Roman Szmal Aquarius Watercolours

You Tube Made Me Do It.

Last year during lockdown -2020, in between watching Netflixs, drawing and watching cat videos on you tube, I found unboxing and reviews of a water colour brand called 'Roman Szmal'. 

The Roman Szmal Aquarius range is a Polish watercolour range, made from high-quality gum arabic and glycerin, linden honey, distilled water and pure pigments. 

Out of the 165 colours (to date) 119 of them are single pigment colours, allowing clean mixing of colours. (The 42 Earth Shades are made from natural earths, not synthetic iron oxides.)

I went through the Jackson Art web sight colour chart and found that, 22 are made of 2 pigments, 21 are made from 3 pigments and 3 are made from 4 pigments.

After watching a few videos I found myself on the Jackson art looking at them and adding them to my basket. But it wasn't until November that I final placed the order. 

The colours I orders were: Aquarius Grey, Potters Pink, Mineral Violet, Lazurite (Lapis Lazuli), Glauconite, Shadow Violet Light, Shadow Violet, Misty Morning, Malachite (Genuine), Earth Green, Perlene Green Deep, Lavender, Hematite Violet, Cobalt Turquoise, Nickel Azo Yellow and Przybysz's Grey,

I went with these colours as I had been looking a getting some more Daniel Smith colours and after watching reviews I found that some of the Roman Szmal colours were their version of the Daniel Smith granulating colours. 

Such as: Przybysz's Grey is Roman Szmal's version of Daniel smiths Moon Glow, and Shadow Violet is Shadow Violet. 

Cobalt Turquoise I got as some were comparing it to Daniel Smiths Sleeping Beauty. 

Nickel Azo yellow I got, as this is a colour I have wanted to get for at least two years. The other colours I got as looked like together they would make a good colour palette. 

The only Daniel Smith colour have to compare to the Roman Szmal colours are Hematite Violet Genuine, Malachite Genuine, Phathal Blue - Green shane and Phathal Green - Blue shade. (until I get the dot cards.)

Above there is the Daniel Smith and Roman Szmal's Malachite test swatch. The Roman Szmal Malachite seams a little more yellow in tone 

Above are the Daniel Smith and Roman Szmal Hematite Violet Genuine. The Daniel Smith's Hematite Violet Genuine is a lot more granulating and more brown in tone compared to Roman Szmal's.

Then in January I brought some of the colours that had been out of stock and some others, 

Ocean Blue, Azo Red, Lemon Yellow, Permeant Orange, Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Lavender, Aquarius Green, Phthalo Green Blue Shade, Phthalo Blue Green Shade, Vivanite (Blue Ocha), Aquarius Red,

Phthalo blue green shade and Phthalo green blue shade are two colours that I like and have started adding in to my palettes as they are vibrant and punchy. 

Azo Red, Lemon Yellow, Permeant Orange, Sap Green, and Ultramarine Blue I got as I want to put together a simple palette of the prime colours to try and get back in to colour mixing as this is something I rarely do these days, I have got in to the habit of just getting a colour that I need and and just a little of something else to get the colour required 

I've found these paints are beautiful and smooth to paint with which tends to be the case with watercolour paints that are made with honey.The colours are rich and pretty vibrant. 

The granulating ones that I got, Przybysz’s Grey, Misty Mountain,Mineral Violet, Ocean Blue, Shadow Violet and Shadow Violet split in to two lovely colour tones.

The Earth colours that I picked up, - Lazurite (Lapis Lazuli), Malachite (Genuine), Vivanite (Blue Ocha).

My Main Palette

I will be doing some colour swatches/studies with the granulating colours and I'll post them here and Instagram, Facebook and here.

Links:

Roman Szmal water colour half pan paints.

Water Colour Paint & Pallet Collection 

Small disclaimer, all these paints were perched

with my own money and this is not a sponsored post

Moleskine Sketchbook No. 9

No Rulers Were Harmed In The Creation Of This Sketchbook!

What I like about doing these geometric style paten piece of art is that I can pu down the sketchbook or page part way through and come back to it hours / days / weeks later and continue with the design. un like with some still life drawings, which I tend to us photos as reference I have a habit of losing the pictures or just getting bored with the image when I go back to it.

Also I don't use a rule with these designs I use the edge of the page to get a straight-ish line and then go from there. No measurements just all by eye.

I have a habit of keeping to a style or theme of each of my sketchbooks, not sure where I got this habit from, but it is a way of of seeing how the style or theme changes. 

These last few images are from the last few pages of the book, the last few pages of quarantine are in this book.

My Fuck Up Cover Up.

Five Friday Favourites

It is Friday already and I am wondering were the last week went. I feel like I haven't done that much but looking at the the things I have, they have been quit consuming jobs which have taken up a lot of time with out me even realising it and now its Friday. So Again this week I am going to shear with you  my five favourite art things for the week.

