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  • #460567
    SteveBerry
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        I am writing up a short, 3-4 page Word document on Watercolor Pigments, that is meant to be a basic primer for my students on the subject. I am interested in getting feedback on what has been completed, to see if people find inaccuracies in my descriptions, or feel that other things ought to be included. This seemed like the best place online to find fellow watercolor nerds that might find this sort of task interesting! Remember though- it’s supposed to be basic, not exhaustive. We all have Handprint, if we want to go the second route. ;P The goal is to educate a novice enough that they can buy pigments on their own and be, atleast, more informed.

        The text is below. Having said that, there are two things I’ve considered including, but couldn’t nail down in a clear, concise manner-

        Particle Size, and how it relates to staining/lifting, active/inactive attributes in wet-into-wet applications, and covering power. I tend to prefer many “heavier” pigments that have more covering power and are more inert wet-into-wet, for example, like Cads, Cobalts, Earth Colors, Viridian, etc. There is a section at Handprint labeled Pigment and Paint Behavior (here- https://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/tech24.html) that is exhaustive, but it’s hard to condense this and make it functional for a novice student buying paint.

        Pans vs. Tubes, and if there is much difference between the two (I never used pans, and so have no input, beyond the fact that it seems hard to get a juicy wash from them…?). Is this even worth talking about?

        -Additional elements in pigments, like dispersants, etc. This came to mind as I began to discuss particle size, because how active a pigment is, for example, has a lot to do with dispersants. But then I felt like this was beyond “Basic” and not needed.

        Here’s the text. Sorry for the length, but I see no other way to share it-

        A Basic Guide to Watercolor Pigments-

        How Watercolor Pigments Work Physically-

        Pigments are made up of dry colored powder that is carried in a binder. A “binder” is a substance that holds the dry powder of the pigment together. Different mediums use different binders, and each binder dictates the handling, drying, and “suspending” attributes of that specific medium. The binder used for a pigment is one of the most important elements of what makes a specific medium itself. Gum Arabic or Honey are the most common binders for watercolors, and unlike the viscous binders used for Arcylics or Oils (which permanently suspend the pigment particles inside of themselves) binders used in watercolors disperse when applied with water. As the water dries, the particles of pigment remain, which sink into the fibers of the paper.

        Drying Shift-
        Pigments generally look more vibrant when wet than they do in a dry completed painting. This is called a drying shift. This occurs because pigment particles refract light differently when seen through the lens of the water than they do after having sunk into the fibers of the drying paper. Drying shifts can be expressed through a loss of value, a loss of chroma (aka vibrancy), or a shift in hue (aka color). As has been said before, “If it’s right when you’re painting it, then it’s not right.” Given the physical nature of how watercolor works, you need to expect and anticipate drying shifts of some sort or another.

        Lightfast and Fugitive Paints-
        Some notorious pigments are “fugitive,” and, after a painting is completed, over time they can become paler and/or duller if left in the sun. Yellows can become brown, reds become pink, etc. Many older pigments, in particular, are known for this, and it is this fact which has affected the public perception of watercolors as a transient medium. With the currently available range of pigments, it’s entirely possible (and in fact quite easy) to paint images that will last for hundreds of years, using only what are called “lightfast” pigments.

        Outside of some notable exceptions, most yellows and oranges are lightfast. Earth colors are almost always lightfast. Almost all blues and greens are as well. Red, magentas, and purple pigments are often fugitive, and in this color range you still have to be very selective in your choices to avoid them.

        (Particle) Size Matters-
        Modern pigments are generally more finely ground than older pigments, and are often more staining. They sink into the fibers of the paper more fully, and are harder to “lift” out of the painting once dry. Additionally, the are often very “active” when dropped into a wet wash, as the Many older pigments, and have larger particles and are easier to lift.

        A person’s perspective on handling characteristics such as these depends almost entirely on ones method of painting. If you glaze many layers, staining pigments work much better. If you like to be able to lift paints after the paper is dry, then “liftable” pigments will be preferred and staining pigments avoided. Similarly, broad consistent washes are easier with paints that are “active” wet-into-wet, as they spread across the paper with ease. Alternately, pigments that are heavy and “inert” wet-into-wet can allow for easier control of wet-into-wet shapes. It’s all primarily a matter of preference and approach.

