I love these. I ordered 3 colors from the primatek line (they are way cheaper than the tubes for eat you get) and I cut chunks off an put them in full pans. mine came in a cardboard box with a divided foam insert at no extra cost from blick art materials. the sticks were $8 each there and they claim to have 3 full pans worth per stick! I hope they come out with more colors! they are all priced the same so it us a good way to get the higher series colors for less.
I got Serpentine Genuine and Sodalite from the Primatek line and Cobalt Teal and YES! they are really intense and amaine than they granulate just like the tube counterparts (as swatched from a dot card) and since they are higher series paints they were a steal, why pay for extra water and a tube? I highly recommend them. I bet they can justify the lower price because there is no damage in shipping (no tubes to bust open) and of course a paper wrapper is cheaper packaging than a tube. As a teacher I love these because can split the cost of the colors (instead of buying lesser quality sets of student paint) and I prefer to paint from a pan vs a tube so they are already dry and ready to go. Love your reviews as always!
Thank you! I like the idea of getting a couple of the Pimateks that way as the tubes are crazy expensive in the UK and the sticks seem more reasonable.
I bought one (Serpentine) because I wanted to try the color, but the stick was much less expensive than the tube. I cut a piece off to put in a full pan in my travel box. Works like a dream.
I've sliced mine around 2.5 mm in size and put the slices into a watercolour pan or pallette, I put a little bit of water in the bottom and gently pressed down when the water dries the slice sticks then I wrap the stick in parchment paper...it really works!
@ladyinblack3398 my comment was 7 years ago and your reply is wrong ,ask yourself how Many mm make one cm please educate yourself before you make a snotty reply
I’ve only just tried these, 7 years after this video was made. It’s possible that they have reformulated them, but my climate is also dramatically different from yours, I think. None of the sticks were soft at all - in fact, I initially thought that I wouldn’t be able to draw with them because they were too hard and seemed to make scratchy, light marks. What I realized was that I just needy a toothy paper (cold press watercolor paper works well) and to wear through the outer layer, similar to how you sometimes have to wear through the harder outer layer of a dry pastel before it will go on smoothly. They can certainly be cut up to go in a palette, as everyone says, but I don’t really have a need for that. They work very well dry on wet paper, as a drawing medium. They also do work well dry on dry, but don’t layer well. I think the best use for dry on dry is for a preliminary sketch before going in with water. They are versatile, but you have to have a use for them and not everyone does. I received them as a gift and they are challenging me to find some new ways of working.
I have a sample I received at an art store of Permanent Alizarin Crimson. After just putting it in my palette and using it like a pan I loved it. I then purchased later Phthalo Turquoise and Sodalite. I love to use them in a pan and they last so much longer than putting tube in the pans. I fully intend on buying more when I need them. I have an obsession with Daniel Smith Watercolors and have found the sticks to be quite a lot cheaper than the tubes since they are pure pigment. Being all pigment you aren't spending more on the binders. Well done Teoh! I love your videos.
I bought one color because it was on sale for $2.50! I just cut a piece of it and put it in my palette and it works just the same as cake watercolor. I'm thrilled and will be buying more, since as Lindsay said, the sticks can be more economical than the tubes.
I love the ds pigment sticks. You can also cut them into smaller pieces and add to a full or half pan and use that way since they are straight pigments.
What a puzzling product. What is the purpose of having them in stick form if they're too soft to draw with? Do they rewet better than dried tube paint?
you draw with them with a light touch and then wet with brush or put a wet brush to the crayon with a light touch.. he is pressing too hard; they are not meant to be used that way.
I see this is an old video, but my local art supply store just recently got some in, so I was looking into them. According to the Daniel Smith website, they're 12 mL, which isn't much less than 15 mL tubes.
I watched this video having bought three sticks and being unsure how to use them. They break up very easily and I dislike them. If I had watched your demo first I would have saved myself over £30!! I thought they'd be a drawing product which could be used with water added to the drawing. As a professional product I think they're pretty terrible but I appreciate you showing their properties. I don't see the point of them, frankly. You gave it your best shot! Thank you Teoh.
I agree, they are very economical. I use Daniel Smith sticks as as pans and love them - they dissolve well and the colours are intense as you say. I've heard they can melt in warm humid climates, but I haven't had mine long enough to experience that yet (I live in the subtropics in Australia, and summer is on it's way). Thanks for the review.
Yes, I suspect it is much more humid where you are. I store mine in the fridge in plastic bags and might have to keep the palette in there when not in use during summer. Thanks for responding.
