Dear Helen, I so enjoyed the calm and mellow style with which you present & describe your purchases. Many many other MC's use the format to explode with squeaky loud high monologs, rabbiting on until the interest level you could well be having in the items is sadly overwhelmed by their pitch and speed. Your langorous enjoyment in your products and plans to use them made my day! Thank you. Thank goodness!!

Nice haul! Tip: If you use a brush for Metallics make sure you mark it and keep separate from your other watercolour brushes as no matter how much you wash or how well, it will continue to let out tiny bits of mica. You should also use totality separate water containers for the same reason.

I love that you focus this video on the products themselves and how the different brushes compare with the same paint and paper. Gives us a better idea of what to expect if we decide to purchase these products ourselves. Thank you for your wonderful videos.

I could watch you all day long. I'm learning lots from you too. Thank you for sharing what you love. ❤️

Discovered your channel today and subscribed. Your videos have a certain ASMR-Quality to them. As a beginner I not only learn a lot, I also feel my 'resident' anxiety go below threshold. Especially the real quiet parts where you are focused on what you are doing are a balm for my nerves! Thank you :-)

Thanks for this wonderful video. I love when others do the shopping, learned a lot! Thanks, Karen Dirmish, learnet

man, the editing in this one is magic!!! such a great work, pleasure to watch

Thanks for the vlog, haul and swatching. I just bought a Princeton brush which really impressed me. A Long Round, size 12. It holds more liquid because it's longer, is really flexible and has a fantastic fine point. Thanks again, Jo in France 🇫🇷

how fun.. can't resist an art haul..!!

Happy to be a subscriber. Really like the mix of art and supplies. I think the best thing about arches and cotton paper in general, is that you feel like the paper is working for you rather than against you.

Really enjoyed the whole video Helen, it's so nice to listen to a well-modulated gentle voice and watching swatches which gradually fill a page and become an artwork in themselves

I've got serious art haul envy!😂 What a lovely load of loot. I hope you're enjoying it all. I'm all for the 100% cotton paper. You can't go back 😂

I hope you like your new Princeton brushes. I love mine ♥️ very nice video

I definitely would love to watch a video on how to do a print using a gel plate and poscas! Please do that!

This was throughly enjoyable.

My Finetec set of metallics recommends on the lid leaving water on the paints for 3 minutes before using them. This does give much better coverage than going straight in. I love using these sparkly paints!

❤😊 I see new 😍🖌️🖌️🖌️ in my future! Have a wonderful trip! Fran

Congrats on reaching your first 1000 subscribers 🥳love your videos and artwork. I remember I had a similar experience when I first tried arches, it is a very thirsty paper but you get used to it quickly, it does mean loading your brush more and it will probably work best with your natural hair silver brushes as they hold the most water, at least for the first couple of glazes. Colours blend beautifully on arches and dry brushing looks great. Escoda brushes are my favourite, always so well made and also aesthetically pleasing

Always happy to view your content. Please do a video on the things you pack for your trip and how you will use them 🙂

Watching this video is cool because I just finished watching the video on your trip to Nepal …..so I’m excited for you! I’m such a kid🤣

Helen, I just happened upon one of your videos today for the first time. And I must tell you, I was so envious as you unpacked your yummy supplies for to upcoming trip. I found myself quite enjoying your refreshing demeanor. I hope that you have a wonderful time on your trip and that you enjoy trying out all of your new toys. I would love to be one of your new subscribers and look forward to joining you in your watercolor journey as well as improving my own along the way. 😊

1k! Congrats 🎉

thank you too.

I love your voice, is so soothing. I just discovered your channel. I’m a fellow artist 👩🏼‍🎨

The watercolor sketchbook that I'm currently using has a texture that looks like tiny little BRICKS!! Once you see it, you can't unsee it. It's ok with some watercolors, but the pattern really shows up with granulating watercolors. I'm glad you showed the Etcher sketchbook. I might try that one out. Thank you!

I’m excited for you to discover cotton paper. It’s a game-changer! Those thirsty Aqua Elite brushes in your haul will behave differently on the Arches. You might find you’re dealing with too much water. (At least that was my experience.). I enjoyed this video and listened to you discuss your haul as I painted here at home. Very relaxing, almost as if I were painting and talking with a friend next to me. Not all videos need to be dramatic, right?

Actually, it is better to store your paintbrushes laterally so that water doesn’t stay in the ferrules, weakening the glue for the bristles… but I love that you have indulged yourself with special gifts for your birthday - Happy Birthday!!

Lovely haul!! You’re so lucky to have a birthday a few months into the year (even if you ordered early). I could not really turn my birthday into an exception for my low-buy year as it’s 12 days after Christmas 😂. I think prepping for a trip and doing up a travel kit by buying things you need is a good reason to order anyway. Looks like you found a lot of fantastic brushes!! For brushes, my favourites are firmer brushes like the Princeton Heritage or Velvetouch, or the Escoda Prado. I seem to have difficulty getting softer brushes to do what I want them to do. I have some Princeton Aqua Elite and I do like them as well. I haven’t tried a lot of others that seem to be popular and just stick with the ones I know I like. I ❤ Arches and Etchr. They are my go-to paper and sketchbook. I switched from cellulose to cotton very early in my painting journey, so I don’t remember there being much learning curve; I started using the cotton paper while I was still a beginner (and the entire process was a learning curve lol). I had difficulty with cellulose drying too quickly and I couldn’t do wet-in-wet very easily on big backgrounds (I’d get too many hard edges or cauliflowers) and someone recommended I switch to cotton. After trying it, there was no turning back, I just found it SO much easier. I still use my cellulose papers for swatching or practice sheets though. Looking forward to seeing your travel kit! I’ve just done up a VERY minimal kit for a trip in May. I’ll only have a very small amount of room in my carry-on, so I’m sticking with an A6 Etchr sketchbook and *very* minimal supplies to go with it (everything but the sketchbook must fit in a *tiny* pencil case).

