Where the qor paints shine is when you drop them into other brand watercolors while still wet! The way they disperse and bloom is a fabulous effect. Same thing when you drop them into clear water. I love them.
Hello!! I came here to thank you! I bought my Qor earth tones set and this was the best choice of my life, thanks to your video. The brand is exactly what I was searching for, the way the paint spreads and its vibrant colors, I love it. ♥️ Because I was (and am) a begginer when talking about professional watercolor brands, Qor was my first one, followed by Horadam, W&N and Sennelier (unfortunatelly the last one not the professional line I guess?? I’m from Brazil and I listened a person saying they don’t sell the profissional line here), and since I painted with them for the first time together with the Qor, I find myself loving Qor even more lol, tho the others are equaly vibrant and good colors, the way Qor spreads (like in you little painting) was what captivating me so much. I paint watercolor for its freedom and movement, haha. Thank you so much!
I love Qor. When I started out with watercolor, I was using reeves I think, and maybe some cotman. My sister gave me the high chroma 6 tube set for christmas and it was a revelation. Even now, when I know alot more about watercolors and quality, its still my favorite.
Beginner watercolor artist here. I love your explanations and the basics group was great information. Plus now I get to go shopping again!! LOL Thank you so much for taking the time to explain what may be simple information for some but is so helpful for me in just beginning this type of painting. Your videos are great.
I love QoR - followed by DS and Sennelier (for botanicals). I love intense color and super high flow with interesting pattern formation. I get that from QoR. They're a joy to watch as I let them go. I have found that it helps in getting even more intense dispersion to use distilled water since we live in a very hard water area and that, of course, limits dispersion some for all watercolors, but , being that that is one of the things I like most about QoR, it matters most to me when using them.
This set was recommended to me by a watercolor teacher that works at our art supply store and I LOVE them. I went back to get the 24 color set. I don’t use these exclusively, I love my Daniel smith but these are so flowy and vibrant I have them in a large palette that I use exclusively at home. The individual 11 ml tubes r so expensive tho, and there r so many colors not included in any of the sets I really want to try but can’t justify the individual tube cost
Gosh..I tried the carbon black by QOR today..I loved the way it spread..I want to try more colors..( I already have tons of colors but cant help it lol) And I am painting my dog nose, black is allowed, and even if it ain't, I am still using it lol..it blooms awesomely! 😁😁😁
I have the 12 color introductory set that I bought recently. I also bought a bigger tube of Prussian blue since that was not in the set. I tend to use the QoR paint with a few Daniel Smith colors and the paintings have turned out well.
I have the 24 tube set & they indeed have a lot more pigment strength than my Daniel smith paints. I think it may be the colors that came in your set. With a wider range of colors you can see a big difference.
Hi Steve. I truly appreciate your instructional videos. I have dabbled in watercolor for a few years and am finally getting to a point where I am developing my own preferences and opinions...kinda cool. That said, I truly enjoy your approach on experimenting and urging folks to listen to their "preference voice". I hope you and Reese will continue sharing your knowledge and watercolor adventures. I got my hands on the QoR set and did a similar test with some other artist grade pigments and agree that they hold their own in quality. I also enjoyed the spidering effect and some of the colors almost seem like they have multi-tones to them as they dry. I love that! I haven't tried M. Graham yet but have experimented with Holbein, W&N, Grumbacher, Maimeri and Peerless tints. Peerless seems to react similarly with some of its pigments. Would love to see what you think of these. Suggestion for a future video - experimenting with things like salt, rubbing alcohol, etc, to create funky effects. Would love to see different methods and tricks you have used to make the paint react in fun ways. Thanks again and look forward to your next video!
Marjolein Vanderhoeven Thanks so much for the input and feedback! Of the list you mentioned I've tried W&N. They're fine and seem to be most available, but I always liked M. Graham better. Their pigmentation load and honey formulation really impress me. I have also experimented with Grumbacher (just average) and DaVinci (fine and a decent artist grade choice). Not tried any of the others you mentioned. I'm trying to do more regular painting with Qor to get a better feel for it with ongoing use since it offers the newest and most radical change in formulation. Quick tests and comparisons don't always suffice with paint. Yes, thanks for the suggestions. Technique videos with materials like salt and alcohol are definitely on my list, plus lots more. Good to know you're interested in that. Thanks again for the support. Glad to have you aboard.
Thank you for the review. I have not used them yet, but have been an avid Golden Artist Heavy Body acrylic painter. I revolutionized my palette using the various Quinacridone, Azo and Indanthrone colors along with a Titan Buff. I haven't yet to find a manufacturer, which can replicate my palette in watercolor. I saw Golden makes QOR and looked at the colorchart. I was surprised that it wasn't a direct transition, but it was the closest to their acrylics. I with they ha a Jenkins Green. Anyways, I am able to make adjustments to connect to my Acrylic roots. My point is that Golden QOR has produced a more modern color selection that most watercolor manufacturers and I applaud them for it. Thank you again for all you do Mr. Mind.
