DOODLEWASH REVIEW: Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors, Part I

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors.  Extra fine- truer words have never been said.  I’m not sure this brand needs much of an introduction. These are artist quality paints. I’ve spent more time looking at Daniel Smith (DS) watercolor swatches than all other art supplies rolled into one.  The Daniel Smith watercolor line is so extensive, I wasn’t sure how to begin to tackle this post.  I’ve decided to break it into two posts.  Part one, the Extra Fine line, and part two, the PrimaTek and Luminescent lines.

Center Stone by Elspeth McLean

Mr. Daniel Smith started the company in the basement of his Seattle, Washington home in 1976. The company is based out of Seattle, they also have a store in Bellevue, WA.

If I counted correctly- there are 247 watercolors in their line.  This number includes their Extra Fine, PrimaTek, and Luminescent varieties.  They all come in 15ml. tubes , 88 colors come in 5 ml. tubes, and 51 colors come in sticks.  Very few sets are sold, but there are a handful of starter sets and you can see them here.  I found this Daniel Smith Extra Fine Essentials Introductory Set of 6 on Amazon for about $28.  The Daniel Smith site has a $4.95 flat shipping rate, so does Dick Blick and Jerry’s Artarama.  Many local art stores sell this brand and these sets.

There are so many colors, that the line seems rather overwhelming.  I decided to swatch the Extra Fine line that I have and highlight a few favorites. I took a lot of photos. I find their website a bit cumbersome to navigate, it could use an update. This is the key for lightfast ratings. Individual colors would need to be looked at to see where they fit on the lightfast scale.  That info is available on their website under the “Product Description” for individual paints or consult the DS Watercolor Chart here. The bamboo palette box pictured came from Dick Blick. Not the best thing, for mixing and it’s a little deep, but it’s what I’ve got. This small swatch is on Arches cold press watercolor paper. Please excuse the stray bits of sand in some of the pans.  I took them to Kauai in a GraceArt converted pallet.  When I wasn’t looking, some of the wild island chickens pecked and ran off with some of my paint pans.  I tracked down all but one pan.

Guest Doodlewasher Jane Blundell has a lightfast test here.  The DS site features Jane’s Ultimate Watercolor Mixing Selection.

These swatches are on Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor paper.  There are better papers out there to paint paintings on, but I use it for swatches.  What seems to be a standard for me- my palette is not in the most correct order.  After Indigo, there are three additional colors on the swatch below that are not on the one above.

Hansa Yellow Light, New Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold, Pyrrol Scarlet, Quinacridone Rose, Quinacridone Red, Indian Red. Naphthamide Maroon, Phthalo Yellow Green, Undersea Green, Phthalo Blue, French Ultramarine, Phthalo Turquoise, Lunar Blue, Moonglow, Goethite, Payne’s Gray, Buff Titanium, Burnt Sienna, Indigo, Lunar Violet, Shadow Violet, Cascade Green

DOT CARDS!

Dot Cards are 238 dots of paint- these are like a gateway drug to these paints.  It’s amazing how much paint you can get off of a little dot.  Some art stores give out smaller versions of the cards.  My local art store gave me a small Dot Card of some of the PrimaTek line, after that, it was all over.  I went PrimaTek crazy.  Real ground minerals in paints?!  I was hooked. Eventually I got the entire four page Dot Card set.

If you are truly interested in this brand, get the Dot Cards– usually around $25 for the entire set.

Amazon has the 238 set for $22 and the 66 set for around $8.

Wet Paint has a 66 color try it sheet for $4.49 at the writing of this post. A good deal if you are planning on ordering some other things.

The MerriArtist– free smaller Dot Card with $15 DS purchase.

I always think- that’s it, I’m done- no more tubes of paint. Insert Jaws theme music.  Then just when I think it’s safe to let my guard down and go back into the water- paint shark!  I find one I must have.  Recently that was Cascade Green (PBr7 PB15 these are the pigment numbers that the paint is mixed from).  This is when the Dot Cards come in handy.  Looking at swatches on the screen is fine and all, but it’s just not the same as trying the paint out.  I find the dot of paint is enough to try the color in small paintings or sketches, along with doing a swatch.

The following larger swatches are done in a Stillman & Birn 4 x 6 Gamma Series journal. The paper is ivory.

Cascade Green

Most of the traditional colors in the DS Extra Fine line are single pigment, but they have quite a few fun mixes that usually have a separation and granulating effect.  I think some of the celestial names got me- Moonglow, Lunar Blue, Lunar Violet.  Who can resist a name like the mysterious Undersea Green?  I can’t.  Many of the multi-pigment paints can be mixed for from individual pigments.

Pattern Drawing by Aimee Ray

Undersea Green– (PB29 PO49) this is my favorite paint. The lower half of the outside mermaids is Undersea Green.

“An artisan’s favorite, this exciting medium staining green blends French Ultramarine with Quinacridone Gold. The inorganic, sedimentary French Ultramarine settles and granulates while the organic, transparent Quinacridone Gold floats into a golden halo.”