        Characteristics of Broad Groups of Pigments-
        Cadmiums are lightfast yellows, oranges, and reds that are semi-opaque when applied thickly, but are transparent when diluted. It is an old pigment group with larger particles that is “heavy” and doesn’t move very much when applied wet-into-wet. They are mildly toxic if ingested in large quantities. Whether this is a real-world issue in practice is up for debate.

        Perylenes are a modern pigment group, in the green to red range of colors. They are, as far as I know, very lightfast. They are a muted pigment group, featuring deep, dark hues that are commonly used to mute other mixes.

        Quinacridones are warm in hue, and are mostly reds, magentas, and purples. They are a finely ground modern set of pigments, and often aggressively disperse when applied wet-into-wet. They are sometimes lightfast.

        Cobalts are lightfast greens, blues, and purples. It’s an old pigment group that is granulating and “heavy”. They are mildly inert wet-into-wet and are semi-opaque or “cloudy” when applied thickly.

        Pthalos are very lightfast greens and blues. It’s a modern group, is finely ground, and is very active wet-into-wet. Pthalos are highly staining.

        How to Read a Pigment Label-

        Pigment Naming Systems-
        Pigments are labeled in three ways- with a common or marketing name, an alpha-numeric system, and with a more scientific “pigment name”. As the marketing name can vary from brand to brand dramatically, it can either be very useful (if it follows a historic precedent) or could mean almost nothing (if it’s very poetic). However, the alpha-numeric naming system is always consistent and is essential to understanding the type of pigment you are buying. This is one of the most important things to pay attention to. The scientific/ chemical naming of pigments is also very reliable, but often more difficult to remember or understand.

        Even then, pigments are manufactured in various ways and with various types of binders, depending on each brand name. As such, this means that even pigments that have the same alpha-numeric pigment code don’t necessarily handle or look exactly the same. They will be similar, but individuated, with each brand’s version of a pigment having a slightly different hue and/or handling characteristics.

        “Hues”-
        Sometimes, the marketing name will feature the word “Hue”, such as “Cobalt Blue Hue”. This almost always means that what you are buying, despite the fact that part of its label features a common historical name like “Cadmium Yellow” or “Cobalt Blue”, is, indeed, not that pigment. Instead, it is a combination of (generally cheaper) pigments that the company is mixing to arrive at a similar color (hue). The issue is that these mixtures almost never handle the same way as the single pigment does. For mixing purposes, it is almost always better to purchase the single pigment paint. This is why we always look at the alpha-numeric pigment name.

        Letters and Numbers-
        Somewhere on each tube or pan should be an alpha-numeric label. It’s important to know how to read it. Many labels will feature the marketing name combined with a tag that has the alpha-numeric pigment name, such as “Cadmium Yellow (PY35)”. The pigment numbering system will always have a “P” (for pigment), atleast 1 additional letter (such as Y for yellow, Br for Brown, O for orange, R for red, V for violet, B for blue, G for green, etc.) and a number. Each pigment in a color category gets a special number, only used for that pigment. Thus, you always know, for example, that you’re getting Ultramarine Blue when you purchase PB29, or Viridian when you get PG18, regardless of mild brand variances. If the label features more than one letter-number combination, then you know you are getting a multi-pigment mixture in that tube, and that may cause issues later on when you’re actually painting. It’s good to know, and I generally (though not always) avoid multi-pigment tubes.

        Lightfastness Ratings-
        Not done yet…

        So What Brand Should I Buy?

        Artist and Student Grade Brands-
        There are a variety of artist-grade brands, and the truth is that (despite the fact that pigments often handle differently or have a gently different hue in one brand versus another) they’re all excellent. Daniel Smith is great, and Winsor Newton too. DaVinci, M. Graham, Holbein, and Sennelier are excellent too. Don’t worry too much on that account.

        Each has a reputation for certain handling characteristics or brand details, with some grain of truth to the generalizations. Winsor Newton is more expensive, but the quality is almost always good and it can be found almost anywhere globally. M. Graham and Sennelier both use honey, and are goopier and runnier than other brands- they work very well in a studio but can cause sometimes problems in the field. Holbein uses a different kind of disperant and tends to be more inert wet-into-wet. On and on. Many experienced artists often mix and match pigments between brands, as they come to prefer the characteristics of this or that specific pigment by a specific brand. There are no issues with doing that.

