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List Price: $77.95
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Today's Bonus: 49% Off
I fell in love with watercolor paint when I was in high school in the late sixties, and it's been my primary medium ever since for fine art and commissioned illustrations. In high school we were given student grade pan watercolors to work with (Prang, if I recall correctly), and in art school I began using Dr. Ph. Martin's liquid watercolors, in large part because I loved their intensity. I used them for around 10 years before another artist told me that they (at least as they were manufactured back then) were considerably less lightfast than, say, Winsor & Newton watercolors. Lightfastness is not much of concern where illustrations created for reproduction are concerned, but for fine art it's a must, and I'd already begun to notice fading in some of the art I'd created with Dr. Martin's colors. So I switched to Winsor & Newton (the professional grade, not their Cotman economy line) and have painted with them (mostly tube but occasionally pan) ever since. Until now. (My past experience with Dr. Martin's watercolors may have zero bearing on their present day colors, as their formula may have changed over the decades and they do say in the FAQ on their site that their colors are lightfast.)
I learned about M. Graham watercolors from the About dot com Painting "Best Brands of Watercolor Paint" page, and was intrigued to learn that honey is used in their manufacture. M. Graham says that because of their use of honey as a medium in their watercolors, their watercolors resist hardening both in the tube and on the palette. For a longer explanation of the use of honey in M. Graham watercolors, read what Diane Graham has to say at the About dot com Painting site article titled, "Why is Honey Used in (Some) Watercolor Paint?" by Marion Boddy-Evans. One possible drawback to the use of honey in watercolor paints, as MS Graham explains, is that wet palettes or palettes used in humid conditions that have to be transported (e.g., when field painting), should be transported flat, for otherwise "the moist color may crawl out of the pan."
If you were to buy the 5 tubes of paint that come in the set under review separately, you could pay twice or more than Amazon's current price for this set (Amazon's prices fluctuate and I always recommend that shoppers looking for the best prices check one of the sites that tracks Amazon's prices; to use such sites you simply enter the ASIN for an item to access its price history at Amazon). The 15ml/.5 fluid ounce tubes are virtually identical in size and shape to Winsor & Newton's 14ml/.49 fluid ounce tubes. (FYI, the box you see in Amazon's photo of this product measured 3 1/8" x 4 1/8".) And holy cow, are M. Graham watercolors intense!
When I initially tested them I opened the cap of each tube and barely touched the surface of my palette with the tips of the open tubes, leaving only a tiny drop of paint literally no bigger than a grain of rice from each tube on the palette. These tiny drops went much further and allowed for much more intense washes than I've ever experienced with any other watercolors I've used, and I was easily able to fill a 5" x 7" piece of Arches watercolor paper with multiple washes of vibrant color. This left me mightily impressed with M. Graham watercolors and I will definitely buy more of their colors as the need arises.
I highly recommend that you visit M. Graham's site at mgraham dot com and check out the short videos wherein Art Graham introduces viewers to the history of M. Graham and discusses how the paints are manufactured while showing footage of the paint manufacturing process taking place.
M. Graham claims that "no one has the same level of pigment load that we do," and I believe it.
Excellent professional quality watercolors made in the USA by people who obviously care about and love what they are doing, and you can get this introductory set of 5 tubes for a bargain price... If you're into watercolor and your primary use for these will be in the studio rather than the field (given Diane Graham's caveat about the potential for these moist watercolors to "crawl out of the pan" if transported any other way than flat), go for it, you will not be disappointed. For me, it's like falling in love with watercolor paint all over again. Sigh.
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This was my first experience with M. Graham watercolors. My expectations were limited given the price and tube size. This paint is exceptional. The pigments are brilliant and almost impossible to muddy. Consistency and texture hard to beat.
Best Deals for M. Graham 1/2-Ounce Tube Watercolor Paint Basic 5-Color Set
These are basic colors. I wish they have more mixing abilities. They are all vibrate. But I had a professional watercolorist test these tubes with me and compared with other brands and colors. The yellow itself is very very bright. too bright maybe. When mix it with any other colors, the yellow tends to turn into a little bit dirty mud, ugly in fact. This doesn't even happen with my yellow in student grade tubes. Also the yellow is not very transparent. I expected more from these professional tubes. The red (cool shade) in this set is too bright for a true red. Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna are very beautiful. Sap Green is dense, very useful in my landscape and plants painting. The paint dry slowly, just as claimed.
Overall, considering the price($6 for each tube) and the amount of paint you get, it's a very good deal. I wish they include truer yellow and red for a basic set.
Honest reviews on M. Graham 1/2-Ounce Tube Watercolor Paint Basic 5-Color Set
It took me a little while to get used to using these tube colors as opposed to dry pans, but now that I have, I LOVE them! Very intense pigments, vibrant colorsand they mix beautifully. They do have a slightly odd smell that I wasn't expecting, I'm guessing it's because of the honey, but it doesn't linger long and it isn't overpowering or anything. Including this set, I've purchased 12 other colors from the M. Graham line and I'm looking forward to continuing to add to my collection. I would highly recommend these paints.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for M. Graham 1/2-Ounce Tube Watercolor Paint Basic 5-Color Set
I recently looked online for the best brand names for watercolors and about.com names these in their top 5 picks. Pigments are intense so I don't feel like I use a ton, colors are sharp, and this is a great basic starter set. Plus, I found this set online for up to $90, so they were a great deal.
