TEO DEGAS' REVIEWS: painting supplies

Showing posts with label painting supplies. Show all posts

5/06/2025

Derwent Inkense Blocks (Tin of 36)

Derwent Inktense Blocks are professional-quality highly-pigmented water soluble blocks that can be used as watercolours or as mixed media crayons. This package contains a great mix of vibrant and neutral colours that are perfect for my needs.

I love the tin box quality and design, which is great to keep the blocks safe and neatly stored. If I remove the inner holders, I can use it for other purposes. I love the "crevasses" on the sides, which are perfect for broken or half pieces.

Having used the Derwent XL blocks and XL coloured graphite blocks I can honestly say that I prefer the two first to the Inktense Blocks. However, I love the quality of the bright lines and accents I can get with these blocks especially when I don't mix them with other products, as they're vibrant and make any piece standout. They're very bold as watercolours.

Are the Derwent Inktense blocks/pencils lightfast? According to the company, "87% of the range is lightfast, however, once water is added, lightfastness ratings will be different depending on how much each colour is diluted." They also state that these blocks are made using different binders and wax blends, which affects the lightfastness of each colour. As mentioned in other cases for similar products, you need to use a medium to seal the colour if you intend to work with liquid media after using these blocks. The same can be said if you use them on you painting top layer. Furthermore, once the piece is finished, you can protect it by using an UV protection varnish and, of course, by keeping the artwork out of direct sunlight.

If I had to buy them now, knowing as I know, I would buy the Inktense pencils, which will have the same quality pigment but are better for me. So, in short I like these ones but I don't love them.

MIND

The blocks are quite thin and break easily while exerting a bit of pressure. Handle with care.

I cannot stress enough how beautiful these oil pastels colours are in real life. I haven't been able to find anything similar in good quality brands, so I decided to buy this set just because it was cheap and Mont Marte is a good brand for student art supplies.

The colours didn't disappoint; actually, they blew me away. Perhaps the red isn't the best fluoro red out there, but is still beautiful. These aren't soft pastels, but they are still creamy. They blend OK with quality soft pastels and well with themselves. Having used low, medium and high end oil pastels, these cannot compare in the amount of pigment they have or the level of coverage. Yet, they are still decent and a pleasure to use as highlights over soft oil pastels, or on their own on the top layers of mixed-media projects. Most fluoro pigments aren't lightfast or aren't super lightfast, so I don't expect this to be in the list of light-resistant list. Yet, this doesn't matter if you just want to use them on art journaling, sketchbooks or in small projects that won't have the artwork displayed on any wall.

Moleskine Art Watercolour Pocket Notebook (black)

This is my first Moleskine. I now know why people love these beauties.This notebook is specifically designed for watercolour and has a beautiful smooth 200gsm cold-pressed paper. The size is really pocket (3.5x5.5in = 9.53 x 1.91 x 14.35 cm), meaning that it can be easily carried in a small handbag or a large coat pocket for example. So, it's perfect for travelling or daily commute rides.

The cover is really good quality. The binding is fabulous and I can open the notebook fully flat. Besides, the stitching has no holes, so the paint doesn't bleed through them, like cheaper notebooks I own do.

The 200 gsm (135lb) watercolour paper is smooth and a pleasure to work on. I use mixed media, with plenty of wet media, and these pages stand everything. I prep them with a coat of clear gesso to make them more resistant, but I own other journals where the gesso is not enough for the same use. So far, none of my paints, inks or watercolours has bled.

I love the elastic band as the notebook tends to stay self-open after having the pages full open for a while, so, it helps correcting that. Also, it's necessary as most notebooks increase volume when fully painted. I'm not a fan of inner pockets placed looking towards the binding, like in this Moleskin, but it comes handy nevertheless. I miss the notebook having a bookmarking ribbon, something that I always like and use.

My notebook came with a quality control ticket in the pocket, something that I really appreciate.

