Temu Art Supplies Bargain or Rubbish?
Temu Art Supplies Bargain or Rubbish?
This is less a review and more a conclusion to my own personal experiment and hopefully the information within said experiment will be helpful to you. Also, before I go any further into the article, I would love to hear your experience of buying from Temu? When I first ordered art supplies from AliExpress, I was nervous due to the fact, most if not all the sellers are located in China, India, Japan etc. Of course I have nothing at all against said countries, but in my thinking, it might make things difficult should you need to return an item. This proved to not be the case at all regarding AliExpress and we are going to talk about Temu in this article.
Buying From Temu
My first fear or doubt from buying anything from Temu was the same as AliExpress; I was concerned about the ability to return an item, but perhaps more importantly, fraud was a huge concern. I know that even when we buy from huge companies like Amazon, Crafters Companion, Jerrys etc, even they fall victim to scammers and fraud. However, the big difference if this unfortunate event should happen to you when buying from any of the above, there is a lot of protection in place for the consumer.
With a foreign company like Temu, it is difficult to know one way or the other if such protections are in place. Of course you can place your own protections in place such as using PayPal or even using a Credit Card as opposed to debit card, but not everyone has a credit card or not everyone has a PayPal account. Generally speaking, more mature members of our community, perhaps may not use PayPal due to a difficulty in understanding technology and therefore setting up an account. I in no way mean to degrade or put down our more mature community members as I know a lot who have an excellent understanding of tech, a lot more than me in many cases, nevertheless, it can still be a stumbling block and this is why the actually company having protection in place is a bonus.
I set up an account with Temu, planning to purchase some products and test their quality in relation to cost, but also to monitor the safety of ordering directly from the website. In order to really monitor the safety aspect of buying directly from Temu, I knew I was going to have to wait at least a month before concluding on my experience. There was no point in buying something and the second the item arrived, conclude my investigation regarding scams or fraud. Also, on the issue of returning an item, you have 90 days in which to return an item and the return is free, now I have not had to go through that process so I cannot speak to it, but if any of you guys have I would love to hear your experience in the comments section.
After a month, from actually receiving my items and strictly monitoring my bank account, from which I made the payment, I can hand on heart say that no problems existed. The nice thing about having no money in real life, is that when scammers try to take money from your bank account, they get just as upset as I do when I try to take money from my bank account. However, there are a lot of people who have worked hard all their lives, saved and been careful, only to have some low life take everything from them and the law does very little to provide justice and have whatever was stolen, returned.
What I can tell you is this, my experience with purchasing on the Temu website thus far, has been exactly the same as buying from other sites such as Amazon or Ebay. That being said, anyone that is new to buying from big sites, always try to protect yourself as best you can. Even if you don’t have a Credit Card or PayPal account, aside from your main debit card account, you can set up a second account with you bank with no overdraft facility, just the account and when you want to buy something, transfer the amount needed from your Debit or Current Account into your second account and buy from that account. This way should a scammer obtain your details, they will think they are trying to steal from Harry’s bank as there will be no money in there, but your money is safe. I know it is a hassle transferring and setting up a second account, but believe me, it is a lot less hassle than a low life robbing from you what is clearly not theirs.
Temu Products, Quality or Rubbish?
So your money is as safe with Temu as it is with any other online entity, that is a good start, but what is the quality of the products like? It is relevant to ask this question given the low cost of many items on Temu. Are these items from Temu cheap for a reason? their quality is diabolical? or is it simply just a case of materials and labour is cheaper in countries such as India, China etc?
These are all matters to take into consideration. Another matter that you might take into consideration, and this is purely a matter for your own piece of mind and we all have to make such a decision. Is the cost of materials and labour cheaper because of perhaps breaches in human rights regarding employee ages and conditions in which said employees are forced to work in? I am not suggesting that Temu is in anyway shape or form endorsing such issues given that Temu is like an Ebay platform, in that individuals and stores can sell on the platform? Unfortunately this is a much deeper issue than I am equipped to tackle, but I know it is a subject matter brought up when buying from AliExpress and Temu.
