Is Sennelier a good brand?

Mumma4x · #1 03-19-2004, 10:57 AM

I'm perusing the DickBlick site & I'm trying to find some good watercolors. I know that many rave about W&N, but they don't seem to have many sets with the bigger tubes & that's what I want.

I really wish I was made of money. I need some good supplies & really can't afford much, unfortunately.

Thanks for any help!

Marquisina · #2 03-19-2004, 12:17 PM

Hiya

I have no experience with the Sennelier brand, but I have used the American Journey watercolors from Cheap Joe's...they're very inexpensive and come in 37 ml tubes. I like them, they have a great juiciness to them, and IMHO , compare favorably to other watercolor's. Besides that, with the tubes being so large, I don't find myself being skimpy with the paint and that makes a big difference how I approach a painting ... weird? probably, but it's just me..LOL!!!

Hope this helps you

Marqui

Mumma4x · #3 03-19-2004, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marquisina

Hiya

I have no experience with the Sennelier brand, but I have used the American Journey watercolors from Cheap Joe's...they're very inexpensive and come in 37 ml tubes. I like them, they have a great juiciness to them, and IMHO , compare favorably to other watercolor's. Besides that, with the tubes being so large, I don't find myself being skimpy with the paint and that makes a big difference how I approach a painting ... weird? probably, but it's just me..LOL!!!

Hope this helps you

Marqui

Thanks, Marqui. I appreciate your input! I need all the help I can get

Ottersong · #4 03-19-2004, 12:43 PM

If you go over to Handprint they have a run down on a bunch of the brands of paint and their good points and their drawbacks.

http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/water.html

Personally I like Daniel Smith watercolors because of their price and the size. Don't care a lot for their brushes though.

MAry MC

Mumma4x · #5 03-19-2004, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ottersong

If you go over to Handprint they have a run down on a bunch of the brands of paint and their good points and their drawbacks.

http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/water.html

Personally I like Daniel Smith watercolors because of their price and the size. Don't care a lot for their brushes though.

MAry MC

Ohhh, thanks for that link! I went to the Daniel Smith site & they have a ton of very neat colors. What are the regular ones called? I'm seeing luminescent, moonglow & such, but I just want the regular stuff. I can find 3 tubes of regular colors, but I want more than that. Any ideas? I'm so clueless when it comes to this.

Ottersong · #6 03-19-2004, 01:30 PM

Go further toward the front of the online catalogue there area ton of colors. Personally I detest their online catalogue, it only has about half of their stuff in it. Just ask for a real catalogue and thier sales catalogues, much better info. also ask for a list of their pigments and their composition, they will be glad to send it. As I run out of other brands I am replacing them with the DS brand mostly. I am going to try the Grahm paints though and see how I like them, comparing quality, price and size.

MAry Mc

Marquisina · #7 03-19-2004, 06:22 PM

I love Daniel Smith watercolors, and would have suggested them, but they're a little pricier than American Journey. If it's cost you're concerned with, the AJ's are the better deal IMHO. For an example...

Daniel Smith Cobalt Blue large tube ( 15 ml) $11.20

American Journey large tube ( 37 ml) $11.95

that's 75 cents more for 22 mls more..... seems pretty good to me.
But, DS does have some colors that AJ doesn't, and DS seems to have a pretty good reputation.
I think it's a matter of personal choice.
I have predominantly W&N, but I've been trying out different brands to see if I can find something cheaper yet just as nice to work with. Some of the AJ's colors seem grainey, which adds a nice texture, but I'm not altogether sure I like it, yet. The good thing is, Cheap Joe's has 100% money back guarantee if I'm not happy...so....
Anyway, just some more thoughts

Marqui

LOL HONEST, I'm not a salesperson for Cheap Joe's!!!

yahooserious · #8 03-19-2004, 07:15 PM

I love Maimeri, have some DaVinci that I really like, am trying MGraham (just received them) and threw away the only American Journey I had...It was too opaque and was supposed to be transparent...myartsupply.com had a recent deal ....if you ordered $50. worth of MGraham the shipping was free...I took advantage of that and they may still be doing that...

Emilie

Marquisina · #9 03-19-2004, 07:23 PM

I'd really like to try M.Graham, everyone seems to think they're wonderful, but where can I order them online?? I've checked out their website, but can't see where to order.

