Glitter Watercolor Paint

I put off buying these for months and months because I have all the Finetecs, a bunch of Twinkling H2Os and I have the full set of Rivenvale metallics (what I consider, and still consider, the BEST metallic watercolor on the market- hands down) so the Rubens just seemed like more of a "another metallic watercolor, must have for my collection but don't really need" purchase. But the Finetecs/Rivenvale don't have pastel/bright colors, and the Twinkling H2Os are really too difficult to use often (ridiculous jars they come in, plus they are very difficult to rewet and paint large areas with- tired of sacrificing storage space and brushes and time to those paints) so I decided to get these to just have those kind of tropical/bright colors and have a set that is more suited for white paper. The Finetecs have great earthy colors, but their main downfall is that they don't show well on white paper. I wasn't expecting much from the Rubens but I was *very* surprised at the quality. Very, very surprised. They do need a drop of water to activate, but once they are wet and you move your brush in the pan, the paint immediately comes to life. The paints are creamy, full bodies, and rich in both pigment *and* shimmer. They are true metallics- not just watercolor paint based with a tiny bit of shimmer that barely shows up. The colors are saturated on white paper and can be made either opaque or transparent based on water usage. While they are not as opaque out of the pan as the Finetecs and the Rivenvales, if you work the paint a little with a brush (not enough to damage the brush, though- they are a nice consistency, unlike the Twinkling H2Os) you can get a gouache-like consistency. And the shimmer/sparkle is beautiful and bright. The Rubens don't do as well on dark papers, which is kind of a bummer, but considering I got these so I could do more metallic work on white watercolor paper they work perfectly. The Rubens are a little more "straightforward" of a metallic, like most of the Finetecs, in that the micas in each paint match the pigment- the Twinkling H2Os do this thing where they mix different pigments/dyes with different micas and shimmers so that the paints come in a totally unique range of colors/effects but the Rubens are much easier to use and they can be mixed, unlike the Twinkling (because of the color combos in the dye/pigment of each Twinkling jar, a lot of times you'll mix two colors and get mud even if the colors, in theory, should be fine together). I think I'm going to finally clear out the Twinklings and have the Rubens be my go to metallic-on-white palette. I like them so much that if Rubens introduced a different set of shimmer colors or another set of speciality colors (the Rubens do have a range of candy color pastel watercolors and color shifting watercolors available overseas, so I DO hope they put those in pan form and introduce them to the US market very soon) I wouldn't hesitate to order them without reading a single review or seeing a video about them- the quality is there. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