Any watercolour Moleskine is expensive, but I was lucky enough to grab this one heavily discounted. I often look up for catches like this on Amazon, so I was ready to 'shoot' when the sale popped up.

I have a similar small washer, which I love, and I was looking for a container as large as this one. However, I couldn't find anything affordable till I found this Meeden washer.

This washer is as large as described on the Amazon product page, not less not more. It's made of good quality sturdy stainless steel and its design is perfect for indoors and outdoors, for acrylics and oils.

I can carry this outdoors thanks to the handle and the locking system, which allows me to hermetically close the jar. Sometimes, I use it on its own, without its inner grate insert, and others with it. The grate is perfect to rub the brushes and help removing stuck paint. If left for a while, the solid parts of the paint deposit on the bottom, so I can empty the water and wipe out these solids with a napkin and dispose of it in the rubbish.

The container box looks great and is really good quality, so it's perfect for gifting.

Paul Rubens (Haiya) 60-pack Soft Oil Pastels Set

Paul Rubens (HAIYA) Oil Pastels have been a discovery for me an have reignited my passion for this medium. I cannot afford Sennelier oil pastels, which are my favourite in the whole world, but also uber-expensive. However, this Haiya set has many of the qualities I love in Sennelier minus the price tag. These pastels are really creamy and the colours are vibrant and beautiful. There is a large selection of browns, greens, blues, aquas, purples, reds, oranges and yellows, with a black and white added. On the contrary, there is a lack of pastel colours (another Haiya's set has those), grey and beige tones, and warm whites. They can be blended with tissue paper or my fingers, and used for layering, sgraffito and layering purposes.

The opacity of the colours is shown on the stick wrapping. However, it is in diminutive size and I had to use a magnifying lens to see it properly. Some of the sticks and colours are opaque, others translucent, and others semi. The pigments used for each stick are also displayed on the wrapping. As my set most of it written in Chinese ain't sure if the lighfastness is mentioned in Mandarin. There is no indication of it on the accompanying leaflet. However, I've browsed the web and there seems to be an agreement among artists that these pastels have a good level of lightfastness.

THE TEST

I tried them in two rough sketches I did on two pre-gessoed craft tags (not on pastel-purpose paper) just to check their pigmentation and blendability. These pastels are a pleasure to work with. The creaminess is not only yummy and satisfying, but it also favours colour spread and mixing. I used simple average tissue serviettes as blenders and they did the job really well. The colours are gorgeous, but they lack a bit of more pigment in them, something that's understandable due to the price tag. The pointy tips really help drawing an outlining. The colours mix well with each other. I used them to make a clean image and a impressionist textured one and worked well in both cases. I will try them on pastel paper and will edit this review in the future if necessary.

I used a permanent fixative when I finished the sketches and, before that, a workable fixative to allow me to keep working on them without the fear of smudging what I had already done.

Overall, a wonderful set of good quality pastel oils that are good replacement to Sennelier if you cannot afford the latter.

MÅLA 6-piece Brush Set

I decided to give this Mala set a try due to the low price. These brushes are really small and have different tips (3 round and 3 flat) and short wooden handles. They're intended for children, so they won't fit your hands unless, like mine, are very small. The wooden material is birch covered with a translucent lacquer coat that protects the wood. The ferrule is made of aluminium while the bristles are made of soft white nylon. I find them pleasurable to use in sketching and art journaling. They get stained when using strong painting colours if you don't wash them immediately.

DESIGNERS S Fager & C Tubertini.

SANNAHED Frame (White, 50x50 cm)

This Sannahed frame is the largest of the line and is made of a sturdy fibreboard conglomerate coated in matte white. It comes with an enclosed acid-free paper mount, a glass-like glossy plastic cover, a back rest flap and wall hook. It's easy to assemble especially if you follow your intuition and not the confusing assembly leaflet!

This frame is really large but still looks amazing. Like the rest of the line, it's minimalist, stylish and contemporary. I cannot stress enough the compliments that this frame gets me. I placed it on an easel with a painting of mine, and it looks like taken out of an art gallery.

