Coliro Watercolors

 

I am always drawn to Coliro watercolors and their captivating shimmers and sparkles. I recently decided to paint them into my own potion bottle illustrations for a quick reference guide. It can often be difficult to gauge how a watercolor will appear in actual use, so making these paint references will be incredibly helpful when selecting colors.

A little warning about Coliro Watercolors. What you are seeing in the images is Coliro at their best. Direct light brings out the beautiful colors and shimmers but they do not look this way in the dark, dim, or even normal lighting. When not under direct light the colors appear dull and muddier. In my experience, the best way to utilize Coliro watercolors is to accent regular watercolors when you need a little shimmer in your artwork. Sometimes, I use Coliro to paint cards that I send to friends, knowing that they may not immediately look stunning upon opening the envelope, but hoping that as they hold the card it will catch the light and create a magical moment.

Among the Coliro watercolor sets I own, the Gold and Silver Set is my favorite. Every color in the set is a winner, although a few shades are redundant. In the photo, it can be difficult to tell the difference between Arabic, Tibet, and Gold Pearl. While these colors are quite similar and interchangeable, Gold Pearl is lighter and softer, while Arabic Gold has a subtle orange undertone. Inca reminds me of old gold that has tarnished over time, while Moon Gold is beautiful and looks great even in normal lighting.

While I predominantly use the gold set, I have also bought individual pans of paint in a variety of colors. I previously left reviews for these colors on JetPens, and I feel my initial opinions still hold true. Here's a summary of my experiences:

The Good:

Rose, Lavender, Moss Green, Fiji, and Magnolia are all fantastic colors. They have a vibrant hue, shimmer beautifully, and spread easily. Red is undoubtedly one of the best colors in the Coliro range. It is a must-have.

The Alright:

Midnight Blue is a good color although it doesn't spread as easily as the others. It is lighter in color and possesses more shimmer compared to Royal Blue.

Golden Orange and Jungle are decent colors, although they do not particularly stand out.

Blue Pearl appears almost colorless unless it catches direct light, transforming it into a shimmering light blue.

I’ll also note here that the Coliro plastic watercolor palette serves its purpose, but the lid did easily crack after just a single day of use.

The Bad:

Red Violet is entirely unnecessary. If you need a pink hue, Rose is a better option. For red, stick with the Red shade. If you need violet, Magnolia is almost identical but brighter and prettier. There's really no need to buy Red Violet.

Royal Blue is not great. It is a muddy color even under direct light and is darker than Midnight Blue. It has less shimmer, tends to clump and does not spread smoothly. I’ve never had a watercolor try to fight me before, but Royal Blue refuses to cooperate. Skip this one.

Overall, I think Coliro Watercolors are really cool and I have already found plenty of uses for them. I also have the Magical Creatures set, which I may review in the future. I kind of feel these shimmering watercolors give my art a touch of magic, which is always a good thing. Speaking of magical, I'll mention that I found these little ceramic foxes online that I use to hold my paintbrushes and keep them from rolling away. So cute.