I just ordered the Qor High Chroma set. I hear that is the best of the bunch, with intense stand out colors that are excellent for mixing. The Frugal Crafter has a demo with those amd they really are unique looking. I'll add to this some more once I try them.
I work in Art Conservation, and these these paints are Golden double dipping in terms of Conservation grade pigments that have a commercial appeal. The traditional Conservation pigments have no use in 'regular' painting application. I think they were jumping on the Aquazol train before anyone else did because we use Aquazol to make our own paints and adhesives.
Thanks very much for your review! I did a very in-depth comparison between the QoR watercolors and the high-end artist's grade watercolors that I have and use. I put them up against Daniel Smith, M. Graham, Da Vinci, Lukas, Shin Han (Premium), Winsor & Newton, Utrecht, Mijello Mission Gold, Rembrandt, Schminke, Maimeri Blu, Turner, Grumbacher, Sennelier, and Holbein. I spent a lot of money building 18-color, single-pigment, like-color palettes for all of the major brands (well, sans- Old Holland, Blockx, and any other hyper-priced line), in order to make sure that my painting efforts aren't handicapped by poor paints. :D With all of the marketing hype building up to the release of the QoR watercolors a few years back, I (like you, I hold Golden in high regard re: quality and consistency) was looking forward to the 'revolutionary, ground-breaking oh-my-goodness' that was promised. Once the line launched, I bought a couple of the 12-color starter sets, and flushed out that set by purchasing another 8 'real' tubes to fill my evaluation palette. Like you, I found that the product was no more revolutionary than many of the brand palettes that I'd already built. Also, like you, I have a HUGE respect for Golden's products in the acrylic lane. As far as I'm concerned, there is NO better acrylic paint provider than Golden. Liquitex is a close second, but Golden is just a cut above. I would love to support that company in the watercolor arena if they had an equivalently superior product, but QoR falls ridiculously short of the marketing hype, in my opinion. As far as watercolors go, though...the 'revolutionary' binder seems to behave no differently than the traditional binders that every other brand on the planet uses. If that binder is the reason that the Golden QoR watercolor paints are so expensive per unit, then they should evaluate the viability of that fancy binder, because is does NOT perform any better. Personally, when comparing brands, I set the bar with Daniel Smith, M. Graham and Da Vinci. Golden QoR falls short of that bar across the board, and their price point is ridiculously high. So...that's my two cents! :D Thanks for your review and affirmation of my own thoughts!
@@riamaas You're very welcome! For what it's worth, after using the QoR watercolors even more over the last 5 years, I'm still not over the moon about the product beyond most other pro-quality brands. However...I had an issue with one of their larger tubes just being a soupy mess (Bismuth Vanadate Yellow, PY184), and contacted their customer service department. They were absolutely stellar about the issue and promptly sent out not only a replacement tube, but also a couple of their great sample dot cards, which are much better than any others I've seen. I was very impressed, and excellent customer service like that goes a long way towards winning me over. I'm still working on doing my own QoR video review, as I have been slowly building my own art channel and figuring out the ins and outs of production. Great chatting with you!
I use QoR watercolors exclusively. I did research for close to a year watching hundreds of videos on RU-vid before ever deciding on them. I have limited experience with watercolor prior to getting QoR. I hate the chalk feeling of all the other paints I had used before getting these. I knew I needed to have a professional grade set. I have been using them now since may of 2019 so less than a year. I am a beginner. While I think I have the brushes and the paints I am most in love with figured out, I still feel I'm struggling to find the paper I like best. So far I've found only 1 watercolor sketch book I like and I whisper I could get the exact thing but bigger. (I have the 6"×6" square field artist my world square. 9"×9" and 9"×11" and 9"×7" would be some good sizes I wish this brand made) as to loose paper I know I like cold press best. But I struggle with cotton getting crumbly and not cotton buckling I like 140lb or 300gsm best or heavier of course. And I don't really understand sizing and how that effects what I want to do. Also I dont understand why paper is so expensive. I have to work smaller because I have to buy smaller pre cut paper to save on costs. I would love help understanding this more. Also it would be nice if you looked at my work and perhaps could give me feedback where I'm messing up. I post my art on instagram @ladycyr
I've changed my mind somewhat about QOR paints. I was initially excited about Golden's claim of a greater pigment load, and then felt quite disappointed when they appeared the same as my regular watercolours. ( W&N; Daniel Smith, & Da Vinci). However, i made up a full pan set from 2 intro sets of 6, and have been using them outside this summer. I can't believe how far those 5 ml tubes have stretched. The pans barely looked touched. I'm finding it just takes a small swipe of the brush to get full deep rich colour. Also, my water doesn't need changing nearly as often - it stays very clear. Both of these observations make me wonder if the QOR really do have significantly less additives and more pigment? Maybe the result is having them last longer, rather than change their appearance, which is what i was expected initially. They are very pricy - so the jury is still out on whether i'll buy the full tubes when the samples are finally gone...... It would be a large initial outlay to switch to them, so not sure. But i have no question that these are beautifully handling, gorgeous paints.
