Watercolor review Roman Szmal
Roman Szmal: My first handmade watercolor experience
Oh, how long it has been since I really sat down to talk about my materials like this. It feels like forever! But today, thanks to a dear friend who made this possible, I have the absolute pleasure of sharing a deep dive into something truly special: Roman Szmal professional watercolors. This is a Polish, handmade line, and as far as I can recall, this is my very first time using professional-grade handmade pans. Honestly? I’m beyond excited.
As you’ll see in the video, the first little quirk is that the pans aren’t labeled, which is typical for handmade artisan paint (or not?). So, I’m manually adding the manufacturer’s numbers to the back of each pan. It’s a bit of extra work compared to factory-made paints, but it’s essential so I know exactly which pigments I’m grabbing when it’s time to refill. It’s part of the process, and I don’t mind it at all.
Before I started the swatch, I pre-wetted the paints to wake them up, and then I went for a "power swatch." I wanted to see everything: how they mix with each other, how they handle three-color gradients, and how they behave on paper. Since the set’s creator focuses on nature, I ended up painting some tomatoes, I know, I know, I probably should have gone for delicate botany to match the packaging, but let’s just say that’s not my strong suit yet! Maybe in a future video, I’ll challenge myself to try again.
I used Fine Grain Heavyweight paper by Daler Rowney, 200g, A3.
I was especially drawn to the greens, purples, and browns. I spent quite a while mixing 128 and 222; they create such a beautiful, complex gradient. I have to be honest, 128 is a tricky one; it didn’t play nicely with my yellows or reds, but the moment I paired it with blues and greens? Pure magic.
Just a heads up: my camera might make the chicken look like it has red details, but I promise it’s actually a vibrant "Barbie pink", just a classic camera color-rendering issue!
And the granulation? Oh, don't even get me started. If you mix 222 with 308, you get this stunning, textured green that granulates beautifully. As a lover of granulating paints, this is pure joy.
The Verdict? I’m officially in love with this set. It’s going to be a staple in my sketching kit from here on out.
Thank you so much to my friend for this gift, and thank you all for watching. Don't get lost, you can find me everywhere under the same nickname. And if you enjoy this kind of content, don’t forget to follow my Patreon. You can support me with a free subscription, where I share plenty of useful articles and try to keep things as cozy and creative as possible.
Now, don't forget to wash your brushes. Thank you! =PP=