My Palette:

 

Many years ago I became concerned about the permanency of my painting materials. I remembered that often prints that I had purchased and framed, in a short few years their glorious colors faded to almost a dull monotone. Perhaps this is one of the side issues of living in sunny California.

I decided that if I was going to put all my effort into a painting, or if someone was going to come along and spend serious money for a finished artwork, the least I could do is choose my materials carefully to minimize this fading problem.

Also, while my friends continue to use a whole palette of colors and shades, I use a limited palette of just a few colors and mix all the tints and shades I needed from there.

 

Background Research:

Again, years ago, when working with watercolor paints, concern about this permanency issue led me to some research undertaken by artist Hillary Page.

She published her findings as a book: "Hillary Page's Guide To Watercolor Paints." Since then she has published several updates that may be downloaded from her website.

She obtained paint samples from every watercolor manufacturer she could uncover. With each she painted small test cards and placed them in her kitchen window.

After sometime, she examined each card to determine how each paint sample had withstood the light, and reported the results in her book.

Also, she reported how opaque or transparent was each paint, and how it changed when smeared to a thin layer: all issues important to a watercolorist.

 

The Dyes - the key to permanency and mixing:

Hillary's book introduced me to an understanding about the dyes used to make the pigments from which all paints are formulated. She was able to get most manufacturers to disclose which dyes they had used in each tube of paint. Often this is printed on the outside of the tube – but not always.

Her book includes a Color Wheel chart – a common method of relating colors to each other. The chart shows the relationship of many dyes to each other.

Pigments manufactured from these dyes are ground into to various painting mediums to produce the commercial paints used by most artists. The paints are sold both as compounds of pure dye colors, or premixed blends.

 

My Six Basic Colors:

Following Hillary Page's research and ideas, I selected six basic dyes (pure colors) spaced around the Color Wheel. These dyes have been chosen to produce fully saturated and permanent colors that mix easily, and will not fade in sunlight.

The colors are close to the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and the three secondary colors (green, orange, and ultramarine-violet).

Each dye is chosen, in addition to its permanency, for its closeness to a pure saturated color, and so that it is a complement to each in three pairs: red/green, blue/orange, and yellow/ultramarine-violet.

By using this limited palette of these six paint colors and white (or with watercolor, thinning with water), theoretically I may mix any tint I might need for my paintings.

Over the years since that initial selection, a few new dyes have evolved often closer to the pure color on the color wheel. I have made some substitutions to improve the choice.

 

 

Similar Research By Others:

Several other artists have done somewhat parallel research and developed similar limited color palettes.

Artist Stephen Quillar describes his palette and background thinking in his books "Color Choices: Making Color Sense out of Color Theory, "Painter's Guide To Color."

Artist and writer Michael Wilcox has done considerable research in this area. His book "Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green" is probably the best introduction to his thinking.

 

More On The Dyes:

All paint manufacturers utilize commercial chemical dyes to create the pigments that are the basis of their paints. Many use the very same dyes but utilize different supporting mediums and other materials that vary the flow, texture, and other characteristics of the compounded paint. This is particularly true in the case of oil paint.

Most manufacturers choose a unique name for their particular brand and color of paint – even for paint colors using exactly the same dyes.

Dyes have a long history, are known by many different names for the same chemicals, are continually being improved, and their range expands as new materials are introduced. They are widely used throughout all branches of commerce.

To identify the dyes for industrial use they have been given unique dye numbers (Colour Index International established by the Society of Dyers and Colourists) that are linked to their chemical compositions.

Whether I paint with oil, acrylic, gouache, or watercolors, when buying and choosing my paints I look for these International Dye Numbers (such as PO67). Often, but unfortunately not always) the data appear in small letters and numbers on the outside of the paint tubes.

Many manufactures publish these Dye Numbers in tables on their website.

Not caring about the manufacturer’s name on the tube, I use many different brands of paint. I choose carefully depending always upon the dyes, but also upon their availability, cost, supporting mediums, and most particularly with my experience of their painting quality and handling.

 

Additional Colors:

Over the years, I have supplemented these six basic dye/color pairs with a few additional dye/colors and earth tones, plus white.

I have found certain tints (particularly natural looking greens) difficult to produce by mixing the basic six dyes. Occasionally I use Violet, Ultramarine, Neutral Gold, Scarlet, Deep Scarlet, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Zinc white, and Titanium White.

Also, these additional paint colors are useful for highlighting, glazing, and for washes after the structure of the painting has been completed.

Again, all these dyes are chosen for their permanency and mixing quality.

By intermixing almost any required tint may be created. Yet I never have fading problems - even if my paintings are hung in bright sunlight.

 

Black And White:

When painting I rarely use black paint. By mixing my chosen complementary dyes of red and green, or blue and orange, I am able to produce beautiful blacks.

The near black produced by mixing yellow and ultramarine-violet is not as intense but has its own special use for some effects.

Grays are generated by diluting these mixed blacks, or by mixing them with white.

Pushing the complementary pair mixes towards one or other of their basic constituents provides warmer or cooler tints as needed.

Of the whites, I find that the Zinc White mixes better with colors to produce lighter tints. There is nothing better than Titanium White when an intense white is needed.

 

Flesh Tones:

For flesh tones, frequently I use various mixtures of Burnt Sienna and Zinc White. Other alternatives are, a little Ultramarine with the Burnt Sienna, or Burnt Umber with Zinc White. Sometimes a little red, yellow, or a little of my black mixture is helpful. As always, everything is mixed as needed to arrive at just the right tint.

 

My Dyes:

Below are listed my six basic dyes or pigment colors. The descriptions are by their International Dye Number (such as "PO67"). This is followed by their common name and their chemical name.

PO67 – Coral Orange (Personalizations)*

     * The only paint manufacturer using this dye appears to be Old Holland.

PV19rs – Red (Quinacrine Rose)

PV15 – Ultramarine Violet Complex (sodium aluminum silicate, with sulfur)

PB15.1 – Phthalo Blue (red shade) (Copper pythalocyanine alpha)

PG36 – Phthalo Green (Chloro bromated copper)

PY175 – Lemon Yellow (Benzimdazolone)

 

The following dyes/colors are helpful to obtain certain tints – especially the earth tones and natural greens:

PV23 – Violet (Carbazole Dioxazine)

PB29 – Ultramarine (Complex sodium aluminum silicate)

Pbr7 – Burnt Sienna

PW4 – Zinc White

PW6 – Titanium White

 

Plus, these colors are on my palette to assist certain situations:

PO49 – Neutral gold (Quinacrine quinone)

PR188 – Scarlet (Naphthol AS)

PR175 – Deep scarlet (Benzimidazolone)

PR122 – Magenta (Quinacrine magenta)

 

Painting Is A Continual Learning Process:

I am always experimenting - trying new subjects, new methods, and new materials. If you wish to discuss these thoughts, please contact me.

 

Also:

If you are local or are planning a visit to Santa Barbara, contact me for an appointment to Visit My Studio and Private Gallery. I will be glad to show you how it is done and examples of the finished work.

Updated December 2011.