***** Good points, it may be that the pigments just extend further. I've been wanting to do a tinting test with pale tints. I'm told this is also where Qor shines and shows outstanding tint strength. Thanks for the input. I may do as you and put together a Qor palette for outdoor painting as well.
Vicki Wood are you kidding me? Brands like W&N or Sennelier are way more expensive than this brand. I thought they had a competitive price that was a quite a bit cheaper than the more popular name brands. You can buy 24 tubes for $70 bucks... W&N which is almost $150 for their half pan set. You get more in a tube than you do in a half pan.
Well it makes sense why they last longer. The binder they use actually can hold more pigment than gum Arabic and this new binder does flow a bit better than gum Arabic. So the paint can last you a lot longer than other brands.
not ture, Sennelier, a 10ml tube is around 5 dollars and above in Asia, while a 11ml QOR is 10 dollars and above, M Graham 15ml tube 7dollars and above and 14dollars for MG's series 5 15ml tube.
Thanks for testing Qor watercolor, I have them and use them. I like it, except two of the colors which look like the pigment doesn't open up in water and little pieces of the pigment are visible no matter how much I mix, the colors are Viridian Green and transparent Brown Oxide. Thank you for your tutorials.
Adrineh Safarian oh those colors granulate actually. That’s what those colors are supposed to do. This process is called granulation , you can watch a video on it because there is a lot on RU-vid
I could see the subtle differences with your washes, I leaned more towards the earthier tones in that last one as well. I just love how a scene just appears out of nothing, it's like magic :o)
I tried one of their early sets a couple years ago... think it had 6 colors, and NOBODY handled them to buy tubes like you are seeing today... My experience was they worked nice, could be used interchangeably with W&N, as well as Holbein. but like you, didn't notice anything amazing. I much prefer my M Graham for Earth tones, and Daniel Smith for Exotic effects! you want something that will stick out in a crowd, try them. As for the question about the grounds that let you paint WC on different surfaces, Both Daniel Smith and Golden have had such grounds for several years now. They generally work quite well. The painting I use for men Icon was WC on Board, using one of those mediums. in case you are interested
Hi Steve I absolutely love Qor paint. Where I really use this paint is in a large wash or a large picture; it has such great flow ability that really it works best on a really good watercolor paper. It will Buckle some other papers. I have used it on Strathmore, but you have to be really careful with it. So it takes pretty good paper. I love the colors, I think they are really well pigmented and bright. it's just an individual thing, I know. My favorites rank in the following order....1 Daniel Smith... 2 CQor, 3 M. Graham....4 Winsor Newton. I like some others too but those are my favourites. Surprisingly, Maries..if you get the FINE watercolors, are beautiful and don't fade at all. I test anything I don't know about for a period if 2 months and longer, for lightfastness. Just sayin' for folks who cannot afford expensive paints.
Great comparison video. I saw another Qor demo and was ready to rush out and get them until I heard your comments. M. Graham is my current favorite, so if Qor isn't bringing anything to the tale, I'll sit tight for now. (Although I really did like the way their Sap Green bled out in the wet on wet....) Cheers
I'm a brand new subscriber also an artist. I found your channel when I was looking for reviews on watercolor paints and seen this one for Qor. I've never tried it but it's something that I possibly might try now after watching this video. Thanks. I recently started my own youtube channel as well but right now I've only got some freehand digital drawings that I've done. I got a new webcam and don't really know what I am doing yet with it and have been having problems with the audio but soon as it's figured out I'll make and upload some drawing and painting videos and tutorials. Thanks again!
+Susie LaLonde Welcome to the channel. I probably spent 3 months working out the kinks in my recordings before I started. Keep at it. Its well worth it. Thanks!
Yes, I'm not going to give up this time. I tried it several months ago and before I even got one video posted I gave up. (a lot had to do with my Husband's health issues at the time as well) But I am really set on doing this! You are very welcome.
Just love your channel. I’m thinking of getting into Watercolor and I ‘m taking notes before I spend a bit of money and these type of videos are perfect to help a beginner make the right choices. Merci!
Thank you again for a very informative video. You have become my top favorite artist to go to for watercolor. I went on Amazon to check the current price on this paint and was surprised to see that they are more expensive than m. Graham for the singles tubes and you don't even get as much paint.