        Historically, student-grade paints have often featured both fugitive pigments and tubes that are less densely pigmented than their artist-grade counterparts. This is part of why they cost less. That is changing though. Two good quality student grade brands that I have experience with are Cotman’s (which is Winsor Newton’s student brand) and Van Gogh. Both currently feature generally lightfast pigments that are (yes) less densely pigmented than an artist-grade counterpart of the same pigment.

        Many beginners understandable purchase cheaper student-grade paints. However, general advice is often that students should learn with artist-grade paints as early as possible, as the more densely pigmented artist-grade tubes can handle differently. This is true, in my opinion. Artist-grade pigments also often provide a richness and vibrancy to color application that can be difficult at times to achieve with student paints. As such, there can be a frustrating re-learning phase when a student switches over.

        My advice is to buy the best quality paints that you can. It’s better to purchase a smaller range of artist-grade colors in the beginning (distributed judiciously around the color wheel), than to buy a whole bunch of student grade paints that you’ll eventually discard or move on from. Still, even then, if one is just beginning to dabble in watercolors and is feeling frugal, I would recommend Cotman’s and Van Gogh as the best quality low-cost student-grade paints I have personal experience with. It’s cheapest to buy from an art store (online or in person) like Dick Blick, Cheap Joe’s, or Jerry’s Artarama. Common “craft” stores charge a premium for pigments.

        My Current Brand of Choice-
        [FONT=&quot]I currently use American Journey paints when possible. Research suggests they are a rebranded version of DaVinci paints, marketed under the Cheap Joe’s label. They are lightfast, well pigmented, handle nicely, and are significantly cheaper per ml and come in huge tubes. This is great when you know what you want and you want a lot of it. It’s bad for testing small quantities. The other major issue is that you can only get them online through Cheap Joe’s. If you are traveling and run out while far from home, you’re out of luck. For those who need an alternate good brand to pick up, I suggest Daniel Smith, Winsor Newton, or DaVinci, as all three tend to be well made and widely available. [/FONT]

        #676646

        I think you have covered things very well here, Steve. Your students are lucky to have a teacher who takes the time to inform them enough to help them make good choices. Personally, I don’t think you need to get into pigment size and dispersants. They are interesting topics and they sure do have an effect on painting, but you have a lot of good info here and I agree that those go beyond “basics.” People often seem to get overwhelmed when starting watercolour, so keeping it simple to start might be best. I do think that you could address pans vs. tubes, though. That is a major choice that your students will face. Personally, I don’t like pans, because I find digging paint out and trying to mix it more difficult and if one is using a bigger brush, very difficult. For example, I still remember when I started painting. My first set was a very nice half pan set and I can still remember trying to use it with a hake brush! Getting some tubes certainly helped. And the pans got used with a waterbrush. Maybe some pan-lovers will chime in with their virtues, though. It’s a personal choice. I guess it depends on whether you think your students can accomplish what you are trying to teach them, if they are using pans.

        Have a great class!

        :) Noelle

        #676679

        Mostly a good job, lots of sensible stuff to learn in there. It’s hard to cram in all the necessary basics without also completely boring the reader, thereby alienating the beginning painter. Yet that’s precisely the person who most would need to read the boring stuff!

        Personally, when I first learned that there was a materials science aspect to painting in watercolor, I was all for diving in to the pigment information on sites like handprint.com. But I know a lot of other artist-type people who really don’t want to have to think about it in the scientific or specific manner that I learn it. They seem to want to “buy a tube of some pretty color” and then anticipate the mixing-lines on the basis of that color’s hue. When it turns out their anticipations are all wrong, and they really should have read information like you’re presenting to them, the usual response is not, “hey, cool, more knowledge is a good thing” among this certain set of people. Rather, the response is more along the lines of, “well, that tube was broken; I’m going to go find tubes that work better, and I don’t want to have to think about it your way.”

        So, you have a tricky task, of having to woo a certain segment of your audience. People want knowledge without having to work for it.

        Flocculation / granulation? I’d suggest you have a whole sub-heading for “pigments that have certain on-page effects” such as granulation. Also, pigmenting strength? (Phthalo!) Toxicity? Lightfastness? Illustrations and examples? Images? Just a few suggestions.

