In Seasonal Triads, I landed on a triad of Quinacridone Magenta (PR122), Imidazolone Lemon (PY175), and Cobalt Turquoise (PG50) for my spring triad. But this isn’t the only one I tried. Here are my spring triad outtakes. Because I changed the colors one-at-a-time, they provide an object lesson in how subtly one color change can change the triad.
PR122 + PY3 + PG50
I started with a bright, cool-toned modern primary trio:
- Hansa Yellow Light (PY3) is the coolest, brightest yellow I know.
- Quin Magenta (PR122) is a cool, violet-toned magenta. As expected, the oranges are pretty dull from these two.
- Cobalt Turquoise (PG50) is a bright, light, opaque cyan. Combined with PY3, it mixes the very brightest greens!
Opera + PY3 + PG50
Just the pink is different from the above. Opera mixes fluorescent, day-glo violets and corals. This is the ‘Neon Triad.’
PV19 + PY3 + PG50
Again just the pink is different. I used DV Permanent Rose (PV19). I like this combo pretty well; I think the reds/oranges are brighter than with PR122, but the violets and light blues are similar.
PV19 + PY3 + PB15:3
Here I replaced the blue with Phthalo Blue Green Shade. The greens, while still very bright, are slightly more muted. Still, in the context of a painting these would still look extremely bright. The violets are darker than with Cobalt Turquoise; you can achieve dark blues and violets.
PV19 + PY3 + PB35
Here I’ve also just replaced the blue. I used DV Cerulean Blue Genuine (PB35). The greens and violets are significantly more muted. Like the PG50 mixes, they don’t get very dark, and are color-separating.
PV19 + PY3 + PB15/PB33
Again, I’ve just replaced the blue. This is DV Manganese Blue Mixture, a combination of traditional Manganese Blue (PB33) and Phthalo Blue (PB15). I found these mixes actually less color-separating, though the color on its own was very granulating. In terms of brightness, they’re between Cerulean and Phthalo.
PV19 + PY3 + PG7
I replaced the blue with Phthalo Green (PG7), wondering if the green mixes would be even brighter than with Cobalt Turquoise. Actually, I find them very similar! I would say PG7’s green mixes are the brightest, but Cobalt Turquoise mixes very similar hues with PY3 (but more granulating).
The green and rose mix makes a neutral gray (or a dark red or dark green), rather than a violet.
PR122 + PY3 + PG7
I took the same green and yellow and replaced the Quin Rose with Quin Magenta (PR122). This is blue enough to actually make violet with the PG7! Muted violet, but still.
PR122 + PY3 + PB15:3
Replacing the Phthalo Green with Phthalo Blue, we arrive at a classic Modern Primary triad. This is a good balance of vibrancy across the spectrum.
PR122 + PY154 + PB15:3
Here I’ve replaced the yellow with a warmer middle yellow, Imidazolone Yellow (PY154). The greens are significantly duller, but the oranges are brighter, and I like them a lot better. The PY3 seems to make the oranges pretty dull, while PY154 can get better ones out of the same PR122.
PR122 + PY175 + PB15:3
Here again I just replaced the yellow. Looking for a happy medium between orange-deadening PY3 and green-browning PY154, I used Imidazolone Lemon (PY175). I liked both the oranges and the greens here; despite looking almost as green-toned as PY3, it makes much brighter oranges with PR122. I think I’ve found my ideal yellow!
PR122 + PY175 + PG50
Same as above, but I returned to our old friend Cobalt Turquoise (PG50) for the blue. The only difference from my starting triad, all the way at the top of the page, is the use of PY175 instead of PY3 for the yellow. I like how both the oranges and greens are incredibly bright, and the violets – while never getting dark – are giving me spring lilac! Although less flexible than the Phthalo Blue versions of the triad, the Cobalt Turquoise version is just so springy.
And this is what I went with for my winner!