FORGOT TO MENTION THAT UV SPRAYS/GLASS FRAMES DO NOT HELP. Sadly I have not found any affordable brand of UV frame or spray that makes much difference. It might help with brief exposure, like a short term gallery display for a couple weeks (not effective for long term). There may be an expensive framing brand out there with specialty fine art use in mind. Even Krylon, a reputable spray paint company, who makes UV sealer (clear acrylic) only changed the color results slightly (and in some cases made the colors change unexpectedly after coating). In my tests with opera pink the paint still faded, but to an oddly orangish hue instead of plain diluted looking fading. The only thing I've seen work for protecting fugitive dye inks, such as alcohol inks, is a thick layer of resin like "Art Resin" brand on Amazon. For wall art it does distort the sun beams enough to be beneficial. Though, in the end, all that work to salvage fugitive paints is expensive and time consuming compared to just using more lightfast pigments to start. As far as I can tell it's a bit of a scam about UV glass, because there is no regulations or guarantees or even amount they tell you that it will help. I think thick glass with uv coatings, like car or house windows might work, but that would be pretty unreasonable for art lol :)
There are brands of museum anti-uv glass which will provide 100% UV coverage, with some caveats. They are extremely expensive and they have a limited life-span of a couple of years or so. The manufacturers usually work exclusively with museums, making them pretty hard to find, in the first place. People talk about glass and UV glass but in reality this is not a truly viable option for people whose artwork is not displayed in the MoMA or the Tate.
Sorry to be offtopic but does someone know of a way to log back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me
@Mayson Davis thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
I honestly can't believe that there is even a debate about lightfastness. Professional or not, finding out that something you worked on might fade away is a sad prospect. I'm glad to know about Moonglow now. As always, excellent work. Thank you for sharing this!
Moonglow was one of the very first colors I discovered lightfast problems with, which was such a bummer after falling in love with it's unique color separation. When I first started painting I hadn't realized how easy it was to mix my own lightfast version, and this color sat unused in my palette for over a year. Now I hope to help people avoid this issue, because as you said - it's a sad prospect and no one wants to see their hard work fade!
Agree, even if your work is mostly prints and digital, the rustic charm of having the original be as it was intended, might even be hanged somewhere, nothing can replace that. I couldn't imagine hanging a PRINT for cottagecore aesthetics, the texture, the life, the uniqueness is lost. Not to mention how handy it would be if you lost your digital version somehow to just be able to rescan it at any time, not "oops it was invisible ink" or suddenly greyscale now? If recreating exactly is impossible due to discontinued pigments? Ability to work in unconventional sizes, shapes, mixed medias. You can't print a holographic shimmer put on butterfly's wings for example. I never understood the fugitive pigments. Why are they made, who uses them?
@@InternetNonsense I've seen artists that don't like to think about lightfastness and even those that delete comments on youtube if you give a heads up on any colour they use. It is especially consearning when they sell the art. It is not cheap to buy originals, they better be lightfast. Sadly some companies like to avoid explicitly and honestly labeling their paints profiting on such people.
@@carlaeskelsen yep, I have seen that happen fairly recently. Someone asked about fugitiveness of moonglow on another channel, and that chanel's owner artist said those were "fake rumors". I was told, that my reply simply listing lightfast issues of some colours was deemed rude and is now invisible. Not all artists are smart or honest/diligent about quality and longevity of their work.
I knew about the Moonglow wc not being lightfast at all, and while I don't pay a lot of attention to LF it still annoys me a lot when the companies are that sloppy with their info. These mixes are lovely - what a useful video. I am a bit of a sucker for granulationg, separating mixes atm, so this was all very yummy!
I had completed several paintings in Moonglow before I learned that it was fugitive. But, thanks to you, I was just able to mix my own using the Quin. Coral. Thanks so much!!!
Very informative! The little swatches of the mixes for the dupe of moonglow look like tiny little windows to galaxies and I love how the colour separates in the palette so it becomes a much more versatile paint to use on the bird. It's gorgeous. ❤❤❤
This was very interesting. Like you said consumers should know exactly what they are getting. We shouldn’t have to second guess a rating, and end up doing our own testing. Love your mixes. I plan on giving them a try😍
Oh man, I'm so bummed to learn this about Moonglow, as it's always a color I've admired and considered purchasing. Thank you for the great list of alternatives! Another really helpful video, as usual. Also, your painting was beautiful.
Thank you for keeping everyone informed. I've been trying to make my own reasonable facsimiles of DS mixes I was interested in since I swore off buying paint for a while. Really satisfying and a good skill builder.
I’m a long way away from making paintings to put on walls or such so I’ll gladly use my Moonglow half pan until it’s gone. But for after that (or when I do want something to have the possibility to be “in the open” I’m so glad to know about the fugitive aspect of it. Looking forward to making my own after my current half pan is empty, thanks for this!
What a lovely colour, I have not seen it before - it is always worth testing our favourite art supplies in the way that we use them, rather than relying on manufacturers' lab tests. I love the beautiful alternatives you created avoiding the problem pigment, thanks for such great information!
