17/01/2025
A review that has been a long time coming, of Golden brand 'So Flat' paint.
So, a while ago now, I was given the opportunity by Bonnie of The Alchemist Artists' Supply Store in Kyneton, to try the Golden So Flat paint - I had been hunting for Holbein AcrylaGouache, and Bonnie was kind enough to educate me on the differences and similarities between the AcrylaGouache and the So Flat, in that they were much the same where it counted. While I could have gone online and made purchases, I try very hard to support local and local-ish stores first and foremost, to keep my money as local as possible and support small business, but also because art supplies especially are such a sensory and tactile experience, I find I have less disappointment if I make a purchase in person. I do not have a lot of disposable income to spend on art supplies, so getting it right is important.
(As a side note, before I continue, if you are able to pop in to the bricks and mortar The Alchemist Artists Supply Store, it is most definitely worth a visit. The store itself is a delightful place to be, a place of visual and sensory peace as well as inspiration. The fit out is beautiful and Bonnie herself is incredibly welcoming. Additionally, if you are day tripping I recommend stopping in at Little Swallow Cafe in Piper Street too - the best hollandaise sauce I have had in my LIFE).
To the point however, the So Flat paints are brilliant. I have the six pack which includes Titanium White, Black, Permanent Green, Napthol Red Light, Cadmium Primrose and Ultramarine Blue, along with an additional bottle of Red Oxide. I have swatched each colour, and given them a spin on cheap printer paper, 300gsm watercolour paper, mid-range 200gsm paper, canvas, and even ceramic, and they've performed spectacularly well each time.
They are incredibly pigment rich while also being fluid and smooth enough to lay down easily over a larger area, as well as versatile enough to do detailed line work. They mix with each other, and with other acrylic paints (some of ahhhh... dubious quality) easily and quickly. They also dry quickly, which depending on how you're using them can be either a blessing or a curse. However, adding some sort of retarding medium will likely help as this is the case with most acrylic paints. Of the colours I have my favourite is the Red Oxide, but that is just personal reference. I certainly LOVE the Cadmium Primrose however, especially for mixing, as it has an almost flourescent tone to it, that when mixed with other colours makes for a brilliant tone and value shift for extra vivid highlights.
I have also since had the opportunity to try the Holbein AcrylaGouache I had been looking for and can quite easily say that the Golden So Flat beats it in every way possible, opacity, pigment, fluidity and just sheer joy of use, which for me, is where it really is at. These paints make me want to paint more, simply to enjoy using them, and that's a great product as far as I am concerned.
Thanks again to Bonnie for the opportunity to try them! I appreciate it :)
-- There will be a slightly more in depth video coming for the youtube channel soon on this topic, once I get technology to play nice. As ever, if you need to reach me you can do so at [email protected]
