Review of Loew Cornell 1021095 Simply Art Watercolor Cakes

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I've been looking for watercolor cakes that aren't chalky like so many are, and these fit the bill perfectly. I am a self-taught artist and use them to create mixed media pieces. These watercolors are high quality, vibrant, and I love the array of colors. They were absolutely perfect for what I needed.

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Ah. I love these paints. They're wonderful to work with, not waxy at all and they last such a long time. I bought two of these 36 color cake sets sets three or four years ago. I am an avid watercolor painter, so I use them a lot and I'm just now needing to get a new set or two and I still have a well amount of paint. I really would recommend these paints if you're looking for a cheap, but very lasting and good quality water color set. (=

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I have to admit, I'm a fan of the more "tacky" watercolor cakesthe kind that are a bit translucent and almost like a dry slab of gel (sort of like the Crayolas that we had as kids). If you would put your fingertip on them, they'd leave a little print. To me, they always seem a little more saturated and smooth when they go down on paper and retain their translucency.

These Loew Cornell SimplyArts are definitely DRY and more opaque watercolor cakes. However, with a bit of water, they form a beautiful, vibrant paint that performs beautifully. Add a little water, you get an opaque creamy paint that lays down thick. Add more water, and the paint grows more translucent.

I use them for art journaling, projects with lots layers, and projects with my daughter. Them seem to do nicely on all surfaces, but because they are so dry to begin with, they require quite a bit of water to get them properly going, and so its recommended to stick to thicker papers.

I think these would be great for student use of non-archival art use. I do know several professional artists that use these regularly and swear by them, so that's good enough recommendation for me. I can't vouch for colorfastness or how bad they do fade over time and exposure to light, but if you are painting things you really want to keep and display for decades, you'll probably already know how lightfast and archival your materials are.

The color palette, however, is AMAZING. And the size of the paints is impressive. To get a range of these colors for the price is a steal. The Big Box stores have them for about five dollars, so you might want to keep that in mind. But even for any price point under ten, these are a great bargain and will REALLY inspire you.

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My 3rd grader's teacher studied different artists with them every Friday, and worked quite frequently with watercolor. My daughter asked for a set bigger than the one she had (the standard 12 color box). She was thrilled with these, especially that there was skin tone. Colors are vibrant, and love the many hues.

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I have been painting using this exact set for the last 8 years. Yes, 8 years on one set, creating hundreds of paintings. The colors are bold and vibrant. There is a modestly chalky finish, but something to be expected with watercolor cakes (which I prefer over the tubes). Unlike some whites, this one actually shows up over other colors (surprise!). My white and black were finally starting to get low, so I decided to try a few options: Watercolor pencils, Nicole Crafts watercolors, and Yamasoto watercolors. I would rank these on par with Nicole Crafts watercolors, though modestly more chalky, and better than the other two. I believe this set can be used by the professional, the amateur, or the child with no discrepancy.

If I have one complaint, it is the color selection. There are a dozen shades of red and purple, and four browns (two of which are nearly identical). If you plan to paint flowers, you will be very happy, but I paint animals in landscapes, and the colors were very limiting to me. I still have two colors that I have never used, yet my browns are nearly gone.

If you are serious about watercolors and want to use cakes, I recommend buying this set along with the Nicole Crafts 36-color set. That will give you a wide selection of colors (with a little overlap on colors you use a lot of).