell her dumb course and I explained all of that to her production agency 🙄 and she did happily refund my money but my goodness her course was AWFUL! Sorry I’ve now written two 400 page comments but I haven’t seen anyone else say these things (I certainly haven’t looked tho) about her course or anything so I had to share! New subscriber here, by the way and I’ll be watching All Of your educational content-thank you for all of the obvious hard work you put in!! And thank you for CLEARLY being the real deal! 😄
I read your comment before watching the video so I thought I was prepared, but when Becca got to the course pages with the prices my jaw still dropped open. I literally did a year-long, high-level, once-weekly in person course for practising contemporary artists taught by a group of experienced art professionals (and with added one-on-one tutoring sessions with each tutor and all materials for class supplied!) for the same price. After trying to have a play around by myself with watercolours and buying books etc for a while, I am also finally about to embark on my first watercolour course (woohoo) partly inspired by Becca (giving credit where credit is due :) ) and partly by my frustration with books... and the entire 10-week course (3hr-sessions once a week) with many materials included is £290. For 30 hours of in-person tuition with materials! I live in a city, too, so things aren't exactly cheap here. [edit: OMG - I just realised the price I had been looking at was just for one section of the course, not even the whole thing!!] [edit 2: just saw that the *actual* price, as opposed to the listed "value" (which was an overpriced estimate make it look like peeps are getting a good deal), is shown at the bottom of the page and it's actually $547, which is still way too much for a non-taught/no-contact course when similar content can be had for less than a tenth of that from Udemy, Skillshare or Domestika, but at least it is not as exorbitant as I originally thought, phew]
I’ll preface with saying I have a background in acrylics and cartoons, it’s my forte but decided to finally try watercolor two years ago and recently got into urban sketching which marries my love of line and wash. Jenna was my first watercolor RU-vidr I subscribed to and her very long intro to watercolor video prompted me to get the book your reviewed which was my first watercolor book. If I had NOT watched her video the book would have been harder to understand, especially the acronyms. That said Jenna is still one of my favorite to watch for technical videos such as her brush technique videos. She was a DIEHARD Winsor and Newton girl and recently made the change a year ago? She’s a big health nut and I think this is what led her to leave Winsor and Newton. She made a video where she swatched the entire meriblu collection to find her final color palette
I follow Jenna's YT channel and a year ago she announced that she switched her materials from Winsor & Newton and Stonehenge paper to MaimeriBlu, Princeton brushes, and Saunders Waterford (which I understand are all under the same umbrella?) :).
@@sonyaoart I don't think they own Saunders Waterford, Stonehenge or W&N - they do own Arches, Canson, Strathmore and Daler Rowney though. Also their biggest brand in Italy (where they are from) is Giotto, which is the Crayola of Italy, essentially. Every Italian kid grew up with Giotto products :) Oh, and Das, Pongo (the main brand of plasticine in Italy, whose brand-name is shorthand for "plasticine" in Italian) and Didò (the Italian Play-Doh). Didn't know about Lukas!
@@sonyaoart that's ok - I enjoy looking these things up for my own education. I wouldn't have given myself an excuse to do this without your comment :)
I think "self-taught" in the visual art world is the unofficial and (unfortunately) accepted shorthand for "did not study (fine) art at university", rather than "did not receive any art tutoring, support or advice of any kind ever". I think in some ways that terminology is damaging too even when one accepts that meaning because, for example, people like me who studied artforms in a non-visual art field at university but then started experimenting with visual practices outside of that are considered "not self-taught" (again, no-one is self-taught. I am just using their terminology) as artists and their visual art output is judged similarly to that of people who received a thorough visual education and support in visual arts at university level, and it can be really paralysing for someone tentatively starting out in a totally new (to them) art field. It's not very helpful terminology or usage.
I had added a comment re Jenna Rainey specifically in relation to the “self-taught” thing that I think got flagged up by RU-vid and deleted because it included a link. Oops. I just visited her website and found that in her FAQ she mentions she has no academic/ university background in Design or Art. So she didn’t study design at university either and seems to be using “self-taught” as the common shorthand I described in my comment above, to mean no *formal* education in art.