It's never that cold where I am, but I got my DS sticks in winter and they were hard even though we had a fairly wet season. I've heard that about M Graham too. For some that's part of the attraction, but not so great if you want to travel I suppose.
I haven't been able to buy myself art supplies for quite a long time so I stick to my wacom tablet. I absolutely adore your videos and appreciate you keeping me up to date on all of these wonderful tools! Ahhh! I want to use everything you post haha :)
I think these are Daniel Smith's alternative to selling full or half pans, they suggest how many full pans they are equivalent to in their advertising. They really do seem awfully messy when used as a crayon.
This is a very helpful video! I just got a Daniel Smith Watercolor Stick in a subscription art box and this was exactly the type of video I was looking for. I will definitely be using the splatter technique with it.
Teoh, I know your choice on the watercolor sticks were Hansa Yellow Medium, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue and French Ultramarine. My questions are: 1. If I want to get the primary colors which blue should I pick? 2. If I want to go by primary color CYM system, will these color close enough: Phthalo Blue red shade PB15, Hansa yellow medium PY97 and opera pink PR122. 3. For the yellow, (or should I pick Hansa Yellow Light PY3 (better since it's a single pigment, instead rather than cadmium yellow light hue which is mix of PY3, PY53 and PY138) So sorry for a very long questions. Please let me know. Thank you.....
+J o'rilley Hi, I suggest you check out the Daniel Smith Essentials set of six colours. They can mix most secondary colours in vibrancy. There is no such thing as perfect primary colours, yellow red and blue, that can mix all the colours you want. For example, I can suggest Hansa Yellow, Quinacridone Magenta and French Ultramarine to you, but this set will not be able to mix vibrant orange. If I suggest Hansa Yellow, Perylene Red and Phthalo Blue, this set can get vibrant orange but not vibrant purple. Do not use Opera Pink because it is fugitive Hansa Yellow is a good yellow to start with. Cadmium paints are not transparent and not easy to mix with other colours without producing muddy lifeless colours.
Wow, thank you so much for replying my questions in such depth. I just watched your new video about fugitive colors. Reading and watching too many infos from others really confused me until I saw your tutorials and everything from color mixing to sketching concepts just make sense. Again, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH...
I never expected anyone would want to use them as crayons ! I think how you used them last was ideal, just with the brush. The usp I guess is transportation. No need for palette if you like to use directly onto paper and they take up small space.
you demonstrated using them like crayon, is that how Daniel Smith recommends their use?? I thought they were created to transport well, and use with water, dipping the wet brush onto the stick directly
here in my country. the sticks are placed in half pans, or full pans. So you can arrange the watercolor in another box. and when we get the colors, we use wet brush and paint like it was from tube.
Teoh Yi Chie No. the sticks are whole. some artists cut them to fit them in half pans. in that way its easy to carry around without having sticks sticking when wet. And when I tried using the sticks, I paint normally, i just use a wet brush and get paint.
Thank you! I’m going to proceed with caution… I’m going to order one and try it out because I really like the idea of using it as a crayon but looks like there’s too many downsides to that.
Two words... I want! The DS sticks look like great fun. I am putting them on my list of future art supplies and I will use them like pans. I especially like the splatter effect. Thanks! This is just the video I was hoping for ever since the WN watercolor stick review:-)
I have 4 of the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks. I find them much easier to use if I do not use them wet. I will color them onto watercolor paper then instead of using a brush to blend the color, I will grab an unscented baby wipe. For me, that works much better. My sticks do not appear to be as soft as the ones that you have. Even when I want to use the color straight from the stick, I still have to use a lot of pressure to grind the sticks onto a plate. My colors are Cobalt Blue, New Gamboge, Quinacridone Coral, and Indanthrone Blue. When I first got them, I tried them on watercolor paper and had a real hard time getting the colors to blend out using a brush full of water. I did discover that I could use them fairly well with mixed media painting and getting the colors to blend out by gently rubbing with a baby wipe. I use a baby wipe to blend my gel sticks on watercolor paper or 130 lb field journal paper.
Teoh Yi Chie I think that is a possibility. Humidity helps to keep watercolor paper wet longer. It's dry here. In summer it is hot and dry. I always have to add water to my paper to keep it damp. I keep a spray bottle handy just for that. I wonder if people who live in other humid areas experience the same as you with your DS watercolor sticks.