The thickness of the edge is the same as that of the smallest frame, 6 cms. That being the case, I wouldn't place this large frame vertically on its edge because would tip-over. Use the back flap, an easel or hang it from the wall instead.

MIND

> The 'glass' cover is coated with a thin piece of removable self-adhesive film that you have to remove before display.

> This 'glass' is very glossy, so mind the light source and where you place the frame; otherwise, the glare would ruin the display.

> If you use the mount, you can only showcase a 30x30 painting/picture; or a 50x50cm painting without the mount.

> Frame overall sizing is 52x52 cms.

> Instructions leaflet isn't the best.

DESIGNER Who knows.

ASSEMBLY LEAFLET

This Sannahed frame is made of a solid sturdy conglomerate coated in matte white paint and comes with an enclosed acid-free paper passepartout (mount). The 'glass' is actually a translucent glossy plastic. The frame comes with a resting back flap and a wall hook attached to it.

This frame is perfect for both small paintings and dimensional art projects (light boxes for example). It looks classy, stylish, contemporary and professionally made. I cannot stress enough the compliments that this little frame gets me. People are surprised when I tell them that this is from Ikea and the price I paid for it.

My preferred display position is not on the wall, but resting vertically on its edge on a shelf, console or similar, something easily achievable due to the edge being 6cm thick. You can easily recline it by using the back flap.

THINGS TO MIND

> The 'glass' cover is coated with a thin piece of removable film that you have to remove before display.

> This 'glass' is very shiny, so mind the light source and where you place the frame, as, otherwise, the glare would ruin the display experience.

> If using the passepartout, you can only showcase a 13x13 painting or picture; or a 25x25 painting without the passepartout.

> The frame overall sizing is 27x27 cms.

DESIGNER Not mentioned.

ASSEMBLY LEAFLET

Lightwish 100%-cotton 300gsm/140lb Watercolor Journal (4.7x4.7 in)

This is such a cute watercolour journal. It is not only affordable, as most Lightwish products are, but also has a good-quality 300 gsm cold-pressed watercolour paper. It's perfect for both watercolour painting and mixed-media. The size is ideal for travelling or as a carry-on sketchbook.

The paper has a bit of tooth to it, so it's a bit rugged. I've tested it with acrylic inks and paints with and without priming. The results are quite good. The paper takes a lot of water in. It buckles a bit when wet, but it recovers its flatness once dry. I've also tried it with the same materials, adding clear gesso and the inks and paints run more smoothly and I can work the paper harder.

The binding is excellent and I can open the pad almost flat without the stitching coming apart. However, the colour tends to bleed down through the stitches holes. That might not be a problem if you don't paint the full spread or just focus on motifs on each page, do zentangle or drawing. Painting an inks drip down. Yet, for the price, this is a fab mini sketchbook.

Due to slightly textured surface, the use of fine white markers and Posca pens is not the best, unless the paper is totally dry and they go over a very dark colour.

The cover has a fabric-like texture in a beautiful turquoise colour. I like my journals to have the cover in different colours as this helps me easily identify different journals. This is important to me because I use them to explore different colours or materials.

The elastic band is a must because, once you start using the pad, this won't close fully. Besides, once the whole pad is used, the band will help close the notebook properly.

Finally, the pad has a ribbon bookmark, something I really love.

Kinbom 6pc Detail Paint Brush Set (Red)

These medium-quality affordable detail brushes are better quality than expected. I've now used them for several months.

The set has two items of each size (5/9, 3/0, 2/0) and, although they are not liners, they make good lines, shapes and fine marks. They're great for corrections on small areas, for mark-making and to fill in small areas or corners in a journal. I use them with flat or soft paper surfaces so I don't know how they would react with canvas or wood panels. I always use them with acrylic paints/inks and no issues so far.