The First one, well its more like four, (but) it is the colour pallet below. Pathalo turquoise, Prussian blue, Paynes  grey and Winsor violet (Dioxazine violet). These four colours are form the Winsor and Newton professional watercolour range. 

These four colours I have been using in a my pocket Moleskine sketchbook with the circular designs that I showed on las weeks post- Friday 10th August.  I just love how these four colours sit well together in the designs. 

The second one is the washi tape. I done some polariod style paintings and found that this role was the perfect size to mask three of the sides ( the out side edge to the photo edge.)

This little brush (in the picture below) is my third favourite. I have had for years. Its a Winsor and Newton travel brush, It came with their Cotman travel set (I think I may have had this thing nearly 18years I'm not certain).

For me it is a perfect size to hold the bush size I think is a '0'. I find it a lovely little bush to do detailed work. (I wish I could buy them on their own.)

The next (the forth) are this pens. I was recommended these by another customer while in Cass art. they are the Rotring disposable pens. they are basicly a fine line.

They have a ink window so you can see if you are out of ink as well as the ink is waterproof. Great if like me you use fine lines with watercolour paint.

And my fifth favourite this week is artist Jacob Van Loon, who lives and works in northern ColoradoI lave admired his wool for a while now. Its bright and colourful and full of energy.

Some of his work has a 60s pshidelic vibe, but my favourites are the more geometric style art work.

You can check out his Instagram here: @jacobvanloon

His Web Sight here: jacobvanloon.com

Five Friday Favourites.

These are the five things that I currently loving in my art stash right now. And my art stash is pretty large. 

I'm going to try and do a Five Friday Favourites each week, so hopefully I will slowly show all my supplies, (and maybe even de-stash some of them.) So lets get in to it.

The first two are my circle template and my small Moleskine watercolour sketchbook. 

I done some work designing a logo for someone and after it got me doing some different  watercolour painting then normal.

The next two are are my travelers notebook camel passport and my Zig pigment liner in 005.

 I have had my little beauty travelers notebook for a while and it has only been in the last 3, 4 months that I have been really been using it.

I have got it set up with 3 sketchbooks, and a craft folder.

And this is where the Zig 005 pen comes in, been doing more of detailed art.

One of the sketchbooks i'm containing my geometric art.

 If you are feriler with the traveler notebooks the back page of their passport books is set up as the passport ID page so I'm using to put in the details of when I started using the book and when I finished. 

My final favourite is the art work by Artist Rosso Emerald Crimson. I first saw her work at CASS art in their art space in the Islington store.

Her work is bright and beautifully detaied, with a child like fun to them. 

  Check out her work on Instagram @rossoartis.

My Instagram: @mytheoryofthecrows

My Facebook: facebook.mytheoryofthecrows

Watercolour Paints And Palette Collection

Recently I have been getting back in to water colour painting, after a few years of drawing with pen, pencil. and inks. 

In another post I will show what pens and inks I have been using. As I have just re-set up my palettes I thought I would show these first.

In total I have six half pan palettes, two set of water soluble sticks, a small set of Gouache and a set of tubes of water colour paint.

I am going to go over each set. I will do a post on each set, with colour charts for each and what I think of each at a later date.

Lets start with the Winsor and Newton black tin.

This tin holds 24 half pans, (or 12 full pans) So they say, but you can get 26 half pans in the tin (13 on each row).

I brought this tin years a go from Cass Art, I took out all the paints and put the half pan ‘Winsor and Newton Cotman' paints, which are their student range. I had two sets of them in their pocket size palettes that held 12 colours each.

This is how it has been for the past two years

(Winsor And Newton Cotmans, and 6 Royal Talens Rembrandt.)

The other day I picked up the Winsor and Newton Cotman Studio set from Cowling and Wilcoxs. Which holds 45 half pans (if you shift them up you can get 48 half pans).

Winsor and Newton Cotman 45 palette

The plastic palette came with 45 half pans, so I went through them and removed the colours that I hand and put them in to the palette along with all the new ones I have gained.

Moving the Cotmans out of the 24 black tim means that I can fill this tin with the Winson and Newton Professional water colour paints that I took out of this tin when I got it and have had them stored in my box, along with some other half pans.

  

Winsor and Newton Professional paints 

When I was emptying out the black tin I came across 6 Royal Talens Rembrandt colours which I brought years ago from Laurence Mathews art shop (in Southend-on-Sea.)

Which now live in the Winson and Newton pocket palette.

Finding these in my palette and knowing how much i like these colours and how mix and behave, has made me start looking at buying a 12 palette of the Rembrandt watercolour paints 

Royal Talens Rembrandt

Next up is my ‘Winsor and Newton Designer Gouache,’ which I have a set of six and a couple of other colours. I am currently waiting for a empty pallet so I can put the colours in and use them out of the that.