OMG you are very hard on these fine art pigments. I could probably paint ten A4 size paintings with the amount you wasted in the shavings. i use mine by wetting with the brush, or by lightly touching them on the paper as you showed. They are so handy to take out en plein air. I love them as they really high in pigments as you said. Just do not shut them away wet in your tin, when I get home I leave them out to dry completely. I am sure your climate in Singapore is not helping. No negatives for me, I love them.
If picking up the color directly from the stick is the only way to use them I'd rather go for tubes or pans. What's the point of buying sticks if you can't use them on the paper?
I have just come from your digger sketch using these sticks - you cut them up and put them into pans and mentioned that the binder had started to leech out of them as they were too soft - I am in Queensland Australia and was intending on buying the DS sticks purely based on price compared to the tubes (much more affordable way to buy them here) and I wanted to cut them and use them in pans anyway. In your experience does the binder being on the outside of the sticks affect the use of them in anyway at all? Thank you!
I bought mine from Arters ( arters.com.sg/store/ ) Remember to buy the storage case. arters.com.sg/store/boxes-and-palettes/632-watercolor-stick-pastel-storage-case.html They have free shipping for SGD $80 purchase.
I thought that the idea is that you treat the sticks as if they were pans and you apply a damp or wet brush to the end of the stick and then apply by brush to the paper - a lot less mess than in your demo. 😱 "Daniel Smith Watercolour Sticks offer rich, vibrant colour and the same pure artists' pigments as their Extra Fine Watercolour Paint Tubes. They are very portable and long-lasting, and they make excellent plein air painting tools. Each stick is packed with pure pigment and produces vibrant, strong colour when wet - or use them dry to build texture. The sticks can also be used like a traditional pan colour. You can wet your watercolour brush and lift colour directly from the surface of the stick. Each stick offers exceptional value as a stick is approx. equivalent to 3 whole pans of watercolour. The sticks can be cut down and inserted into empty half pans to use as you would a traditional pan watercolour." (Jacksons Art)
It's been a while since you've gotten your watercolor stick sets, I'm curious if you've used them and enjoy them or do they sit in the box? I'm about to order and try both Winsor Newton and D.S sets
@@teohyc Would you recommend sticks in a pan as opposed to filling up a pan with paint from a tube? I am looking to buy new paints and am undecided about which form to buy the paints in as they are available in stick and tube form! Thanks in advance!
@@teohyc I'm asking because I was under the impression that the sticks last much longer than the tubes due to the heavy pigmentation. And lovely videos btw, I've just recently discovered your videos and you make such great reviews and go over alot of different aspects clearly!!
You can cut them up and put them into your empty pans and just use them as normal water colour. It’s actually a lot cleaner than working with traditional wc
I didn't know you were meant to be used like you have demonstrated...I thought the stick form was just for portability!! HA!! Thanks for clearing that up. I think I will steer clear of this product. They are beautiful artist eye candy though! HA! Thanks for all your videos. So helpful!! Just subscribed to your channel!!
+Poke87 Mon Nope. There are others who have tested the lightfastness and Daniel Smith is quite good in that aspect. There are some colours that perform worse, of course.
Teoh Yi Chie Thank you! (The notification I got on my phone because of this nearly took the out of me, I don't know what time it is in where you are but over here it is almost 1 in the morning ;-;)
I have cut chunks of these sticks and use them in half pans, they are not very good to try to draw with. The texture is terrible..they are intense colors..
You sureley managed to be extra messy. AND YOUR STICKS ARE TOTALLY MUTILATED. I THINK THIS IS PURELEY DUE TO YOUR EXTRA HUMID CLIMATE IN SINGAPORE. I AM IN THE NORTHERN USA AND EVEN IN THE VERY HOT FIRE SEASON IN THE SUMMER THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO MY WATERCOLOR STICKS.
Some of the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks are better for direct drawing than others in their line. Since some of the sticks are made from different minerals and pigments, they will behave like wax pastels or crayons... and some do not! For example, I love DS's Moonglow color, and the paint has 3 different pigments in it. The stick version pretty much won't behave like the tube paint... Moonglow has this tendancy to dry and granulate in a 3-color range. But the Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet stick acted much like a crayon... but do not wet them first! You should only treat them as pan-in-a-stick form. Daniel Smith paints are overall amazing.
I simply don't understand the point of these sticks, same with WN's watercolor markers. They all just seem like a waste of money that could've been spent on quality pans or tube paint. Great review though. Thanks!
they are quite valuable for several reasons but they may not be for you... that does not mean a lot of other people will not find them useful! Much easier to use than tubes as they have absolutely no waste and you don't have to deal with the gooey resin that collects when you open the tube or waste becasue you can't get all the paint out of the tube, perforated tubes, dried out tubes etc. Great replacement for half and full pans and cheaper, The ONLY problem I have with them is keeping the colors straight when ou have removed all of most of the lable. The paint quality, color selection and usefullness is fantastic.