Marqui

yahooserious · #10 03-19-2004, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marquisina

I'd really like to try M.Graham, everyone seems to think they're wonderful, but where can I order them online?? I've checked out their website, but can't see where to order.

Marqui

Marqui....go to MyArtSupply.com.....I'm not sure who else has MGraham, but I received an order from them yesterday...

Emilie

Marquisina · #11 03-19-2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yahooserious

Marqui....go to MyArtSupply.com.....I'm not sure who else has MGraham, but I received an order from them yesterday...

Emilie

Great, thank you!

Marqui

wayfarer · #12 03-19-2004, 09:26 PM

I have a set of Sennelier watercolors. I absolutely adore their warm sepia and raw umber. They both have permanent places on my palette. The raw umber is extraordinary, warm and just beautiful. As with sap greens being different among the brands, this raw umber is unlike any other raw umber I've tried. I love it!

Have to admit too though that Daniel Smith has replaced virtual all of the other watercolors on my palette. Don't like having to do the mail order thing, but considering the service (or lack thereof) that I get at my local art store (not mentioning any names, but the initials are db), I'm happy to get the product I want without the hassle.

Chris

Marquisina · #13 03-19-2004, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayfarer

I have a set of Sennelier watercolors. I absolutely adore their warm sepia and raw umber. They both have permanent places on my palette. The raw umber is extraordinary, warm and just beautiful. As with sap greens being different among the brands, this raw umber is unlike any other raw umber I've tried. I love it!

Have to admit too though that Daniel Smith has replaced virtual all of the other watercolors on my palette. Don't like having to do the mail order thing, but considering the service (or lack thereof) that I get at my local art store (not mentioning any names, but the initials are db), I'm happy to get the product I want without the hassle.

Chris

Interesting, Chris! According to Handprint.com ( which I notice a lot of people go by)...

Quote:

Sennelier......Overall, a disappointingly substandard line of paints, with significant lightfastness and labeling problems. I tested about a third of the paints Sennelier makes. (Paint line adequately documented by manufacturer, mislabeling aside. The accuracy and clarity of paint names is fair. Tubes show color index generic name, lightfastness rating. Average unit price* at Art Supply Warehouse is $0.35, constant over the past year.)

Which supports my theory that it's pretty much a personal taste thing.

Marqui

laudesan · #14 03-20-2004, 01:45 AM

Have a look at M.Grahams HERE their paints are absolutely luscious, and there is no wastage as they never dry out in the palette.. and they are 15ml tubes...

Do a GOOGLE for M.Graham heaps come up..

Deb Leger · #15 03-20-2004, 12:07 PM

thanks for that link, JJ, I've never been to that site before and have been exploring it. Have you ordered from them?

Michelle, I have a few tubes of Sennelier paint but don't plan on getting any more of them. (Unfortunately, I didn't have the warm sepia or raw umber in the tubes I had, so maybe I ought to try them out later!)

The Sennelier paints that I had, and was very disappointed with, were

- Viridian Green; every time I mix up a quantity of this to use in a background wash, it separates very quickly. I'm always having to 'stir' up the wash and find it very annoying.

- Cinerous Blue; (had to check the spelling on that one!

) Sennelier (like M Graham) uses honey as a binder in their paint and the Cinerous Blue must be loaded with it. I travel with my palette a lot and can't even begin to describe the frustration of finding this beautiful blue paint seeping all over the inside of my palette and leaking all over my car seat when it was inadvertently tipped a bit!!

For this reason, I've been staying away from paint that's made with honey. It's great that they don't dry out, but if you take your palette with you to classes, or friends' or painting outside, you might want to think twice! Or, make darned sure your palette doesn't tip or get tilted.

The other Sennelier paints in the set of 8 that I had were fine.

The paints I always go back to are WN and Daniel Smith.

I also have some DaVinci and Cheap Joes, which have identical tubes. I always wonder if the Cheap Joe's aren't made by DaVinci. What I love most about these tubes are their huge size!! (I detest those miniature 5 ml tubes!

) They seem to be fine but crack a lot when drying in the palette. Alan Cross here at WC uses DaVinci all the time and produces beautiful work!!

But I'd have to say that Daniel Smith and Winsor Newton are my favourites.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes though, so the best thing would probably be to try a tube or two of different brands to see which you like and work with the best.

Have fun!

Deb

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