The Underappreciated Blue: Delft

[M.L. Schaefer]

I like to make my own mixes, and stay away from those "looks just like the real thing" stuff, and only buy single-pigment for my basics like Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Cereleuun, and the like. When you get a lot of the Thalos, plus white, plus some other color....your mixes can go into weird and creepy places. If I do buy a mixed tube color, I make sure what the ingredients are. For instance, I stay away from Hooker's Green or Sap Green, etc., with Thalo in it...it gives an acidy look (to me) that is quite unnatural, and you have to work at toning it down with even more pigments! What a hassle, plus you can't get my FAVORITE Olive Green: Old Holland Hooker's Green Light + W/N New Gamboge (to die for, totally transparent)! Try making THAT with a Thalo-based Hooker's!

Kiwi

[JPQ]

I use also mainly single pigment ones and i still dont avoid thalos. but some fantasy subjects needs such strong colour but we all can have own taste.

[M.L. Schaefer]

Whoops, didn't mean to knock thalos...Thalos give a spot of brightness other colors just hint at...and, I'm slowly getting used to which brands stain TOO much, which brands lift, and which thalo to use. The more you use thalos, the more you see the color difference between each thalo (took me a long time to see the difference between a PG7 and a PG36!) I use pure thalo for my own mixes, but don't like it in a prepared mix, especially blues.

Kiwi