I agree! Qor didn't seem "revolutionary" to me in any way and in my comparisons vs. Graham and WN, Qor measured up but didn't offer anything that my current paint brands did not already have. Thanks for the in-depth review!
Thanks for your video! I just bought their intro high chroma set for $20.99 at my local art supply store. Great price & other online retailers are offering same price right now. I did my own very non-tech swatching out....no painting yet. Basically I agree with you that they possess very good qualities, but nothing (so far) that would convince me that they’re so much better than other pro paints. I’m still a WC novice and working on building a pro palette, so I’ll probably be buying a number of intro sets for a while yet.
They are quite good but I have noticed since my review, which has been a few years, that they backed off on their ridiculous, over the top claims. A better marketing approach would have just been to trade on their excellent name. Golden has a top notch reputation where acrylics are known.
@@mindofwatercolor Steve. I just bought the high chroma set and wish I'd seen this first! Since your review, have you discovered any magic with them? From viewing other videos it seems the only 'unique/interesting' thing is their 'texturing/splintering/fracturing' ability. I too feel I'm missing the point of these paints unless that texturing thing IS their point?? It so, any tips on how and where to use this effect? Thanks! (my 6 x 5ml tube set was $55. Can. = abt. $38.US at my local shop.) Ouch...
Recently started watercolors, adding another medium to pastels and oils. Glutton for punishment I guess. I bought the 12 QOR and like what I see. But with no experience it's just my opinion. Bought on price, $42, less than other artists grade. When I replaced a color I tried a Van Gogh umarine. Not happy! Ha! You know what they say buy cheap, buy twice Lastly, how about a spontaneous seascape Steve?
Thanks for the review. I loved the painting demonstration at the end!! Can't wait for more. :) Do you have a video planned for picking colours? Especially for a beginner (not having multiple, rotating sets yet). Just your take on colour essentials.
Sounds like a great subject Jen. I'm actually looking for more suggestions and input for future episodes. Are you referring to what color selection you should start with in general or for a specific painting subject?
I have been a little reluctant to buy Qor watercolors after my friend bought a set and showed me that some of the colors feather a lot and pushes the other colors aside more than normal. But I am however enjoying the bright saturated colors and some of them have a beautiful depth to them. But as you said, they do not perform better than some of the other high-end brands out there. I might buy a few, maybe the high chroma set. By the way, thank you for your excellent channel.
The wet in wet movement seems to be one of its prized traits with some artists but may not suit all for sure. For the most part I think they behave like other watercolor unless very wet charging is done.
Yes I agree. Mission Gold, on the other hand, wow after seeing your review on Mission gold pure pigment I have planned to buy a set... they were from Korea right?
I've only tried 3 M Graham paints, and although they are definitely very pigmented (Cerulean blue, mineral purple, and dioxidine purple) I'm just not a big fan. I know they're known for using Honey which makes them stay semi-moist almost constantly, but that's actually a downside for me. I'm still a student and so when I'm painting at school it's very inconvenient to have keep my palette open since the paint is still wet. That's why I prefer W&N since straight from the tube I found that it dried the quickest. That being said, W&N paint is overpriced here in Canada, so I don't buy it often. I'm still a beginner, so I've been trying to find my preference out of all these amazing watercolour brands, and I definitely feel some attachment towards Daniel Smith and Holbein. That being said Holbein and Daniel Smith were both the artist watercolours that I first tried out so that might be effecting my choice is sentimental value.
Windsor Newton has a lot of multi pigment colors and given their high price I've never been a fan of some the hues they turn out. Some are ok. Personally I also hate having paints that dry into a rock hard lump. Even Qor does this to an extent. If I'm filling a travel palette this means they break and fall out some times. Daniel Smith is a brand I would like to try though. Great reputation. I would have to order them since nobody locally carries them. Still love my M Graham. Never found it necessary to keep my palette open.
thankyou for the honesty in your review, it has been of great value. I will try them because I do like the difference in colour pigment and their flow I saw in that video. Have also subscribed to you too. Like other people, you have a laid back style I respect and an honesty which makes for good listening and watching. Keep going, you have a fan base growing here.
What I've noticed people saying about these paints is that mostly the "new" thing is they don't lighten when drying. Of course, when you are painting in light washes, you will not notice it as much as when you putting stronger color down on your paper. I think I saw someone on a blog who did a test and put similar colors down at the same intensity while wet next to each other. QoR once dried looked the same as when it was wet but the other brand had dried lighter as watercolors are expected to do. Because of this, they don't need to glaze as many layers to achieve the same density of color.
T Kim Thanks for the input. Thats interesting! I've done that wet/dry comparison myself with a few colors with M. Graham and there was no difference with Qor. Both still lightened just a little when dry but not much. That in and of itself it saying something though because I consider M. Graham one of the best and Qor is easily a match. But it still doesn't make them "revolutionary" (a quote from their brochure). If you use student grade pigment loads like Winsor Newton Cotman. Something like Qor will blow you away. But so will most other professional grade pigment loads compared to lesser grades.