        -----
        Certified Closet Management Engineer, Slung Watercolor Society of America

        #676639

        You did a very good job. Several thoughts:

        – If you are working portably, then pans make life easier. They’re small, but you carry them as a single group so you avoid the problem of many pieces and parts in the field. Pans also come in containers with limited spaces, so you are truly limited to the number of slots in the palette, and this tends to force a decision process about which colors are best on their own, for mixes, to limit overlaps, to select for transparency or staining or whatever you like. In short, pans are both convenient and a good teaching tool. Buying filled pans is costlier, and apart from Winsor Newton Viridian, which is far more friendly in a pan than a tube, and the utter refusal of Graham’s Hooker Green to completely dry, I have not had any negative experiences with pans.

        – You might point out that a perfectly useful palette can be put in place with as few as six colors, but you’ll do a lot of mixing. Better to start with a dozen or so–and refer to Jane Blundell for guidance on which colors, or which types of colors, to choose.

        – Your focus on particle size may be too theoretical. Instead, I think it would be more clear to focus on transparency and staining–and to explain that the transparent colors tend to mix with greater success, allowing a discussion about color complements, triads, limited palettes, etc. You might also explain why and how to use opaque colors in specific situations, and why transparent paints have become so popular.

        – You should include at least a brief section about selecting brushes, selecting paper, and the importance of clean water.

        Again, good job. These are just suggestions for you to do with as you wish.

        #676660
        SteveBerry
        Default

            Interestingly, I actually do have a section at the end that I just haven’t posted, where I give an example of the pigments in my palate and notate which six I consider “essentials“. It’s pretty much exactly what you’re suggesting, so that when I have covered!

            The desire for the document came out of an upcoming class I’m doing on color and pigment, and that’s the focus specifically on that. I agree that a novice painter needs to know a lot about brushes and paper As well, but that would be for a different document.

            I agree with some of the input here, that it’s a difficult balancing act. The goal is to provide information that’s technical but also applicable, that deals with color mixing and how your pigments work. I don’t me to get too technical. Just typical enough for it to be useful and applicable. There in lies the rub.

            #676689
            Tracy2000
            Default

                Hi Steve –

                Well, your post got me to delurk after nearly a year of reading threads here :-) I’m still a newbie on the watercolor front although I’ve educated myself on a lot of things. And I have a background in education (asst professor at one point running a teacher education program). So…I figure that gives me some interesting viewpoints when looking at the doc info you shared.

                –I agree with others that the pigment size, dispersion, etc. info is probably too in-depth at this point in time.
                –I kind of take issue with your description of fugitive pigments as “notorious” and as being more characteristic of student paints. I have to say as a newbie that I STILL pick up “learn watercolor” books printed as late as 2017 that include fugitive paint recommendations like aureolin and rose madder in them! I think you could describe fugitive paints as pigments that were popular historically, that have recently been proven to fade (some of them very quickly), and that permanent alternatives are available for many and should be sought out even if other reference materials list them (i.e., acknowledge that they are going to run into many highly recommended books that still include these pigments in the “what’s on my palette” type page).
                –DEFINITELY address the tubes vs. pans. I have both but I almost exclusively paint from pans at this point in time. I’ve read the recommendations from many to paint from the tube but here’s why at this point in my journey I continue to paint from pans: (1) I also like to sketch and work plein air and I’m not gonna cart tubes around for that (perhaps many of your students are taking your class because they’ve been enticed by the urban sketching movement? Pans baby. Pans.); (2) I currently work small formats – sketchbooks, full sheets torn into eigths or sixteenths. This works for me because it’s economical while learning to not burn up a quarter or half sheet when I’m doing, say, exercises on washes. So….I am also working with smaller brushes and can make a good enough sized puddle; (3) overall, I found it a less expensive way to get started.
                –What is the setting for the course? Adult ed, community college, 4 year college, art college, …. ??? I think this drives how committed you might want to be in “encouraging” them to get artist level paints. Perhaps recommending a limited Cotman set is recommendation for a budget conscious student? Again, context is important here I think.
                –Which brings me to….paint vs paper vs brushes. I read an awful lot starting out about which I should prioritize if I couldn’t buy professional level supplies for all three. That might be a good place to start – and it helps provide context for whether they should buy higher quality student grade paint and 100% cotton paper….or buy professional paints and cellulose paper ;-)
                –instead of the section(s) you currently have on, say, pigment size and characteristics, what about a somewhat different approach (and maybe a little simpler) that is still called “Pigment Characteristics” or “Pigment Considerations” – then talk about staining, transparent, opaque, and granulation. Why would you want to use a paint with each of those characteristics? And when would a painter perhaps NOT want each? I don’t think this ever sunk in for me when I was buying my first or even second group of paints and it might have helped me make better choices. I think a good way to approach this one might be “how to read a paint tube” info – maybe then include the pigment info (like a screen capture of a pigment and show how a couple of manufacturers like Daniel Smith, Winsor Newton, Schmincke, whatever (I personally know these three brands best) display their pigment info. That gives you a good way to ground the talk about transparency, granulation, pigment numbers, etc. :)
                –I’ve never been able to take a formal water color course and mixing theory (although I was a graphics artist way back in the last century lol) – if you recommend colors to them, I think you need to be sure that you are clear that these are a PLACE TO START and that the recommended colors will help them learn more about mixing. I find it humorous to have been reading here on Wet Canvas about limited palettes and yet many threads reveal that some of the big advocates for limited palettes actually have drawers with lots of other pigments/hues that they experiment with or use as “guest” colors for particular paintings. The point for me here is that too often students take as gospel a piece of advice from an instructor and if they think that is the definitive answer or approach, then it takes them longer (or never) for them to go out and explore on their own.
                –A little along those lines….may I make a gentle suggestion that instead of saying YOU use American Journey, you instead list maybe half a dozen brands with perhaps two pros and maybe a con as to why they would want to choose that brand.
                –And…finally (’cause I’m a self-directed learner myself) – for the student that wants to learn more on their own right away, perhaps at the bottom of this particular document, you could include some resource links (Handprint, Wet Canvas, other sites (Jane Blundell’s has been enormously helpful to me), maybe a youtube channel or two if you think there is an outstanding example, etc.).