Winsor and Newton Designer Gouache

The next set is one of my newest sets which I have not yet used, is the 

Schmincke Metal tin set which came with 12 half pans. I picked up two more colours which will fit in the tin nicely.

Schmincke

Daniel Smith is a beautiful range of water colours that come in 5ml and 15ml tubes only.

I have slowly been building up a set and I have only got around to putting them in to half pans. The palette that they are living in is a blue tin that currently holds 46 half pans which I got form Amazon. Is from a brand called Meeden.

Daniel Smith water colour

I then have a box of ‘Daler Rowney Simple’ water colour tubes. These are a student quality paint. I haven't really used them much as I was not that keen on them 

Daler Rowney Simple watercolour

I also have a small travel set of their half pans which I brought to take away with me on holiday a few years ago, but I never used them. they’ve been setting at the bottom of my art box since then

Last of all I have two sets of water soluble pigment sticks one is ‘Caran D’ache NeoColor’ and the other is a selection of ‘Winsor and Newton’, 

My favourite is the Winsor and Newton sticks. The Caran D’ache ones I think I only used once.

Winsor and Newton water soluble pigment sticks

Caran D’ache NeoColor soluble pigment sticks

That sums up my current collection to watercolour paints and palettes. Like I mentioned at the start,  I will do a post on each set, with colour charts for each and what I think of each at a later date. 

If you have any questions related to any my sets drop a comment below and I will answer it as soon as possible.

LINKS:

Where I got them from:

Winsor and Newton Cotman Studio 46 set, Winsor and Newton Designer Gouache, Daler Rowney travel set and Schmincke; Cowling and Wilcox

Winsor and Newton Professional 18 set and Daniel Smith; Cass Art

Royal Talens Rembrandt; Laurence Mathews, Southend-on-Sea.

Caran D’ache NeoColor and Daler Rowney Simple; Slanchogled

Small little disclaimer: all the products here I have brought with my oun money, and this is not a sponsored post 

Artists Notes.

My next Leuchtturm 1917 pocket sketchbook.  I love the colour for this book. I love the colour of all the Leuchtturm Sketchbooks. The paper is smooth and crisps white. so far I have only used Pen on the paper, but from what I have heard inks and paint work well on their paper. Can not wait to see.😊

Artists Notes

Moleskine Passions, Art Journal.

I have had this book sitting on my book shelf for nearly 6 months waiting to be started, So with a rainy day I finally got around to starting it.

Moleskine do a whole range of these books, including Tea, Receipts, Style, Book Journal, Travel journal, Wedding planer, Music, film and some  others. 

The idea is to track or plan within these notebooks for work or personal use.

(The Style journal could be used by Fashion/Costume designer/wardrobe mistress/master or even a dresser, a Stylist, Cos-player or if you just want to plan out what you wear

The Wellness Planer for your own heath, as trainer planing for a client or class. 

Weather it is for work or personal I think that everyone is able use one with in their life)

So here is my Moleskine Art Journal, It is their standard medium size (little shorter in width then a A5 notebook), with a in-bossed cover with the letters 'A', 'R', 'T',  

It is divided in to ten sections, five are pre-planed for you and then there is a lined pages section, a divided section and the then two sections with space with plan paper. 

There is an Art Time Line at the front of the book that starts at the beginning of the 1900s and runs in to the 2000 with space for you to add to. And three ribbon book marks. The book marks are a useful tool but like a lot of the Moleskine books the ends are not finished so if you don't put a not in the end they are liable to become un woven.

Lets get into it

Right at the front you have pages labeled 'My Favourite Place'. Giving you space for the name, address, phone number, and for why its one of your favourite places.

Here will be lists of Museums and the galleries with in them that I like most. Art galleries, shops and Artists web sights.

Then we are in to the first five dividers.

The first one is 'Wish list'. Weather this be for art, books, visits.

The next Tab is 'Visits'. Where you can rate it, stick a picture or draw something, as well as not space for highlights and personal thought.

Tab three is 'Artworks" Keep notes on your favourite piece of art, pieces you might want to research.

Tabe four is 'My Collection'. this is designed for art you have brought. This section I am going to be using it along the same lines as the 'Artworks' sections

Tab five is for 'Books Etc." All the art and design reference books that I have I will list here. It also holds details for publisher, Technical details, your review and to remember. The to remember column will have page numbers to reference.

  The Last five tabs, apart from one, I currently have no plans for. One of the plan sections I am going to have print outs of suerposedly 'hunted' paintings.  (Because I'm wired like that.)

The final pages are the index for you to fill in.

in the pocket at  the book you have sticks for the tabs and for using in the book as you wish.

The only thing that could be better it the paper, I was partly expecting it to be more like their art books but it the same paper as a plan paged book so if you do sketch in it any art pen is more then like to bleed through or ghost badly.

Despite this I am looking forward to getting in to this little book, taking it to museums and galleries as well as just at home. I will shear spreads asI complete them on here and on my Instagram mytheoryofthecrows.