I don't know if you are still checking this, but I love Phthalo Blue Turquoise by Daniel Smith. It is the prettiest, richest color that makes everything thing come alive on the page. Also, Quin Magenta by Qor is the only pink that I'll use. There is nothing I've found that matches its brilliance.
Paynes Grey for me - just does so much when used in tiny amounts with other colours. Another colour is Viridian Green. So vibrant lush and spring-like. Lovely video as always. Keep up the fab work, Tom.
I wish I had seen this video when I started out! Just to say that I read that Aussie Red Gold does fade because it contains PY83. Kim Crick does lightfastness tests and has a photo of the change in colour on her web site.
Love my holbein’s too. Just realised I haven’t been using a warm red properly for mixing. I love indian yellow, but can’t live without quin gold (very similar) and diox violet. For flowers I love opera rose.
Good quick color comments. I love that he doesn't take up hours of your time and he gets right to it! I'm looking for a good green or green mixture that glows and does not dull when it's dry for nature, floral. Preferably more transparent than opaque.
I share your love for Cobalt Blue over Ultramarine. I kept running out of it so now I use those really big Blockx pans of it (18 ml). My palette evolved over time by noting that I ran out of some paints quickly whereas others were left virtually untouched. The ones I ended up with mostly work well together in mixtures (to easily make browns, blacks, etc.). Cobalt Violet is an outlier, I only use it to impart a subtle texture and warmth to my skintones (made with a base of Benzimidazolone Orange and Dioxazine Violet). Perylene green is perhaps another unusual one, together with reds it makes really dark browns. One I keep trying to replace is Cobalt Yellow (Aureolin) because it gets such a bad rep concerning lightfastness but it's such a lovely color with a subtle texture .
I’ve never seen quin red as a cool red on a palette on YT! That’s neat. I’ve been a fan of pr206, py129. Im fairly new to paints too, and l have had an issue with not having single pigment options for the 12 high chroma colors on the color wheel. I have a full spectrum now and could fill a 24 color wheel but there are tricky areas in the greens and the blue violet area. I love the color of smalt by WN. By fun colors, I would think pg50 teal, but my all time favorite is PBK11, specifically Aquarius black
Winsor blue (green shade) is pb15 and I love it! I'm only in my beginning of learning to paint, but have a design background - so for me in combination with chinacr. Magenta (pr122) and any bright yellow (even new gamboge!) It makes the best base for cmyk mixing like used in printing! It's a slightly different colour wheel than you presented (red is a secondary mixed from magenta and yellow), but works all the same in principle!
Thanks for some great info!! I’ve heard Winsor as a great blue especially with quin Magenta as a great base for mixing. Almost like you can get widest range of mixes with minimum fuss!!...I really like the YURNMBY wheel..basically RGB and CMYK put together, kind of makes sense in my head (ha!)...I’ve actually recorded a video on different colour wheels, hopefully out soon:)...as you say though, all same basic principles, just different ways to conceptualise colour!...thanks so much for a great and engaging comment!!:)
I absolutely love Ausie Red Gold and it comes on Jane Haines Daniel Smith artist master sets … and it create great mixes yellows and greens … when mixed with cool reds create nice corals and oranges 😍
Yes, it’s such a wonderful colour. I had to keep it off my palette for a while as was using for everything and all my paintings where Aussie red gold with cool reds in (ha!!) not necessarily a bad thing but wanted to mix it up a bit. Such a great colour!!!☺️🙌🏼
W&N Green Gold (PY129) I love the luminous but natural greens you can make mixing it with Prussian Blue and Ultramarine Green Shade. Also Monte Amiata Natural Sienna. Daniel Smith sells this in a ready-made watercolor, but I make mine with pigment purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies. It reminds me a lot of quin gold and PY150 (various proprietary names). If you have access to these two colors you should give them a try. You'll love them.