I tend to forget my brushes submerged in water for too long, from some hours to a couple of days. The bristles tend to bend and lose shape while left in water for a while, but they recover it easily by drying t hem with a paper towel and, at the same time, pressing them into their straight shape with my fingers. I initially feared that the red handle would lose its colour or break open, but that hasn't happened. So, I think these brushes are better quality than they look like. On the other hand, they look like a downgraded version of the brushes depicted in the product page photos.

Although unimportant, the brushes colour is more like burgundy, definitely not the beautiful red in the photos. I just wanted any coloured handle to differentiate these brushes from other small ones I own, so any colour would do.

In short, an economic student-grade set of detail brushes that are sturdy, durable, and versatile.

I was lured by this 10-piece set of nail art brush liners due to the variety of sizes and the good price. I risked the purchase as they could have been terrible. But they are not! Sure, they aren't a professional artist set, but I didn't want to spend a little fortune on a professional set. I wanted this to start getting familiar with this type of brush and to work on art journal and small paper projects. They're befitting.

I use them with acrylic paints/inks and they work well overall. They would have been better if they had slightly thicker bristles but, you know, these were a bargain and are not intended for artwork. They make good long flat and curvy lines with ease but, due to the bristles not being strong enough, sometimes the lines aren't clean. It might be me, as I'm just getting used to them. They're perfect for people with small hands and they're good quality despite the bargain price and the fact that they were intended for nail art not painting. These brushes work better on flat paper (e.g. art journal pads) or on surfaces that have none or little texture (e.g. cold pressed watercolour paper).

The brushes are easy to clean and can be kept in water for a long time without worry. The 'crystal' handle material hasn't deteriorated at all despite my tendency to forget brushes in water all night or for several days. The synthetic bristles get bent when left in water for long, but they recover their shape easily by drying them out with a paper towel and pressing them back into their flat shape with my fingers.

I haven't used these for nail art, so I cannot comment on how they work for that purpose.

Ohuhu Mixed-Media Spiral-Bound Art Sketchbook (120lb/200gsm, 210x226cm)

I had my hesitations about a 200gsm paper being good for mixed-media. However, after using it, I can confirm that it is.

I tested the paper first without gessoing the page to see what the paper would stand. It was great for almost everything, except for the fact that scratches for textural purposes show on the back and there is a limit of liquid that you can use before the sheet warps.

This paper didn't react well to my lifting masking liquid with a normal eraser (which would not lift anything), with my fingers (lifted just a bit), or with a hard rubber (which lifted the masking tape and the paper as well). I think it's a combination of both the masking tape being too thin and the paper not resisting much friction.

On the other hand, none of the materials I used bled (acrylic markers, inks and different paint viscosities; water soluble pencils, among others).

My second test was done after applying a coat of liquid gesso to the page I worked on. I was able to do a bit of more stuff on it but, again, the paper wraps if you use a lot of liquid or flow paint. It still did not bleed and stood some of my rubbing a bit better. A thick gesso coat would improve workability but it would also add weight, and that would be counter-intuitive.

The pad comes with a silicone protector to place between the sheets, something that is extremely handy and prevents transferring of any bleed onto the page underneath. On the other hand, I'd have loved this silicone sheet to be 1 cm longer on each side so that it protrudes a bit and protects the edges of the pages underneath, which were totally stained. For the rest, this silicone sheet is really good and it can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth under running water.

The pad sheets are micro-perforated, just in case you want to use any to create specific pieces of artwork, not just as a sketchbook. Unless I was drawing or using dry materials, I would not want to cut the pages out for anything.

The back cover is thick and sturdy, and this is a great support to the bulky pad. However, the front cover it's too thin to my liking and not strong enough to keep the pad well protected or hold it properly. Yet, this pad is really good priced for what you get.

Stabilo Woody 18 Assorted Colours with Sharpener and Paint Brush

I've been dying to get my hands on one these sets for years. They're quite expensive, but I got this half price on Prime Day. The set contains 18 beautiful bright colours, an XL sharpener (which is great to have as these pencils aren't standard size by any means) and a good quality brush.