1 stick can produce about 5 half pans and the pigment load is quite high, about 1.6 times a 15 ml tube of the paint. It's an interesting alternative to drying out tube paint for travel palettes.
Rain 008 they're not useless. They're best used cut into pans (they are more economical than tubes) or using a wet brush on them then painting instead of drawing with them.
It's actually quite worthwhile to cut them into pans. Check out this blog post janeblundellart.blogspot.sg/2016/09/using-daniel-smith-watercolour-sticks.html
I love these. I ordered 3 colors from the primatek line (they are way cheaper than the tubes for eat you get) and I cut chunks off an put them in full pans. mine came in a cardboard box with a divided foam insert at no extra cost from blick art materials. the sticks were $8 each there and they claim to have 3 full pans worth per stick! I hope they come out with more colors! they are all priced the same so it us a good way to get the higher series colors for less.
Which are the three colors? Are they intense?
I got Serpentine Genuine and Sodalite from the Primatek line and Cobalt Teal and YES! they are really intense and amaine than they granulate just like the tube counterparts (as swatched from a dot card) and since they are higher series paints they were a steal, why pay for extra water and a tube? I highly recommend them. I bet they can justify the lower price because there is no damage in shipping (no tubes to bust open) and of course a paper wrapper is cheaper packaging than a tube. As a teacher I love these because can split the cost of the colors (instead of buying lesser quality sets of student paint) and I prefer to paint from a pan vs a tube so they are already dry and ready to go. Love your reviews as always!
Now I'm tempted to try them :-P
Thank you! I like the idea of getting a couple of the Pimateks that way as the tubes are crazy expensive in the UK and the sticks seem more reasonable.
@@RiverSkyeAndMe yes. It works well!
I bought one (Serpentine) because I wanted to try the color, but the stick was much less expensive than the tube. I cut a piece off to put in a full pan in my travel box. Works like a dream.
Good idea
I have heard that Serpentine genuine is much less granulating than from the tube. Have you compared the two?
Exactly how they are meant to be used. They aren't for drawing.
Thats the way I use them too
That's a great idea!
You can buy the long ice cube trays from the dollar store to keep them in.
Do they come with a lid?
I've sliced mine around 2.5 mm in size and put the slices into a watercolour pan or pallette, I put a little bit of water in the bottom and gently pressed down when the water dries the slice sticks then I wrap the stick in parchment paper...it really works!
I shall have to do that too since mine's really too soft to work with like a stick.
let me know how it works out for you!
Not mm you meant cm
@ladyinblack3398 my comment was 7 years ago and your reply is wrong ,ask yourself how Many mm make one cm please educate yourself before you make a snotty reply
The birds in the background are a joy -- perfect complement to your voice
Thanks ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I’ve only just tried these, 7 years after this video was made. It’s possible that they have reformulated them, but my climate is also dramatically different from yours, I think. None of the sticks were soft at all - in fact, I initially thought that I wouldn’t be able to draw with them because they were too hard and seemed to make scratchy, light marks. What I realized was that I just needy a toothy paper (cold press watercolor paper works well) and to wear through the outer layer, similar to how you sometimes have to wear through the harder outer layer of a dry pastel before it will go on smoothly. They can certainly be cut up to go in a palette, as everyone says, but I don’t really have a need for that. They work very well dry on wet paper, as a drawing medium. They also do work well dry on dry, but don’t layer well. I think the best use for dry on dry is for a preliminary sketch before going in with water. They are versatile, but you have to have a use for them and not everyone does. I received them as a gift and they are challenging me to find some new ways of working.
I have a sample I received at an art store of Permanent Alizarin Crimson. After just putting it in my palette and using it like a pan I loved it. I then purchased later Phthalo Turquoise and Sodalite. I love to use them in a pan and they last so much longer than putting tube in the pans. I fully intend on buying more when I need them. I have an obsession with Daniel Smith Watercolors and have found the sticks to be quite a lot cheaper than the tubes since they are pure pigment. Being all pigment you aren't spending more on the binders. Well done Teoh! I love your videos.
I bought one color because it was on sale for $2.50! I just cut a piece of it and put it in my palette and it works just the same as cake watercolor. I'm thrilled and will be buying more, since as Lindsay said, the sticks can be more economical than the tubes.
