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  • #449016
    atmoshpere74
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        Hello I am just wondering if anyone has any experience/opinions working with Da Vinci watercolors. They seem to have a good price point for artist grade paints. How do they mix, rewet were you happy with them etc? How do they compare to say Daniel Smith or other brands you’ve used? I noticed on a couple of their pigments they were different than the actual color of Daniel Smith which seems to use the true pigment(exact name) not sure if this even matters I’m a beginner, I’m assuming its better to have the true pigment for mixing?

        Davinci Cerulean Blue Genuine PB36—Cobalt Chromite Blue Green Spinel
        DS Cerulean Blue PB35—Cerulean Blue
        DS Cerulean Blue Chromium PB36—Cobalt Chromite Blue Green Spinel (This one matched)

        Davinci Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone PV19—Quinacridone Violet
        DS Alizarin Crimson PR83—Alizarin Crimson

        How important are these pigment code differences for mixing colors? I was hoping DV had a true Alizarin Crimson PR83 but its actually Quinacridone Violet PV19

        Any Input on this brand and these pigment code differences? Should I just buy a true Aliz. Crimson PR83 or will PV19 do the same thing? Same with the cerulean blue PB35 will Cerulean Blue Genuine PB36 do the same when it comes to mixes? Im new to all these pigment codes and how they work together. Thank you in advance. Happy painting

        #540265

        Da Vinci is my “go to” brand even though I have other brands on my palette based on their colour and behaviour. The Centre where I teach, buys it exclusively for our Students. It’s highly pigmented and a very good value, priced per ml.

        I prefer the cerulean blue PB36 over other brands because of its slight green bias. And I also like that their permanent alizarin is a single pigment, albeit a violet.

        Never buy PR83. It will fade away in a short amount of time. It’s well known that it is very fugitive.

        Char --

        CharMing Art -- "Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." Leonardo DaVinci

        #540266

        The pigment designation does not determine the precise color. For example, PV19 can vary from violet to cool red. PR83 also can vary widely in color. By the way, PR83 is fugitive, while PV19 is lightfast.

        Generally, colors from two different manufacturers may have the same name and pigment designation but be entirely different.

        I don’t know how DV Cerulean Blue PB36 compares to DS Cerulean Blue PB35. I do know that Da Vinci is good paint.

        You can find all you need to know about pigments at the Handprint site.

        C&C is welcome.
        Richard

        #540289
        atmoshpere74
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            Great Thanks!

            #540283
            FrankM
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                When I upgraded to artist quality pigments, I went with DaVinci. I have not been disappointed. And though I have tried other makers, I remain faithful to the brand. It’s quality is dependable, and value (in the US) is strong.

                I have found some Daniel Smith colors — outside a standard 12 color palette —
                that are more luminescent than DaVinci (and any other brand, for that matter), but for the basic palette, I have been extremely pleased.

                Enjoy!
                Frank

                FrankM

                #540271

                I’ve tried a couple of their colours and I like them. I tend to like Daniel Smith more; I guess I just like the way they handle. It’s not that Daniel Smith are any better, it’s just that I tend to find they click best with me. It’s probably the binder. (It’s not the J. Peterman marketing. :rolleyes:) But, I have no complaints about the Da Vinci and I recommend them. I also agree with everyone above, stay away from PR 83. Handprint will definitely help you with pigments. The names of the colours don’t matter too much, from a technical standpoint, because different manufacturers use whatever pigment they like, for the colour names. Some are almost always the same, like Ultramarine Blue, but some, like Indigo and Payne’s Grey could be any pigments or a mix of them. I know some folks prefer single-pigment paints, but I don’t mind multiples, most of the time. Have fun!

                :) Noelle

                #540269
                vandogh
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                    When I first started doing watercolors in 197, I took the advise of my professor and purchased Grumbacher Finest watercolors. That and W N were the only paint brands I even knew about. After a long layoff, I started again last year, and started using those same tubes of paint, even the long dried out paints in my palette worked fine. As I started to replenish my paint supply, I tried several different brands. Winsor Newton, M Graham, Turner, American Journey (which is made by Da Vinci,) and ALL of those worked just fine. I couldn’t really see much to set one above the others. I settled on Da Vinci or American Journey paints.

                    They are one of the lowest cost paints of the “Artist” quality brands out there. When you compare cost per ml. If you purchase the 37 ml tubes, they are even less expensive per ml. These larger tubes are about 25 to 30 cents a milliliter less than the same paint in the 15 ml tubes. The only brand I have found that even comes close is Lukas in a 24 ml tube.

                    Until such time as my Da Vinci (Am. Journey) paints don’t allow me to do what I want to do, I see no reason to spend more.

                    #540268
                    indraneel
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                        I have American Journey cerulean blue and alizarin crimson PV19, and they are both excellent!

