DS Watercolor Sticks

lalflen · #1 09-03-2012, 08:24 PM

I decided to do something different this weekend, so got out my Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks and went to town. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures while it was still light, so the paper does not show up BRIGHT WHITE like it should. Take a look and let me know what you think. BTW, DS WC Sticks are so much better than ArtBars...

This painting is on Yupo 9 x 12

The next two are Canson WC paper 98 lb?

Have a GREAT Week!

Studio-1-F · #2 09-04-2012, 09:21 AM

Nice! (I really like the moose head! Very regal! Where were you? At the zoo?) Can you add some more detail to this please? ---> "BTW, DS WC Sticks are so much better than ArtBars..."

Why? Define "better". What about the DS sticks is better than the ArtBars? Is there a difference in the pigment load? The binder effects? What? More detail, please! Thanks.

Jan

**KreativeK** · #3 09-04-2012, 12:04 PM

Nice effects with these, Linda! Tell us how the sticks are different from the bars.

JPQ · #4 09-06-2012, 08:19 AM

at least one thing with these is better we know pigments somehow is nice use products what tell pigments

. Same reason i like idea of Cran D'ache NeoArt and currently we also have pigment info somewhere for Neocolor II what i currently use and my sample ArtBar.

**olliewood0702** · #5 09-06-2012, 02:18 PM

Nice little paintings here Linda. I really like the flower one.

lalflen · #6 09-06-2012, 07:17 PM

Thank you all for the nice comments. Here are the reasons that I love Daniel Smith watercolor sticks. First, they are loaded with pigment. When you add a little water, they just explode. You can see that on the moose. DS WC sticks come in beautiful, color fast colors. They are fun to use for drawing (see moose and sand crane). If you want to drip them in water, you can apply them with a palette knife. I drew a bead of color on the back side of a palette knife and just squished it against the Yupo paper (see flower). That is why I like the DS WC sticks. They are so juicy.
The Art Bar are stiffer, and crumble a bit easier. They make a thicker mark when wet, but the color doesn't bleed like the WC sticks. They work more like traditional watercolor crayons. They are not as workable as the DS WCs. I could not get them moist enough to work with a palette knife. Also, I bought the 24 set and was disappointed with the color assortment (6 pastel colors).
What I would like to do, is paint the same picture with the two different brands. That would show why my techniques work better with the DS WC Sticks
But it still is a very personal preference.

Have a great night!

Studio-1-F · #7 09-07-2012, 01:14 PM

Thanks for the details, Linda! Very helpful. It sounds as if the ArtBars are a little more 'waxy' and a little less like bars of pure color. I, for one, would LOVE to see the same picture painted with the two different brands. That'd be very interesting. Let's see!!

I like this too: "If you want to drip them in water, you can apply them with a palette knife. I drew a bead of color on the back side of a palette knife and just squished it against the Yupo paper (see flower)."

Gonna go try that right now!

Jan

lalflen · #8 09-23-2012, 06:31 PM

Hi All,

I have been out of it for a few weeks and this week won't be much better! BUT I thought that I would get myself primed up with a few little pieces.
The first is done with Art Bars. You can see that even when applied wet, the Art Bars do not dissolve. They definitely have a more linear look. When I was playing with them, I even thought to myself, these aren't too bad for sketching. See it was a GOOD thing to do a side by side of these two products.

Here is the DS Watercolor Stick version. Compare the colors. The DS Sticks are more vibrant and the sticks are dissolve more easily.

Take a look at the trees i the background and the foreground. I think that the DS Watercolor Sticks are definitely more painterly.
As always, that is just my opinion!

Have a great week! Paint up a STORM!

big foot · #9 09-28-2012, 03:53 PM

(Hi.. I used to lurk and post on these forums but went away..Wet Canvas is a great site. This is a good thread. ..)

Linda.. lovely paintings. I especially like the Moose and Crane. Your use of greens is cool too - in the barn pieces and the patch where the Crane is standing. And your skies are beautiful too. All very good.

It was great that you did a straight comparison with your barn painting. That really highlights the differences.

I agree that Daniel Smith WC sticks are terrific far better quality than Caran d'Ache and other watercolor sticks/crayons. $8.49 is a better price than $12.49 - what DS charged for these until earlier this year. But Lyra and Caran d'Ache do offer an impressive range of colors. I wish DS offered a bigger watercolor stick palette.

The pigment in DS watercolor sticks is just as vibrant and dense as out of their conventional watercolor tubes. It's very very concentrated. A tiny bit goes a long way. I've had my sticks for at least 2 years and I am sure they will last at last 2-3 more. The Quinacridones and the Primatek colors are an especially good deal in stick form compared to the tube prices, e.g. Serpentine, Sodalite, Hematite, Piemontite.

The link below goes to a series of videos on the WC sticks (DS sponsored).. They are produced by an artist who uses the sticks in a lot of different ways some of which Linda pointed out. These videos may be of interest..just to see what else you can do with them.

http://www.danielsmith.com/content--id-233

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