Archives: Color Spotlights

Color Spotlight: Spinel Grey (PBk26)

A nongranulating, transparent black. MaimeriBlu, a single-pigment only line, uses this as their ‘Neutral Tint’ (most brands have a mixed neutral tint). Rembrandt calls it Spinel Grey. Stats Pigment Description: Manganese Ferrite Black Spinel Lightfastness: Likely Excellent (I) per ArtisCreation. Toxicity: Nontoxic (A) per ArtisCreation. Observations Hue: A totally neutral, inky black. Gradient: Smooth gradient … Read more

Color Spotlight: Italian Orange (PO5)

Letter Sparrow – Italian Orange (PO5)

A red-toned orange that’s neither fully transparent nor opaque. The only version of this pigment I’ve ever tried is this Letter Sparrow version from the Grow Untamed palette, where it is meant to be used for the red rocks of the desert.

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Color Spotlight: Aquarius Yellow (PY168)

PY168 is a bright, semi-opaque, cool lemon yellow. Chemically, PY168 is a monoazo yellow, similar to Azo Yellow (PY151). I’ve only ever seen the PY168 pigment in the Roman Szmal paint, Aquarius Yellow. I wanted to try it for a long time and was delighted when a friend send me a mini-pan, along with some … Read more

Color Spotlight: Diarylide Yellow (PY83)

Diarylide yellow, often marketed as Indian Yellow, is a warm orangey yellow similar to Hansa Yellow Deep (PY65) or Isoindolinone Yellow Deep (PY110), but a bit less orange/more yellow than either. Typically only found in student ranges these days, it seems to have fallen out of favor somewhat as it is night quite as lightfast … Read more

Color Spotlight: Terre Verte (PG23)

Winsor & Newton – Terre Verte (PG23)

Terre Verte, also known as Green Earth, is one of the oldest pigments still in use today. It is a non-toxic mineral pigment made from green-colored minerals like celadonite and glauconite, as well as iron oxides. This is what a real mineral pigment looks like when it’s not enhanced (as the DS Primatek paints are) with stronger phthalos and things. A notoriously low-tinting pigment, Winsor & Newton’s Terre Verte (Yellow Shade) is hands-down the weakest color I have ever tested!

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Color Spotlight: Perylene Scarlet (PR149)

Da Vinci – Perylene Red (PR149)

Da Vinci’s new Perylene Red (PR149) is the pigment that Daniel Smith called Perylene Scarlet. (DS has another color which they call Perylene Red; it’s PR178, and it’s cooler.) PR149 is an intense red that is slightly orange-toned (warm). While not as muted as an “earth red,” it’s lower-chroma than the bold scarlets like Pyrrol Scarlet (PR255).

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Color Spotlight: Permanent Red (PR112)

Mission Gold – Permanent Red

PR112 is known as Permanent Red in the Mission Gold (pictured) and Holbein lines, and Napthol Red for M. Graham. (Note that the color that Daniel Smith calls Permanent Red is a different pigment, PR170.)

Testing it in the Mission Gold line, I found PR112 Permanent Red to be a pleasant, middle red, similar in color to Pyrrol Red, but more transparent. It was easy to grade and mix.

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Color Spotlight: Yellow Sophie (PY93)

Sennelier – Yellow Sophie (PY93)

I’ve only ever seen the pigment PY93 in this one brand: Sennelier’s Yellow Sophie. It’s a bold, middle yellow suitable for use as a primary yellow. Because this is a Sennelier color with a luxurious honey binder, it’s boldly pigmented and easy to rewet.

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