Wow, this fades fast! I bought some Moonglow just 3 days ago and left a little in a palette near a sunny south facing window and I can already see the loss of red tones!
All the Moonglows you mixed are so close to the DS color! Moonglow is such a pretty color, it immediately went up to my favorite color list along with Payne's Gray (I just really like dark grays with some slight coolness to them).
Wow! Thanks, the best thing about mixing your own is you can control the color tones somewhat by varying the mix, I do it on the fly. LOL I guess most folks do. Anyhow it's fun!
I want to suggest an alternative if you use any fugitives is to digitize your work as soon as it is completely dry. The original may fade but not the digitized scan. You can still make prints (archival if desired) with the original colors.
Pr177 in lighter washes fades no matter the brand, and this includes Daniel Smith too (regrettably they don't mention this either). This is the problem with lightfastness test that use only full strength swatches, most colours will succeed there, the problem becomes very prominent when more water is added.
Yes, it's a shame about PR177 in general being always labeled as LFI. I think in particular the most sad thing about this Moonglow mixture is the PR177 comes pre-diluted, making up such a small % of the mix. Even applied full strength Moonglow will always fade. I really wish watercolor paint manufacturers would pass on more accurate information for our medium, instead of copying results from masstone acrylic and oil paints :(
Absolutely Gorgeous! Thank you so much for this. I'm new to painting, and honestly haven't done a whole lot of it yet, but discovered I LOVE mixing colors. I adore Moonglow, and believe it's one that I will use often, and am so excited at the idea of being able to mix my own variations of it. Thank you so much! 💖
Dang it! That color is one of my favorites, but only now do I discover it fades so dramatically! I'll pay extra attention to where I use it and to digitalize everything that does as soon as it dries! Thank you for bringing this to our attention!
Thank you! This was so incredibly helpful! Moonglow is one of my favorite colors of all time and I also am one of those people that don't really care about fugitive colors for pieces in my sketchbook, studies, mastercopies.....basically anything I do not plan on gifting/selling/displaying. But for the latter pieces this guide of the different mixes was VERY helpful!
Thanks! I mixed my own because I just got Quinacridone coral! I already had a good ultramarine and viridian. I’m happy with the mix and lightfast is best!
Thank you! Of course, all info on the tube should be accurate, and of course, it's the job of the paint company to make sure that it is. Those who are not meticulous in this regard will lose customer confidence. Nobody has any business to assume that light-fastness is important only for professional painters and that it's okay if a colour fades after x number of years, lol! We are not living in the 19th century when pigments were made from natural materials. Today, most is synthetic, even toxic. Even a painter who makes personal paintings for family and friends have the right to honest information about the paints they buy. After all, a personal painting is imbued with so much care and emotion and must be able to be preserved for generations to gaze at.
I don’t own moonglow but it’s been on my wishlist. Thanks so much for this video. I would have been really frustrated to see it fade so quickly. Shame on Daniel Smith!
What's up with Daniel Smith .... First the primaTek and now moonglow... I got a 5no tube and loved it a lot... But I am very disappointed 😞😞😞😞 with the owner of DS!
I was just trying out my DS watercolour samples today and seeing people use moonglow was the thing that piqued my interest in granulating watercolours. Thank you so much for this advice, I had no idea it wasn't light-fast. I'll be sure to try your recommendation!
You are a star. Wonderful detailed info, quality swatches and technique with the paint, beautiful painting demo. For a watercolour pigment collecting hawk your channel is amazingg thank you 🙏
This doesn’t kill my love of using Moonglow. The way I see it, it’s always good to know and be aware of lightfast properties for pieces you plan to sell, but at the end of the day, anything I make will be gone and turned to dust in 1 or 2 thousand years, so I just pick what I enjoy working with and don’t worry about this or that. None of its permanent in the long term so just enjoy your process!
Unfortunately we aren't talking about thousands of years, we're talking fading away within a short number of years. I would not wish for anyone who made an important work meant to be displayed on a wall for even a couple years to see terrible fading they did not anticipate. Depending on how strong and nearby the window lighting is, this fading can become visible in as little as 1 year. If someone hires you to make art to be displayed on a wall, or even making serious gifts for loved ones - such as a portrait of a beloved pet, it would be a darn shame for them to see it fade. Therefore I suggest an alternative way to mix it to avoid these short term issues. When painting for yourself/sketchbooks it obviously matters less.
I absolutely love this video I do this all the time on paper when I paint. I have always enjoyed creating my own colors because I feel like convenience colors are great but never quite what I want.
This video keeps saving wallets! I was just about to buy moonglow when I stumbled upon this video and the rest of the Daniel Smith controversies. I did a quick test using these colors and got the same result! Thanks so much for sharing!
This video is sooooo informative! I feel like I've only just dipped my toe in the ocean of information on pigments and their behaviour ❤️ Emily Olson mentioned your video and I have become a fan right away! And I love your voice❤️
Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that! There is a ton of fun pigment info out there, I love testing unique mixtures and lightfastness. I'll be making more videos like this to help explore color separating and granulating mixtures, those are some of my favorite things about watercolor painting. Happy painting :D
This was an incredibly helpful video, so glad I stumbled upon it! Had no idea about Moonglow, I need to pay more attention to the pigments/colors I use. So glad to know there’s a better way to get the same results. Thank you!!