Hullo Becca, I just purchased Jenna’s new Seashores book and she was pushing her companion videos to “enhance” her books! This led me to believe that beginners will be lost without the videos! I have trouble with beginners books and videos as I have be painting with watercolors for 52 years and I am still learning so it is not easily mastered! I do fill in where a lot of authors leave the details out! So I look to others like Lindsay Weirich and yourself for recommending beginner content! I have purchased classes from Lindsay’s teachable school and she is an amazing instructor and so inspiring too. I did try the Maimeri line of paints and I believe you know I am whole hog DaVinci paint consumer! I did get a slew of M.Graham paint tubes from e-Bay last month and I will be filling some wells soon. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions, well done!
I have so many art books and I have learned to dig for the gem in each book. Not one book I have can truly teach me how to paint. None of them are super good. She’s just a woman with great marketing skills and a charming personality. It’s just a book, not a lot of money, and someone’s effort to share what she knows. I started with that book and I agree it could be better but it got me going. I don’t know if this two hour dissection is the best thing to do to people who are putting themselves out there. I know this would make me not buy her stuff. I already have and I don’t regret it. Just another watercolor book. None of them are that great. ❤
My art teacher told me to use masking fluid or washi tape (because it's less sticky than masking tape) to make cleaner lines, so you could maybe try that to get clean crisp lines with watercolor
I’m around minute 50 in your video, will watch the rest later but wanted to comment on something confusing me (non native English speaker) as I listen to your video. It’s really hard to differentiate which sentences are you saying to us and which to yourself. I suppose you are reading the notes you took earlier but having a different kind of editing could really help someone like me who is listening while working, love your channel ❤
Last comment. Lol. 1. The book doesn't seem to do anything that youtube doesn't already do. 2. I love rats and had them as pets, too. 3. Happy Turkey Day. 4. I have ADHD, too. 5. I stay off instagram precisely b/c that level of curation triggers my depression as well. 😄
I appreciate your thoroughness and your honesty, Becca! I had similar thoughts re colour selection. A black and a non-lightfast blue? What is the point? The reds are both warm. I just don't get it. Good point re the packaging. You can't even use the paints in the set to paint what's on the box. Thanks for the video. Looking forward to the next installment. ☺
I just wanted to say that I really appreciate your honesty and very thorough reviews! Some companies (and influencers) tend to seriously oversell their products and what buyers can expect from it, so I think it's even more important that artists like you voice their *honest* opinions and highlight the pros and cons. I feel like too many reviews nowadays are either 100% in favour of a product or just against it (both without giving valid reasons in my opinion). And I totally agree with the color choices being a bit strange, to me it doesn't feel like 'her' palette at all. But I stopped watching her videos almost a year ago, so I might be wrong on that 😅 So thanks again and please continue what you are doing ! 🙂
I agree that a lot of the "influencer" products are over hyped. It's fan merch for artists . I really enjoy your honest reviews - but sometimes I cringe at just how honest you are (I also can't watch people embarrass themselves in t.v. shows - so definitely a "me" issue). I already want to buy this book that you're thinking about writing! Keep on doing you!
Thank You for this very thorough review. I used to watch Jenna a lot, especially her floral videos, but now I'm more drawn to artists with a looser style and/or older artists who have been painting for decades. I doubt if I'll buy any of the watercolor books I just prefer to watch the tutorials. I need to see exactly how they make the brushstrokes.
I wish I had seen this before I got the book. I am a total beginner at watercoloring and I didn't find it helpful. I sent it back. But I also had gotten the Everyday watercolor and kept that one. I found it helpful. Then I found your review of Everyday watercolor and liked it. I am using the Mei Ling paints. Don't have a large budget. Really enjoying your vidoes.
JRainey used Winsor and Newton until she switched to Maimeri Blu a couple of years ago. Her early books all use W&N paints. This might be why you cannot find the same colour mixes. I bought her book when it came out and was also underwhelmed, you are right.I have lots of Maimeri Blu colours and like thema lot. I live in 🇩🇪 and they are not that expensive (7 to 13 € for a tube). JR's colour selection doesn't make sense to me. I wouldnt know what to do with the black. I don't see how black can be useful for all her florals. I am hopping off to see the third installment of this series.
