Humble beginnings. Little Diana in preschool.
Hey there!
My name is Diana Jordan, and I am a digital artist with a penchant for watercolor illustrations. I look at traditional illustrators active on social media and think, “I want to paint like them!”
Something is appealing about using a paintbrush over a stylus or a sheet of paper instead of a screen. For me, it brings up feelings of nostalgia. I didn’t start drawing on a tablet; I began with a pencil, as many kids do. Perhaps I am a sentimental old fool (as some 90s kids tend to be), but I love the slow act of mixing paint, watching it swirl, and then dry on paper. It hearkens back to a simpler time—a time without the internet.
I’m looking for opportunities to step away from the computer. Nowadays, I illustrate exclusively on a digital tablet. When I look at traditional artists and their work, I can’t help but feel a bit envious of their skills. But don’t get me wrong. There are aspects of the digital art process that I still enjoy, like the ability to edit with ease. Still, I believe it’s time for a change.
Last week, I bought my first professional watercolor set: the Mijello Mission Gold Pure Pigment Set. I chose it because it is an affordable artist brand compared to other artist brands. In this post, I will share my opinion on product quality and presentation. For example, is the pigment vibrant, or is it chalky? I will also review the Mijello Studio Palette, a plastic palette used to store and mix paint. I hope this review will help you decide whether Mijello is a worthwhile investment and even inspire you to paint.
So let’s go!
The Packaging
The Mijello Gold Mission Pure Pigment Set arrives in a gold-colored box covered by a plastic sleeve. The MWC-1524P set has twenty-four 15 ml watercolor tubes and two 7 ml watercolor tubes. There are three brochures. The first one is a catalog of Mission Gold watercolor sets and palettes. The second pamphlet describes the company’s watercolor standards. Finally, the third one has a watercolor chart of the pure pigments and their mixes.
Overall, I like the packaging. It’s simple but looks sophisticated. There is one drawback, however. There are no instructions for mixing pigments. I bought this set because it has pure pigments. According to Mijello, pure pigments contain only one color, which has the present benefits.
“[The Pure Pigment Set] allows artists to create an unlimited spectrum of clean, reliable colors.” — Mission Gold website.
It is harder to recreate some of the pigments on the watercolor chart without instructions. Although I did find Mijello’s mixing suggestions on the company website, my set doesn’t match the watercolor set online. I realized my mistake when I began to squeeze out the paint on the palette. The MWC-1524P box has seven new colors not used in the mixing tutorial. Luckily, I can still experiment with pigments and mix new colors. I’m only disappointed that they didn’t carry instructions for my set. Hence, I recommend contacting the retailer before ordering the box to make sure you’re ordering the correct one.
The Palette
The Mijello Studio Palette is a plastic palette for storing and mixing paint. It has 55 slanted wells and three large mixing areas. Altogether, the palette measures 14 ¼” x 17 ⅞” open and 14 ¼” x 9” closed. The wells are an inch wide, making it possible to fit a generous amount of paint. I can load my brush and mix watercolors without scraping paint inside the well.
But what about water beading or staining?
Water beading happens when water touches a hydrophobic surface, like plastics and metals. The surface repels the water, and the water beads up. If you painted with plastic palettes before, then you might have seen the water divide into droplets. Many artists use porcelain or ceramic palettes instead of plastic or metal to keep the watercolor in a big pool. But they are more expensive depending on the design.
The Mijello Studio Palette does not prevent water beading. However, you can scuff the surface with sandpaper that has a super fine grit. I used one with 320. Sanding it won’t fix the problem, but it will improve it. I also read that beading goes away with consistent use, so if you want to avoid damaging your palette, then you can try painting with it as often as possible.
Staining is unavoidable. Diluted bleach will clean most stubborn stains. I like to wipe off the wet paint with a paper towel before I dab the bleach. Do not use this method regularly, or you can ruin your palette. I use dish soap and water for daily cleaning.
Overall, I love the palette. It has plenty of room to store my paints and three generous mixing areas. Although I had to prepare the surface for better mixing results, I still believe it is worth the purchase because of the palette’s design.
The Colors
Altogether, I have 41 colors on my palette. I mixed as many colors as I could with the watercolor chart on the website. It took a week for the pigments to dry before I could use them. I recommend storing the palette inside a drawer until they harden. You can’t close the case with fresh paint, or it will drip. I discovered that the hard way. In the meantime, I designed a watercolor swatch template that I could print on watercolor paper. Each sheet can fit 24 swatches. It even has space to write the color name and other relevant information.
I felt it was more efficient to design a template I can print again in the future than to draw it by hand. If you would like to use this template, then you can find it in my Resources tab. I have several in different formats. You can use any sheet of 9” x 12” watercolor paper to print. If your printer ink isn’t waterproof, then I suggest painting inside the lines.
What about the colors?
The Mijello colors are both vibrant and intense. It doesn’t take a lot of paint to get a saturated color. However, some artists like to build up the color with layers. If you work with layers, you will need to dilute the water first. Otherwise, you’ll need a small amount of paint to get a bright color, which means it’s economical. There are also few muted tones, which can be a concern for some artists. Earthy, neutral colors show up in nature illustrations and portrait illustrations. Mijello recommends adding Ivory black to other colors to tone them down. However, I think adding complementary colors will also do the trick.
Finally, the Mijello colors have little to no granulation. Because of their fine pigment, they create even washes instead. If you rely on granulation to texture your painting, then you might not like this brand. But there are ways to increase granulation. For instance, Schmincke sells a granulating spray. The result does not look like natural granulation, but it still adds texture. I think this comes down to personal preference. Some artists want a granulating effect and other artists don’t care or mind.
The Verdict
Overall, I am satisfied with the watercolors. I bought them because I wanted to experiment with color yet save money. The set cost me $111.50 before sales tax. For 26 professional watercolors, I think is a bargain. After all, they are 15 ml tubes and pure pigments! But I was a little scared of the vibrancy at first because I’m inclined to pick subtle, muted tones. I have to keep in mind that I can mix pigments—not all is lost. My favorite purchase, however, is the Studio palette. It cost me $36.79. For a palette of this size and design, I felt it was a bargain, too. I love how it sits on my desk. I can travel with it (in a large bag). It even has plenty of room to store more pigments. I can see myself using this palette for a long time. Both products are suitable for professional artists and hobbyists.
What’s my score, then?
Mijello Mission Gold Watercolor Pure Pigment Set: 4 out of 5 stars
Mijello Studio Palette: 4.5 out of 5 stars
What do you think of the Mijello Mission Gold watercolors? In your opinion, is it quality paint? Comment below and share your thoughts! The more illustrators know, the better!
Swatches
I tested all 41 colors on my palette on sheets of Arches watercolor paper (hot-pressed). If you would like to use the template I created to test your watercolors, then please visit my Resources tab at the top of the page to download the swatches.