What a beautiful painting! The gold just made it magical. Thank you for the alternative to Moonglow. I love the color, but don’t appreciate that it is fugitive.
Thanks so much for the video. I just bought a big tube of Moonglow last month. I've had a painting hanging by my window for over a year now with no fading. I did make the colour a bit darker and covered it with Gablin Cold Wax when I finished. It's not covered with glass or anything. Literally hanging on a piece of rope. I haven't seen any colour change as of yet but might be due to it not separating as much. I love the mixes you have shown and will now only use Moonglow in my sketchbook. Really appreciate the time and effort you take to show us how to mix the colours on our own ❤️
I've never tried Gamblin's Cold Wax, I'm curious if it helps protect the color or just make it more waterproof from damages. I'll check it out in the future! Moonglow is definitely more stable in masstone and on dry, where the color stays solid and darker instead of separating out into water. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick I've covered all my paintings in the cold wax and hung them on the wall right in front of the window. No problems so far. Maybe get a small pot and test it out for now. Looking forward to your next video 🤗
This is my first time on your site, the Moonglow color has captured my attention. I'm extremely new to watercolor, but can appreciate talent when I see it. Your bird art is fabulous. Subscribing to your channel now, gotta go binge watch. Peace.
Thanks for all your info on granulating paints and how to mix them. I love Moonglow and usually work in an art journal, so I haven't worried about lightfastness. However, I'm delighted to learn how to mix my own when the tube gets used up.
Thanks so much for this! I have become concerned after reading a couple of blog posts over at Cheap Joe's regarding Daniel Smith watercolors. The company isn't particularly concerned, apparently, with customer's input regarding their own light-fastness experiments, and continually parrots that DS has the best testing equipment, blah, blah, blah. It made a lot of readers hesitant, and many said they were quite ambivalent about DS paints after reading the company's lackluster responses to light-fastness concerns. Thank you so much for your experiments, and for your generosity with the results of what must be very time-consuming experiments!
I'm so bummed about this, I love moonglow....Thank you for this video! I don't use many convenience colors, just Payne's Gray, Neutral Tint, or Moonglow to save my Ultramarine from running out as quickly. I love that you showed various ways to make a similar color, will definitely be trying it and saving my moonglow for tonal studies and sketchbook work.✌💙🎨
I was bummed out to find this out as well. I didn't want to believe it at first, so I redid all the tests with new samples just to make sure lol. I was like "nooooooo, but I love this color" :( Though I am thankful it motivated me to play with mixtures. I think I'll use my Moonglow up in sketchbooks too!
Super informative... and I had this on my wish-list. Thankfully found your channel before ordering. Phew. Thanks for saving me, and my pocket, Kimberly. Just found you... and, subscribed! x
Thank you for this video. Very informative and appreciated. I have tried to make my own now and it’s not quite perfect but I’ll keep trying. I love your painting of your bird.
I agree with you, that Moonglow is beautiful and sadly not lightfast, my test have shown it clearly too. When it comes to companies and the lightfastness rating, so they only rate if the pigment will fade, but NOT colour shifts. So some pigments are rated with highest lightfastness, but have a huge shift like PY40 from yellow to beige/warm grey. This can be a huge issue for artists - especially because the change happens within a few weeks as well (at least in my tests). That's why independend lightfastness test are important.
Moonglow is one of my favorite blends, mostly just used for the pleasure of watching it dry & separate. I will be trying your blends, because eventually I will want to send a post card or give a painting with moonglow in it. Thank you for the review.
Yes thank you for speaking up about the Lightfastness exaggeration of companies. They make good $ and the hiding of the truth does in my book tarnish their reputation. I mix my own favorites and know that even some primteks are not lightfast. But it doesn’t bother all artists but it does bother me too. Your versions of Moonglow we’re actually even more beautiful especially with quin coral. Quin coral and pyrrol scarlet and DaVinci’s perm alizarin crimson are my favorite reds. I was glad to see you making your very own convenience colors. I do that with many. Happy painting. And I feel that all the information on every pigment should be readily available.
I just started mixing your dupe recipes for this and Misty Morning with my Schminckes. I'd never thought that my Ruby Red shows THAT MUCH through in the mix than the Cobalt Turquoise ^^' So I basically got two colours out of one mixing trial, because my pan filled up faster than I thought and I had to maneuvering some into an additional one: One that looks kinda like your Misty Morning mix here and one that looks like a lavender hued storm cloud 😅
Yeah, it's incredible how much stronger of a mixer those reds are compared to Cobalt Turq/Teals. I bet both of your mixtures are beautiful, I did the same thing and I love them both :D
@@KimberlyCrick I definitely did. They both look glorious 🥰 And it happened with the moonglow dupe, too 😅 So I got one pan that's slightly more reddish and vivid than the other. I love and will use all four of those pans 😊
I ordered moonglow three days ago 😭😭 thank you for this invaluable information though, I'll know not to put it in exhibition pieces and paintings for sale.
