The Stamp Market Watercolor Palette - Full Review (Color Swatches, Properties, and More!)

Hello hello! Christmas may be just around the corner, but my heart has been in floral land the last few days, as I've been playing with the newest Color Crush introduction - the gorgeous TSM watercolor palette!


I thought it would be fun to dedicate a post to this fun color medium, just in case your Christmas list is in need of some last-minute color! We'll start with a short review, I'll share the color breakdown and how I swatch my watercolors, and lastly, a couple of colorful cards. Let's dive in!


THE DEETS:

24 half-pan shades (incl. white and black)
bright, vibrant colors
smooth and opaque application
coordinating colors with the Color Crush collection (inks, papers, etc)
metal case with storage space for exclusive TSM water brush


Each of the half-pans comes covered with a color-coded sticker, that shows the name of the hue. 


It's an easy way to label the colors. Simply peel off, cut to size, and attach to the bottom of the pan.




The Water Brush is an exclusive size - just a touch larger than most brushes on the market - which means it holds more water. While I typically like to use a standard watercolor brush, refillable styles are super handy for on-the-go projects and for travel kits (as they work perfectly for air travel liquid restrictions and no-spill packing).


The awesome part about this palette, is that as soon as your purchase is finalized, you will receive a download for a color chart (which just so happens to fit inside the handy case). But for my purposes, I like to also make a chart that I can add to my handy color medium binder. For this, I opted to use the Color Palette stamp. 


To make my chart, I simply used a little masking tape to create little squares. Then I added a wash of each color, along with the name, stamped in black. Excuse the spaces that don't have a coordinating name - they just so happened to not be included in the stamp set, and I didn't realize until I had already done the chart! lol You can alleviate this by using the free downloaded chart, or by printing out a DIY color chart. 


And there it is! The full, vibrant color collection!
Now if you're wondering, 'Do I need these colors if I use my re-inkers for watercoloring?'
The answer is: Maybe. The reason being is that the way these colors apply, is a little different than re-inkers. Since re-inkers are not a true watercolor, they have slightly different properties when it comes to watercoloring. I have personally noticed they are little more transparent, and the pigment is a little softer. The watercolor palette, on the other hand, offers colors that are a bit more opaque, vibrant and apply in a bolder way. The watercolor pan also has a white tint, that can help you customize your colors easily, by making a pastel version of every hue in the set. So, it really depends on your needs, your style, and your water coloring preferences - though I must admit - I like having both options.

Just to illustrate the way you can easily switch the look of these hues, I've made two cards - both with and without the addition of white.


First up, you KNOW I'm always longing for Spring. And beautiful florals...So I've put both to the task in this soft floral card. This is a perfect example of how the colors in the watercolor palette can be mixed into softer shades, with the addition of some dabs of white. The result is pastel, dreamy tones, which I love.


FYI - in case you're wanting to stamp up this floral frame, it happens to be an older style that is no longer available. But any type of outline floral stamp would do here. Here, I've simply stamped the florals in No-Line ink, and colored them up using the palette colors mixed in with white, and the waterbrush.


For the sentiment, I used the Sincere Sentiments  stamps, stamped up in an ombre mix of hues. I applied them roughly to the stamp  (to mimic the watercolor strokes) and outlined some of the letters with my watercolor brush.


My next card is a bolder version using the same stamps. It is more representative of the colors in the palette. 


The vibrancy of these colors is right up there with some of the current market favorites - Zig Real Brush markers, Daniel Smith hues, and Peerless shades. While each one applies slightly differently, the color tone is comparable in vibrancy.


The thing I really like about this set, is that some of the palette colors (such as Curry and Rusty) are quite close to traditional Ochre and Sienna hues, making this a well-rounded palette, and one that is easy to customize colors with. I've added a touch of these two shades here, to achieve a deeper overall tone on the greens, and yellows.


I've also added darker shading for a bit of depth. You can see that the colors are quite opaque, but will show some transparency when diluted out.


Overall, my review is that this is a versatile palette, that applies a little differently than re-inker hues, and offers versatility in color options - by either using the colors as-is, adding white for a pastel palette, or adding in deeper hues to make the palette more earthy and muted. 

As always, if you have any questions about things I may have missed, please feel free to leave a note below. I would also love to know your thoughts, if you've had a chance to play with these colors. 

Thanks so much for joining me - I'll be signing off for a little while as we approach the Holidays. If I don't pop back in until then,  I want to wish you all the Happiest., Merriest, most wonderful Christmas!! Thank you for making 2020 a special year, despite all that it has brought our way. Your friendship and support has brought immense joy in these times...And because of that, I'm wrapping up the year with a grateful heart. 

May 2021 be a new (happier) chapter for us all :)

xo

Ivana

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9 comments

  1. Oh these are GORGEOUS!!!!! LOVE your painting!!

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  2. As the snow falls gently outside, you having me longing for summer with your beautiful floral cards! My goodness, these are incredible!

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    1. Lisa, we have been SO blessed here with a warmer-than-usual winter, and I must say these florals are feeling a lot more realistic (and in reach) this year than in any previous ones. But I still know Spring a is a loooong away from us, so I will keep churning out the florals, hoping it brings us just a tad closer to the real thing! Thank you for all of your love! xoxo

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  3. Splendidly beautiful cards. I get the loveliest subtle hint of mid-century style from both of them.

    May you have an abundantly blessed, peaceful, and marvelously merry holiday season, dear Ivana.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you so so much my darling friend! I see what you mean - what a fabulous observation. You always bring a new light to the way I see these creations - grateful for you and your kind heart my friend xoxo

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  4. Believe it or not, the holidays were as busy for us ( if not busier!) than past years. While 2020 will go down as a stressful year and I’m glad to see it go, I too am grateful. Not only for my family and friends & our health but the wonderful, supportive crafting community. It’s been fun and a mental life saver! 😊 Thank you Ivana for sharing your beautiful work, all year long. It’s been a Joy!
    I hope you and your family had a happy holiday season and here’s to a much improved New Year, COVID wise. Many blessings to you!
    Sincerely, Stephanie Clapper 😊💖
    PS I haven’t had a chance to work with the new watercolors, matter of fact I have a collection of stamps I haven’t used yet. But your cards are gorgeous. And your review is top- notch‼️ (That’s one floral stamp that I wished I had- it’s absolutely beautiful! Thx for sharing your lovely watercolors! ).

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    1. Stephanie, it is SO good to hear this year was made easier by our colorful, creative community - I couldn't agree with you more on that front! It's incredible the power that this hobby has to uplift and brighten even the hardest days. I am so grateful for it myself. And even more grateful for your visits and support! And I love hearing a little update on your Holiday-ing. I hope you got to relax a little in the all the busy-ness. Biggest hugs to you, and I sure hope you do get to try the watercolors soon! p.s. The floral stamp is a fave here too! :)

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  5. What a beautiful palette & really love the 2 very different looks you achieved, Ivana!

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