Hanna has shared her extensive Roman Szmal collection, and now it’s my turn. Following the Jackson’s watercolor sale, I now have four (4) Roman Szmal paints!
I didn’t actually get the Roman Szmal Urban Sketches Mini Palette, I just liked the tin so I got an empty tin.
The Paints
Cyprus Burnt Umber Deep (PBr7)
I got this because Hanna had sent me a sample and I really like the hue. It’s my favorite Burnt Umber. It looks more similar to other Burnt Umbers wet but dries to a cooler hue which I prefer.
I did find it weaker than I remembered. I had to oversaturate it to get to the nice dark masstone you see, and it ended up bronzing a little. As with many granulating paints, it grades streaky.
The mixes are very beautiful. I especially like the dark greens with Phthalo Blue and Green. With Ultramarine Blue it makes a flat black.
Terra Pozzuoli (PR102)
I got Terra Pozzuoli because I loved Hanna’s swatch, and I’m not disappointed. It’s so soft and velvety, totally matte (no bronzing), and it has subtle sparkle. I have heard that natural red iron oxides can naturally sparkle, but I’ve never seen it before.
In hue it is similar to Da Vinci Terra Cotta. Wet it looked quite a bit redder, though dry it appears more similar. Like most other earth oranges, it’s fairly complementary to Ultramarine Blue. It mixes gorgeous browns with blues and greens.
Ultramarine Pink (PR259)
This is my first time trying this pigment. I reviewed it in Color Spotlight: Ultramarine Pink (PR259).
Ultramarine Intense (PB29)
I thought I would like this Ultramarine as far as Ultramarines go and I do. It’s bright and strong, with moderate to low granulation.
My feelings on Roman Szmal
I knew that I wouldn’t like RS as much as Hanna does because I don’t like paints that are sticky or that melt in humid weather; it’s humid about half the year where I live. Fortunately, I’m currently in the other half, and it’s quite dry. In these circumstances the softness and rewettability of RS is pretty nice and convenient. FWIW, I also don’t find them as sticky as, say, Sennelier or M. Graham, but more just soft.
I wouldn’t mind having more RS paints for these dry times of year, but I didn’t this time because I found it difficult to choose! Their catalogue is so huge and includes many experimental pigments I have not seen anywhere else. You would think this would be a plus, but I did find it somewhat overwhelming. Some of the experimental pigments do not have great reputations for lightfastness (which is why they’re not more popular), so you have to do a lot of research. I found it difficult to decide whether I wanted to try unique pigments or stick with old favorites, so this time I just went with neither.
What do you think? Experimental pigments or tried and true favorites? Are you a RS fan?
Comments
One response to “Now it’s time for MY Roman Szmal Collection”
I wouldn’t say I’m a proper “fan” since I only have 12 RS paints (one was a freebie I’d never choose myself). But I do like them a lot. My default portrait palette is all RS: gold ochre, perylene maroon, indanthrone blue, and transparent brown PBr23. My favorite RS paint I own is cobalt teal PG50.
I used to be concerned about mold and added little silica sachets to my palettes, but after watching this video by Paint in Hiding, I’m more concerned about them hardening over time :/ (no more silica sachets!) https://youtube.com/watch?v=e-dkHNyjShM
Whenever I look at their catalog I’m tempted by the unique pigments and mixes, but realistically I know I’d never use them. I barely use all the paints I already own, and I’m trying not to become a collector of paints instead of a painter