Found a shortcut with cheap dollar store watercolors that actually fixed my blending problems

I was fighting with these expensive paints for weeks, couldn't get a smooth gradient to save my life. Then I grabbed a $1.50 set from the dollar store on a whim. Turns out the cheap pigments are way more watery and blend together easier. My last sketch of a sunset actually looks like something. Anyone else run into a weird tool that worked better than the fancy stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade4710d ago

I used to be one of those people who swore by expensive art supplies. Thought cheap stuff was just junk. But then I grabbed a pack of those drugstore makeup sponges after my Beautyblender fell apart and honestly the cheap ones work better for me too. They're softer and don't soak up as much product so I get more bang for my buck. Now I'm rethinking all my fancy brushes and paints. Have you tried any of those cheap craft store watercolor palettes?

theagarcia10d ago

Wait, what kind of dollar store paints did you grab? I had the same thing happen with a cheap makeup sponge for blending, I was using those expensive beauty blenders for months and they always left streaks. Then I picked up a pack of 10 for like 3 bucks at the drugstore and suddenly my eyeshadow blends out so smooth it looks like a filter. It's wild how often the expensive stuff is just overhyped and the cheap stuff works better because it's simpler and wetter or whatever. I've also had luck with those no-name acrylic brushes from Walmart, the bristles are stiff but they hold paint in a way the fancy ones don't. Feels like half the time we're just paying for packaging and not for actual function.

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