I’d spend more to get better yellows because the organic ones I often/always use get dominated in tinting strength by other colors, as well as lacking coverage/opacity. Especially in acrylics. For me, better here means higher pigment load, not necessarily a different or more expensive pigment. Yellow is the one color I’ve never yet found to be satisfactory in student acrylics.

Next most important for me, to spend more on, to step up in quality, is Titanium White. Not because of tinting strength or opacity reasons, but to get the better, thicker, denser working feel and brushstroke retention. Especially important because white is used in a lot of places, and in the upper highlight parts, which are most prominent in the finished work.

To skimp, buy in lower-grade: single-pigment Phthalo colors. They are especially nasty in oils. The less needed, the better.

At some point I’ll buy some Michael Harding or Blue Ridge Flake White lead. Most of my current studies are low-chroma so bright pure pigments are less of an issue. “Better quality” studio paints with single pigments do fine for high values and low-values when mixed towards the neutral-ish grays. But for some passages lead might be better than inexpensive titanium for mixing.

Gamblin and Williamsburg mix true Munsell Neutral Grays straight from the tube.

Favorite colors and colors that I want/expect to use a lot of, that have a lower tinting strength than my strongest colors. Ultramarine blue is the best example of this. I am sure it would also apply to some yellows, and dark transparent reds where I’d like the darks to be accessible without layering (quinacridone magenta is my favorite and I should thus show it favoritism).

Colors that vary widely in hue and I want my favorite hue of, which might be more brand-specific than more consistent pigments, and I’d pay a premium to hit the bullseye. The teal/turquoise versions of cobalt PG50 and PB28 (which are more expensive pigments anyway). Earth colors like raw umber (which isn’t, so I’d be a little more cautious in paying too much).

Rare colors that intrigue me and I only have one or two options for what to pay anyway. PB17 pthalo cyan, Potter’s Pink in either acrylics or pigment dispersion form. Whether I’d pay this premium multiple times is a different question.

White, because even if I moved fully to watercolor style … there are still things like ‘good paper’ and ‘masking fluid’ that would mean I’d be spending on white. Outside that, it is a handy tool indeed and I see much advice to get a good-quality white, so I likely will at times.

It’s remarkable how few stable Blue pigments there are for oils and watercolors; Ultramarine, Prussian, Cerulean, Cobalt and Phthalo covers most of the range. Yinmn Blue isn’t readily available …yet.

Your question was regarding which colours I’d spend more for, so I for this comment I will not take into account the brands (because affordable doesn’t necessarily mean the quality is bad, and vice versa) but the importance of individual pigments.

Traditionally it is ultramarine blue[/URL] that’s the most expensive because it’s made by grinding lapis lazuli aka lazurite[/URL] – a special kind of metamorphic rock that’s exclusively mined from Afghanistan – into powder form, so the richness of the colour (and rarity) is there. It’s also a beautiful colour that could totally transform the impact of your artwork, so I would personally invest on this one. :thumbsup:

Oil paint: Cadmium yellow, all of them, lemon/light, medium & deep. Think a third of my paint supply is yellows

What color/pigment would you spend more for for a better quality paint?

genuine alizarin crimson PR83 is number one.