I love the ds pigment sticks. You can also cut them into smaller pieces and add to a full or half pan and use that way since they are straight pigments.
+Moe Joe Designs I'll probably cut them into pans since I did not buy the storage box.
What a puzzling product. What is the purpose of having them in stick form if they're too soft to draw with? Do they rewet better than dried tube paint?
They rewet very well, better than dried tube paint actually.
you draw with them with a light touch and then wet with brush or put a wet brush to the crayon with a light touch.. he is pressing too hard; they are not meant to be used that way.
Maybe for the environment? With sticks you only ever have the paper covering as opposed to the metal tube with the plastic caps.
I think they are good for traveling.
I see this is an old video, but my local art supply store just recently got some in, so I was looking into them. According to the Daniel Smith website, they're 12 mL, which isn't much less than 15 mL tubes.
Once again, you have provided both an excellent review and a demonstration of technique.
Thank you.
Thanks :-)
I watched this video having bought three sticks and being unsure how to use them. They break up very easily and I dislike them. If I had watched your demo first I would have saved myself over £30!! I thought they'd be a drawing product which could be used with water added to the drawing. As a professional product I think they're pretty terrible but I appreciate you showing their properties. I don't see the point of them, frankly. You gave it your best shot! Thank you Teoh.
I agree, they are very economical. I use Daniel Smith sticks as as pans and love them - they dissolve well and the colours are intense as you say. I've heard they can melt in warm humid climates, but I haven't had mine long enough to experience that yet (I live in the subtropics in Australia, and summer is on it's way). Thanks for the review.
+Sharon Egan It is warm and humid here. They are difficult to dry.
Yes, I suspect it is much more humid where you are. I store mine in the fridge in plastic bags and might have to keep the palette in there when not in use during summer. Thanks for responding.
Wonder how they do in chilly but humid climates. M Graham paints for example never set up here even in the winter.
It's never that cold where I am, but I got my DS sticks in winter and they were hard even though we had a fairly wet season. I've heard that about M Graham too. For some that's part of the attraction, but not so great if you want to travel I suppose.
I live in the Seattle area and have never had my feel sticky or soft. Amazing how much our climate affects our paints!
I haven't been able to buy myself art supplies for quite a long time so I stick to my wacom tablet. I absolutely adore your videos and appreciate you keeping me up to date on all of these wonderful tools! Ahhh! I want to use everything you post haha :)
Thanks for your support :-)
Ohh yay I didn’t know it was going to be you reviewing them!!! I clicked on the link from google!!! Love your videos
I think these are Daniel Smith's alternative to selling full or half pans, they suggest how many full pans they are equivalent to in their advertising. They really do seem awfully messy when used as a crayon.
Also, it seems like there is filler in the sticks? If it was just pigment and gum arabic, the consistentcy would be the same as dried tube paint.
Cut off pieces to travel with you in a travel pallet. That's what Lindsey the Frugal Crafter does. You won't contaminate your colors.
Thank you for your detailed reviews. Your videos are a great resource.
+Andrew Vaughn Thanks. 😀
Indeed! I'm binge-watching them.
Wau! I love this sticks! I will buy some colors. They also seem to be cheaper than tubes.
This is a very helpful video! I just got a Daniel Smith Watercolor Stick in a subscription art box and this was exactly the type of video I was looking for. I will definitely be using the splatter technique with it.
I feel like the best use for me for these would be to use them in pans... They seem so much better than the winsor and newton ones.
+Rebecca Nelson I guess so since they are so soft 😂 like cakes.
Teoh, I know your choice on the watercolor sticks were Hansa Yellow Medium, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue and French Ultramarine. My questions are:
1. If I want to get the primary colors which blue should I pick?
2. If I want to go by primary color CYM system, will these color close enough: Phthalo Blue red shade PB15, Hansa yellow medium PY97 and opera pink PR122.
3. For the yellow, (or should I pick Hansa Yellow Light PY3 (better since it's a single pigment, instead rather than cadmium yellow light hue which is mix of PY3, PY53 and PY138)
So sorry for a very long questions.
Please let me know. Thank you.....
+J o'rilley Hi, I suggest you check out the Daniel Smith Essentials set of six colours. They can mix most secondary colours in vibrancy.
There is no such thing as perfect primary colours, yellow red and blue, that can mix all the colours you want.
For example, I can suggest Hansa Yellow, Quinacridone Magenta and French Ultramarine to you, but this set will not be able to mix vibrant orange. If I suggest Hansa Yellow, Perylene Red and Phthalo Blue, this set can get vibrant orange but not vibrant purple.