                        #540288
                        LatteForZoey
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                            I absolutely love Da Vinci paints. At first I was skeptical, too, because the price per mL was so much lower than all the other watercolor brands. I started with M. Graham, and tried out Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton along the way. M. Graham was my favorite of the three, but obviously if I found something cheaper that performs just as well, then I’d want to know about it. :lol:

                            Da Vinci performs just as well as all those other artist-grade brands out there. It rewets terrifically, possibly taking just a few seconds longer than M. Graham (and MG is honey-based, which helps it to rewet within a few seconds), even after I have left them on the palette for months. Mixing ability is just as good as any other artist-grade brand I’ve tried, too. MG’s performance is still just a hair better, in my opinion, if you want that easy KAPOW! pigmentation; however, I can still make paintings that are just as vibrant and pigmented with Da Vinci paints. One major pro Da Vinci has over MG is that if you prefer to dry watercolors in pans before use, Da Vinci completely hardens within a few days to a week, just like WN and DS; MG will never completely harden. I’ve gotten paint in my hair and fingers more times than acceptable just from leaning too close to the MG paints in my palette; I don’t have to worry about that with Da Vinci.

                            I’m going to join the pitchfork crowd in the “Don’t buy PR83!” chants as well. :)

                            Colors/pigments across brands are not completely consistent, but personally, I feel like pigments with subtle differences across artist-grade brands (such as ultramarine blue, PB29) are sort of interchangeable in that they will perform roughly the same in your mixes. Others, like PV19, will vary widely in hue, so it’s probably best to either get a sample dot card if you can or just buy a tube to try out. I have complete faith that Da Vinci uses the pigment that it labels; it just looks different from the DS version. :)

                            [FONT="Book Antiqua"]-Zoey
                            #540274
                            Cyntada
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                                Da Vinci is wonderful! I have WN, Daniel Smith, M. Graham, and DV all mixed up in my palette, and it stands up equally to all the others. It also beats them all in price, at least in my area. Very happy with them. I do prefer the occasional individual pigment in other brands, but if someone told me I would only ever be able to buy DV for the rest of my life, it would not be a hardship. Go on and try them!

                                Pigment codes help eliminate confusion, because you know what you are buying when you choose a specific tube from a specific manufacturer. They also create confusion (as you have noticed) because:

                                a) some pigments come in many many variations, like all the flavors of PBr7 b) sometimes two pigments go by the same name, such as PB35 and PB36 are both Cerulean Blue.

                                In general though, it’s good to get to know those numbers. You can avoid purchasing duplicate paints, and also be forewarned when someone’s “cerulean blue” is really PB15 Pthalo Blue + white, vs. the real deal.

                                As time goes on, you’ll also learn about the subtle differences between various manufacturer’s handling of a given pigment. If one company’s ultramarine is a little more granular than everyone else’s, and you value that quality, it’s worth paying a little more for the one you like. That’s why my palette is a plethora of brands.

                                CK =)
                                I take great comfort in knowing that my genuine typos will probably be blamed on some device's autocorrect. :angel:
                                DIY art supplies, sketches, and more: cyntada.com / @cyntada
                                #540287
                                Violet Roses
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                                    I have a tube of Da Vinci watercolor and as far as I can tell it is equal in quality to the other artist-quality watercolors I have. :thumbsup:

                                    Da Vinci’s Quinacridone Alizarin Crimson (PV19) looks like a really lovely color, a cool, transparent red and I would recommend it over the unfortunately non-lightfast genuine Alizarin Crimson (PR83). PV19 in all of its various color varieties is a wonderful pigment that mixes quite well.

                                    I love mixed media!

                                    #540272
                                    virgil carter
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                                        Davinci artist-grade paint is one of the best values for the money on the market. The only other paint in the U.S. which beats the value is American Journey from Cheap Joes…it’s manufactured by Davinci!

                                        XXXX on Alizarin Crimson PR83–by any manufacturer. The pigment is known to be highly fugitive and will discolor and fade unpredictably. The permanent versions, using other pigment, are fine to use.

                                        Sling paint,
                                        Virgil

                                        Sling paint,
                                        Virgil Carter
                                        http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/

                                        #540282
                                        star fisher
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                                            Da Vinci is my first option for buying paint and forms the core of my palette. I like how they work.

                                            #540275
                                            Cyntada
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                                                Forgot to mention, I have a tube of genuine PR83 for comparison purposes – the DaVinci PV19 Alizarin substitute matches very very well. No replacement will ever be perfect, but it’s mighty close and PV19 is lightfast. :thumbsup:

                                                CK =)
                                                I take great comfort in knowing that my genuine typos will probably be blamed on some device's autocorrect. :angel:
                                                DIY art supplies, sketches, and more: cyntada.com / @cyntada
                                                #540264
                                                hblenkle
                                                Default

                                                    Given a few years of exposure to light and PR83 in a painting wont be a perfect match to it’s former self either. So the substitute is a clear winner.

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