CORE???

The QoR tin - wells on the side are being used as mixing wells.

Perhaps you have heard about the new watercolors from Golden - QoR (pronounced "core").

Curious about them, I ordered the 12 introductory set, and then added a few colors that I would normally use.  The tubes in the set are small, the separate colors larger (as seen in the photo).  I'll leave them in this metal tin, and I'm using the little wells in the top to mix colors, as you can see.  I painted one picture on Fabriano 140 HP paper, and did not like the way the colors laid down.  It took me many layers to get dark, and then still not as dark as I had wanted.  I thought it was probably the paper, since I don't use HP that often.  Then I played around with them on Arches 140 CP.  Now I've decided it's the paint, not the paper, since I also was not particularly happy with the way they laid on that paper, which I normally use.

I think the colors are very pretty and mix well together, but in trying to mix them with my Daniel Smith, I did not like how they mixed.

When I told a friend about this, she researched them on the internet.  The binder they are using is a polymer. I think that makes the paints more "slippery" and that could be why they don't seem to go down on the paper in the way I'm used to.  They lay down kind of like a  watercolor mixed with extra gum arabic would lay.

Or maybe I'm just "used to what I'm used to" and it's hard to make a switch!  I like all of the other Golden acrylic products, and since this is their first foray into watercolor (as far as I'm aware) I'll give them a break!

As I said, the colors are very pretty and clear - and I'm sure there is some place for them in my paintings!  I'll keep you posted as I use them more.