Moonglow– (PG18 PB29 PR177 ) beautiful use of this paint, in a more traditional and an abstract painting here.

“Water frees this amazing three-pigment blend to perform miracles. Watch and wait as Anthraquinoid Red floats, Ultramarine Blue settles and Viridian grays the resulting violet color. Selectively blot and lift a surface wash to expose delicate blue-greens. A description of the fascinating light and dark washes can never match a personal experience!”

Undersea Green and Moonglow

Shadow Violet– (PO73 PB29 PG18), Shadow Violet is only one pigment different than Moonglow and looks very similar. Lunar Violet– (PV15 PBk11), Lunar Blue– (PBk11 PB15).

Shadow Violet, Lunar Violet and Lunar Blue

Quinacridone Gold– (PO49) the pigment is exclusive to DS. Burnt Sienna– (PBr7) I’ve tried a few brands, this is the only brand that to me, looks the most natural (see comparisons below).

Quinacridone Gold and Burnt Sienna

I did another swatch comparing a few colors with other brands- Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Pyrrol Scarlet, Indigo. These are the artist grade for all brands shown.

Indigo– (PB60 PBk6) neither of the other two brands are as deep and rich as the DS. Pyrrol Scarlet– (PR255) is also particularly nice in this brand.

Top Row: The first three are Quinacridone Gold- Daniel Smith, M Graham, QoR.  The next four in the top for are Burn Sienna- Holbein, Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, Mission Gold.

Bottom Row: first two are Pyrrol Scarlet- Daniel Smith, M. Graham, and I used Vermilion from Mission Gold.  The next three are Indigo- Daniel Smith, Mission Gold, MaimeriBlu.

Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Pyrrol Scarlet, Indigo

If filling pans gets a little messy, I wipe the excess paint on a journal page and do these strange swatches, adding a paint name note on the opposite page- Goethite, Indian Red, Napthamide Maroon, Shadow Violet, Payne’s Gray.

Goethite, Indian Red, Napthamide Maroon, Shadow Violet, Payne’s Gray

I found this Secondary Set of three on Amazon featuring Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Undersea Green, and Carbazole Violet.  When I first found it, it was $27, the next time I clicked to write this, it went up to $36.  The ways of Amazon.

There is a Primary set of three on Amazon with Perylene Red, Hansa Yellow Medium, and French Ultramarine for $36.  This made me think of an article I recently read: John Muir Laws- Reinventing the Wheel: Why Red is Not a Primary Color.  I recommend reading this before buying a primary set.  It’s not too long, a quick read.

This is a popular paint among guest Doodlewashers, check out Carol Hartman, Larry Marshall, and Cathe Jacobi.

Example below- Undersea Green, Naphthamide Maroon, and Buff Titanium.

Undersea Green, Naphthamide Maroon, and Buff Titanium

One artist I seriously enjoy is Emil Nolde.  This is me tipping my hat to him using- Lunar Blue, Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Blue, French Ultramarine, and Moonglow.

Lunar Blue, Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Blue, French Ultramarine, Moonglow

Example below is in a Handbook Travelogue Watercolor Journal, Grand Portrait size- using Moonglow, Undersea Green, Cascade Green, and Payne’s Gray.  The sky is DS Payne’s Gray and two Holbein colors- Cobalt Violet Light and Manganese Blue Nova.  If it looks familiar, this is the same subject I used in the Greenleaf & Blueberry post. Sometimes comparisons are nice.

Tucson Mountains

One thing missing from this post is pronunciation help! Anthraquinoid, Phthalo, Quinacridone, Indanthrone, Naphthamide. I’m glad I’m writing these to you, and not pronouncing them.  I attempted to put some links to pronunciations, in case you are at the art store and wanting to ask questions.  But, those all pronounce them differently, or they added a weird statement at the end. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

Dot Card swatches video- I did not watch this entire thing, but I’m passing it along.  It is an hour of one dot card worth of swatches.  She has three other videos for the other Dot Card sheets.

There is an insanely wonderful amount of information available on Handprint.com about this brand and many others, as well as tons of other info on color theory and palettes. Some people like a lot of info like this, some people find it overwhelming.  I link to this a lot, and will continue to do so.  The info on DS is a dated- 2005, but this guy is thorough.

I also link the Guest Doodlewasher Jane Blundell’s blog a lot because she has a comprehensive amount of swatches and info on many brands.  This is a link to all her Daniel Smith posts.

I’ll make a general statement about most of the brushes in the photos- they are from Rosemary & Co., a mother and daughter operated company in the UK.  I have always had a good experience ordering from them, and using the brushes.  I will be doing posts on brushes and sketch/watercolor journals in the next few weeks.

You Can Find Part Two of my Daniel Smith Watercolors Review by Clicking Here! 

Jessica Seacrest

Hi I’m the Doodlewash Supply Blogger and offer reviews of various types of art supplies, watercolors, and helpful tips. I approach artistic expression with a light-hearted point of view. I love to see, and support others opening up to, and embracing their creative process with any medium or creative expression. Follow me on Instagram!

See author's posts