Daniel Smith Watercolors - Why the Big Fuss?

You haven't tried them straight out of the tube? That also makes a difference 😊

I have the primary set and the gemstone primatek set and I’ve basically stuck to those (though a couple are mixed with W&N paints of the same pigment lol my first pro set of paints and it came in a gift box!) so I never really looked at the full array of DS paint colors. I never even knew that some of these existed like potters pink and moonglow! They’re so beautiful!

Thank you so much for sharing your video bro... The best

I didn't think these were fairly new. I thought pros have been using these for decades

By now you probably realized sources of Daniel Smith paint on sales! That's the way I bought them.

I'm not too sure that your conclusion was as sound as the rest of the excellent presentation. It seemed to me that you made the case for M Graham or Daniel Smith. Which I'd totally agree with. Schmincke and Koi are super fun sets with some interesting color arrangements, but not nearly on the same level, as you perfectly showed. The pigment density, purity and refinement of Graham and Smith are extremely good. Watercolor tends to do a lot of fading and neutralizing, so that's a powerful distinction that screams superiority in those two products compared to the two competing brands. On a broader surface, other distinctions emerge, also in favor of the more refined pigmentation. Now, if I was inclined to diddle around with tiny paper formats, doing sketches out in the wild, I might even prefer Schmincke or Koi because I'd be less inclined to do electric when I need acoustic, but that's another thing, not suggesting comparable quality per se.

these are so mad expansive

I bought my first Daniel smith set a week ago and I am absolutely in love with them 😍

This guys channel is to good to exist

really nice video and review but the music is really annoying !

Because they are masters at aggressive marketing evidently and have bumped my favorite M Graham off the shelves; yet I don’t see any great superiority in their product! Sick of the hype!

Yes! Very informative. I will subscribe. And, I love the applause!!!! Hysterical!

I've gone off DS. They make good (and expensive) paints, but their attitude as a company is iffy, so I thought nah, leave it.

Thanks, just the info I needed.

ACK! Where are you shopping? $200 for 14 tubes? Jerry’s Artarama is where it’s at! I buy DS because they’re CHEAPER than WN!!

They’re like domestic schminke with cooler colors. I love em.

Thank you.

Bravo..what a great impressive creation ..I'm inspire & enchanted ..

I got DS but I prefer Mijello Pure Pigment much more

Wow you’re the first artist I have watched that has used the Sakura Koi watercolors as well as the others mentioned. That brand was my very first set of watercolors to get me inspired and interested in painting. I have upgraded to the Winsor & Newton set of paints but I also wondered what the hype was with Daniel Smith watercolors as well. Thanks for comparison of the paints.

Yes, they are the best. I've been using Daniel Smith since they created them. Even their oil paints are the best. Or, should I say, were the best. I haven't oil painted since I discovered watercolor. But back in the day they were the only oil paints I would use after I mistakenly used some. I say mistakenly, because as I recall, they were about twice the price as the ones I were using normally. Then I couldn't go back to after using Daniel Smith.

My paintings done with WN academy watercolors are fading off the paper even with UV glass and NOT in a sunny location.

The paint is good , and offered in many colors, but please note that they dry up in the tubes easily and the caps are too small, so they get stuck. Other brands don't have these problems in my experience.

WN pales before DS,Qor and Michael Harding is the best

The best greens on the planet are DS Cascade Green, Apatite Green and Undersea Green❤❤❤❤❤❤Try em

You have to know how helpful these videos are for beginners. Was great to see your method with the tiny travel set and how you use the water brush. Thank you. I don't really understand a dot card, is it just a wee bit of paint to sample? I will investigate that.

WN uses different formula in their tube paint vs tiny brick (forget term) paint so WN doesn’t rewet as easily. DS and m Graham do. I learned watercolor in course in DS store, but rewetting fir me makes difference (you can add glycerine to WN).