Stabilo Woody pencils used to be cheap, as they were a product created for children. This was until artists noticed their quality and versatility; then, prices rose to match artists' pockets. They are non-toxic and can be used on paper, cardboard and glass.

The pencils are chunky, have velvety great-quality pigments and are water soluble. They are a hybrid between watercolour pencils, crayons and oil pastels. This set has a great selection of vibrant colours, two metallics, and three neutrals, which is more than I need. They work wonderfully as watercolours, and they dissolve and spread uniformly. Besides, the colours keep their vibrancy once dry.

As per my photo, all the pencils in my set have their lead point deformed. The points look like a volcanic outburst. It's a bit annoying as I wanted the point to be pointy obviously. The set seems to be part of a faulty batch, and this might explain the price reduction. For a second, I thought that the set might be forfeited, but after using the pencils I'm sure they're genuine due to their pigment quality and workability.

It was not crystal clear to me from the packaging whether these pencils are lightfast or not. After some online browsing, I've found that some of the colours are and others aren't. The lightfastness rating is shown as a number of stars on the pencil barrel after the colour number. This being the case, I'm inclined to use them in sketches and art journaling not as much on anything that I might consider precious. If you work on mixed media, you'll need to seal the colours with matte/gloss medium so that they don't smudge when applying a layer of any other material on top of them. UV varnishes also improve the life of any paint.

The pencils original box is great for shipping as the wallet holds the pencils tight. After an intercontinental trip, they arrived in perfect conditions, not damaged or scratched as I feared. At the same time, the wallet is bulky, not really storage-friendly, so I've binned it and put the set in a small fabric pouch.

I've had two types of needled bottles before getting this set, the original expensive brand and a generic brand. However, this Expesumas set is my favourite by far. These little bottles are fit for both glue and paint, but I only use them with fluid/flow acrylic paint, for which they are great.

The bottles are good quality plastic with three indications of ml levels. Each bottle comes with a luer-lock cap (connector cap) where to insert the needle tips, a cap for this lock, plus the 4 different needle tips sizes (3 items for each size).

I use the connector cap as a controlling dispenser to use small quantities of fluid acrylic paint; this allows me to do this without leakage and without blocking the pout. This saves me product as many of the flow acrylics I own squirt out of the tub on their own, wasting product and even staining my hands and clothes. So these bottles are awesome to store those paints, dispense them properly and prevent spillage. Filling them with paint is also great because the only thing you have to do is unscrew the lock cap and them screw it back.

One of the main issues with other needle bottles I've used in the past is that the acrylic paint/ink tends to dry inside the needle, clog it, and eventually ruin the whole cap system, which ends either in wasting the bottle or having to pay for new caps. However, these needle bottles' locking system is great. These needles are easy to "plug"/"unplug" and easy to clean, so you only plug them when needed.

Good value for money, as well. I've already bought two sets.

Generic Artist Viewfinder

This is a generic viewfinder or view-catcher made of great quality plastic, as good as the original but at a fraction of the price. Viewfinders are great for open-air painting to frame the image you want to paint, or to select the best composition by framing the view and moving the finder around till the composition is of of your liking. The holes allow to isolate colours on the paper and on the view being captured. The viewfinder can also be used on small to medium sketches to single out areas to find the best composition. One of those tools that every artist needs.

MYARTOOL Portable Leak-Proof Brush Cleaner with Lid and Filter Screen ( 4-3/4" Tall x 3-1/2" Dia.)

This is a great tool to have either in the studio or for plain-air painting. The tight leak-proof lid is perfect for the later or just to keep things tidy after an art session without the fear or spilling the water on my working table.

This is a stainless steel set with enough weight to hold the brushes even when most of the handles are out. Said differently, it helps keep the brush hairs under water without deteriorating the handle. The inner crevasse helps to remove excess paint from the brush and cleans it better; the perforated base has the same effect.

