Da Vinci Dot Cards Part 3 – Blues

I’ve been going through the complete Da Vinci Dot Card set. This time: Blues!

These aren’t totally divided into meaningful groups, but let’s say the left page is blues and the right page is turquoises.

Blue

Top Row:

1. Indigo (PB27, PV19)
2. Indanthrene Blue (PB60)
3. Cobalt Blue Deep (PB28)
4. Cobalt Blue (PB28)
5. Phthalo Blue Red Shade (PB15)

Bottom Row:

1. French Ultramarine (PB29)
2. Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
3. Ultramarine Green Shade (PB29)
4. Phthalo Blue (PB15) [green shade]
5. Phthalo Turquoise (PB16)

Indigo & Payne’s Gray

Indigo and Payne’s Gray (facing page) are both based on Prussian Blue (PB27), so they’re greener than typical, especially in the midtones and mixes.

I found it difficult to get a value as deep as I wanted from the DV Indigo as compared to my Holbein one. The DV Payne’s Gray gets nice and dark and has a bluey tone, which makes it somewhat similar to my WN one that I love, but I found in using it more that because it’s based on Prussian Blue, the DV Payne’s Gray goes green way more readily that I’m prepared for. The DV Neutral Tint is okay, too, but doesn’t get dark as easily as my Maimeri Blue one.

Indanthrene Blue

Indanthrene or Indanthrone Blue (PB60) is one of my favorite blues, because I love how dark it gets. I’m used to the Daniel Smith version which is much purpler.

In theory I could get used to the greener shade, but it’s got more competition; I like the purpler hue. Plus, DS also seems to get darker, and I like this as a very dark blue. DV grades more smoothly, though; DS can be streaky.

Cobalt Blues

Da Vinci’s basic Cobalt Blue (the cooler one, not deep) is one of my favorite all-time paints! I just find the color so magical. Da Vinci’s version is rich and vibrant; I far, far prefer it over other brands I’ve tried.

Cobalt Blue Deep is a redder shade, somewhere between French Ultramarine and Ultramarine Blue; I would just use one of those, tbh, since ultramarine is cheaper and nontoxic.

Ultramarine Blues

DV offers 3: French Ultramarine, Ultramarine Blue (the middle one), and Ultramarine Green Shade. I’ve tried them before, and found that true to the marketing, French has the most granulation and is the most purple-toned; Ultramarine Blue is in the middle; and Ultramarine Green Shade is coolest and most similar to Cobalt Blue (falling between Ultramarine Blue and Cobalt Blue in terms of its color wheel location).

Here’s a comparison of DV’s three Ultramarines from the dot card with three others from my collection.

In this particular paintout, I found the DV Ultramarine Blue (from the dot card) oddly dull, but my own tube of it is more vibrant.

The differences are pretty subtle, especially in the photo. The French and Deep ultramarines are qute similar. It’s also hard for me to say definitively which has the less purple tone between DV UGS, SH UF, and WN UGS. They’re all fairly medium-toned. the SH and WN paints have less granulation.

Phthalo Blues

Most Phthalo Blues are pretty similar across brands. These Phthalo colors (PBGS, PBRS and Phthalo Turquoise) are all perfectly good. I don’t see a reason to strongly recommend or disrecommend them. They are less strong than the DS or WN versions, but this can be good in a Phthalo color if you find them too strong.

Turquoise

Top Row:

1. Prussian Blue (PB27)
2. Cerulean Blue Genuine (PB36)
3. Cerulean Blue Hue (PB15, PW6)
4. Manganese Blue (PB33, PB15)
5. Payne’s Gray (PBk6, PB27)

Bottom Row:

1. Prussian Blue Green Shade (PB27, PG7)
2. Seaglass (PB15:4, PG7)
3. Charlie O’Blue (PB15:4, PG7, PW6)
4. Cobalt Turquoise (PB36)
5. Cobalt Turquoise Deep (PB36)

Prussian Blue

Prussian Blue is a color I go back and forth on. It mixes lovely greens, but I sometimes find it an awkward middle ground between a bright and a dark blue. At any rate, this is a perfectly nice version. DV seems to be all in on Prussian Blue since it’s in several of their mixes.

Prussian Blue GS is an easy mix with a bit of Phthalo Green.

Cerulean & Manganese

The difference between ‘Cerulean Genuine’ and ‘Cerulean Hue’ escaped me when I was starting out and I accidentally got the hue thinking it was genuine. The hue is a mix of Phthalo Blue GS and white and is easy to mix at home.

The genuine is one of my favorite versions of genuine cerulean; gently granulating with a pleasant color, relatively bright for this pigment.

The Manganese is another gently granulating light blue; it’s more green-toned than genuine cerulean and a bit duller than the hue. This is a mix of genuine manganese (PB33) and Phthalo Blue for additional color. It’s rare to see genuine PB33!

Seaglass & Charlie O’Blue

Seaglass is a mix of Phthalo Blue and Phthalo Green, quite similar to Daniel Smith’s mixed Phthalo Turquoise. I like this mix, but it’s easy to DIY. Charlie O’Blue, named for Doodlewash‘s Charlie O’Shields, is the same mix with white.

Cobalt Turquoise

Cobalt Turquoise and Cobalt Turquoise Deep are both made from PB36 (Cerulean), not the typical PG50. Still, the Cobalt Turquoise looks very similar to my favorite Cobalt Turquoise, which is Schmincke’s PG50 version. I find Cobalt Turquoise Deep to be rather dull and uninteresting.

When I originally painted this out in the first dot card, I found the DV version duller, but in this go-around, I found them about even in chroma! They’re quire similar in granulation as well. The DV version is slightly bluer.

Shopping List

Definite yes’s (already in my library);

• Cobalt Blue
• Cerulean Blue Genuine
• Ultramarine Blue (dealer’s choice but I’m happy with the middle one)

Maybes:

• Prussian Blue – Not sure if I need it.
• Phthalo Blue (either), Phthalo Turquoise – Fine versions if DV is a good brand for you, I’m not brand-loyal here.
• Cobalt Turquoise – reasonable alternative to Schmincke, but a lateral move.

Next time: Greens!