Sodalite is one of Daniel Smith’s Primatek colors, which are marketed as being made from real minerals (though this is maybe suspect). Whatever the composition, this one is a granulating, very dark blue. I’d say this is a good substitute for Indigo (which is traditionally blue + black) if you’re looking for something in that color family that is more granulating.
My Observations of Sodalite Genuine
Gradient: Achieves an almost black masstone, and dilutes to a gray-blue. Granulating all the way way down and doesn’t grade easily (strokes are always visible). Like many Primatek colors, the dilute shifts between warm (brownish gray) and cool (bluish gray) undertones.
Glazing: Glazes to a black color.
Transparency: Hard to tell because it is so dark, but I’d say this is semi-transparent.
Color Mixes
Overally, Sodalite doesn’t really seem to like to mix with other colors, but remains in separated dark blue granulation.
Rich Green Gold
While Indanthrone and RGG make a nice dark green, I feel like these mixes are duller and weirder; they never really make green but remain simultaneously dirty-gold and dark blue-gray.
Transparent Red Oxide
Range of browns and grays; similar to mix of TRO + Indanthrone, but you can see more granulation in the blue end. This is one of the most mixable combinations I found.
Cobalt Blue
Sodalite makes the Cobalt duller and darker, and in dilute the dark granulation is visible.
Phthalo Green
The Sodalite stays dark blue and very separate from the green; the overall effect is of a dull dark green-blue, or a pale green with visible dark blue granulation, but never really a mix.
What Others Say
Sodalite – another new addition to the palette for this trip, I loved the granulating properties of this paint. In many of the paintings I did a lot of juxtaposition of the patterns made by granulation vs the patterns made by blooms moving pigment around. And sodalite readily created amazing textures without trying to dominate the painting.
Claire Giordano, Petrified Forest Residency: Favorite Colors
My Review of Sodalite Genuine
The color never really mixes with other colors but always remains aloof, so I don’t find it useful for things like foliage shadows. It is most interesting as a granulating dark alternative to Lunar Black, but I don’t find it to be a useful alternative for Indanthrone Blue because it doesn’t mix as well.
Favorite version: DS is the only one.
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Daniel Smith – PrimaTek, Sodalite Genuine, 5 ml Tube: Blick | Utrecht