                I apologize if I’ve gotten carried away! Of course ignore anything and everything if not helpful! These days I do an awful lot of editing for work and I’ve been having discussions with a friend about much of what you cover in your handout so this really hit home for me this evening.

                ~Tracy
                "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”. Martin Luther King, Jr.

                #676684
                floblue
                Default

                    Being new to watercolor I think what you wrote is very clear and informative. Thank you for the lesson.

                    #676678
                    star fisher
                    Default

                        Good job on the really complete write up.
                        I have a few comments on some things I noticed.

                        I suggest using “pigment” to refer to the component of the paint that is given a pigment code and that is either lightfast or fugitive, and using “paint” when you refer to the mixture with pigment in it that is bought in the craft store or applied to the paper. I might even change the title to refer to paints rather than pigments.

                        I suggest changing the fugitive pigments section to say that many well-known pigments (notorious seems to be the wrong word here) are fugitive. Because saying that older pigments can fade may lead to readers thinking that the age of the paint makes it bad, I suggest saying that some “historically used” pigments (rather than “older” pigments) are now known to be fugitive. I would also say that many fugitive pigments are in the red, magenta and purple color families. This seems more accurate than that red, magenta and purple is often fugitive.

                        As to particle size, are you sure that modern pigments are more finely ground than older pigments? I thought that each pigment was ground to the particle size that worked best for that pigment. Some loose intensity if ground too fine, i.e. Primateks. The difference in particle size means that some pigments stain and others lift, some granulate and others are smooth, but I don’t think it depends on whether it is an old pigment or a modern one. Since new painters often think something went wrong if the paint granulates, you could mention granulation in this section.

                        It may be incorrect to say that student grade paints are often fugitive. Some student paints used the more lightfast synthetic pigment when the artist grade paint used the more expensive, authentic, but fugitive, pigment, resulting in some the student paints being more lightfast than the comparable artist paint. The difference with student paints is that they use filler to reduce the amount of expensive pigment used, or they use a different pigment altogether. This results in paints that have less intensity, and can dry to a chalky appearance. The other ingredients in student paints are also cheaper, making them handle differently (usually worse) than artists paints.

                        You should mention pans and tubes. Pans are available already filled or you can fill them from tubes. Pans can provide a juicy wash if drops of water are added a few minutes before use to soften the top layer.

                        Is it accurate to refer to honey as a binder? I thought honey was used as a humectant to retain moisture and speed softening of the dry paint in the palette. Gum Arabic is the binder used in most watercolors, even the ones that use honey to speed softening.

