Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

It was time to upgrade my watercolor palette from an assortment of Cotman tubes (some dried out) to something better.

I picked out a few tubes including colbalt blue, colbalt teal and colbalt green, azo yellow, transparent red oxid and scarlet pyrrol. I like to squeeze a little out on my palette and let it dry between paintings.

So far I am very impressed. My paintings come out bold and crisp. Rewetting these paints is easy because of the honey used. So far I haven't noticed problems with stickiness on my paintings (but I tend to paint thin washes and paint in layers rather than thick applications), though I do feel a little bit more drag on my brush than the Cotman watercolors. The paint feels a bit thicker, but does dilute to nice washes. One thing I am having to get used to is staining. These paints stain a bit more than I am used to and don't lift as easily. As a result I have to be more careful. The end result is worth it. The pigments are rich and the values in mass get nice and dark.

Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

I am a calligrapher and actually purchased several Graham watercolors and gouaches a few years ago from another source. The colors are dense, lush and very finely ground. The paint can be thinned to flow beautifully for writing with broad edge or pointed pen BUT it appears to stay permanently "sticky." Cannot be used for hand-written manuscripts or any other application that requires multiple pages. Even when used for broadsheets (single sided applications), extra care must be taken to set NOTHING directly on top of the sheet even days or weeks later due to stickness. I am currently experimenting with "leeching" most of the honey and glycerine out of the pigment so I can at least use what I have. A shame, really, because the pigment quality seems (to me) as good as W&N. To be fair, I do live in the HUMID southeastern US, which may make a difference. I would consider the application and be cautious about using this paint.

Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

I have tried every major brand of watercolor on the market, including many colors from M. Graham. Overall, I find the colors to be very nice and the prices are decent. However, it irritates me how if you have the paint even slightly thick, it dries sticky due to the honey content. So you have to be careful how you paint with it to avoid the stickiness. Also, the M. Graham Cerulean Blue that I bought several months ago has started to mysteriously change to the point where it feels very gummy and "loose" painting with it. It was not like this when I bought it. I will continue to include some M. Graham colors on my palette (I love Ultramarine Pink especially), but I much prefer Holbein, Schmincke and Sennelier.

Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

I have tried DaVinci, Winsor Newton and Daniel Smith extra fine watercolor paints and I prefer the M.Graham paints to all of them. I have not tried the SENNELIER paints yet so I can't compare the Grahams to those.

Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

I developed severe Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. I had to stop
working in oil. At first, at the onset of my illness, I could only paint in egg tempera. I did not enjoy the delicate aspects of the medium, or the indirect process and repeated layering.
A well known watercolorist told me about Graham watercolors.
Due to the fact that Graham does not use a synthetic preservative, only honey, I was able to switch to working in watercolor. I still have to avoid all pthalocyanides in any brand. The Graham watercolors are intense, densely pigmented and I love using them. I still use a few colors from Sennelier.

Comments about M. Graham Artists' Watercolors:

I have tried and use many brands of watercolors, but except for a few favorites from other brands (like the Winsor/Newton Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, and Cobalt Blue--the first two of these because of their clear, bright colors and the last because of its transparency), I most consistently reach for two brands: Daniel Smith and M. Graham. You really know what you are getting, which is not always true with, say, Winsor/Newton, which sometimes changes pigments without changing the name (as it did with "Quinacridone Gold," which is now a mix of three other pigments) or some other brands where fillers are used. The pure pigments and honey humectant in the M. Graham colors are a delight and the line is a bargain as well. As for the pure pigment, it's not only a case of lack of fillers, it's examples like Cadmium Orange, which in this line is the real thing, not a mixture, and is far more brilliant than the Winsor/Newton version, which is actually a mixture of Cadmiums Red and Yellow. As for the honey humectant, remaining paint in the tubes or on my palette doesn't dry out and crack. Even with Cobalt Blue, I use the M. Graham version when I don't need maximum transparency or want less granulation. I have introduced a number of artist acquaintances to this line, and without exception they've been hooked. My only quibble: the tube caps are somewhat easier than most to overtighten and split, but then, with the honey humectant, you don't have to be quite as careful as usual to tighten them all the way.