Metallic Prism — My Very First Set
The beginning of everything
When I think back to where Lisilinka started, I always come back to two colors: gold and silver. Long before there was a brand, long before the first pan was ever cast, these were the colors I reached for instinctively. A touch of gold on the wing of a bird. A silver highlight along the edge of a leaf. These small accents were what made my paintings feel finished to me — alive in a way that regular watercolors alone never quite achieved.
So when the time came to develop my very first set, the decision was not difficult. Metallic Prism was built around the colors I had always painted with. It felt like the most natural place to begin.
The perfect entry point
One of the things I wanted Metallic Prism to be from the very start was a set that you could pick up and use immediately. Classic metallic tones like gold, silver, and copper are colors that work in almost any context. Whether you are painting animals, botanicals, fantasy motifs, or abstract details, these shades find their place naturally.
If you have never worked with metallic watercolors before, Metallic Prism is where I would tell you to start. Not because it is simple, but because it gives you the most direct experience of what metallic colors can do — without overwhelming you with unusual shades or complex combinations.
Warm meets cool — a balanced palette
What I am particularly proud of with this set is the balance between warm and cool tones. Crystal Gold, Crystal Copper, and Crystal Rosé bring warmth — a soft glow that works beautifully on fur, feathers or flowers. Crystal Silver, Crystal Ice, and Crystal Mint sit on the cooler side, adding clarity and a crisp, luminous quality to highlights and details. Crystal Lavender sits gently in between, connecting the two worlds.
Together, these seven shades cover a surprisingly wide range. You can work entirely within the warm tones, entirely within the cool tones, or let the two sides of the palette flow into each other. That flexibility is something I think about a lot when I develop a set — I want every color to feel useful, not just beautiful on its own.
Extreme sparkle — not just a shimmer
This is something I feel strongly about, and it is worth saying directly: there is a difference between a color that shimmers and a color that truly sparkles. Many metallic watercolors produce a soft, satin-like sheen — pleasant, but not what I was looking for. What I wanted was a sparkle that catches the light from across the room. A glitter that is unmistakably alive.
Every shade in Metallic Prism was developed with that in mind. The pigment density is high, the opacity is strong enough to cover with a single brushstroke, and the sparkle is — in my opinion — what sets these colors apart from anything else I have tried. That was the standard I set for myself when I started developing Lisilinka colors, and it is still the standard I hold to today.
Loved since the beginning
Metallic Prism has been part of the Lisilinka collection since the very first day — and it has remained one of our most loved sets ever since. Thousands of artists have started their metallic watercolor journey here, and whenever I hear from someone who tells me that this was their first set, it genuinely means a lot to me. It is a reminder of why I made it in the first place.
Time to get started. ✦
If you are curious about metallic watercolors and not sure where to begin — this is where I began. I hope Metallic Prism brings as much sparkle to your paintings as it has brought to mine.
→ Discover the Metallic Prism Set
Lisi
