Last year, I proposed a Winter Palette, and then I changed my mind about many of the colors after doing Lisa Spangler’s Nature Spot challenge. After a second round of Nature Spot challenge the following year, I have built a second iteration of the Winter Palette!
Supplies
Mixing Mauve for Watercolor Clouds
Last time I looked at purple mixes, I fell most in love with the vibrant ones. Recently, though, in my efforts to make more subtle watercolor sky & sunset colors, I’ve been trying to find my favorite mixes for mauve, aka dull purple.
Artist Palette Profiles: Ron Ranson
I loved Ron Ranson On Skies (1996, Studio Vista), a book that mixes careful observation and teaching about cloud and sky natural history with practical painting techniques. Let’s see what colors Ranson used to paint skies!
The Paint Scoring List!
When deciding between paints, especially ones that I like equally well and that fill similar palette niches, I find it hard to juggle all the various factors to think about, many of which are not immediately obvious from first paintout: lightfastness, toxicity, drying shift, price series (cost), and tinting strength. That’s why I’ve come up with a needlessly complicated rating system!
Mixing Watercolor Greens for the Foliage of the Northeast, Season by Season
In choosing between different greens and green-mixing yellows for my main palette and for various seasonal palettes, I found myself making a gallery of foliage photos I’ve taken in different seasons, and I thought I’d share it with you! I took these photos mostly in eastern Massachusetts or the surrounding area; one is from Nova … Read more
What’s the difference between Naphthamide Maroon and Perylene Violet?
Both of these colors are muted violet reds. Naphthamide Maroon (PR171) is slightly more reddish while Perylene Violet (PV29) is slightly more violet, though they’re nearly indistinguishable.
Lightfastness Tests 2023
Since we’re deep in the darkest part of the year, I figured I’d take down my lightfastness tests. (To be honest, I forgot about them; I meant to only do them for 3 months but some of them have been up for over 6.) Here is what I learned.
Watercolor Paint Consistency Scales, Ranked
Describing paint consistency is a continuing challenge for watercolor teachers. Paint consistency has a huge impact on the appearance of a watercolor painting, so it’s a big deal topic. Fresh-from-tube paint brushes onto the page totally differently from half-diluted paint, which is also totally different from watery paint (or painty water). Experienced artists can tell when their paint is the right consistency for the effect they want, but newbies don’t have that context, and it’s hard to communicate verbally. Many artists use analogies to other substances. I personally had an a-ha moment when Ruth Wilshaw likened gouache at a “sweet spot” consistency to slippery dish soap.
Let’s take a look at other ways artists describe paint consistency.
Earth Yellow Showdown: Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna Deep, MANS, and Raw Sienna
Previously, I’ve asked What’s the difference between MANS and Yellow Ochre? Today, I’m adding a couple more earth yellows for a big showdown between Da Vinci Yellow Ochre, Da Vinci Raw Sienna Deep, Daniel Smith Monte Amiata Natural Sienna (MANS), and Da Vinci Raw Sienna. Which of these belongs in the earth yellow slot in my palette?
What’s the difference between Pyrrole Rubin (PR264) and Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone (PV19)?
I did this a color comparison of ACQ vs PR264 back in November 2022, but at that time, my PR264 was DS Pyrrol Crimson, which I did not really like. How do they match up if I use a PR264 I like better: Holbein’s Pyrrole Rubin? Both read a crimson (dark red) to me. The … Read more