I have moon glow and many other Daniel Smith paints. I love them! I think I will definitely be swatching them all and do my own lightfast tests. If I find for certain a list of fugitive colors I will use them in my sketchbooks.
I’m looking forward to see what you think of Moonglow. It granulates into the 3 pigments which I didn’t like. I bought it and was so disappointed that it faded quite quickly and rarely use it now
Thank you so much for letting us know about this issue! 😥 I have quite a few convenience mixtures from when I picked up watercolour but I have learnt quite a bit since then. When I paint now, I typically pick a couple of colours and mix my own shades and colours out of those few because I find it makes for a more cohesive look. Occasionally, I would use up my convenience paints, though. And if I am not painting in my sketchbook, i.e. most of the time, this fading issue is a real bummer! Isn't that the reason we pay so much for our paints?! Ughh! Your mixes turned out beautifully! I am loving the heron and the gold touches! 🤩😍🥰🧡 Thanks again! 😘
I paint for relaxation but do try as a beginner now watch out for fugitive colors! Did a galaxy sky, put it up “no direct sun” and the fugitive “opera pink” was already starting to fade after 2 months 😳! Tyvm!!
thank you so very much for all your research you do into this and sharing it with us. It saves us so much time. Your generosity is very much appreciated x
I ran out of Moonglow a few months ago so I made my own. I used QOR viridian, Sennelier French Ultramarine (it's a 2 pigment color, go figure) and oddly enough I can't remember what red I used. Anyway, I mixed then wet little by little until I got the color I liked and now I have a huge well of it. I like it better too.
I'll have to try Qor's viridian at some point. Good for you for getting creative and mixing your own, I wish I had thought to do this a long time ago! When I noticed Moonglow fading in my test results I left it sitting in my palette untouched for a while, never really thinking to start playing around with mixtures so I could still enjoy the effects.
Kimberly Crick Art I adore Moonglow, it's one of my favorite colors due to the effects. The QOR Viridian really granulates beautifully, you should try it. My homemade mix is more neutral than DS, which makes it even more useful. I can always adjust it later. You're absolutely right about needing more viridian than the other pigments. I used half a small tube to make my mix.
Your art is stunning. Will using DS moonglow work for shadows. I just ordered a tube without knowing the information here. You'd think they'd have reformulated by now.
I only have Winsor & Newton French ultramarine, so I added a dab of DS Primatek Sodalite into the mix and it turned out wonderful. I just hope the Sodalite doesn't fade down the road. 😢
I just stumbled upon your channel and subscribed. Thanks so much for this video. I'm so upset about Moonglow....😭. You've given us some wonderful alternatives here. Your painting is just beautiful. I look forward to more of your videos. 🤗
I love the look of color separating paints, but I greatly prefer to buy single pigment paints and will not buy anything that isn't lightfast. As such, I really love videos like this and hope to see more in the future!
Ah, a touchy subject, i saw a note from you a while ago mentioning this and quietly stopped using it. Problem is most of us have already sold pieces using this color or would have to pull expensive pieces that were meant for selling. We trusted the ratings.I kbow im not the only one that saw you mention this somewhere but its easy to say I didnt know, or can use the fact that they may not have an association with your channel to..... do the wrong thing...... This is my opinion and whispers on the wind....Lol. Anyway, it is vital information on a beloved color. I will try one of your mixes and your bird is beautiful.
FORGOT TO MENTION THAT UV SPRAYS/GLASS FRAMES DO NOT HELP. Sadly I have not found any affordable brand of UV frame or spray that makes much difference. It might help with brief exposure, like a short term gallery display for a couple weeks (not effective for long term). There may be an expensive framing brand out there with specialty fine art use in mind. Even Krylon, a reputable spray paint company, who makes UV sealer (clear acrylic) only changed the color results slightly (and in some cases made the colors change unexpectedly after coating). In my tests with opera pink the paint still faded, but to an oddly orangish hue instead of plain diluted looking fading. The only thing I've seen work for protecting fugitive dye inks, such as alcohol inks, is a thick layer of resin like "Art Resin" brand on Amazon. For wall art it does distort the sun beams enough to be beneficial. Though, in the end, all that work to salvage fugitive paints is expensive and time consuming compared to just using more lightfast pigments to start. As far as I can tell it's a bit of a scam about UV glass, because there is no regulations or guarantees or even amount they tell you that it will help. I think thick glass with uv coatings, like car or house windows might work, but that would be pretty unreasonable for art lol :)
There are brands of museum anti-uv glass which will provide 100% UV coverage, with some caveats. They are extremely expensive and they have a limited life-span of a couple of years or so. The manufacturers usually work exclusively with museums, making them pretty hard to find, in the first place. People talk about glass and UV glass but in reality this is not a truly viable option for people whose artwork is not displayed in the MoMA or the Tate.
Sorry to be offtopic but does someone know of a way to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me
@Mayson Davis thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Mayson Davis it worked and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thanks so much, you really help me out :D
@Harlan Maverick no problem :)
I honestly can't believe that there is even a debate about lightfastness. Professional or not, finding out that something you worked on might fade away is a sad prospect. I'm glad to know about Moonglow now. As always, excellent work. Thank you for sharing this!