One of the main reason I was drawn to make a purchase from Temu in the first place was the amazing deals being offered to first time buyers. There are always amazing offers and discount codes being provided, but in particular first time buyers are gifted with excellent deals. This is obviously a very clever marking ploy, it grabs a lot of people like me and increases footfall to the platform even if not their to buy.
On my first purchase, I made a purchase of six items in total, all of which combined cost me £28.35 or €33.08 or $35.77. Two of the items in the deal were considered free, but I am going to show you all each individual item purchased and what each item costs at the time of writing this post. It is important you note that the prices provided are at the time of writing this post, because prices on Temu go up and down all the time. If I can recall, the deal was to buy four items and get two free.
Watercolour Brush Holder
The first item on the list was a watercolour brush holder; when I was looking through Temu to buy a few items the watercolour brush holder just jumped out at me, it is very simple and something I have always wanted. I have to add at this point, I am in no way a watercolour expert, however, I have been passionate about watercolours for a number of years and have accumulated my own collection of watercolours both pans and tubes along with a number of varying brushes. If you watch the YouTube video review connected to this article, I showcase the brushes I have purchased and used over the years and they are the backdrop for my determining a quality watercolour brush as opposed to a rubbish one.
The actual watercolour brush holder as you can see from the image is a simple holder made from wood. It does what it is supposed to do and I personally think it looks very pleasing to the eye, it would not look out of place on any artists desk or studio. This item was considered one of the free items in the deal
Set of 12 Lonely Finger Watercolour Brushes
As with so many paint brushes on the market, they are not exclusively watercolour brushes, they are also marketed as acrylic or oil paint brushes. That being said, all the brushes I have purchased have only been tested and showcased in a watercolor experience.
In this set, as with all the brushes purchased, if you head over to the YouTube review, you will actually see them being used and their performance. In this section of the review I am mostly stating the prices both when I purchased them and at the time of writing this article, with a short description on their quality and uses.
As you can see this is a small 12 set, the brushes are all round from a Number 12 to Number 1 round. Obviously the smaller brushes provide excellent detail when painting. This is a synthetic Nylon set of brushes and so they don’t hold a huge amount of water, which I am sure you could deduce by simply looking at them.
Despite “Premium Paint Brush” being printed on the packaging, I would not suggest these brushes for the use in a fine art watercolour artists palette. They do deliver a decent amount of water and retain the paint well also. For anyone starting out in watercolours, just wanting to try the medium before taking it further, I would say this set is perfect.
The Ferrule on these brushes are not the best, which is to be expected, they are not tightly fitted it seems and where crimped to the handle, agin there is gaps allowing for water and paint to seep through and over time perhaps rot the wood handle. The handles are lacquered black with faint Gold print along it, the longest brush which is the Number 12 Round is approximately 22 cm or just under 8.5 inches
So many young artists try watercolours with the brushes that are included in certain sets, most of those brushes are camel hair and retched at best and at worst, totally shatter a young artists impression of the medium, never to be taken further. A set such as this would certainly give such an artist the excellent start they deserve, this set would certainly provide a decent experience without breaking the bank. This set of 12 brushes cost £4.49 or €5.24 or $5.67 as part of the deal and at the time of writing this article £2.79 or €3.26 or $3.52
Set of 13 Lonely Finger Professional Artist Paint Brush Set High Quality
the title for this set I have wrote above is exactly what is printed on the packaging; it is this sort or advertising or marketing that I think should be regulated better. I understand the company has a product to sell and for them to make money, but to a student or new artist to watercolour, such a title would make them reach out and purchase, thinking they are buying exactly what the title says
I am not suggesting the brushes are terrible, not at all, but they are not what the title above and is printed on the packaging would have you believe. Again the brushes can be used with acrylic or oils, but I have used them exclusively with watercolours.