I checked prices (January 2023) for Schmincke, Graham, D Smith and W&N Professional. Schmincke was highest, Graham lowest and D Smith middle; Each of these brands sell their tubes with 15 ml. W&N sells 14 ml tubes (the other brands contain 15 ml) so their cost is similar to Schmincke. Since the prices are CLOSE ENOUGH TO EACH OTHER that the choice should be based on the quality and selection of pigments themselves. (Your review and tests of the three brands confirm my choice for Daniel Smith.)

i also wanted to try Daniel Smith watercolors. I just got three 1/2 pans of the primary colors i thought i could get the most use of. Haven't fully explored them yet, though - but, will do!

It’s like a lot of other things it’s what you get used to

Thalo blue green shade is AMAZING.

The coffee break got the subscription ✌️

Thanks. I'm enjoying your videos. Good info. On a few I've heard you mention Windsor and Newton but you don't say if your talking about Cotman or pro grade. Can you specify which please? Also, when I look at them watches of the four brands, I liked the look of these M graham the best.

M graham don’t actually dry dry. They don’t run or leak but they’re more of a bit-o-honey consistency.

Daniel Smith dry dry in half pans.

I like them both but Daniel Smith sets you need to be careful that you don’t get the “baby” tubes (5mL). M Graham sets are all 15mL. Scmincke, you could also end up with baby tubes in a set. (Particularly, the super granulating)

Baby tubes are a cheaper way of trying some of these brands tho’. One simply has to pay attention when purchasing.

Great paints. I have them all (including Rembrandt) However, I have far more DS than the others and use them the majority of my urban sketching. Like you, my sketchbook isn’t for a million washes or gobs of water. DS go great the first time.

Love these paints!

hey! no idea if you'll ever see this, but as a long time viewer now and a long time user of daniel smith, the big fuss is they offer so much veratality! they also work with local shops to get product everywhere.

i originally found out about daniel smith and M.Grahm from a local owned art shop. they carry a good selection of both products. including the portable pallet you used! Daniel smith recently made gouche. they work exactly like the water colors they make. i've switched to daniel smith as my main set just from how good they feel, how well pigmented the paints are, and knowing that i can get them and support my local shop. i recently went to a art fest where they were a sponser, and talked to a couple of artists that use daniel smith paints, as well as artists that work for daniel smith. daniel smith has also started selling sets that those artists made, meaning for someone who might be trying to get into a professonal setting its easier for them get a good set.

i love the video, and watching it back after 5 years its still really refreshing!

I just try Álvaro CASTAGNET'S FRESCO GREY...And is just amazing.👾🛸 I paint with MIJELLO brandt,they' re just incredible,and Schmincke' s Silver colour is soooo usefull for paint fireworks...✨👾🛸

Thank you for reinforcing how most of us paint “in the real world”. 👏👏👏👏

Teoh absolutely does great reviews!,

this guy doing watercolor sketches on printer paper...

All the 3 brands Schmincke and D Graham are also expansiv…thanx for video..

Your camera is too shaky

Thank you so much.

My experience with DS are the amazing colors with granulation and color shifting/blending properties. Try Green Gold, Bloodstone, quin sienna…. They are amazing for landscapes and textures. Those are just three but those made me switch to Daniel Smith from any other brand. I love Daniel Smith products.

Pigments and Arabic gom, and a drop of glycerin, voila that is watercolor paint easy to make at home , instead of spending hundreds of dollars or euro for name brands , those compagnies laugh there way to the bank .

Just what I needed.. thanks

Six years have passed since this video was posted, but I want to note that Daniel Smiths paints are considerably less expensive to buy in the US than European brands like Schmincke and Winsor & Newton. The opposite will be true if you live outside of the US. Of course, certain colors/series will be markedly more expensive than others (e.g., Potter's Pink, Lapis Lazuli, etc), but that's true of any brand. Da Vinci is another great US brand.

I’ve used the Australian made Art Spectrum which are hard and crack and not easy to reconstitute, I bought a few Daniel Smith and so far they are the best, so easy to reconstitute with a bit of water, I’ll be changing over to them. I find the Windsor and Newton very expensive as they are in 5 ml compared to the Daniel Smith for 15mm at the same price.

Something I didn't mention in the video, which I wish I had, is that Daniel Smith, like many other brands, offers sample "dot cards" which are a great, inexpensive way to try before you buy, to get a tactile feel for their paints and their quality. :)