Moonglow was one of the very first colors I discovered lightfast problems with, which was such a bummer after falling in love with it's unique color separation. When I first started painting I hadn't realized how easy it was to mix my own lightfast version, and this color sat unused in my palette for over a year. Now I hope to help people avoid this issue, because as you said - it's a sad prospect and no one wants to see their hard work fade!
Agree, even if your work is mostly prints and digital, the rustic charm of having the original be as it was intended, might even be hanged somewhere, nothing can replace that. I couldn't imagine hanging a PRINT for cottagecore aesthetics, the texture, the life, the uniqueness is lost. Not to mention how handy it would be if you lost your digital version somehow to just be able to rescan it at any time, not "oops it was invisible ink" or suddenly greyscale now? If recreating exactly is impossible due to discontinued pigments? Ability to work in unconventional sizes, shapes, mixed medias. You can't print a holographic shimmer put on butterfly's wings for example. I never understood the fugitive pigments. Why are they made, who uses them?
@@InternetNonsense I've seen artists that don't like to think about lightfastness and even those that delete comments on youtube if you give a heads up on any colour they use. It is especially consearning when they sell the art. It is not cheap to buy originals, they better be lightfast. Sadly some companies like to avoid explicitly and honestly labeling their paints profiting on such people.
@@kaas2597 There are artists who delete comments with heads-up on fugitive colors????
@@carlaeskelsen yep, I have seen that happen fairly recently. Someone asked about fugitiveness of moonglow on another channel, and that chanel's owner artist said those were "fake rumors". I was told, that my reply simply listing lightfast issues of some colours was deemed rude and is now invisible. Not all artists are smart or honest/diligent about quality and longevity of their work.
As well as being a superb artist, you are providing an amazing public service, Kimberly - thank you! 💜
I knew about the Moonglow wc not being lightfast at all, and while I don't pay a lot of attention to LF it still annoys me a lot when the companies are that sloppy with their info. These mixes are lovely - what a useful video.
I am a bit of a sucker for granulationg, separating mixes atm, so this was all very yummy!
I had completed several paintings in Moonglow before I learned that it was fugitive. But, thanks to you, I was just able to mix my own using the Quin. Coral. Thanks so much!!!
Moonglow is FUGITIVE! It's lovely seeing someone talking about it
Thank you for this
I tried your recipe for moonglow using Daniel smith French ult blue, viridian and Quin Coral, and the results are stunning! Thank you.
Very informative! The little swatches of the mixes for the dupe of moonglow look like tiny little windows to galaxies and I love how the colour separates in the palette so it becomes a much more versatile paint to use on the bird. It's gorgeous. ❤❤❤
This was very interesting. Like you said consumers should know exactly what they are getting. We shouldn’t have to second guess a rating, and end up doing our own testing. Love your mixes. I plan on giving them a try😍
That’s fantastic. I actually can see that your own mixes are even more vibrant than the DS moonglow
Oh man, I'm so bummed to learn this about Moonglow, as it's always a color I've admired and considered purchasing. Thank you for the great list of alternatives! Another really helpful video, as usual. Also, your painting was beautiful.
Thank you for keeping everyone informed. I've been trying to make my own reasonable facsimiles of DS mixes I was interested in since I swore off buying paint for a while. Really satisfying and a good skill builder.
Wow! Thanks for sharing this Kimberly. Very valuable information!
I’m a long way away from making paintings to put on walls or such so I’ll gladly use my Moonglow half pan until it’s gone. But for after that (or when I do want something to have the possibility to be “in the open” I’m so glad to know about the fugitive aspect of it. Looking forward to making my own after my current half pan is empty, thanks for this!
What a lovely colour, I have not seen it before - it is always worth testing our favourite art supplies in the way that we use them, rather than relying on manufacturers' lab tests. I love the beautiful alternatives you created avoiding the problem pigment, thanks for such great information!
It's always a great to see a new post from you! Loved the bird! Also I agree mixing your own is better and a more versatile option.
Wow, this fades fast! I bought some Moonglow just 3 days ago and left a little in a palette near a sunny south facing window and I can already see the loss of red tones!
This piece turned out so beautifully! And so cool to learn we can mix our owns without some kind of fancy additive.
All the Moonglows you mixed are so close to the DS color! Moonglow is such a pretty color, it immediately went up to my favorite color list along with Payne's Gray (I just really like dark grays with some slight coolness to them).
Wow! Thanks, the best thing about mixing your own is you can control the color tones somewhat by varying the mix, I do it on the fly. LOL I guess most folks do. Anyhow it's fun!
I want to suggest an alternative if you use any fugitives is to digitize your work as soon as it is completely dry. The original may fade but not the digitized scan. You can still make prints (archival if desired) with the original colors.
Pr177 in lighter washes fades no matter the brand, and this includes Daniel Smith too (regrettably they don't mention this either). This is the problem with lightfastness test that use only full strength swatches, most colours will succeed there, the problem becomes very prominent when more water is added.
