pb29

Color Spotlight: Lavender

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Daniel Smith – Lavender (PV15, PB29, PW6)

Like most commercial Lavender mixes, Daniel Smith’s Lavender is a mix of Titanium White (PW6), Ultramarine Violet (PV15), and Ultramarine Blue (PB29). This is a convenience mix; you can mix it yourself if you have the components, although my personal mix didn’t granulate as much as DS’s premixed one.

Lavender can be used as a sky color on its own or as a component in a bright/light sky blue (for example, with Phthalo Blue or Phthalo Turquoise). I can also imagine it being a convenient mix for hazy, distant mountains, flowers, snow, and shadows.

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What’s the difference between Cobalt Blue and Ultramarine Blue?

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Cobalt Blue is a bright middle blue, while Ultramarine Blue is more violet-toned. But Ultramarine Blue also comes in a range of shades, from a Green Shade that is almost identical to Cobalt Blue, to a more violet-toned (and usually more granulating) deep or French shade.

Comparison of DV Cobalt Blue (PB28); WN Ultramarine Blue Green Shade (PB29); DV Ultramarine Blue (PB29); Holbein Ultramarine Deep (PB29); WN Smalt (PV15).

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Color Spotlight: Payne’s Gray

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Daniel Smith Payne’s Gray: gradient, opacity and glazing, color mixes

Payne’s Gray is a blue-toned dark gray (or, in some brands, a navy blue). Different companies have different formulations, but the granulating Daniel Smith version pictured above is made from a mix of Ivory Black (PBk6) and Ultramarine Blue (PB29).

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Color Spotlight: Ultramarine Blue (PB29)

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Da Vinci Ultramarine Blue – gradient, opacity and glazing tests, color mixes

Ultramarine Blue is a bright, bold, almost electric violet-blue that is almost always granulating. It typically comes in two flavors: regular and French. French Ultramarine (or sometimes “Ultramarine Deep”) is the more granulating and violet-toned, while the regular Ultramarine is moderately granulating and a bit more medium blue. Some brands also offer a Light Ultramarine or Ultramarine (Green Shade) on the other side of the spectrum.

Let’s start by looking at Da Vinci Ultramarine Blue, a balanced medium color, and then we’ll explore the French and Green shade options as well as other brands.

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