In this video I’m reviewing the new (2021) Paul Rubens “Shi Yun” 6-tube set—those muted, moody night colors that are marketed as “precipitated” or “layered.” In plain terms, that effect is coming from PBk11 granulation and the way it settles out to create gentle color separation. I swatch the set, talk through what the separation looks like in real washes, and share who I think these colors are actually useful for (and who might get bored of them fast). I also compare the overall look and vibe to a few popular alternatives: the Boku Undo E-Sumi Gansai set (which is super affordable and very similar), plus the Rembrandt and Van Gogh “dusk” style colors. One of my big takeaways is that the granulation here is pretty subtle—if you’re expecting the dramatic texture you might see from highly granulating lines like Daniel Smith, this set is more on the soft, understated side. And if you don’t want to buy a whole set for a niche palette, I talk about mixing similar colors yourself using any PBk11 plus your existing paints (and I point you toward PBk11 options like Roman Szmal).