Should you try the Daniel Smith 66 watercolor dot card?
Years ago, as a student, I tried to sign up for a watercolor class but failed. Without proper training, I was never good at painting watercolors. Back then, YouTube wasn't a thing. Now, we can almost learn anything by Googling or looking it up on YouTube. Soon, people will no longer care to learn because AI will fill the gap.
Due to my experience, I didn't see myself getting into watercolor painting. But for the past few months, I have been obsessing over it. One thing I didn't see coming was how expensive watercolor paint can be.
Daniel Smith is a dominant US-based art supply brand. Its watercolors are available in tubes, pans, or sticks, so you have plenty of options depending on how you create art. However, if you don't prepare yourself with a deep pocket, Daniel Smith's watercolor paint is not a hole you want to sink in.
As of this writing, Daniel Smith has 266 color options! Each 15ml watercolor paint tube costs $11 to $30. I am not good with math, but I know numbers can add up.
One valuable lesson I've learned from buying tons of art supplies is that I never use all the colors I bought. For instance, I may have purchased a large set of colored pencils, but I never use some colors due to the subjects I like to draw. For my personal needs, I've found that the best approach is to start with a basic set of primary colors. This way, I can gradually build my color collection by only buying the colors I love or will use in my work. This strategy has given me confidence in purchasing decisions and helped me be more mindful of my color choices.
If you are new to the watercolor world and haven't heard about this, there's a thing called Dot Card. Since you can easily rewet watercolor paint, companies have released dot cards with a wide range of colors for you to try before buying them in full tubes.
Here, you can see Daniel Smith's 66-dot card. The dot card includes Primatek, Quinacridone, and Luminescent colors. The Primatek colors are some of the most expensive Daniel Smith offers, so it is great to be able to try them before purchasing. It is also interesting to see them include the Luminescent colors. I think most traditionalists are not using sparkly watercolors. Perhaps this is an excellent way for them to lure us into the world of their Luminescent colors.
I love the swatching experience of this dot card. It allows me to get a sense of how well specific colors can be rewet and compare similar colors. This dot card also includes crucial information about color lightfastness, whether the colors are staining or non-staining, and whether the colors are opaque or transparent. You can also find the indication on this card if you love the granulating effect.
Most of the colors on this card were rewet easily, but the Luminescent colors were more challenging. For that reason, if you are interested in adding the sparkling effect to your painting, it may be a good idea to get the colors in tubes rather than pans.
From my swatching experience, I am genuinely impressed by the quality. Daniel Smith is one of the best in terms of consistency. I can see myself buying most of these colors to use in my work. I have included close-ups of these colors; hopefully, they will be helpful in your buying decision!
Color Information:
