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.
Paint
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
Indanthrone Blue vs. Indanthrene Blue
Most watercolor brands offer a PB60 paint, often called Indanthrone or Indathrene Blue. As far as I know, there is no official distinction between the words Indanthrone (with an “o”) and Indanthrene (with an “e”) – I think they are synonyms. But I own two PB60 paints, one called Indanthrone and one called Indanthrene, and … Read more
Color Comparison: DV Indian Red vs. WN Venetian Red
Indian Red and Venetian Red are both very opaque, granulating earth reds made from synthetic iron oxide (PR101). Indian Red is more violet-toned (earth maroon), diluting to dusty pink; Venetian Red is more orange-toned (earth scarlet), diluting to peach. In the versions I used, Da Vinci Indian Red was significantly more granulating than Winsor & Newton Venetian Red, especially noticeable in masstone.
Fall in Vancouver Palette
I’ve just spent a week in Vancouver in early November, what my aunt described as “the worst time to visit Vancouver” due to the rain and fog, but I had fun! I like rain and fog. Plus, it was much cheaper than visiting in the summer. I didn’t know what colors I’d need, so I … Read more
Autumn Palette Problem-Solving
As I’ve used my Fall Foliage Palette outside, I’ve run into some challenges that made me want to swap a color. I thought I’d go through my problem-solving thought process and then show you the revised palette.
Van Gogh Dot Cards!
You know I love a dot card, and I recently tried out the dot card for Van Gogh. Van Gogh is a student-grade brand by the Dutch company Royal Talens, which also makes the professional grade brand Rembrandt. Along with from Winsor & Newton’s Cotman line, Van Gogh is the other student grade brand that is often recommended, and I thought I’d check it out to see if (1) I should be recommending it to others and (2) I might want to consider supplementing my pro-grade collection with some student-grade paints if they are nice and/or unusual enough!
Here are my hot takes! I put a star (⭐) next to the ones I especially liked.