First off I am not sponcered, and I am not a professional artist. Professional equating to making a living at art. I'm intermediate at best. Now that's not to say that my work is bad. But I always felt like my work needed better quality supplies or tools. The song and dance (advice) from many other artist's is that supplies don't matter, if they don't then why do so many of these same people use expensive supplies? (I believe this to be a partial truth.) I often feel like they tell us this because they want to make poor people like me or budget artists feel better. Or you know novice artists too but that's another story. I'm glad I sucked it up and bought quality supplies this last year. It's a dream come true. Advice that is good. While it's true that better supplies won't make you a better artist, they do make your life easier, and you have to fight less problems, it does also enhance your work but not for what you think on a personal skill level. If you're not sure you are going to like a particular media or stick with it. Buy cheap and test it out first then you won't be at a hard loss. (I suggest maybe Paul Rubens do a single testor or sample pan for people to try out.) (Or you buy a small batch from them as a concession.) It's okay to do this if you're not ready to invest. You will usually know really fast if you want an upgrade or want to stick with something. I almost gave up on watercolor because of cheap supplies but realized I did this on purpose to put my feelers out for the media and that cheap wasn't a reflection on other products like this. I'm a novice in watercolor and already desired something better. Just with my search sheet alone I felt 100 times better and knew I was going to be able to learn faster having supplies that actually work. I spent a year doing research on supplies. Watching YouTube sponsored and unsponsored reviews, read articles, etc... This is a product that really does earn it's reputation. Not to mention, this may sound weird but in this case, you can trust Chinese made, or Asian on its affinity for watercolor and calligraphy. You can tell this company takes pride in it's work. I strongly recommend buying this product because after just comparing my crappy $13.00 watercolor chalky paints... Lol I could list off a large list of why you should buy this product but I'll keep the list concise instead of going on too much longer. 1. Activation Time Shortened 2. Less water needed. 3. More pigment pickup, only need to wet a small area. A little goes a long way. 4. Vibrance, Saturation, and Quality 5. Better control over amount of paint used and how. 6. Easy to use. 7. Quality case, snaps, and removability. 8. Wonderful color palette. 9. Bonus on the special presentation, boxing, packaging, etc.. It made me cry to open it. It was like a dream. It felt very... Designer but not lame cheap designer. The cloth was a massive bonus too! 10. Fast shipping even without Amazon Prime. 11. The test swatch card. Huge deal for me. Also so you are not caught off guard the actual pans are about the size of a dime/penny. Half pans. It might seem like a little, but I have a feeling judging based on how little you need to use that it will last a long time, and that the price is fair. You will not go wrong on this brand. I wish I could rate this higher because there was a massively noticable difference between my cheap paint and these. I do have 1 question. The swatch card that came with it. Is this an indicator of your paper quality too? I noticed you sell paper. That paper is fantastic, it was a dream to work with. Thank you Paul Rubens! (Edited to include update: New image sample landscape piece. Confirmed the control and use, vibrancy is outstanding! I'm a novice watercolorist and it's been a huge blessing having higher quality tools. I can't stop talking about these!!!) Edited to add a better art example. ♥️

The best in pearlized watercolor paints. Adds to "the joy of painting." Great compact size. Long lasting & even application. You will LOVE these paints.

I absolutely love this set! The colors are amazing and I mix them with normal watercolors to get certain colors and it works amazing! The quality is amazing and totally worth the price. I've had this set for 5 years and the colors are still phenomenal!

Got for script use on black paper. Some colors require a 2nd application but most color as shown with only 1 (concentrated) brush load. The pearlescent isnt as noticible as i'd hoped but the colors are pretty. I usually go for the more opaque colors bc of black paper and surprised that this translucent set shows as well as it does. I use for script so i dont know how well these work for painting so I am giving a 4 for that reason. (See photos on black paper.) Easy to use, pretty selection, nice packaging, good concentration, smooth & not granulated.

They are wonderful colours. Swift delivery would purchase them again. Love the whole set

Worth it and up to the mark

Here’s a refined version of your review: As an acrylic and mixed media artist, I recently decided to explore watercolors for sketching and was on the hunt for a high-quality, reasonably priced set. I came across Paul Rubens’ Metallic Watercolors, and I have to say, they exceeded my expectations. The colors are incredibly vibrant, and many shades are formulated with single pigments, which results in rich, luminous hues that layer beautifully. The paints have a smooth, creamy consistency, making them easy to blend and apply. The packaging is thoughtfully designed. Inside, there’s a handy swatch chart where you can paint samples of each color, which is a nice touch for quickly identifying shades. However, one small downside is that the labeling is only in Chinese. It would be more user-friendly if the information were available in English as well, especially for those unfamiliar with the language. Overall, Paul Rubens’ Metallic Watercolors offer fantastic quality at a great value. Whether you’re a beginner exploring watercolors or a seasoned artist looking for a bit of shimmer in your work, this set is definitely worth trying.

Very happy with this new glitter palette. Used it a few times for painted Christmas Cards, but look forward to exploring more projects in the new year.

Altho it looks more metallic than glitter & is similar to my Gansai Tambi Gem & Pearl Watercolour, when swatched on Black 100% Cotton Watercolour paper, Paul Rubens Glitter Watercolour wins this one. And if this wasn’t enough, the presentation of their product is supreme; from the quality of the box that holds the dbl-flapped container, to the magnetic strips that tightly hold the pans, to the bonus feature of a beautiful pink cloth, to the quality of paper provided for swatching-OUTSTANDING! I dare another company to try & come close in matching Paul Rubens presentational morales.