Color Spotlight: Lemon Yellow (PY175)

A slightly green-toned bright yellow that’s highly transparent. I use this as a primary yellow, a neon green mixer, or a clear crisp sunrise yellow.

Experiment Results

Gradient: Makes a nice smooth gradient that is vibrant (but not dark) in mass and lightens to a pale pastel yellow.

Transparency: Absolutely transparent.

Glazing: Makes a much more vibrant banana yellow.

Comparison to Other Colors

Hansa Yellow Light (PY3)

Light yellows made from PY3, such as Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow Light, are extremely similar-looking to PY175 Lemon Yellows. They are both extremely cool (green-toned), light yellows. I would say the difference is that Hansa Yellow Light is a bit more opaque, which can make it look bolder. I also find that Hansa Yellow Light doesn’t mix the same way. While Lemon Yellow makes the entire color more yellowy (a traditional mix), Hansa Yellow Light (at least DS’s) seems to like to stay aloof from the other color, typically settling in a gradient instead of a regular mix. This may be what you want if you’re painting a sunset or another situation with a gradient, but not what you want if you’re trying to use it as a regular ol’ mixer.

Bear in mind that some brands, such as Schmincke, use the term “Lemon Yellow” for their PY3 (Hansa Yellow Light pigment) offering.

Comparison to Other Brands

Here are some other brands that make a PY175 yellow.

Daniel Smith – Lemon Yellow

Daniel Smith calls this a “brilliant primary yellow” though I find it to be more green-biased and not that brilliant. More transparent, and less tinted than Winsor & Newton’s version. I find it hard to get good juicy color from this one, and it’s easily overwhelmed in mixes. However, its transparency makes it great for subtle glazes and undercoats, and for making delicate, luminous sunrises.

Holbein – Imidazolone Lemon

Holbein’s Imidazolone Lemon is bit warmer (less green-biased) and also duller than some of the others. Here’s the side by side comparison with WN in the same light:

Holbein’s Imidazolone Lemon (left) compared to Winsor Lemon (right)

Holbein also has a color called Imidazolone Yellow which is PY154, so pay close attention to the color name.

MaimeriBlu – Permanent Yellow Lemon

Like many MaimeriBlu colors, I found this one a bit low in tinting strength and streaky. It’s a nice bright cheery color, similar to WN, but I find WN more bold and usable.

Color Mixes

Transparent Orange

Winsor Lemon + Daniel Smith Transparent Pyrrol Orange (PO71) – in a Wonder Forest sketchbook

A gorgeous range of very bold, vibrant, vivid oranges! The mixes remind me of more middle oranges including Yellow Orange and Perinone Orange. These are the opposite of muted.

Quinacridone Rose

Winsor Lemon + Da Vinci Red Rose Deep (PV19)

Slightly more subtle golds and coral-y oranges. These, to me, are fantastic sunset/sunrise colors.

Carbazole Violet

Dioxazine Violet + Lemon Yellow — Daniel Smith Carbazole Violet (PV23) + Winsor Lemon (PY175) on Arches Cold Press paper

Purple is yellow’s complement, so the mix should make gray. I guess this is gray, but I find it more of an ugly, muddy, dark khaki.

Indanthrone Blue

The Lemon brings brightness and the Indanthrone brings muted darkness. The more pigmented, Indanthrone-y mixes border on Perylene Green in their dark green-ness!

Ultramarine Blue

If you’re expecting this to make green you’ll probably be disappointed, but there’s something wonderful to me about the way it doesn’t mix. Wonderful for sunrise/sunset skies fading zenith blue into horizon yellow.

Cobalt Blue

These greens are far more bold and green than the Ultramarine Deep mixes above, though far less so than the Phthalo Blue mixes below. In dilute, blue granules float above washed-out greens.

Phthalo Blue

Extremely bright neon greens and turquoises! Because both colors are strong, I found it easy to get a mostly-blue or mostly-yellow mix (turquoise or lime), but difficult to get a “true green” balance.

Cerulean Blue

Cerulean + Lemon Yellow — Da Vinci Cerulean (PG36) + Winsor Lemon

I really like the granulating light-value blue-greens, but I found it difficult to keep the Lemon Yellow from overwhelming them and turning them all yellow-green.

Cobalt Turquoise

I thought the Phthalo Green mixes were bright, but these make them look positively muted! Super-neon mint and lime shades. The most neon greens I know how to make!

My Review

I just love a cool yellow; I think they look absolutely lovely in delicate sunrise skies, although they certainly will go green when they meet blue. The upside of that is that make gorgeously vibrant neon greens. Lemon is the yellow you want when mixing up a glowing green Northern Lights color.

Hansa Yellow Light (PY3) is the same cool/green-toned hue, but brighter & more opaque. And a more neutral and brighter yellow such as Pure Yellow (PY175) or Hansa Yellow Medium (PY97) is more versatile. But, I dunno, I just really love PY175 Lemon Yellow. Ever since my first twilight night sky with Lemon Yellow highlighting the horizon, I’ve adored it.

April 2021. Painted during a Night Sky class with Shelby Thayne. Winsor & Newton Cotman student watercolors; Prussian Blue, Permanent Rose, Lemon Yellow.

It may not be the most versatile yellow, nor the strongest; but for its crisp clarity, super-transparence and refreshing coolness, Lemon Yellow has a place on my palette.

On my palette? Yes.

Favorite version: Winsor & Newton – Winsor Lemon. It’s the boldest and brightest without losing the crisp, clean transparency that makes me love lemon.