My Panda Paints if you can find Langridge oils, they have more pigment than old holland and just about everybody else.Vasari from New York are shit hot paints. Try Blue Ridge from Carolina as well.
Dear Steve -need your help. I appreciate your show very much. On your recommendation, I have purchased a set of M. Graham. The set contains Azo Yellow, Burnt Siena, Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Perm. Alizarin Crimson. I live in Mexico and I like streets and buildings in quaint towns with churches in the background. I have heard that there are a few colors that can’t be obtained by mixing, is this true? For example Cobalt Blue, Turquoise, (would that be M. Graham Cobalt Teal?). If so, which ones are they? I can afford to purchase 4 -6 more colors this year. Which ones would you suggest to complete my palate? Thank you so much for your help, your show and great advice is the best!
The only colors you can't mix are the primaries. It's true that some tube colors will be more intense than you can mix. Turquoise may be one of those. I recommend you google the m. Graham site and look for their color chart to make your choices. It's sort of a personal choice. I personally think sepia and paynes gray are two essentials.
+The Mind of Watercolor thank you! found their chart. Wow!...now I want hem all... will make a few choices. thank you for you contributions to those of us just starting (at 69) and fun videos!
Hey Steve, Thanks for the videos. I'm very new to watercolors and picked up a cheap set at Wallywold on a whim and have enjoyed learning the last few months. I'm starting to get a few better supplies based on your recommendations. I'd like to hear your input on a good beginner selection of colors to choose. Best regards.
Qors range in same color is outstanding, glazing many layers without picking up the lower later colors, also more natural colors. Dispersion in water is very unique.quin golds range goes from orange to light yellow, just an example.
Was wanting to buy some new watercolors and was considering this or the m grahams you use. After listening to you and the Spin Doctor...I think will go with m grahams. Thanks
I know that this has been a few years ago now but I would like to share some of my likes and dislikes. In general without chastising certain companies I think that it is a great service to share this about Qor but also some handmade companies. I think that some companies are overrated completely but others are very underrated. I do enjoy Qor’s Hooker’s green along with DaVinci’s light Hookers for a convenience green in a small palette. The Hooker’s green is not obnoxious like DS with many pigments and if there happened to be natural granulation then cool. I had used 2 ETSY handmade popular wc companies which still exist and these are or should be or stay in the pastel arena because they are basically just that, chalky or if more transparent it isn’t controlled and I know that many are enamored with a couple of brands and I just haven’t had any issues with recreated a knock-off and been pleased with it. I have different brands that I use and have learned over the years how to enjoy blending and getting what I like for a lot less. I do like Qor’s quin red and it happens to be just the same brightness as Sennelier’s PV 19 Rose Madder Lake or quin Rose for DS. DS is not as bright here nor keeps it’s brightness in comparison. The same is true about quin coral, both Qor and DaVinci carry the same pigment and I can not tell the difference. I lean towards transparent and earth tones, good yellows are difficult. I like deep Hansa as it is more lightfast I the deeper hue but I also use lemon cad, light cadmium and try to temper the transparency a bit. DS burnt sienna is lovely but so is DaVinci’s and Qor’s. Winsor &Newton’s golden ochre is fantastic as well as the new DS chromium titrate yellow. I love cobalt teal with it. M.Graham’s pink ultramarine is fantastic and always has been and mixes granulating non opaque lavender with ultramarine violet for skies and ambiance. I enjoy the Azo green from M.Graham,many companies make it but I get a lot for the price. There are so many that I could go on. I realize that there are paint collectors and no problem. I just want the product to do what it says and I am concerned about lightfastness. Sometimes I mix colored pencils but I don’t like the granular appearance and waxy shine of them. I do full sheet blends with both medium and keep the oms in a double protected waterbrush from Caran d’ache for protection. So they are truly watercolor and oil paint combinations or pastel. Eventually everyone finds there niche but being on a really limited budget without cutting corners can be hard. I have always enjoyed your down to earth pointers Steve done in an encouraging way. Painting can be wholesome and helpful and we have the capacity to learn forever. 😊
I should point out that I actually love Qor. When this video was made I was reacting to their launch ads which I was seeing in art magazines and such. The claims were over the top and wild (in my opinion). They claimed they would take watercolor into the future with a revolutionary binder and be unmatched in performance and color intensity, blah blah blah. M. Graham, which is probably the most pigment rich brand on the market destroyed that claim (again in my opinion). That aside, Qor is a very good paint. I taught 24 weeks of classes using only a Qor palette. They compare well with all the other top brands. They're just not heads and shoulders above any of them as they originally claimed. It's funny because right after I made that video they contacted me and offered to send more colors. LOL! My channel was much smaller at the time.