The main downside is that this medium-sized container is actually quite small. See my photos against one of the average metallic glasses I use for painting. I would be happy to purchase a larger version for my long bulky brushes. For the rest, this one is perfect for those brushes that I use during art journaling or sketching, or for short-handle wide mottlers.

It cleans well and easily under running water.

VGSEBA Gold Leaf Gilding Foil Sheets,100 Sheets 3.15" x3 .35" (8x8.5 cm)

These leaves are a good alternative to real gold leaf and at a fraction of the price. They look like a sunset gold or Aztec gold leaf, something I love. Each foil leaf is protected by a tissue-paper leaf. The sheets are very delicate and break easily, so they're especially good to cover something, little by little, by applying foil coats; not so good or easy to cover a specific shape (or at least I don't know how to do that). It glues easily with gloss medium and matt medium, but the first one is more befitting with a metallic product like this.

Good value for money as there are 100 sheets in the package and one sheet can be used as accent in a small painting. I wouldn't use this in art pieces for sale, but I use it in my art journaling or small art pieces I want to keep for myself or for gifting.

Plyco (Online Store)

Online Retailer

I ordered some plywood panels (craft bundles) from this store, recommended by a fellow artist. I can confirm that they're good quality and good priced; way cheaper than similar products in specialised Art & Craft stores.

Plyco is not a craft store. They sell timber, veneer and plywood for professional purposes (building, flooring, cabinetry, table and kitchen tops among other uses). What matters to me is that they have craft bundles from different timber and thickness that are perfect for painters.

The good thing about their website is that it shows whether the different kinds of timber are in stock or not, when they will be, and the scheduled dispatches. You'll get your order sooner if you buy your product one or two days before dispatch day; otherwise, you'll have to wait a bit longer. Shipping fees and panels are excellent value for money.

Not a place you want to order from if you're in a hurry or have an upcoming project that you must do within a time-frame. For the rest, very good quality, prices and shipping prices. Timber arrived properly packaged, too. They also have several shipping options, which is great.

On the flip side of things, Plyco's customer service is not great. They have a bot on the website. I sent a message through the bot that was never replied to. I rang them on a Saturday. The guy on the phone apologized for overseeing the dispatch of my order. I mentioned that I'd be happy to upgrade. I was told to call or email customer service on a week day. I did email them. No a reply whatsoever, just an impersonal request for payment for the upgrade. As the dispatch window had passed, it took10 extra days to have my order dispatched. I found funny that, I forgot some items on the cart in one of my browser, but I purchased them through another browser; then, a more personal sales email reached my inbox. Also, they'll auto-subscribe you to their marketing newsletters, something that I really find annoying.

Overall, happy with the pricing and quality of the products, info on website and dispatch procedure, but not really impressed with CS.

Edward Tools Paint Stainless Steel 12" Trim Blade

This is a great tool to get straight lines in my paintings. The sizing is perfect to work on paper medium size pieces, 12x12" for example, as it is not too large or too short. The sizing also allows me to store it easily or to keep it in the same holder as my large brushes.

The blade is really sharp, so much so that I cut one of my fingers with it. I love that is made of stainless steel as this makes it durable. I clean it with a wipe or rage and looks as new every time.

Nothing fancy about the grip area, but it's strong enough, and it's getting nicer now that it has different splashes of paint on it.

Good value for money.

Strathmore watercolour paper has always impressed me because of the quality of their products and the good quality/prize ratio. This is also the case here.

This pad has a great size for beginners, not too big or too small. The tone and texture of the paper are excellent. I use it mostly for mixed media, mostly working with acrylics, and I do nasty things to the paintings (rubbing, scratching, wiping). Yet, the paper resists almost everything and it is very forgiving. I always gesso the paper before working on it.

Perhaps not as good as other brands, but this is one of my watercolour paper pads staples.

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