Are you tired of watercolors that lack punch and intensity? Golden's QoR paints deliver powerful strength and vibrancy, offering serious artists new material to explore.
Article by Charles Merritt Houghton
As watercolor artists, we're always looking for materials that enhance our work and push the boundaries of color and technique. Golden's new QoR watercolors, with their innovative binder, might just be the breakthrough we've been waiting for.
The first thing you'll notice about QoR paints is their punchy and powerful pigments. The strength and intensity are immediately apparent, offering a vividness that can bring your artwork to life. These paints dissolve and tint beautifully, making them a joy to work with, whether you're layering or mixing.
In wet-on-wet techniques, QoR paints disperse in a particularly pleasing way, a bit more quickly than traditional watercolors bound with gum Arabic. This can lead to some fascinating effects and greater control over your washes and gradients.
So far, I haven't tested how QoR paints react to subsequent washes or their longevity and lightfastness. These factors are crucial, especially for professional artists concerned about the durability of their work. As such, further testing will be needed to fully understand these aspects.
Here's a subway sketch that I jazzed up with the QoR paints.
My experience with QoR paints has been overwhelmingly positive. I started with a half-pan portable set and then expanded to six tubes of high-chroma colors, three of which are present in both sets. The difference between these and less expensive sets, like Koi portable sets, is night and day. The colors are more vibrant, and the application is smoother, making it clear that QoR is an improvement.
I have yet to compare QoR paints against industry giants like Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith. I'm sure their chromatic intensity will be a better match. These tests will come in time, and I'll update this article with my findings to provide a comprehensive comparison.
For now, if you're an intermediate to advanced watercolor artist looking to experiment with a new, high-quality product, I highly recommend giving Golden's QoR paints a try. Their unique qualities might just add that extra edge to your work, setting it apart in terms of both color and technique. I included sample paintings using them. They're quick ones but show the QoR paints in action.
In this one, applied a broader range of hues. Notice the pencil underlay. A step I often take to get the composition tuned up before committing the paint and time to a finished piece.
Comments