OO nice, I haven't tired many tube greens but they are slowly creeping in more. I am finding them nice when mixed with a little touch of yellow or blue. That's interesting you make your own with pigment, what binders and other bits do you put in yours?....I will definitely give them a go, thanks so much for the recommendation! T
@@tomshepherdartist I think of Green Gold (P129) as more of a yellow than a green, a muted lemon yellow. It has a very high tinting strength, so it doesn't take much to turn a blue into a green. In regard to binders and additives in my homemade paints, I use gum Arabic, glycerin, honey, and oil of cloves as a preservative. I wouldn't say they are superior to commercial paints, except maybe for tinting strength. I only make the ones that are fairly easy to disperse and use bought paints that are tricky to make, like pthalo blue and other staining pigments that are hydroscopic and require an hour or more of mulling. The cobalts, earths, and cadmiums are easy to make though and perhaps worth it because of the higher pigment ratio you can get making them yourself. It's really just something I wanted to do and there is no huge advantage to handmade paints. Bought tube paints are much more convenient. You should try the Monte Amiata Natural Sienna (Daniel Smith). You'll love it. Anyway, I enjoy your videos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skill with us!
Oh yes, there’s a few points I missed in this video...like pigment over colour and single pigment colours! Used to Love indanthrone blue but haven’t used in a while...I think you’ve sparked my interest in it again!
I love having Sap Green in my palette. I find it very versatile for mixing or on its own. Great channel you’ve got there! ♥️ Love your content and considering joining you on Patreon!
Oo I don't think I have used Sap Green. I will give it a go. I rarely use tube greens, but they can be so great for greens that can't quite get mixing, or with other colours added. They are creeping on to my palette more and more:) Thanks so much for the support. T
Thanks Tom for these lovely informative videos. Always a pleasure to watch. I’ve made a few mistakes in buying my colours : for instance buying the same colours from different brands which have different names🤨. Only later did I learn to buy by pigment. My faves are cobalt blue ( schmincke), perylene Maroon (M Graham’s), Thalo blue( Daniel Smith), Ultramarine blue ( Daniel Smith), Transparent Yellow ( W&N), Quinacridone Red (W&N), Burnt Sienna...
Thank you for a lovely comment! Very good point to buy by pigment, not name!! Something I will mention in another video, thank you :)...great colour selection!!!☺️🙌🏼
Hi Tom, thanks so much for your explanation about the 6 cool and warm primary colours on the colour wheel. it made sense for me. I wish I had viewed your channel before buying over 50 tubes of all the colours I thought I needed. I love to mix colours myself ut really love having my sap green and indigo and of course Burnt Sienna :). Looking forward to viewing your tutorials, thanks from Canada
Thanks Patricia!! So pleased it made sense...I know for a fact you are not alone in that (you should see how many tubes I own - and generally use a handful of the same ones over and over!!) That said, it is so nice to swap out colours and experiment - funnily enough I’m going through an experimental stage right now and branching out into different colours and variations... Ultimately as ling as we understand what’s going on with our colours, and that however weird and wonderful the names are we are only ever mixing primaries...it doesn’t harm to have plenty of options!!;)
You’re a girl after my own heart. I own 50 tubes and counting too. I’d like to blame it on senility because I am pretty old. But maybe it’s just a case of the "I wants." And add to that a case of I love to see and experiment with them.
Very useful! Love a split primary palette and can’t live without burnt sienna by Winsor Newton, favourite way to make grey and sooooo easy with ultramarine.
I do love split primary, so versatile!!:) And burnt sienna is such a beautiful colour, and the perfect for greys with ultra blue. I recently replaced Burnt Sienna with Daniel Smith Quinacridone Deep Gold I think it was, or something similar...it's a beautiful colour tat does much the same.
The primary yellow I definitely can't go without is Nickel Azo Yellow. It allow you to mix deep darks with just your primaries because it is so transparent but still gives you the very bright glowy yellow when you need it. Also specialty colors that have specific textures you cannot achieve by mixing such as myan blue genuine, hematite genuine, and more Edit: also quinacridone coral becuase those bright corals are unique and not easy to mix just right
Thanks for great comment Lukas! I don’t think I’ve tried that yellow, sounds perfect for the way I like to work I.e. transparent and good for limited palettes and darks...I have both those unusual colours actually, but haven’t really tried them, I’ll checkout Quinn. Coral too...kind regards, T
Just starting my watercolor journey but working with kids type pallet- thinking I need tubes... love birds so you are my go to for learning! Thanks for these!