                        It would be helpful to have a section on paper, and important to mention that watercolor paper has sizing on it that dissolves when wet and that helps to hold the pigment particles to the paper when it dries. Also mention that watercolor paper of often thick so that it resists wrinkling and buckling when wet. Watercolor paper made with cotton is considered to be better than paper made with wood (cellulose).

                        I hope these comments are helpful.
                        Mel

                        #676648
                        virgil carter
                        Default

                            Good effort, Steve–congratulations.

                            Whenever I write handouts for my classes, I always first describe the handout’s learning objectives.

                            Articulating learning objectives is an old teacher’s approach, sort of an “outline” for what follows. But it’s helpful to read as a student, and it’s helpful for the teacher to keep then information on track and in an understandable format.

                            Perhaps most important may be to identify the group for whom the paper is written: early painters, intermediate painters or mature painters. The comprehension curve and applicability of the information is quite different for each of these traditional groups.

                            As teachers and painters we all have our own perceptions of what’s important and what may not be, as well as the best sequence for learning and building an understandable body of knowledge, based on one’s painting experience level. Thus you may agree or disagree with my following comments…

                            A basic question: is your learning objective to simply talk about the various characteristics of paint as an isolated watercolor component? Or are you concerned with actual mixing and application of paints? Or some other aspect of paints? In other words, how would a student usefully apply the knowledge in your paper?

                            With that in mind, I’d suggest that a major omission is the description of the four major handling techniques of watercolor painting. You sorta touch on these without really acknowledging them and all four major categories.

                            I’d also touch on the fact that there are single pigment and multi-pigment paints, and the advantages/disadvantages of each category.

                            This raises an important mixing issue: is temperature and warm-cool mixture characteristics an important learning point in this context?

                            And this raises other issue related to color harmony and the color wheel, such as saturation, chroma, neutralization, analogous and complementary colors, yada, yada.

                            Do you want to touch on a recommended basic palette of 6-12 paints for beginners?

                            As for your paper, I don’t find “particle size” and “characteristics of various groups of pigments” particularly useful for beginners, although all of what you write is accurate. It’s information overload, IMO, which early painters probably won’t use.

                            Hope these comments are helpful. I appreciate what you are doing, as every good painter and teacher does.

                            Sling paint,
                            Virgil

                            Sling paint,
                            Virgil Carter
                            http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/

                            #676661
                            SteveBerry
                            Default

                                Hmmmm….
                                Learning objectives would be a good idea. I may write some up and include them to help provide focus.

                                I’ll be teaching a 2-day workshop on color mixing and what I’ll call “applied color theory”. This is intended to be emailed to students ahead of time, to then be discussed as needed in class. We’ll be talking and experimenting with paint application, mixing lines, temperature contrasts etc in class, so a lot of that essential stuff isn’t intended to be in this document, but will be touched on and explored.

                                As noted before, I also have an adiditional document with my palette, where I give a “basic” 6-color set, and options. I’ll post it here later today. I also have a section on “Hues” lower down in the “Reading a Paint Label” section, where I cover multipigment paints. So that’s covered too, I think.

                                Many students, even “intermediate” still don’t really know how to buy their own paints, nor how to judge differences between pigments, or why or how they act differently. That sort of stuff seems to only be learnable by osmosis over time- it’s hard to find a straightforward document that explains those factual things. Thus my desire to write this thing. Folks who want to nerd out can go to handprint, but understanding the basics of how watercolor works physically, and how that can affect how you paint, or the pigments you buy, seemed part of the “essential” bits of info to me.

                                Edit-
                                What do you consider “The 4 basic handling techniques” Virgil?

                                edit2-
                                On the note of pans and tubes- this is good to hear so much feedback on. I’ll write something up. However, even as a tube user, I don’t carry my tubes around. That’s crazy for field work. I squeeze them out into my palette, in the wells, let it dry some, and take it with me, easy peasy. They work much like pans would. This has got to be infinitely more economical than buying pans, and despite some of what I’ve read online, I’ve noticed absolutely no issues rewetting my tube pigments. Ever. Really.

                                I can recognize, perhaps, the ease with which one could remove pans and put in other colors as one desired, so that must be a selling point, but in terms of cost/benefit ratio, I would imagine tubes would have to win out. Plus, tubes allow you to have super-wet, juicy applications of paint if you are working in the studio. This always seemed like the best of both worlds to me.