This set of brushes are much bigger that the previous set of 12. In this set the handles are lacquered with a rich red brown color. Here the largest brush is a Number 24 Round all the way down to a Number 0 Round. My only issue with this particular set and it is only a personal issue, I don’t like the length of the handles, for me they are too long and when I see them I think acrylic brushes.
The 24 Round Brush from brush tip to the end of the handle is approximately 33 cm or 14 inches and at the brushes thickest part, close to the crimp of the ferrule, it is 1.7 cm or just over 0.25 inch. The Brushes are Nylon just like the 12 set of Lonely Finger Black Brushes, however I found that this set held a bit more water and delivered a smoother layer of paint.
I tested the number 12 round from this set, trying to keep the comparison fair as opposed to testing a number 24 round against a number 12 round, so both brushes being tested are number 12 round. I felt the ferrule on this set of brushes was fitted better, they are crimped tighter to the handle leaving less chance of water seeping in and rotting the wooden handle under.
I think this particular set is excellent for student artists, of course new artists to watercolours would also enjoy them, but I would go to the higher grade of student also with them. I think a professional watercolor artist, or even just a long term watercolor artist, could use them, but they would most certainly tell the difference between this set of Lonely Finger and their Kolinsky Sable brushes or even their synthetic sable.
At the time of purchasing this set cost me £6.79 or €7.93 or $8.57 and at the time of writing this article, they have dropped a whole penny £6.78 or €7.92 or $8.56
Number 8 Al Sha Ke Art Brush China
This was a single watercolor brush and not a set, this is a mop brush or round, I know different artists refer to them in different ways. However, this is a really nice brush. From the tip of the brush to the end of the handle, it is approximately 21 cm or 8.25 inches and at the handles thickest, just below the ferrule its approximately 1.6 cm.
The handle is lacquered in a gorgeous deep red with Gold print along the handle simply stating the size of the brush, which in this case is “No. 8”, then the company name “Al Sea Ke” followed by “Art Brush China” This is also a Nylon brush, like the other two sets on show, but the belly of this brush is much fuller and therefore holds a significant amount of water.
I tested the brush on my YouTube review of Temu products and not only does the brush absorb a significant amount of water, when lifting the brush out of the water, there is very little dripping, the brush holds the water incredibly well.
I think this would serve a watercolor student really well, I know I am lumping these products in certain categories, according to ability etc, but I just want to make it clear, I am only doing this as a way of depicting quality. The fact of the matter is this, anyone can use any of these brushes, you don’t have to be painting like Rembrandt in order to use a Sable brush, art shouldn’t be like that, we are free to use whatever we like to create, please don’t don’t think I am trying to pigeonhole artists and thier tools.
At the time of purchasing this deal, the Al Sha Ke No 8 Watercolor Brush cost me £8.49 or €9.92 or $10.71 however, at the time of writing this article it has dropped to £7.64 or €8.93 or $9.64
Number 6 Art Secret Brush
I’ve left my two favourite items and perhaps the two best products for last. This is like the Al Sha Ke brush in that it was a single brush purchase. This is a little smaller in that it is a Number 6 Round or Mop. I know it is not technically a mop brush and I am going to have watercolor experts hang me for this, but I watch so many different watercolor artists and they all call them different things, it can be quite confusing, at least that is my defence for my ignorance and I am sticking to it.
This is a Nylon Sable mix, which makes the brush really soft and in all the tests I have conducted with the brush, not only does it absorb a lot of water but it holds on to it really well also. Loading it up with pigment and then applying it to quality watercolor paper is just a delight. Incidentally, the paper I used to test all the products with was the amazing St Cuthbert’s Mill, Saunders Waterford, Rough, 140lb, 100% Cotton, just an absolutely gorgeous paper to use, gorgeous.
This brush, as with the “Al Sha Ke”, are also available in different sizes, you purchase them as individuals but there are a range to chose from. This No 6 Art Secret brush from tip of brush to end of handle is approximately 20 cm, a tad smaller than the “Al Sha Ke”. At the handles thickest section we are looking at approximately 1.3 cm.