@@mindofwatercolor Yes I do remember the craziness of that but it is just the same with all of the handmade wc. All of the commercialism is sickening and it will continue for a little longer. I get annoyed at all of the materialism even in the art world. Who would have thought that forty years ago people would just keep buying so much. It is one thing to examine them for a video and give an opinion. That is why I appreciate that you check out the products. One learns over time which pigments are worth their dime. But more than that I appreciate that your videos are about product use. I would love to have been able to do one of your classes but I have severe health struggles, an immune system that is spurring my bones, twisting my spine and I am losing my cartilage or lost most of it. I can’t paint every day now but I still get through my paintings. I am not the only one that has health issues but I know that very soon the whole planet will receive an intervention that will rid the earth of all suffering forever. It is possible to live with extreme pain and have a life. Your program is positive and thank you for keeping it clean. Greetings to you and your family and thank you.
Hey Steve! I would like to see what you think about Sennelier Aquarelle watercolour paints. Even though I am just beginning with watercolour, I am curious about the different types of higher quality paints.
I have about 12 different brands of artists watercolours including Qor. In my opinion there's little to choose between any of them. Sennelier are very nice but a bit too runny for my liking.
Good timing for me to see your review I was looking at these paints yesterday And was wondering what all their hoopla was all about I did however purchase the cold press Ground they make I'm curious about using it in my art journals. .I see my friend Diana commented as well I also like Daniel smith WC and I've subscribed Lots of good information you have !
Steve Mitchell Design I've been using the cold press ground for a while now. It's a really great alternative for people who dislike the warping of watercolor paper. Just apply the grounding to a canvas or a board (or just about anything else for that matter) and you've got a watercolor surface that you don't have to stretch. Cold press ground is nearly identical to Golden's Fibre Paste the difference being that Cold Press Ground produces a brighter whiter surface when dry. Since I had a giant tub of Fibre Past leftover I started mixing in the QoR Watercolor Ground into it at a 1:2 ratio and that produced the same level of whiteness as the Cold Press Ground.
They can get the same look but it depends on how you apply the grounding. If you simply scrape it on with a dry palette knife your finish will be rougher than any watercolor paper out there, this can make smooth washes difficult to accomplish. On the bright side though it accentuates the "spidering" effect along the edges of QoR paint washes. If you smooth the grounding with a wet palette knife though you can get a smoothness that approaches hot press paper, it takes practice though. The other thing to note is that granulation can have a very "dirty" look on this surface so take care.
Interesting comparison. I've been wondering about the binder Qor has - it looks very clear. I'll be doing a comparison with Daniel Smith and Qor in the near future. Will send you link. It looks like I'll be spending the rest of my evening watching your vids. lol (I think ?)
Sounds good Diana, I look forward to your conclusions. Some have claimed the binder acts weird but I noticed nothing strange. Aquazol I believe they call it, and they sell it separately in bottles as a flow agent. That might be interesting to try.
Steve Mitchell Design Hey Steve, we offer the Auqazol as Watercolor Medium, for people who want to extend paints so far they need to put but binder back into it (or to use as resoluble adhesive) - Synthetic Ox Gall is the flow agent. Thanks for looking at our paints!
Also Qor has almost no color shift between wet and dry. And the pigment load is much higher in their binder than any brand with gum Arabic in binder. Archival quality is excellent due to the binder Aquasol. Which used for art cleaning and archiving. So plenty of unique feature in Qor. That said and done I think lots of depend on style, personal preference and budget.
I really do love Qor. I spent most of 2019 teaching 4, 6-week classes using Qor exclusively. That said your info is incorrect. It has no less drying shift than any other professional grade watercolor brand. It actually has a little more drying shift than my M. Graham watercolors. Drying shift is a function of pigment to water ratio and paper type more than anything. Also, Aquasol has nothing whatsoever to do with lightfastness for colors. Golden does claim that is very light stable but thats for degradation and breakdown not color fading. They do claim that the binder has good enhanced adhesion properties. Perhaps. I've not found its layering strengths any more dramatic than any other top grade watercolor. Again, paper and pigment staining characteristics have more to do with the degree of lifting or layering. Unfortunately rumors that are exaggerations get started and repeated everywhere. Still a great brand however.
I'm having issues with grainy colors for example viridian, which is a color that I love and want to be able to use, but no matter what brand I buy every single one is grainy. Is there any way I can smooth it out?
Hannah Elliott Sounds like granulation. Its pretty natural. You must have a high-quality paint. It actually happens more with artist grade paints than with student or lower grade paints. Many artists actually like the affect. Its when the pigment separates from the binder. Only happens with certain colors. If you really don't like it you might try adding a little gum arabic to your wash. You could also switch to a student grade paint but you'll get less concentration of pigment.