Do not use Opera Pink because it is fugitive
Hansa Yellow is a good yellow to start with. Cadmium paints are not transparent and not easy to mix with other colours without producing muddy lifeless colours.
Wow, thank you so much for replying my questions in such depth. I just watched your new video about fugitive colors. Reading and watching too many infos from others really confused me until I saw your tutorials and everything from color mixing to sketching concepts just make sense. Again, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH...
I never expected anyone would want to use them as crayons ! I think how you used them last was ideal, just with the brush. The usp I guess is transportation. No need for palette if you like to use directly onto paper and they take up small space.
That Ultramarine blue is amazing!
Nice review - I love Daniel Smith crayons! I have a few sticks.
Thank you for such a great review. This was all very helpful to know.
you demonstrated using them like crayon, is that how Daniel Smith recommends their use?? I thought they were created to transport well, and use with water, dipping the wet brush onto the stick directly
+415 Mazer If they are shaped like crayons, I'll use them as crayons. These are not as easy to transport compared to pans and standardized boxes.
here in my country. the sticks are placed in half pans, or full pans. So you can arrange the watercolor in another box. and when we get the colors, we use wet brush and paint like it was from tube.
+Weebong They actually cut the sticks before selling?
Teoh Yi Chie No. the sticks are whole. some artists cut them to fit them in half pans. in that way its easy to carry around without having sticks sticking when wet. And when I tried using the sticks, I paint normally, i just use a wet brush and get paint.
do you review Grumbacher Academy? I like them. Hope to see your comments and review. Thanks much.
I've not used those before. Perhaps in the future.
Thank you! I’m going to proceed with caution… I’m going to order one and try it out because I really like the idea of using it as a crayon but looks like there’s too many downsides to that.
Two words... I want! The DS sticks look like great fun. I am putting them on my list of future art supplies and I will use them like pans. I especially like the splatter effect. Thanks! This is just the video I was hoping for ever since the WN watercolor stick review:-)
Remember to get the proper storage case.
Thanks for the reminder. I just ordered one.
How would you compare them to the Neo color II from caran d'ache?
I've not used Caran d'ache. But Neo Color II and I are very good crayons. They are easy to apply and colours are strong.
I have 4 of the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks. I find them much easier to use if I do not use them wet. I will color them onto watercolor paper then instead of using a brush to blend the color, I will grab an unscented baby wipe. For me, that works much better.
My sticks do not appear to be as soft as the ones that you have. Even when I want to use the color straight from the stick, I still have to use a lot of pressure to grind the sticks onto a plate.
My colors are Cobalt Blue, New Gamboge, Quinacridone Coral, and Indanthrone Blue. When I first got them, I tried them on watercolor paper and had a real hard time getting the colors to blend out using a brush full of water. I did discover that I could use them fairly well with mixed media painting and getting the colors to blend out by gently rubbing with a baby wipe. I use a baby wipe to blend my gel sticks on watercolor paper or 130 lb field journal paper.
It's probably the humidity here that's causing my sticks to become soft. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Teoh Yi Chie
I think that is a possibility. Humidity helps to keep watercolor paper wet longer. It's dry here. In summer it is hot and dry. I always have to add water to my paper to keep it damp. I keep a spray bottle handy just for that. I wonder if people who live in other humid areas experience the same as you with your DS watercolor sticks.
Yes it's your humidity, I've just bought five to test and they are rock hard here in England :D
thank you for these reviews! always v helpful :)
This was very useful! Thank you.
I wonder if putting them in the refrigerator for awhile would harden them up a bit? I love the intensity. Thank you.
+Janis Vogt I guess that would help, but it would turn soft again. More importantly, I hope no one mistakes them for candy and eat them. 😂😅
Ha,ha.....with my granddaughter, that's a possibility....so no refrigerator.
OMG you are very hard on these fine art pigments. I could probably paint ten A4 size paintings with the amount you wasted in the shavings. i use mine by wetting with the brush, or by lightly touching them on the paper as you showed. They are so handy to take out en plein air. I love them as they really high in pigments as you said. Just do not shut them away wet in your tin, when I get home I leave them out to dry completely. I am sure your climate in Singapore is not helping. No negatives for me, I love them.
+LibellulaGlass I like these, just that some colours become soft in humid climate.
I like them too, just have to keep them in the fridge with my lipsticks in the summer! I like your reviews. Thanks.
If picking up the color directly from the stick is the only way to use them I'd rather go for tubes or pans. What's the point of buying sticks if you can't use them on the paper?
