Even a true artist does not always produce art.
Carroll O’Connor

White Nights 24 Watercolours Set by iHanna

I got a whole batch of awesome art supplies for Christmas, so I guess I must be very loved or something… Well, the truth is I ordered them myself and then got my mom to pay and give them to me. I pretended the surprise, but not the happiness. Art Supplies is the gift that keeps on giving you know.

I got a new box for my old watercolors, a pad of square watercolor paper, two sets of paint brushes and one of the best things was a whole set of 24 artist watercolor pans. Hallelujah!

New Artists' White Nights Watercolors, a brand from Russia, photo by iHanna

I have never owned a whole new set like this before so just opening each of the “candy bars” got me extremely excited. It was like 24 tiny gifts inside a big package… The brand is Russian and called White Nights, and they are really nice.

New White Nights Watercolors -  ready to use! by iHanna

I have only bought  small half pans before, one by one when in need of a refill. Sometimes I even bought those tiny half pans just as a gift to myself. Then when I got home I just play with a new color. But in this pack – 24 new colors just for me. What happiness! It makes me wonder why I didn’t splurge on or wish for something like this ages ago… Things like this is really the best gift a creative person can get.

White Nights watercolor Yellow and red Swatches

I decided to paint color swatches as I opened the White Nights Watercolors up, and note the names of each color. I wanted to try them out at once and it’s good to have the swatches with names in case I want to refer back to it later.

White Nights watercolor Swatches + Paint Pans

I am not an expert, but I must say I do love how pigmented and lovely these watercolors are. Now all I want to do is experiment with these colors and make little puddles of water and paint on paper.

White Nights watercolor Swatches by iHanna

As with everything, there is pros and cons to buying a whole set like this. These are not too expensive, and buying them as a kit saves money. But then you also get a range of color that you might not use as often. Since I don’t sketch and paint from life/nature I doubt I will use up all these umber, sienna and browns in my lifetime. Also, there wasn’t a pink in the box (though the purple one was a fun surprise). But all in all, I’m a fan of White Nights so far.

And I noticed that the swatches are really helpful when I’m painting, since many of the colors look almost black in the box, so it’s easier to take a look at the painted swatches when I want to pick the right color.

White Nights watercolor Swatches + Paint Pans by iHanna

Watercolors was my first real art love, I think, and they continue to be a favorite medium. So as I’m sure you’ve already figured out, I was like a kid at Christmas when I got these… For realz.

Click here to see how I sometimes play with watercolors.