I viewed one of her guides on RU-vid, but realising this was her book is a shock 😮 However thank you for mentioning makoccino and Kristy, I can check them out.
I agree with you 100 percent on this set of color choices. No red cool enough to make a decent violet or purple. Also, I was never a fan of Prussian Blue because compared to Phthalo blue, Prussian looks a little dirty to my eye. Phthalo blues just looks fresher and cleaner. Plus Prussian has light-fastness issues. And that black isn't a good choice for a mixing set. Thanks for sharing. PS, it isn't true that MaiMeri Blu us made with only 2 ingredients, Pigment and Gum Arabic. If that were true it wouldn't flow well when touched with water nor rewet well after dry. Every watercolor paint at least needs a humectant added so paint will rewet after it's dried.
I been watching this video for a while now and I want to recommend Brand by Brand videos by Denise Soden. If you want some great information about a certain brand and compared to others she does an amazing job! Her channel was named "In Liquid Color" now she just has her name at the top! I am at a loss as to why the colors were in Jenna's set? I do not think this is her go to limited palette!
Oh nah, I am not THAT funny (or brave), although I did want to be (and tried to be) a comedienne growing up, but uh, small town Louisiana is absolutely NOT the place!
Great review of the paints! ❤ I agree that the reds are a little mystifying. They both look like they lean orange to me! SMH. To get another green, you might try mixing the black and the yellow... ❤ 😊 it's one of my favorites.
I was quite interested in the set because as you said, they are much more affordable in sets. tbh the paints are pricey even on my side of the Atlantic. But it’s a strange selection, I’ll look for a better one.
I read a comment below from someone who said it was hard to know who you are talking to when reading your notes. I agree with her because this comment was fresh in my mind after folding laundry and listening to more of what you had to say. A suggestion for you: Your book review would be much easier to follow if you had a photo of the page you are discussing on the screen when going over a particular section. Flipping the book up for 2 seconds, like you are doing, makes it really hard to see the page, takes time while you are talking, and takes attention away from the good points you are trying to make. Doing your videos this way when reviewing books would take longer to edit, but your reviews would be easier to follow. You have many excellent and honest evaluations of the books and paints you review. Just. Sometimes, it takes work to follow, and having the pages/head of sections of the photo of the book would be beneficial. Sorry if I over stepped. I am just trying to help.
I used to like her video's and style. But then they all went promo like... suddently other paints ect... and kind of spiritual... Her third book : do not buy it! It sounds like a book, but It's more like a sketchbook 😅 Her video's are more and more talkshows then painttutorials... A lot about feelings and moods... that's not why I did watch them. Thank you for all the time you spend on your reviews ❤ Sorry for my Dutch-English😂
When you hold up a book to camera you need to hold the book up for a longer time maybe count out 3 - 5 seconds. I really could not see her drawings in the book.
Critique noted, and will be solved in my upcoming Easily Influenced. Who knew highlighting my page notes and taking photos would end up making a shorter and more concise review 😂 I appreciate the feedback, and hope you'll bear with me as I learn!
I don't get the popularity of many YT artists. Not that they aren't talented (and I don't subscribe to the fine art bs) but I see equally talented or more people with less attention. I can't help but feel like its related to the fact that they aren't as young, cool, thin, >white
I stopped watching her channel when her and her husband (or whoever that guy is) started doing like intentional, performative cringe-core/awkward interactions during her videos. And then the very passive aggressive mentions of her church (I'm not interested in a mix of religion and art...) Oh and now I'm seeing "5 Health Products that Changed my Life" as Becca scrolls her blog. And those photos- it's all so cringe. Yikes. I can't even watch this.
@@nonamepainter That's even MORE cringe. All these religious nuts and their artsy side-hustles. The sad thing is, they know their audience- because people fall for it. Cult of personality draws in the most gullible and ignorant people- and that's playing out on a VERY large scale in the world right now.
These youtubers won't be using their children anymore, because now they have to pay them for it. Just like in television. They have to compensate them at 18 all the money they made you.
