Crayola Watercolor Mixing Set with Taklon Paint Brush - 8 Vibrant Colors for Kids & Artists | Perfect for Classroom, Home Art Projects & DIY Crafts

Of course I expected the worst buying such a budget-friendly kids watercolor set.I chuckled when I read the negative reviews made by people who might not have paused to read exactly what this set is intended for- which would be for 3-5 grade art students (maybe those people went to those football schools that axed literature and art ed?) -to learn one of the many color theory systems known as the split primary.I was blown away at how incredibly rich these colors laid down. The white, usually a bane of most trad watercolorists, is sufficiently opaque someone wouldn't have to fetch their gouache. The black is like Sumi ink, it is so intense!As the instructions indicate, you can use the turquoise and violet-blue to make a very nice mid-blue. The magenta is as stunning as any professional watercolor paint squeezed right from the tube, and mixes very well with the Orange red (Vermillion) to create a soft primary red. The double yellows are there sa with EVERY old kids watercolor set I have EVER seen, the yellow is the first to run out. This is a very nice warm Lemon yellow, which works well to mix greens and oranges.The only item that gave me pause was what appeared to be the afterthought of a brush, as is largely the case in most budget sets. (Looking at YOU, Richeson-Yarka!)Well, it's actually NOT horrible. I was worried because the point appeared to have been tapered-in mechanically, but I wet it, and durned if it didn't do just fine for loose, yet reasonably contained, color blocking.It is nice to see that whatever my experience had been with the old Crayola Peacock brand in the past, Crayola has upped their game, and I can honestly recommend this set for someone who wants to get their brush wet and play! Highly recommended.