Who makes Cheap Joe's American Journey watercolors?

[Alfalfa11]

If any of you know the answer to the title question your response would be greatly appreciated.

[virgil carter]

It has long been thought that Da Vinci makes American Journey paints. I don't know that there has ever been any factual proof of that.

Sling paint,
Virgil

[briantmeyer]

Da Vinci makes them.

[CharM]

We have surmised that American Journey is manufactured by Da Vinci, but we do not have proof of that. And it's doubtful that the information will ever be released.

I wonder if anyone has ever used Utrecht's store brand paint and if there are any guesses as to who makes them. I did write to Utrecht, but of course they told me they couldn't divulge the manufacturer's name.

[briantmeyer]

If you look at the color names, and the ingredient pigments, it's either the exact same brand, or Cheap Joes actually had some other company copy the Da Vinci line. We have no proof as in an admission, but it just using basic reason it's highly improbable that it's not Da Vinci. There are just too many similarities when you list them out side by side, if it's not made by them, it's made to be just like them.

Utrecht is a honey based paint from what I understand, so that means its should be one of the following: Sennelier, Pip Seymour, Pebeo, Mijello, M Graham, Blockx or Kremer. Interestingly Kremer and Golden are also located in the New York area.

However they are now part of Blick, and just looking at their site I now only see blick brand paints. ( which is made by Sennelier )

[madametj]

They still sell Utrecht paint at Blick

[briantmeyer]

Thanks, found the pigments codes and names.

It's not as clear cut as american journey to da vinci, but the spring green and olive green use the same names and pigment codes as american journey. The green convenience mixes tend to vary a lot in which pigments are chosen.

Since it's honey based this limits which brands it could be. Unlike American Journey and Da Vinci the names aren't simply renamed "Joes".

Might be some editorial control going on by utrecht, I did see they use PB16 for their turquoise which is rare ( winsor newton does that, and I think one other brand ). I'd have to get all the names, pigment codes and all that listed side by side to really see if they seem to match up.

[janinco]

This is what Bruce MacEvoy says in Handprint:

"Da Vinci (reviewed October, 2009) - 106 colors, including 6 iridescent colors, 67% of them single pigment paints; the entire line is available in 15 ml. and 37 ml. tubes. Made in California (USA), Da Vinci paints are sold under the Da Vinci label ("Professional," reviewed here, and the student label "Scuola"), and as manufactured for other brands, including the Michael Wilcox "School of Colour", Gary Spetz watercolors and Cheap Joe's "American Journey" paints. The entire line was reformulated and substantially improved in 2005; and again in 2008 to improve the rewetting properties of the paints when squeezed out and dried as dry pan paints."

Jan

[CallMeCordelia]

The Utrecht website says that they make their own paints. http://www.utrechtart.com/Learning-Center---Home-g11t0.utrecht
And I think I recall Blick making a big deal out of that when they took over Utrecht. Of course, business relationships can be complicated.

Noelle

[oldmink]

I don't know who makes Cheap Joe's American Journey paints and frankly I don't care. I judge paint by the end result.

When Cheap Joe first introduced his American Journey watercolor line I up and grabbed a dozen or so tubes. I didn't like them. Some of the pigments that were supposed to be transparent were anything but. When a gob of the stuff dried out on the palette it was a real bear to rejuvenate. I gave that line of thinking up as a bad job. I went back to Winsor Newton.

Fast forward 20 or so years. This past year a 9 tube assortment of American Journey watercolors showed up at Christmas time along with a sparkling new John Pike palette.

These paints are not the same paints I used 20 years ago. They re-wet nicely and are transparent. I may have bought my last Winsor Newtons.

[Alfalfa11]

Thanks everyone for you input and comments.

[DaveCrow]

I'm not 100% sure who makes them, but I love my American Journey paints.

[hblenkle]

I use several brands of paint including American Journey. I have to look at the tube to tell which brand a color is. So American Journey is great. I don't have student paints on my regular palette.

[janinep7]

Plus one for American Journey and DaVinci. 😊

[Mimi007]

Think I'll try the Journey paints. Thanks everyone.