I absolutely love this set of Paul Reubens neon watercolor tubes! They all glow under a blacklight except for the two blues. These will NOT be lightfast, as they are neon and simply cannot be, so if you're looking to use these in a professional painting, I would recommend you skip these. However, they work great, blend well and will last for a very long time in a watercolor sketchbook. These are not professional grade paints, do not expect them to be so. I went in knowing they were not lightfast, but I also don't sell my art so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. If you are looking to use these in a watercolor book, coloring book, brush lettering or other craft projects, I say go for it! The colors are highly pigmented and I did not have any issues with binder separation. All in all, fantastic craft/student-grade paints with a huge variety of neon colors at a reasonable price. You can also mix them with your other watercolors to brighten them up and make them pop! Very pleased. Will purchase again! Read more
UPDATE 2/8/24 Still LOVING these colors. Perfect for that added pop in paintings. Perfect color therapy for endless gray winter days. I bought quite a few sets of these so I always have them handy. ---------- ORIGINAL REVIEW I have been doing watercolor for a while, but I have honestly been frustrated not having neons, which is one of my favorite palettes to incorporate into paintings. I was not expecting much with these. BOY was I surprised. INTENSITY These are way more intense than I was expecting. They are not as highly concentrated as say M Graham, or Sennelier or other professional paints might be, but they are really good and build up nicely. SHEER These can be used for a wash on watercolor paper. They look really nice. LAYERING I layered them on the edges of my painting that I posted for you. They layer well. LIFTING These paints lift nicely if needed but they do also stay on the paper well like other watercolors without lifting too much. COLORS All but a few of the colors in this set are what I call NEON. There are a couple of what I would call bright, but most of them are neon level intensity and they work well with other paints to set them off. MIXING I have used other paints to mix with these to temper them and also change their appearance. They work out pretty well. I like how they blend. THE BOTTOM LINE I really love these paints. They are rich and true watercolor paints with a good brilliant neon level to them. They are the best of the neon watercolors I have used. MY RATING FIVE STARS. I love these paints so much I bought SEVERAL sets. I use them a lot and am thrilled every time I try another brand which turns out to be disappointing. These are always my go to for watercolors when I want to perk up my paintings. Read more
These are some of my most favorite watercolor paints. They are extremely vivid, bright and totally neon. The quality is excellent and they work so well on all types paper. I love the neon yellow and hot pink. Only thing is that the color on the tube of paint is no where even close to matching the actual color.. Read more
I prefer to use single-pigment watercolor paints that have been tested to be lightfast. This has meant staying away from colors like Opera Pink, which is notoriously fugitive. However. I recently decided to let myself have some fun, and to heck with whether the paints are fugitive. I bought a box of Paul Ruben's Opera watercolors. I've looked online for pigment info for these paints, but haven't found any. They probably use fluorescent dye and are therefore all quite, quite fugitive. But oh, what fun I'll have! Here are swatches in my "Painter's Color Diary: Watercolor," by HG Art Concepts (purchased from Cheap Joe's, though you can also get them on Amazon for about the same price). I use the color diary as a visual inventory. My first delighted thought when painting the swatches: Holy day-glo, Batman! Shades of the late 1960s/early 1970s. The image shows swatches from the 14 5ml tubes in the set. The colors are (in order from left to right and top to bottom) Opera pink, Opera light red, Opera orange red, Opera orange, Opera golden, Opera yellow, Opera green, Opera blue, Opera rose, Opera peach, Opera red, Opera purple, Opera violet, and Opera ultramarine. Some are more fluorescent than others. Quality: A bit more liquid than I like. I prefer the more buttery textures of Daniel Smith, Da Vinci, and M. Graham. But these paints aren't too liquid, and unlike some brands, show no signs of excess binder. I was surprised at how some of these colors granulated. I know many artists hate granulating watercolors, but I love granulation, so it's not a problem for me. I have male cats and therefore I own a blacklight, so in a spirit of experimentation, I shone the black light on the swatches. Yep. Fluorescent. Cool beans. Read more
I am a professional watercolor artist and these colors are so vibrant and rich. Read more
