Crayola Masterpiece

Hello Dear Readers, years ago I took a watercolor class to discover why I was having so much trouble mixing watercolor paints. On the first day I learned it was because I was using cheap paints. Paints are typically made up of pigment and a binder. Cheaper paints have more binder while expensive paints have more pigment. Since then I haven’t questioned the idea that you need good paint to make a good painting. At least until this past week.

While grocery shopping I saw all the back to school gear and spotted a cheap watercolor set. I passed it by, but got to thinking, could I make a pretty painting with a cheap set? Is it even possible? I went back and spent a little under $3 to find out.

In the interest of trying to only compare the paint, I added some controls. I painted everything in a Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media sketchbook and I committed to only using the brush that came with the cheap set. I started out by making a color chart. The top is the Crayola set, the bottom is the most equivalent Daniel Smith colors I own. I don’t actually have a convenience purple or black, so I painted in the color mix I use instead

Then the real test. I drew two strawberries and tried to paint them as similarly as I could. Can you tell which strawberry was painted with which brand?

If you guessed #1 is Crayola and #2 is Daniel Smith, you would’ve guessed better than me. When I finished I found myself liking the Crayola one better. However, I knew I was at a little bit of a disadvantage because I wasn’t painting in a palette I would’ve normally chosen for myself. I ended up painting a third strawberry using Daniel Smith in colors I would have chosen for myself. (Pyrrol Scarlet, Pyrrol Crimson, Hansa Yellow Deep, Pthalo Green (BS), Ultramarine, and Burnt Umber.)

In the end I surprised myself by still liking the Crayola strawberry the best! I enjoyed painting with Crayola and having a restrictive palette was a fun challenge. In fact the only thing I didn’t like about the set was the paint brush. The cheap brush keep losing hairs and didn’t have the good point I am accustomed to with my quill style brush.

So the big question we are left with is, are expensive paints worth the money? I think so. You get more color options and have a higher degree of control with mixing. If I were to paint a larger composition with something specific in mind, I’m sure I’d get frustrated with the limitations of this palette. What I didn’t expect was that you can paint something attractive with cheap paints too!

A Few Obsessions From This Week

1. I discovered this week and I am swooning. She is the kind of person I wish lived near me so I could nerd out about whatever latest craft obsession has taken hold. One of her latest interests is making cockaded ribbons. Guys, I want to make a cockaded ribbon now!

2. Did you know there is an antique pattern library? While looking into cockaded ribbon work I discovered this gem. There are many scanned antique craft magazines on this site and you can download them! They only ask that you keep it for personal use.

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