                                I’m not saying folks who use Pans are wrong– I’m just trying to assess how to write something up, as tubes seem so obviously cheaper and multi-functional to me…..??

                                #676649
                                virgil carter
                                Default

                                    “…“The 4 basic handling techniques” Virgil?…”

                                    Every paint has a major handling characteristic. Some paints have more than one characteristic, but every paint has a major characteristic, i.e., transparent, opaque, staining or granulating.

                                    IMO, it’s a pretty fundamental learning characteristic for all levels of painters, just as is the nature and differences of a single pigment paint versus a multi-pigment paint.

                                    Sling paint,
                                    Virgil

                                    PS: With respect to learning objectives and course content, the level of learning experience is important to identify: beginner (early painter), intermediate, or advanced (mature painter), so that the information may be presented in a manner and sequenced effectively.

                                    This is because the level of awareness, understanding and mastery differ so much among these learning levels.

                                    Information for early painters may be marginally useful to intermediate painters and may be irrelevant to mature painters, who already understand and use the information. Conversely, information useful to mature painters, may be marginally useful to intermediate painters, but may be completely over the heads of early painters and their level of awareness and understanding.

                                    Sling paint,
                                    Virgil Carter
                                    http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/

                                    #676662
                                    SteveBerry
                                    Default

                                        Here’s the doc I wrote up, in place of the older straightforward list of my pigments. This seemed only slightly more in depth, but far more useful than the typical list. As always, this is something I would email to students ahead of time for a workshop of mine. So, I’m sure it has some bias, but it’s meant to be educational. The alternates I’ve provided are meant to be atleast similar in hue.

                                        My Palette, August 2018-

                                        Below is my current palette, full of brands and pigments based on my own idiosyncratic painting process. My palette is composed of lightfast, single pigment color choices. I skip common “convenience mixtures” such as Sap Green or Hooker’s Green, etc. My opinion is that single-pigment colors allow for better prediction of color-mixing outcomes. Additionally, I only purchase paints in tubes, which I then distribute into the wells on my palette. My experience is that paint purchased in tubes allows for a “juicier” application of paint when needed. This will let you get rich, pigmented darks with much greater ease.

                                        Beyond those recommendations, please don’t feel confined to using these pigments or these brands. I’ve provided easily available hue-similar alternates for my pigments, for those who might already have paints they’d like to use. I’ve also included the alpha-numeric label for my pigments, so you can substitute alternate brands as needed. Finally, I’ve noted commonly used fugitive paints that should be avoided. The real goal is to make sure you have a good distribution of hues to allow yourself a wide color gamut for mixing purposes.

                                        If you are interested in purchasing only a very few pigments to start off with, I’ve labeled “essentials” with an asterisk. These are spread around the color wheel, and with a bit of mixing control, you can achieve a very wide gamut of color with just 5-6 paints. Note that each of the “essentials” has a lightfast alternate of atleast approximately similar hue, noted for your convenience.

                                        *Cadmium Yellow (PY35), American Journey
                                        [INDENT]Alternate- Benzimidazolone Yellow (PY151 or 154) [/INDENT]
                                        [INDENT] Fugitive Alternate- Aureolin Yellow (PY40) [/INDENT]
                                        Yellow Ochre (PY43), M. Graham
                                        [INDENT] Alternate- Raw Sienna (PY42 and PR101) [/INDENT]
                                        Cadmium Orange (PO20), American Journey
                                        [INDENT] Alternate- Pyrrole Orange (PO73) [/INDENT]
                                        [INDENT] Redder Alternate- Cadmium Scarlet (aka Cadmium Red Light) (PR108) [/INDENT]
                                        *Burnt Sienna (PBr7 or PR101), American Journey
                                        [INDENT]Lightfast Alternate- Burnt Umber (PBr7 or PR101) [/INDENT]
                                        *Cadmium Red Deep (PR108),
                                        [INDENT]Alternate- Pyrrole Red (aka Winsor Red) (PR254) [/INDENT]
                                        [INDENT]Fugitive Alternate- Napthol Red (PR170) [/INDENT]
                                        Quinacridone Magenta (PR122)
                                        [INDENT]Fugitive Alternates- Quin Rose PV19, Alizarin Crimson (PR83), Rose Madder (NR9) [/INDENT]
                                        Dioxazine Violet (Winsor Violet) (PV23), Winsor Newton
                                        [INDENT]Alternate- Manganese Violet (PV16) [/INDENT]
                                        *Ultramarine Blue (PB29), American Journey
                                        [INDENT] Alternate- Pthalo Blue (aka Winsor Blue) (PB15) [/INDENT]
                                        Cobalt Blue (PB28), American Journey
                                        Prussian Blue (PB27), American Journey
                                        Cobalt Turquoise Light (PG50), Winsor Newton
                                        [INDENT]Alternates- Cobalt Turquoise PB36) [/INDENT]
                                        *Viridian (PG18), American Journey
                                        [INDENT]Alternate- Pthalo Green (PG7) [/INDENT]