Yes, it's a shame about PR177 in general being always labeled as LFI. I think in particular the most sad thing about this Moonglow mixture is the PR177 comes pre-diluted, making up such a small % of the mix. Even applied full strength Moonglow will always fade. I really wish watercolor paint manufacturers would pass on more accurate information for our medium, instead of copying results from masstone acrylic and oil paints :(
Absolutely Gorgeous!
Thank you so much for this. I'm new to painting, and honestly haven't done a whole lot of it yet, but discovered I LOVE mixing colors.
I adore Moonglow, and believe it's one that I will use often, and am so excited at the idea of being able to mix my own variations of it. Thank you so much! 💖
Wow thank you for the info. I am just getting to know pigments. I do love that you share your alternatives. Thank you
Glad i passed this color up and decided to mix my own. Thank you for other red suggestions
I LOVE your use of the custom Moonglow. Beautiful artwork!
Of course I just got my DS Moonglow today.... But I appreciate your tests and demonstration! I’ll have to mix up my own as well.
Dang it! That color is one of my favorites, but only now do I discover it fades so dramatically!
I'll pay extra attention to where I use it and to digitalize everything that does as soon as it dries! Thank you for bringing this to our attention!
you are doing god's work, thank you for sharing your thorough experiments
Kimberly, this was super helpful. Thank you!
Thanks so much! I was just about to order Moonglow...
Thank you! This was so incredibly helpful! Moonglow is one of my favorite colors of all time and I also am one of those people that don't really care about fugitive colors for pieces in my sketchbook, studies, mastercopies.....basically anything I do not plan on gifting/selling/displaying. But for the latter pieces this guide of the different mixes was VERY helpful!
You are just so talented and committed! Thank you for... you! xx
All I can say is wow! I think this is one of your best videos.
You are a treasure with your wealth of information!!!
Thanks! I mixed my own because I just got Quinacridone coral! I already had a good ultramarine and viridian. I’m happy with the mix and lightfast is best!
Thank you! Of course, all info on the tube should be accurate, and of course, it's the job of the paint company to make sure that it is. Those who are not meticulous in this regard will lose customer confidence. Nobody has any business to assume that light-fastness is important only for professional painters and that it's okay if a colour fades after x number of years, lol! We are not living in the 19th century when pigments were made from natural materials. Today, most is synthetic, even toxic. Even a painter who makes personal paintings for family and friends have the right to honest information about the paints they buy. After all, a personal painting is imbued with so much care and emotion and must be able to be preserved for generations to gaze at.
I always learn so much from your videos! This was so well done and informative. Thank you Kimberly!
I loved the first Quin coral mix most!! 🤩❤️
The granulation is very cool!
I don’t own moonglow but it’s been on my wishlist. Thanks so much for this video. I would have been really frustrated to see it fade so quickly. Shame on Daniel Smith!
What's up with Daniel Smith .... First the primaTek and now moonglow... I got a 5no tube and loved it a lot... But I am very disappointed 😞😞😞😞 with the owner of DS!
Thanks for the information, lovely painting too
Very informative and great bird. Thank you!
Brilliant work! Thank you for making this video.
I was just trying out my DS watercolour samples today and seeing people use moonglow was the thing that piqued my interest in granulating watercolours. Thank you so much for this advice, I had no idea it wasn't light-fast. I'll be sure to try your recommendation!
Simply stunning!
You are a star. Wonderful detailed info, quality swatches and technique with the paint, beautiful painting demo. For a watercolour pigment collecting hawk your channel is amazingg thank you 🙏
Such good information and demonstrated beautifully! Thank you!
This doesn’t kill my love of using Moonglow. The way I see it, it’s always good to know and be aware of lightfast properties for pieces you plan to sell, but at the end of the day, anything I make will be gone and turned to dust in 1 or 2 thousand years, so I just pick what I enjoy working with and don’t worry about this or that. None of its permanent in the long term so just enjoy your process!
Unfortunately we aren't talking about thousands of years, we're talking fading away within a short number of years. I would not wish for anyone who made an important work meant to be displayed on a wall for even a couple years to see terrible fading they did not anticipate. Depending on how strong and nearby the window lighting is, this fading can become visible in as little as 1 year. If someone hires you to make art to be displayed on a wall, or even making serious gifts for loved ones - such as a portrait of a beloved pet, it would be a darn shame for them to see it fade. Therefore I suggest an alternative way to mix it to avoid these short term issues. When painting for yourself/sketchbooks it obviously matters less.
Good to know! Surprised but so happy you advised me of the truth. Cheers
I absolutely love this video I do this all the time on paper when I paint. I have always enjoyed creating my own colors because I feel like convenience colors are great but never quite what I want.
That is absolutely beautiful 😍
This video keeps saving wallets! I was just about to buy moonglow when I stumbled upon this video and the rest of the Daniel Smith controversies. I did a quick test using these colors and got the same result! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for this excellent analysis and the the beautiful painting.
What an amazing pigment database on your website! Very useful.
This video is sooooo informative! I feel like I've only just dipped my toe in the ocean of information on pigments and their behaviour ❤️
Emily Olson mentioned your video and I have become a fan right away!