I love this little brush and at the time of purchasing this single No. 6 Art Secret Watercolor Brush, it cost me £8.58 and at the time of writing this article it cost £8.57
10 Piece Master Level Paint Brush Set
I have to say, of all the piece in this list, this is my absolute favourite, everything about it is gorgeous and I have to also mention that I showcase a lot of the brushes in the set on my YouTube video review which you can watch by following the link.
As you can see from the images, this is a gorgeous faux Leather roll holding a selection of 10 different brushes. The roll is made secure using the leather straps wrapped around and on the inside there is a small mesh pocket for adding things like a sharpener, eraser, extra pans, whatever you need.
On the outside of the roll in black print is “Giorgione Since 1996”, all in all, aesthetically speaking the roll is beautiful, I have the dark brown roll but there is also a light brown roll available. On the inside of the roll there is obviously pockets for the individual brushes included in the set, but if the notion took your fancy, there is nothing stoping you from adding your own brushes. Along the top of the roll, there is a section of material attached so that once the brushes are installed, the material covers the end of the brushes protecting them from dirt and grime that may be in your bag.
The contents of the roll however is where the magic is all happening. Starting from the left and working our way across to the right.
Number 2 Liner
Number 5 Round
Number 2/0 Round
Number 2 Round
A 1/2 inch Mop
Number 14 Scruffy
Number 14 Filbert
Number 12 Slant
A 3/4 Inch Feather
A 1 Inch Flat
As you can see there is a really nice cross selection of brushes included in the set. Due to my disability, I don’t get out nearly half as much as I would love to, I dream of being able to pick up a watercolor set, head out into the country and sit in the silence and paint the landscape. In my mind, this set is perfect for such an occasion.
The brushes are a selection of Nylon and mixed animal hair, at least this is how the set is advertised. After doing a little bit of digging about, I found out that the animal mix is squirrel. Now I know artists tussle with the dilemma of using animal hair products, however despite real animal hair providing the very best painting experience, companies are able to now days replicate amazing synthetic sable alternatives.
This set alone is worth the £28.35 I paid for the entire art supply selection, anything else in my opinion was a bonus. Incidentally, as part of my deal, this item was free, so the watercolour brush holder was free as was the roll. However at the time of writing this article, this watercolor set costs £26.99 or €31.54 or $34.16.
3/4 Inch Feather
Temu Conclusion
I have to say that my overall experience of shopping on Temu has been positive, there was no fraud or scammers regarding payment and the items all arrived in excellent time, this will obviously vary depending on where in the world you live.
I was really pleasantly surprised with the quality of the items purchased, the only item in the entire selection that was slightly iffy regarding quality was the 12 piece watercolor brush set, but in all honesty, we can’t expect too much for £4.49, in fact I think I am right in saying that you could not even buy a fast food meal for this price. Also, when I say the quality was iffy, I was only referring to the fit of the ferrule and crimp, the actual brush quality on the 12 set is perfect for the group I suggested.
In total, at the time of writing this article, if you were to buy all six items from Temu, without any deals or discount codes, the cost would be £55.75 or €65.20 or $70.57. So with this price in mind, are the items still worth the money and I would say yes.
The Brush Holder, Watercolour Brush Roll and both individual brushes the number 8 and 6, in my opinion are worth the £55.75 I would have to pay now without discount coeds or deals. Watercolour Brushes and art supplies may not be your thing, in which case I will purchase, or try to purchase a set of pencils from Temu and review them. I will try to buy an obscure set of colored pencils that are only available to on Temu and review them, but its always worth remembering, Temu is only the platform on which sellers sell, to the best of my knowledge they do not manufacture products themselves.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful support, I hope this review has been helpful to you in anyway. If you would like to ask any questions please feel free to do so either in the comment section or via email theartgearguide@gmail.com . Also if you would like to see the products in this article showcased, you can do so by simply following the link to my YouTube video documenting the entire process. I have to apologise however as my framing wasn’t good when I was conducting a certain test with the watercolor brushes.