Thomas S. you get a better deal and stronger pigment so you could shape the stick into a half pan and use it like a regular watercolor
great information thank you !
you are on top of all the great reviews!! great job! I may put those in my travel box,,, hum,,, thanks for your video.
Thanks -)
Thanks for this nice and complete review. Love from France, Marjorie
I have just come from your digger sketch using these sticks - you cut them up and put them into pans and mentioned that the binder had started to leech out of them as they were too soft - I am in Queensland Australia and was intending on buying the DS sticks purely based on price compared to the tubes (much more affordable way to buy them here) and I wanted to cut them and use them in pans anyway. In your experience does the binder being on the outside of the sticks affect the use of them in anyway at all? Thank you!
+Little Cherry Hill The binder does not affect the colours. Anyway, you can wipe them off the surface.
Thanks for getting back to me :)
Hi.
Thanks for this review!
Very helpful.
hi teoh, how much did you manage to purchase them for? do you know if they are available in physical stores in singapore? thanks!
I bought mine from Arters ( arters.com.sg/store/ )
Remember to buy the storage case. arters.com.sg/store/boxes-and-palettes/632-watercolor-stick-pastel-storage-case.html
They have free shipping for SGD $80 purchase.
I love how you're making use of that sketchbook you don't like and use it for reviews lately :) I don't like it eighter...
Waste not. :-P
Hi, Does quality of stick difference from tube?
Perhaps there is filler in it? Or another binding agent?
Is Cobalt Blue stick a bit smaller in diameter than other ones?
+ulutiu They are all the same sizd
singapore tropical humidity is truly the killer of soft art supplies (and waterpaper sizing)
great review! thanx
+Suzala Suzala Thanks 😬
I thought that the idea is that you treat the sticks as if they were pans and you apply a damp or wet brush to the end of the stick and then apply by brush to the paper - a lot less mess than in your demo. 😱
"Daniel Smith Watercolour Sticks offer rich, vibrant colour and the same pure artists' pigments as their Extra Fine Watercolour Paint Tubes. They are very portable and long-lasting, and they make excellent plein air painting tools. Each stick is packed with pure pigment and produces vibrant, strong colour when wet - or use them dry to build texture. The sticks can also be used like a traditional pan colour. You can wet your watercolour brush and lift colour directly from the surface of the stick. Each stick offers exceptional value as a stick is approx. equivalent to 3 whole pans of watercolour. The sticks can be cut down and inserted into empty half pans to use as you would a traditional pan watercolour." (Jacksons Art)
Thank you for the quote from a reliable source!
It's been a while since you've gotten your watercolor stick sets, I'm curious if you've used them and enjoy them or do they sit in the box? I'm about to order and try both Winsor Newton and D.S sets
I don't use them much. I've cut them into small pieces to put in pans to use them as watercolour pans instead.
@@teohyc thank you appreciate very much xo
@@teohyc Would you recommend sticks in a pan as opposed to filling up a pan with paint from a tube? I am looking to buy new paints and am undecided about which form to buy the paints in as they are available in stick and tube form! Thanks in advance!
@@ashwinig2048 There's no reason to get the stick unless you want to use it in stick form
@@teohyc I'm asking because I was under the impression that the sticks last much longer than the tubes due to the heavy pigmentation.
And lovely videos btw, I've just recently discovered your videos and you make such great reviews and go over alot of different aspects clearly!!
The Windsor Newton watercolour sticks link?
ruclips.net/video/zzAsthrmzzM/видео.html
You can cut them up and put them into your empty pans and just use them as normal water colour. It’s actually a lot cleaner than working with traditional wc
I didn't know you were meant to be used like you have demonstrated...I thought the stick form was just for portability!! HA!! Thanks for clearing that up. I think I will steer clear of this product. They are beautiful artist eye candy though! HA! Thanks for all your videos. So helpful!! Just subscribed to your channel!!
They are still worth the money if you use them as pans.
Can I buy these individually
Yes
I can hear cute wild bird sounds while watching you video ^_^
Have you ever tested out lightfastness?
+Poke87 Mon Nope. There are others who have tested the lightfastness and Daniel Smith is quite good in that aspect. There are some colours that perform worse, of course.
Teoh Yi Chie
Thank you! (The notification I got on my phone because of this nearly took the out of me, I don't know what time it is in where you are but over here it is almost 1 in the morning ;-;)
Do you prefer DS to WN?
For sticks, DS is better unless you're looking for drier sticks
It’s not a drawing tool. It’s watercolor paint in stick form. Hope you’ve got them in pans now!