I too was supposed to stop buying art supplies until April but I already gave in 😅 the sketchbook selection look very fun 😊 I love etcher sketchbooks and I hope you enjoy it as well alongside your new supplies 👏🏼 and congratulations on the subs 💖💖

Brand new here, I have really enjoyed your haul and hope your preparing and set up will be perfect for your art adventures... I also really love the Silver brushes, and Princeton Neptune line. I have not tried the Aqua elite, but they look lovely. You are going to love the cotton paper, it really is amazing the depth and richness of your colors are going to shine! I really liked the brief flip through of your paintings, from what I can see your art is beautiful.

Ah I just received the same carry holder and I am looking forward to see how you will fill it. Hope that happens soon. I am newly subscribed. Jackie

Lucky you

I've found the art creations sketchbooks can hold quiet a bit of water without bleeding through. At least with graphitint/inktense pencils and ecoline markers etc. Just not too much at a time is the trick. But no, it's not watercolour paper 😊

Woohoo! First! 😂

I’ve been using the Zig Clean Color watercolor markers, the ones you have seem better. The Zig have a brush tip .

Such a lovely haul! I loved to listen to all of your considerations and evaluations. The Arches paper is definitey thirsty, I've made that experience myself. It's also a bit too structured for my taste. I personally prefer the Hahnemühle Watercolor Collection paper, which is a lot smoother and less thirsty (and comparable prizewise - at least in Germany). The best brushes to use on Arches paper (on any good watercolor paper actually) for me are genuine sable brushes. I know that a lot of people don't want to use natural hair brushes and I wouldn't want to talk anyone into it but if you ever get the chance to test one do it. You won't feel the difference on cheap paper (in fact cheap synthetic brushes even might be the better option for that) but on high quality watercolor paper (even on good pulp paper) they work like a charm.

What an interesting haul! I’ve just found your channel, so I don’t know if you have posted any more thoughts on the cotton paper. Here is my experience: First of all, I have heard that you can develop “bad habits” if you learn on wood pulp paper because the paint behaves different on it than it does on cotton paper. But obviously wood pulp paper is generally much less expensive and more widely available, so most people will learn on it. I do find that Arches paper in particular results in colors which are often more vibrant than they are on a lot of wood pulp papers. The paint is also easier to control on it. That said, I am a huge fan of Canson XL watercolor paper and use it all the time. I find the colors look vibrant on it, but one of its “strengths,” to me, is a weakness for a lot of people - it IS less thirsty, and paint moves very easily on it. But, many colors will lift off completely very easily, which can be annoying. I love it for loose watercolor painting when “happy accidents” are welcome. Additionally, as I am sure you know, sizing makes a big difference. I’ve had wood pulp paper which resists paint so much that it is very difficult to paint, and cotton paper which is almost as absorbent as a paper towel. You have to experiment and find the right one for you. I enjoy painting watercolor and gouache sketches on Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media paper, which is 100% cotton and the same paper as in their Mixed Media visual journals. It is not such a thirsty paper (but also lighter-weight.) I also wanted to add that I just recently purchased quite a few of those Faber Castell Albrecht Durer markers, and was very disappointed in how many of them washed out. I keep thinking maybe I haven’t developed just the right touch/water control, but there are a few colors of that marker line which seem extremely highly pigmented. But at this point because so many sort of disappear when water is added, I am unsure of whether I have any use for them.

You got the bloom on the Canson paper because you let it dry and then added more paint. As far as the cotton paper, Let it dry or charge in when it is wet.. have fun..

The only escoda that i didnt love was the versatail. But the rest of theyre sythetics are great. Especially the perla

Oh Oh, cotton watercolour paper. Once used there's no going back 😂🤣😂

Finetec has an excellent colorfastness. I haven’t found any mica watercolors that have better lightfastness.

And theres not a princeton line i dont own and theyre all fantastic. If u love the black velvet youll enjoy the princeton neptune series the most. But the aqua elite and the heritage 4050 are my favorites

I wish I can have same brushes. 🤩 I have №6 aqua elite it is just too small for me, but really nice. I can't judge brushes by the description in online stores. I wish I could go to the store and see them in real life, the selection we have is very limited. The escoda prices are really nice on Jackson's, I wouldn't hesitate to buy them if I live in Europe. And the set of Escoda brushes is so cool but not available in US. It figures.

Oh coooool! You were a firefighter!

I'm sorry if you said this and I missed it but what color did you use to test the brushes? It's gorgeous

Neocolor 2 I understand. What do you use neocolor 1 for?

What brand is the pencil pouch with removable ‘pages’?

Lovely colors, I hope you will enjoy your new stuff while travelling! I have recently fallen in love with travel brushes, because it is SO much easier to take them with you. I just wish everybody would stop supporting animal cruelty and buy synthetic brushes exclusively. I just cannot wrap my head around it. Don't we all love squirrels? Such beautiful, intelligent and elegant animals, but then again, brushes are made from their fur, even if it is partially, they still get abused for that. Please don' take this comment as hate, it is not intended as that at all, I just wish everybody would be more conscious of it and live animal kindness through and through. Lots of love to all of you and thank you Helen for your inspiring art videos!

We all lie about getting more art supplies 😂