And I love your voice❤️
Thank you, I'm so happy to hear that! There is a ton of fun pigment info out there, I love testing unique mixtures and lightfastness. I'll be making more videos like this to help explore color separating and granulating mixtures, those are some of my favorite things about watercolor painting. Happy painting :D
@@KimberlyCrick thank you ❤️ and I look forward to watching them all 😍
So helpful! Thanks.
Thanks for the great mixing tips. :) Magnificent Heron.
This was an incredibly helpful video, so glad I stumbled upon it! Had no idea about Moonglow, I need to pay more attention to the pigments/colors I use. So glad to know there’s a better way to get the same results. Thank you!!
Have you ever tried granulation medium in these mixes, and if so does it affect lightfastness in any way?
Great video and LOVE the bird!
What a beautiful painting! The gold just made it magical. Thank you for the alternative to Moonglow. I love the color, but don’t appreciate that it is fugitive.
Thanks so much for the video. I just bought a big tube of Moonglow last month. I've had a painting hanging by my window for over a year now with no fading. I did make the colour a bit darker and covered it with Gablin Cold Wax when I finished. It's not covered with glass or anything. Literally hanging on a piece of rope. I haven't seen any colour change as of yet but might be due to it not separating as much. I love the mixes you have shown and will now only use Moonglow in my sketchbook. Really appreciate the time and effort you take to show us how to mix the colours on our own ❤️
I've never tried Gamblin's Cold Wax, I'm curious if it helps protect the color or just make it more waterproof from damages. I'll check it out in the future! Moonglow is definitely more stable in masstone and on dry, where the color stays solid and darker instead of separating out into water. Happy painting :)
@@KimberlyCrick I've covered all my paintings in the cold wax and hung them on the wall right in front of the window. No problems so far. Maybe get a small pot and test it out for now. Looking forward to your next video 🤗
This is my first time on your site, the Moonglow color has captured my attention. I'm extremely new to watercolor, but can appreciate talent when I see it. Your bird art is fabulous. Subscribing to your channel now, gotta go binge watch. Peace.
Thank you for the video. The mixes are all so beautiful. Thank you showing us alternatives for mixing our own moonglow
Thanks for all your info on granulating paints and how to mix them. I love Moonglow and usually work in an art journal, so I haven't worried about lightfastness. However, I'm delighted to learn how to mix my own when the tube gets used up.
Thank you! 🤗
Thanks so much for this! I have become concerned after reading a couple of blog posts over at Cheap Joe's regarding Daniel Smith watercolors. The company isn't particularly concerned, apparently, with customer's input regarding their own light-fastness experiments, and continually parrots that DS has the best testing equipment, blah, blah, blah. It made a lot of readers hesitant, and many said they were quite ambivalent about DS paints after reading the company's lackluster responses to light-fastness concerns. Thank you so much for your experiments, and for your generosity with the results of what must be very time-consuming experiments!
I'm so bummed about this, I love moonglow....Thank you for this video! I don't use many convenience colors, just Payne's Gray, Neutral Tint, or Moonglow to save my Ultramarine from running out as quickly. I love that you showed various ways to make a similar color, will definitely be trying it and saving my moonglow for tonal studies and sketchbook work.✌💙🎨
I was bummed out to find this out as well. I didn't want to believe it at first, so I redid all the tests with new samples just to make sure lol. I was like "nooooooo, but I love this color" :( Though I am thankful it motivated me to play with mixtures. I think I'll use my Moonglow up in sketchbooks too!
Super informative... and I had this on my wish-list. Thankfully found your channel before ordering. Phew. Thanks for saving me, and my pocket, Kimberly. Just found you... and, subscribed! x
Great video, never thought DS would be inaccurate on their labeling! Thanks so much for your information!
I love this painting!
Thank you for this video. Very informative and appreciated. I have tried to make my own now and it’s not quite perfect but I’ll keep trying. I love your painting of your bird.
Your suggestions are very helpful thank you.
I agree with you, that Moonglow is beautiful and sadly not lightfast, my test have shown it clearly too. When it comes to companies and the lightfastness rating, so they only rate if the pigment will fade, but NOT colour shifts. So some pigments are rated with highest lightfastness, but have a huge shift like PY40 from yellow to beige/warm grey. This can be a huge issue for artists - especially because the change happens within a few weeks as well (at least in my tests). That's why independend lightfastness test are important.
Moonglow is one of my favorite blends, mostly just used for the pleasure of watching it dry & separate. I will be trying your blends, because eventually I will want to send a post card or give a painting with moonglow in it. Thank you for the review.
Yes thank you for speaking up about the Lightfastness exaggeration of companies. They make good $ and the hiding of the truth does in my book tarnish their reputation. I mix my own favorites and know that even some primteks are not lightfast. But it doesn’t bother all artists but it does bother me too. Your versions of Moonglow we’re actually even more beautiful especially with quin coral. Quin coral and pyrrol scarlet and DaVinci’s perm alizarin crimson are my favorite reds. I was glad to see you making your very own convenience colors. I do that with many. Happy painting. And I feel that all the information on every pigment should be readily available.