I just cut them and put them in pans. Much cheaper way to try DS paints and as almost get as much as their 15ml tube.
love using derwent artbars.
Those are pretty good.
I have cut chunks of these sticks and use them in half pans, they are not very good to try to draw with. The texture is terrible..they are intense colors..
Very helpful. After seeing this, I think I'll stick to tubes. These look really annoying to work with.
You sureley managed to be extra messy. AND YOUR STICKS ARE TOTALLY MUTILATED. I THINK THIS IS PURELEY DUE TO YOUR EXTRA HUMID CLIMATE IN SINGAPORE. I AM IN THE NORTHERN USA AND EVEN IN THE VERY HOT FIRE SEASON IN THE SUMMER THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO MY WATERCOLOR STICKS.
Ufff me da un poco. De miedo,😅 però compraré. Un par de barras para pobrar 😊
Are you in a humid environment?
Yes, very humid
@@teohyc I’m sure that could affect the texture of the sticks. I have problems where I live, even with my paper!
I'm sad to see they are so soft. Thank you for the information.
At Cheap Joes:
Price difference:
Tube (15ml)
$10.34 / 15ml
= 0.68933333333333 / ml
Stick (12ml)
$8.74 / 12ml
= 0.72833333333333 / ml
Not much difference
@@teohyc Yeah, good price! Great video, Teoh!
I would just cut them and use it in a half pans. I wish Daniel Smith made sets like that not in the tubes.
What a disaster. I'm glad you reviewed these, so that I can save my money for something else, for example, DS paints in tubes.
Some of the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks are better for direct drawing than others in their line. Since some of the sticks are made from different minerals and pigments, they will behave like wax pastels or crayons... and some do not! For example, I love DS's Moonglow color, and the paint has 3 different pigments in it. The stick version pretty much won't behave like the tube paint... Moonglow has this tendancy to dry and granulate in a 3-color range. But the Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet stick acted much like a crayon... but do not wet them first! You should only treat them as pan-in-a-stick form. Daniel Smith paints are overall amazing.
Great drawing but not so impressed with the sticks. I have Winsor and Newton sticks and they work really well.
Don't you find the intensity of WN sticks to be lacking? Well DS sticks are too soft unfortunately.
They are a little muted at times but when you wet an area and then use them on the wet paper, they become quite vibrant.
The blue on textures like hashish...have you ever tried to put it on a bong? Some say the smoke granulates 😂😂😂
use it like a pan not a crayon. don't draw with it. wet it with a brush and paint like using a pan.
making luxury pasto effect.
don't press down so much. use a light touch
Зашла после видео Julia Bart
These are very nice things to have but I wouldnt come close to them as they are pure pigments and some of them are really dangerous (etc Cadmium)
+Samermc9 Daniel Smith does not have Cadmium colours in their range.
oh wow thats awesome
Hmm... I don't get it. xD
You're supposed to use a brush to apply, not apply like a crayon
They don't rewet well with brush too. Crayons should be used as crayons. Watercolour pans already exist.
@@teohyc Mine are awesome. They are very easily rewetted. It's all about preference.
I dont see anything good about these. I'll stick to my tubes.
I simply don't understand the point of these sticks, same with WN's watercolor markers.
They all just seem like a waste of money that could've been spent on quality pans or tube paint.
Great review though. Thanks!
they are quite valuable for several reasons but they may not be for you... that does not mean a lot of other people will not find them useful! Much easier to use than tubes as they have absolutely no waste and you don't have to deal with the gooey resin that collects when you open the tube or waste becasue you can't get all the paint out of the tube, perforated tubes, dried out tubes etc. Great replacement for half and full pans and cheaper, The ONLY problem I have with them is keeping the colors straight when ou have removed all of most of the lable. The paint quality, color selection and usefullness is fantastic.
You are pressing way too hard. A light touch to the paper with.the stick for drawing or a light touch with a wet brush to the stick does the trick.
What a horrible product. It's completely useless. I rather stick to pans or tubes.
1 stick can produce about 5 half pans and the pigment load is quite high, about 1.6 times a 15 ml tube of the paint. It's an interesting alternative to drying out tube paint for travel palettes.
Rain 008 they're not useless. They're best used cut into pans (they are more economical than tubes) or using a wet brush on them then painting instead of drawing with them.
InLiquidColor cut into pans... Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?
It's actually quite worthwhile to cut them into pans. Check out this blog post janeblundellart.blogspot.sg/2016/09/using-daniel-smith-watercolour-sticks.html
Teoh Yi Chie sw