Watercolor Painting & Sketching Group, Community, and Blog › Forums › Art Supplies You Use › Do paint brands make a difference? › Reply To: Do paint brands make a difference?
I’m totally going to admit something that will probably place a giant scarlet A on my chest.
The first four or so years I painted, I did so with a cheapie kids’ set I got from a local-at-the-time art supply shop. From the kids section. On clearance.
I had every bit as much fun as I do now, though now, because I’m a giant snob and I understand more about transparency/flow/pigments/etc., I probably couldn’t go back to those without wanting to repeatedly light them on fire. (My husband HAS a flamethrower. I am not afraid to use it.)
Like other people have said, I think it’s all about what you expect and what you want your paints to do. There definitely ARE differences, but some of those differences might only be evident if you’re using them in a certain way/for a certain thing. When I was using the kiddie set, I didn’t know about granulation; therefore, I wasn’t expecting my paints to do that. Same with rewetting (which totally varies by brand/color within brands), or lifting, etc..
I think the key is to try a lot of stuff in your style, and when you find what works, do all the happydances. 🙂