                                        Additional General Lightfast Options- Perylene Maroon (PR179), Cerulean Blue (PB35)

                                        #676647

                                        I do the same thing with tubes. It never occurred to me to haul them along. I just wanted to point out that there are two shades of pthalo blue (green and red) in some watercolour lines. I don’t know that it matters, for the scope of this class, but you might want to specify which shade you recommend, since these are beginners and pthalo is such a powerful pigment. Just a thought.

                                        :) Noelle

                                        #676672
                                        briantmeyer
                                        Default

                                            Historically, student-grade paints have often featured both fugitive pigments and tubes that are less densely pigmented than their artist-grade counterparts

                                            I would disagree with this. Cotman has no fugitive paints, and uses hues as replacements. Van Gogh is similar. Ultramarine is commonly sold in student sets as are Quinacridones, which are cheaper than really old pigments you only see in artist grade lines. It is those buying artist grade who are dealing with fugitive paints, a beginner buying student grade is actually safe, even alizaron crimson is a hue made with a quinacridone.

                                            The budget brands which do not list pigments at all, those are often fugitive, but that is because we have NO idea what these paints contain.

                                            I categorize paints in three categories.

                                            Budget – do not list pigment information, often the cheapest, even if they are lightfast or work well, the next batch might be completely different. Further learning these unknown pigments does not translate into learning the properties, these aren’t good tools to start your study of watercolor. You cannot take experience with them, and apply it to student or artist grade paints. They do not contain ox gall. Examples of this are Koi and Reeves. I would mention that Koi is pretty good, reeves is just about the worst you can get, so quality here varies too. ( The confections sets sold on Amazon are also a good example which work pretty well, but don’t list pigments )

                                            Student Grade – these list pigments, but when a pigment is really expensive, they either use a hue ( a mixture of cheap pigments ), or much less pigment so it’s watered down. Very cheap pigments – like burnt sienna – are almost exactly the same in both artist and student grade. However these also do not contain Ox Gall which makes them not blend/diffuse as readily. Because pigments are listed, you can easily transition what you learn using these into artist grade paints. Examples are Van Gogh and Cotman.

                                            Artist Grade – These list pigments, and when a pigment is really expensive, they raise prices ( series 1 is cheap, series 4 can be very expensive ). Examples are Da Vinci, Winsor Newton. Almost all of these ( with a couple of exceptions ) contain Ox Gall.

                                            I would add in that you can get Artist Grade paints at student grade prices via American Journey, which is a store brand version of Da Vinci.

                                            #676673
                                            briantmeyer
                                            Default

                                                Charles Reid uses pans, but refreshes them upon starting each new session with fresh tube paint. He uses this for the first bit, and by the time this is done, the stuff under it is rewet properly.

                                                I would suggest to beginners learning how to work wetter – this is harder to learn as its easy to get a tint from a dry pan – and this helps you get rich colors. For a beginner, I strongly feel they should start with tube colors, then after mastering these, use pans but get these so they are sopping wet and not just dry bricks you chisel paint off of with your brush. Just my opinion as either way you get where you need to go as you learn your paints.

                                                My role model for rich colors is Craig Anderson, local artist, he paints plein air and each and every mark is just luscious in how rich it is. Part of it is just juxtaposition, but using the exact same paints as I am with just one mark his are just eye watering. This is something you just can’t see in a photo or a scan. It just goes to show that even a basic this as color mixing/application of a single mark, can be done so well that it’s impossible for me to match it.

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