choosing paint colors

There are many wonderful brands of paint.

• It is important to note the difference between student and professional paints.

Student grade paints are less expensive. They contain less pigment, so they cost less to manufacture.

Professional artist paints contain more pigment. They have better coverage and make brilliant colors.

transparent colors

Transparent colors allow the white of the canvas or paper to show thru the paint.

The white illuminates the colors, so they appear more brilliant.

single pigment colors

When you are choosing paint colors find out how many pigments are used to make the paint.

If possible select single pigment paints.

Paints made with only one pigment mix well and produce clean color mixtures.

health precautions?

Cadmium colors are beautiful, brilliant colors, but they are associated with a health hazard.

So they are not included on the list. The same goes for Cobalt Blue.

oil colors on my palette

Years ago I switched from the traditional oil paints to alkyds because they dry much faster.

Winsor Newton Griffin Alkyds have an excellent reputation with good quality paints.

Here is a warm and cool version of each of the six rainbow colors.

* Cadmium Orange Hue made by Winsor Newton does not contain cadmium. It is a mixture of Arylide yellow and Pyrrole orange. It closely resembles Cadmium Orange without the toxicity.

Winsor Red is much like Cadmium Red Light, but it contains no cadmium. All of the cadmium colors are very brilliant. However they are opaque and they do not mix well with other colors.

alternate oil color choices

yellows

•  Raw Sienna is a warm yellow made from natural earth minerals.

reds

• Permanent Alizarin Crimson is a good red instead of Permanent Rose.

green

• Viridian Green is a good standby green that is less intense than Thalo Green.

Choosing your Art Supplies for Oil Painting

favorite watercolors

Professional watercolor paints by Winsor Newton are my go-to paints with a few exceptions.

The quinacridone colors are clean, brilliant colors that make beautiful color mixtures. You will find Quinacridone Sienna and Quinacridone Violet from Daniel Smith. 

Peacock Blue from Holbein is one of my favorites. Coral Orange is a true orange from Old Holland.

The Winsor Blue and Winsor Green are actually Thalo colors under the Winsor brand name.

Winsor Lemon is a single pigment Hansa yellow that mixes very well.

alternate watercolor choices

reds

• Permanent Alizarin Crimson may be used instead of Permanent Rose.

greens

• Hookers Green or Viridian Green
  
  

Watercolor Art Supplies

white completes your palette

• Add white when choosing paint colors for your oil palette. Titanium white is a good white.

Zinc white has more body and it is good for palette knife work. It may have a tendency to crack or flake in the finished painting.

There you have it - a simple way of choosing paint colors for your palette.

With the six rainbow colors and white you have all the colors you will ever need.

Colors make painting fun!

• These clean, clear colors will enable you to mix any of the beautiful colors you see in nature.

• You can also mix any color you see for sale at the paint store and save yourself a lot of cash.

choose the rainbow colors - enjoy!

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