While I tend to prefer single pigment colors to mixes, it’s no question that there are some beautiful mixes out there! Premixed paints can be great time-savers. I also like that they give me ideas for neat ways to mix my single pigment paints – as long as you can understand the pigment codes on the bottle!
In swatching out the dot cards for Daniel Smith, as well as looking up what pigments each color is made of, I came to recognize pigment codes on sight. Just from looking at the tube, I can easily tell what pigments mixed paints are made of, and what single-pigment colors map to the components, giving me a good idea of how to mix it up myself. It occurred to me that not everyone has this superpower, so I made this handy lookup post!
If you ever wondered “How do I mix…” amongst the mixes in Daniel Smith’s line, look no further!
Caveat: The pigment codes on the bottle don’t give the proportions or the version of a pigment that is used (e.g. both Transparent Red Oxide and Transparent Brown Oxide are PR101, so if a bottle says it has PR101, I don’t know which one it is except by conjecture.) These are my best guesses.
Aussie Red Gold (PR83, PR101, PV19): Alizarin Crimson, Transparent Red Oxide, Quin Red
Cascade Green (PBr7, PB15): Unclear, there are a lot of PBr7’s, but my best guess for the closest mix is Raw Sienna and Manganese Blue Hue. (There are multiple ways to process PB15 too, but the granulation left behind looks just like Manganese Blue Hue.)
Deep Sap Green (PO48, PY3, PG7): Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Green Blue Shade
Green Gold (PY150, PY3, PG36): Nickel Azo Yellow, Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Green Yellow Shade. Note that Rich Green Gold is a different color (single pigment PY129)
Hooker’s Green (PG36, PY3, PO48, PY150): Base components are Phthalo Green Yellow Shade, Hansa Yellow Light, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Nickel Azo Yellow. These components are also in other mixes, so you could also get this from, say, mixing Phthalo Yellow Green and Quin Gold.
Indigo (PB60, PBk6): Indanthrone Blue, Lamp Black
Lunar Violet (PV15, PBk11): Ultramarine Violet, Lunar Black
Moonglow (PG18, PB29, PR177): Viridian, Ultramarine, Anthraquinoid Red
Neutral Tint (PBk6, PV19, PB15): Unclear since PV19 and PB15 can be used to make multiple pigments. Since this is not granulating, I don’t think the PB15 is Manganese Blue Hue, but a different formulation of PB15 that is unreleased as a single pigment. Closest would probably be Lamp Black, Quin Red, Phthalo Blue GS.
New Gamboge (PY110, PY97): Permanent Yellow Deep, Hansa Yellow Medium
Olive Green (PY97, PB29, PBr7): Hansa Yellow Medium, Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna (best guess)
Payne’s Gray (PBk9, PB29): Ivory Black, Ultramarine
Permanent Green/Permanent Green Light (PY3, PG7): Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Green Blue Shade
Phthalo Turquoise (PB15:3, PG36): Phthalo Blue Green Shade, Phthalo Green Yellow Shade
Phthalo Yellow Green (PY3, PG36): Hansa Yellow Light, Phthalo Green Yellow Shade
Prussian Green (PB27, PY97): Prussian Blue, Hansa Yellow Medium
Quinacridone Gold/Quinacridone Deep Gold (PO48, PY150): Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Nickel Azo Yellow
Quinacridone Sienna (PO48, PR209, PY150): Quin Burnt Orange, Quin Coral, Nickel Azo Yellow. Or, Quin Coral + Quin Gold.
Rose of Ultramarine (PV19, PB29): Quin Rose, Ultramarine
Sap Green (PO48, PG7, PY150): Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Phthalo Green Blue Shade, Nickel Azo Yellow. Or, mix Phthalo Green Blue Shade with Quin Gold.
Shadow Violet (PO73, PB29, PG18): Pyrrol Orange, Ultramarine, Viridian
Spring Green (PY53, PG36, PY151): Nickel Titanate Yellow, Phthalo Green Yellow Shade, Azo Yellow
Undersea Green (PB29, PO48, PY150): Ultramarine, Quin Burnt Orange, Nickel Azo Yellow. Or, Ultramarine + Quin Gold.