I just bought these and am waiting to try them out. I got the 24 set and really want those chroma colors! Thanks so much for this video and I loved the little painting you did.
You’re not missing anything! I have about 40 of these paints and I think they are great pro paint but not too much different than some other high quality paint! I think all that stuff is generic market blah blah and doesn’t really tell you a thing! That being said they do become explosive in wet into wet washes and as well as with other paints that don’t disperse as well!
I am going to golden factory as soon as they lift covid restrictions . They have a factory tour.. Not that far from me. Going to ask why their dried blocks rewet differently than when i dry their tube paints in a pan., anybody got any other questions???
One thing I noticed, if I spray a uv or other fixative over a photo or image, the watercolor will bead if painted over the fixative and not cover, but the Qor did cover, a big plus for me.
Hey ! I really love what your doing and you made me wanna try the m graham watercolors... Did you ever tried schmincke horadam watercolors ? I currently have a student quality set (daler rowney aquafine) and I want to invest in artist quality paints. I'm hesitating between schmincke and m graham (which are harder to get for me)...
They behave completely different to normal paints, they don't in my opinion mix that well. The pans I find are very weak, but I have ordered the tubes to see if there is a difference. If you use for example with Daniel Smith they shoot lines out if you drop in some azo yellow. Some have said they leave a dirty outline on the paper when doing skies. It pushed everything to the edge. However they are meant to be good for very thin layering and glazing.
I taught 24 weeks of in person classes using a Qor palette filled from tubes. I found there to be no significant differences from other paints. Never saw anything weird. Their wet it wet spread is a bit more lively. Due to the Aquazol instead of gum arabic I suppose.
I recently got the set of 24, and filled my half pans before painting anything. I then painted a red tulip and was blown away by the intensity of the color. I’m in shock really (and I’ve painted with Winsor Newton, M. Graham and Daniel Smith). Then I did a sunset landscape and the color is a little too intense! So next time I will water it down (as you did) and it might act like other professional grade paints which would make it go farther too! But I think Qor’s claims are realistic when used at a stronger dilution. The way the pigments blend is amazing, put some green down then yellow on top and watch what happens, it’s fabulous.
Possibly a newbie question here, but . . . How does this paint set compare pricewise to the M Graham paint? The Qor set that you review costs $21 for six tubes of 5 mL each. In terms of cost per milliliter, is this in the general ballpark as the M Graham paint? (Looking online, the M Graham paint tubes are more expensive, but they are also mostly larger size tubes.)
+johngo6283 M. Graham come out a bit cheaper. These Qor sets contain undersized tubes. The open stock Qor Tubes are 11 ml. and a similar cost to the 15 ml M. Graham tubes.
Get a piece of 2 x 4 maybe a foot long, attach clothespins to it by one leg and let the "mouth" of the clothespin hang over the edge. That's the end that will hold the brush vertical to dry. There are U shaped nails you can use to secure that pin leg. You want to be able to open and close the clothespin. Put this on any ledge to let the brushes hang.
It's also a bit overpriced for me. Right now the price from my country almost as expensive as scchmincke (for both set of 12 of 5ml tubes). But i just.. need it.. Ox Gall.. :"))))
I'm in the process of switching from Hyrdus to these QoR paints. Hydrus Watercolors are beautiful and brilliant and really do work well, but the biggest problem I have is that I can't leave a palette full of paint and come back to it after a day or two because some of the colors just don't re-wet and become workable again. I'd say it's about 1/2 the line (I have all the colors that they make.) Also, since they're liquid, if you leave the bottles to sit and don't use them every day, the pigment starts to separate out and settle at the bottom -- I've gotten in the habit of having to lay them all on their sides so that when I go to use them, I can shake them and stir them up easier versus leaving them standing upright and trying to get the dropper to scrape the layer of pigment that forms at the bottom of the bottle. Their working properties I love -- though they do have some colors that don't really ring true in my opinion (the Ultramarine blue almost looks like a denim color, and there's another called Blue Aqua that always comes out straight up green for me). I've used them for a few years now, and I really do like the way the Hydrus line works together, but the down-sides are pushing me more towards the QoR paints lately, partly because they're new and exciting, and partly because they really are just as brilliant. The QoR paints also seem to flow and create that interesting spidery-watercolor look when you let them flow on their own, and I really enjoy that. They re-wet wonderfully -- I can leave them on a palette for weeks and come back to them and still be able to use all of them. And they mix with my Hydrus watercolors, so I can use them until I can afford to replace them / run out of a color. I'd recommend both, but the Hydrus line does have its downsides, but they seem to make up for them in being super brilliant colors. (I love the Hydrus Gamboge, Hansa Yellow Light, and Quinacridone colors a lot)
QoR sells a couple different mediums.. one of which is their binding agent,another is to alter the transparency.... what happens w the earth tones and these? Does the streakiness vanish?