I just started mixing your dupe recipes for this and Misty Morning with my Schminckes. I'd never thought that my Ruby Red shows THAT MUCH through in the mix than the Cobalt Turquoise ^^' So I basically got two colours out of one mixing trial, because my pan filled up faster than I thought and I had to maneuvering some into an additional one: One that looks kinda like your Misty Morning mix here and one that looks like a lavender hued storm cloud 😅
Yeah, it's incredible how much stronger of a mixer those reds are compared to Cobalt Turq/Teals. I bet both of your mixtures are beautiful, I did the same thing and I love them both :D
@@KimberlyCrick I definitely did. They both look glorious 🥰 And it happened with the moonglow dupe, too 😅 So I got one pan that's slightly more reddish and vivid than the other. I love and will use all four of those pans 😊
I ordered moonglow three days ago 😭😭 thank you for this invaluable information though, I'll know not to put it in exhibition pieces and paintings for sale.
I appreciate the video. I have been waiting to buy the color and now maybe mixing. Thanks
Absolutely gorgeous!!!
I have moon glow and many other Daniel Smith paints. I love them! I think I will definitely be swatching them all and do my own lightfast tests. If I find for certain a list of fugitive colors I will use them in my sketchbooks.
Wow thanks for this, what an amazing and thorough video with the most calming voice I've ever heard!
I’m looking forward to see what you think of Moonglow. It granulates into the 3 pigments which I didn’t like. I bought it and was so disappointed that it faded quite quickly and rarely use it now
Thank you so much for letting us know about this issue! 😥 I have quite a few convenience mixtures from when I picked up watercolour but I have learnt quite a bit since then. When I paint now, I typically pick a couple of colours and mix my own shades and colours out of those few because I find it makes for a more cohesive look.
Occasionally, I would use up my convenience paints, though. And if I am not painting in my sketchbook, i.e. most of the time, this fading issue is a real bummer! Isn't that the reason we pay so much for our paints?! Ughh!
Your mixes turned out beautifully! I am loving the heron and the gold touches! 🤩😍🥰🧡 Thanks again! 😘
I paint for relaxation but do try as a beginner now watch out for fugitive colors! Did a galaxy sky, put it up “no direct sun” and the fugitive “opera pink” was already starting to fade after 2 months 😳! Tyvm!!
thank you so very much for all your research you do into this and sharing it with us. It saves us so much time. Your generosity is very much appreciated x
This was super helpful; thank you!
I ran out of Moonglow a few months ago so I made my own. I used QOR viridian, Sennelier French Ultramarine (it's a 2 pigment color, go figure) and oddly enough I can't remember what red I used. Anyway, I mixed then wet little by little until I got the color I liked and now I have a huge well of it. I like it better too.
I'll have to try Qor's viridian at some point. Good for you for getting creative and mixing your own, I wish I had thought to do this a long time ago! When I noticed Moonglow fading in my test results I left it sitting in my palette untouched for a while, never really thinking to start playing around with mixtures so I could still enjoy the effects.
Kimberly Crick Art
I adore Moonglow, it's one of my favorite colors due to the effects. The QOR Viridian really granulates beautifully, you should try it. My homemade mix is more neutral than DS, which makes it even more useful. I can always adjust it later. You're absolutely right about needing more viridian than the other pigments. I used half a small tube to make my mix.
Thank you for your hard work. I never thought of this.
This is quite interesting and informative. Thank you. I happen to have a large tube of moonglow to use up. Guess it will be more sketchbook style.
Thanks so much for this, Moonglow is one if my favorites and I had no idea it wasn't lightfast.
Well, check that one off my palette. Thank you for this video!! Now I can just mix it up when I want it.
Your art is stunning. Will using DS moonglow work for shadows. I just ordered a tube without knowing the information here. You'd think they'd have reformulated by now.
I only have Winsor & Newton French ultramarine, so I added a dab of DS Primatek Sodalite into the mix and it turned out wonderful. I just hope the Sodalite doesn't fade down the road. 😢
I just stumbled upon your channel and subscribed. Thanks so much for this video. I'm so upset about Moonglow....😭. You've given us some wonderful alternatives here. Your painting is just beautiful. I look forward to more of your videos. 🤗
I’m late to the party but I do love your content. Bless you! ☺️
I love the look of color separating paints, but I greatly prefer to buy single pigment paints and will not buy anything that isn't lightfast. As such, I really love videos like this and hope to see more in the future!
I have always wanted Moonglow, but it is very expensive and fades. Thankyou so much for sharing your process!
Ah, a touchy subject, i saw a note from you a while ago mentioning this and quietly stopped using it. Problem is most of us have already sold pieces using this color or would have to pull expensive pieces that were meant for selling. We trusted the ratings.I kbow im not the only one that saw you mention this somewhere but its easy to say I didnt know, or can use the fact that they may not have an association with your channel to..... do the wrong thing...... This is my opinion and whispers on the wind....Lol. Anyway, it is vital information on a beloved color. I will try one of your mixes and your bird is beautiful.
Amazing talent!
Very informative. Looking forward to that guide.