Same Pigment, Different Feel: My Artist Thoughts on Watercolor Comparisons Across Brands
As a watercolor artist, I own over 200 tubes and pans from brands like M. Graham, Daniel Smith, Schmincke, Holbein, Winsor & Newton, QoR, Rockwell, and more. But here’s the truth: even when the color name or pigment number is the same, the paints behave so differently! This blog is a deep dive into my thoughts as I compared same-name or same-pigment colors across brands. These are my real artist reflections—which surprised me, which I loved, and which changed my mind.
Note: Links to the paints are included below. Most are Amazon links for convenience, and I’ve also made a Blick Wishlist with all the paints mentioned if you prefer shopping everything in one place.
Sap Green: Warmth, Richness, or Subtlety?
Daniel Smith Sap Green — Warm, yellow-leaning, granulating, great when mixed with oranges or yellows.
QoR Sap Green — Deep, rich, opaque, works beautifully for portraits.
Serpentine Genuine (Daniel Smith) — Lighter, subtle, made from genuine stone, my favorite for delicate, granulated looks.
Viridian: Granulation vs. Creaminess
M. Graham Viridian — PG18, thick, smooth, quick to rewet; I love the honey binder.
Daniel Smith Viridian — PG7, granulates more; a classic feel.
Cobalt Green: Yellow or Blue Shift?
Schmincke Cobalt Green Dark — More yellowish, rich and beautiful.
Winsor & Newton Cobalt Green Deep — More blue-leaning, dreamy for cool mixes.
Daniel Smith Cascade Green — My personal favorite, a magical blue-green granulated mix.
Aqua Greens & Turquoise
Winsor & Newton Aqua Green — Blue-leaning.
QoR Ultramarine Turquoise (only comes with purchasing Ali Cavanaugh Portrait Set by QoR)— More greenish, more natural in portraits.
Cobalt Turquoise & Sleeping Beauty Turquoise
Schmincke Cobalt Turquoise — Bright, thick, almost gouache-like.
Daniel Smith Cobalt Teal Blue — Highly granulated.
Daniel Smith Sleeping Beauty Turquoise — Muted, subtle, but more opaque.
Desert Green & Wetlands
Schmincke Desert Green — Fun, more blue-green.
Rockwell Wetlands — Earthier, brownish, creates dusky mixes.
Cobalt Blue
Daniel Smith Cobalt Blue — subtle and classic.
Winsor & Newton Cobalt Blue — feels more explosive and opaque
Prussian Blue
Schmincke Prussian Blue vs. Winsor & Newton Prussian Blue — Both can clump; I recommend buying these in tubes, not pans.
Ultramarine
Daniel Smith French Ultramarine — Granulated, violet-leaning, I love it.
Schmincke Ultramarine Finest — Finer particles, great for glazing.
Payne's Gray
Winsor & Newton vs. QoR (only comes with purchasing Ali Cavanaugh Portrait Set by QoR) — Core is denser; WN is beautifully granulated.
Daniel Smith Payne's Blue Gray — Uses a different blue (PB60), cool and elegant.
Yellows
QoR Nickel Azo Yellow — Heavy, staining, vibrant.
Daniel Smith Nickel Azo Yellow — Lighter, subtler.
Schmincke Quinacridone Gold Hue — Warm, orangey, glowing.
Holbein Pampas Grass Yellow — Granulated, lovely in mixes.
Reds
Daniel Smith Quinacridone Rose vs. Winsor & Newton Permanent Alizarin Crimson — I prefer QR for lightfastness; Alizarin is warmer but fades (although .
Daniel Smith Pyrrol Red vs. Pyrrol Scarlet — Scarlet is warmer, more cadmium-like.
Schmincke Volcano Red — Single pigment, granulated, gorgeous.
Holbein Lunar Eclipse Red — Blood-orange warmth, complex.
Violets
M. Graham Dioxazine Violet — Dense, rich.
Schmincke Violet — More transparent, easier to mix with lighter colors.
Daniel Smith Amethyst vs. Sugilite — I favor Sugilite for subtlety; Amethyst for stronger purples.
Neutrals & Browns
Winsor & Newton Indian Red vs. Daniel Smith Indian Red — WN is warmer; DS is cooler, browner.
Schmincke English Venetian Red vs. QoR Benzimidazolone Burnt Orange — QoR is denser, powerful.
Schmincke Mahogany vs. Rockwell Maple Samaras — Mahogany leans pinkish; Maple has violet-brown tones.
Winsor & Newton vs. M. Graham Neutral Tint — WN includes black, M. Graham mixes green + violet; both are great depending on the look.
Blacks
Schmincke Mars Black vs. Daniel Smith Lunar Black — Mars is warmer, Lunar is punchier.
Oranges
Daniel Smith Transparent Pyrrol Orange vs. Winsor & Newton Transparent Orange vs. QoR Transparent Pyrrol Orange — QoR is a different beast, super opaque; I might lean toward WN for classic glow.
Final Reflections As you can tell, I often lean toward granulation, subtlety, and the emotional feel of a pigment over just technical specs. What works best truly depends on your painting style: portraits, botanicals, abstracts, or landscapes all pull different strengths from these pigments.
If you want to see the full video where I created these, the video is here.
See you in my next color explorations;)
Paints Mentioned in This Post
For convenience, I’ve linked the paints I talked about above (mostly Amazon), and I also created a Blick Wishlist where you can find them all in one place if you prefer shopping together.
Disclosure: These are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. It helps me keep creating these explorations and sharing them with you. Thank you for supporting my work!