Hi Marty. I spoke with you a long while back about my reaction to M. Graham.....Paint: Stunning. Me: Unfortunate reaction to their honey. There is a distinctive residual scent, "for me," that doesn't dissipate for hours. Others may initially detect it and then it's gone. Recently I was sent a sample tube of Dick Blick's pro. watercolor. Began to use it. Same issue. Could it be that their brand is being produced by M. Graham, like American Journey is produced by DaVinci? I have no problem with any other brand that uses honey, only the Blackberry, in M. Graham. Have you sampled the Dick Blick? If so, what is your opinion.
xnografikz There are several I like but my favorites are Silver Brush Black Velvet and Princeton Neptunes. Check out these two videos for more info.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-llj23ov38JA.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CqxMwvWEnkU.html
Just added them to my wish list. Expensive brushes! but recommended by you 100% worth the investment. Thanks for the tip. I have the feeling that I'm going to visit this channel very often. :-)
The Mind of Watercolor thank you and I’m glad you made this review! Really helps me make better decisions on what I purchase at art stores with high prices.
Well it's not actually the watercolor I'm fixing, it's collaged photo elements or transfers that I'm using with the watercolor, often which are partially painted over.
I suspect Golden's claims are the result of the age old process in which chemical analysis reveals some new efficiencies which are then exaggerated by the marketing department. However: One claim (see www.qorcolors.com/products/colors/watercolors), which you do not explore in this video: "The unique formulation of QoR Watercolors accentuates the luminosity and brilliance of pigments even after drying." Perhaps a follow up in which we can see how your tests look some weeks later would be helpful? We all agree, I think, that you can't really make any conclusions about a watercolor until the pigment has had some time to dry and be absorbed by the paper. It is hard to tell from this video just how fresh the works from which you are drawing conclusions still is. Also, how do the prices of the paints in your tests compare?
The painting in the final ending shot was bone dry. Watercolor on most papers thoroughly dries in about 1-2 hours. Weeks of drying time is not necessary. The loss of luminosity you mention often happens even faster, in a matter of minutes and then does not change. Viewing the same piece weeks later, I see no noticeable difference. However, your point is well taken. I now have some brighter Qor colors to sample that may offer a better test than the earth colors and plan some follow up comments in the future as I paint with them. Prices compare on the high side for the amount of paint. In my area Qor is about $12 for an 11 ml tube. This is comparable to Windsor Newton which is on the high side. Not sure about other brand comparisons. M. Graham, which I am familiar with is around $9-10 for a 15 ml tube. A thorough comparison of price is easily done on an art supply site like Blick or Cheap Joes. Thanks for watching!
Anyway, I congratulate you for your fun lessons!! But to be honest, I felt horrible after watching your video on watercolor papers. Not that it's bad, but because it's so true
Re the BOX - it isn't just pretty, it makes a great palette box, especially for pleine aire. The smooth bottom is like a mini-butchers pan, bright white, perfect for blending. And the top has indentations for squeezing out small amounts of the pigments!
+The Mind of Watercolor - Thank you Steve for such great inspirational videos - yes I am a WC beginner with no studio so compact tools are important to me. Love being a subscriber!
Absolutely great videos! I have been an illustrator for a long time, but am used to doing work for printing. Now I have some requests for originals, so need to find colorfast options. Watercolors are new to me, but I am in love. Cannot stop buying supplies though :( Your videos have been a great help. Could you please talk about colorfastness?
+He Ray You'll see comments here and there in my videos about colorfast colors. Its a complicated subject and can even come down to individual colors within various brands.The bottom line is, if you display work, use the most professional artist grade pigments available and UV glass as a good secondary insurance. Avoid hanging work in sunlight for sure but also realize even fluorescent light over time can take its toll if the work is not light fast and or protected.
You are a True Rubber Hit's the Road kinda Guy! Thanks! I never go for the Sun, the Moon and Stars promises! Thanks for the demo! Could you compare Watercolor Pencils....Cretacolor vs. Derwent? The woodless solid Pigment WC Pencils sets! Don't sweat the small stuff if you don't have them to test!
The Mind of Watercolor - i have a schminke pan set only, and love the vivid transparent effect. Have a lot of daniel smith that i love for the most part, but have to say that qor’s cobalt teal is the best ever for vivid purity, non-granulating, beautiful washes. DS cobalt teal is awful!
Hi Again! Hoping maybe you could me what that black WC Brush is you're using (brand/size?) - I LOVE the look of how it handles... still loving your videos too! (BTW I have yet to find any wc better than my staples - W&N and Daniel Smith - though I haven't tried Dr. PH Martin's yet - or other brands that have a lot of mixed pigment tubes)