Thank you!...the pans can be great, but depends what quality they are:) I personally much prefer tube because I can get more pigment out of them more easily :) and the best quality you can justify will make a difference .T
Tom, would you be able to mix those classics like Venetian or Indian Red from the primaries you mentioned? I am addicted to these colors and also Quinacridone Orange and Transparent Oxide Red. My must haves include also ultramarine blue and burnt sienna which I mix with each other to get shadow grey and this is much more interesting grey than anything I found in a ready-made tubes/pans.
I would imagine you get very close. Whatever colours we are using we are really only ever balancing red, blue and yellow :) So in theory we can get close to any colour...all though of course, there are some tube colours that are just magic and we can never quite mix them :)....I have never tired either of the orange or oxide red you mention, they sound lovely though :)...I agree totally regards burnt sienna and ultra. Nice to have a grey but be able to easily tint it to be warmer or colour and it naturally creates variation and more ineterest :)
Thank you Tom, for this great video. l am new subscriber of your channel. Holbein is my first watercolor set, before discovering QOR, but l still using Holbein. Now, l would like to do some testing for the warm and cool primaries, 2 quick questions…. is Phthalo Blue Green Shade is cool blue or the Yellow Shade is better? What is best substitute for Prussian Blue, as l read they are fuigitive color.
Very helpful Tom. Thanks. I am concerned about toxins. Also I would like 1 pigment paints and transparent. But the toxins are a real concern. Any ideas?? Thx.
Thanks Sue. Yes it’s a great question...I know there are a couple of companies that produce person friendly earth pigments only, and a couple of very small brands that make earth pigment paints. All though a lot of earth pigments still have substances that in large doses are toxic, but they I believe are in tiny amounts and ones we have in our bodies anyway, like manganese etc....it seems to be the heavy metals like cadmiums, and cobalts too, which are the big ones; but with that two camps, one that you literally having to be eating the paint and rolling around in it to cause issues; the other that if there is even the slightest chance of risk, why have them in your palette if you can find alternatives....to me, it seems that like anything, even small amounts, particularly of heavy metals which the body can have trouble getting rid of, could in some cases accumulate over time and cause issues....I really don’t know though, so I take a very careful approach and also don’t use cadmium paints anyway as I don’t like them. I think Michael Harding as some good and detailed information in their website. It’s in relation to oils but I would assume still relevant to the pigments...and they are releasing watercolours this year (which I’ve had the pleasure of testing and they are wonderful!!) I don’t about the modern man made chemical colours like quinacridones, and how stable they are? I believe also that cheaper paints have various chemical binders and fillers, these are never going to be particularly nice for us...but most artist grade seem to be just a few ingredients and so I believe safer on that front. I do remember reading a couple of studies a while back on toxicity and safety testing on watercolour waste water and it seemed that the levels were incredibly low and considered very “safe” Don’t quote me on any of the above as I by no means an expert, and there’s so much conflicting info out there. I take the approach of being sensible and safe...and ideally not eating the paint, however hungry!;) I would down the line love to make my own paints and explore natural pigments more. Fir now though the convenience of buying tubes wins out by far (ha!!)
Daniel Smith or M Graham Indigo. I also love the Aussie Red gold. Use it lots. I have a passion for Opera pink but only use it in my sketchbook as I know it is fugitive. So pretty though.
Since the car industry is no longer using Quinn gold I believe it is being discontinued. I think Daniel Smith bought the last batch. I need a new substitute for it.
Seven white nights in tin..Aurelin.. Golden.. Ruby.. Perylene violet.. Bright blue (phthalo gs) ultramarine and burnt umber as my dark earth. Fav could not pick reallly, would swop out golden for indian gold when it runs out. But they are my got to for the last year painting mainly street scenes with people added. And yes i am mixing more than painting, but i do not mind using up the paints as they are super cheapo...but not quality wise.
Yeah, that's a nice set of colours! Nice amount of bases. I have heard good things about then, one of those being affordable but good! I must look into them a bit more. Thanks for the comment, much appreciated. T
Quinacridone gold. I paint birds so find some colours essential. I use it in particular in glossy bird colours. By accident I threw out my remaining QG and am unable to mix anything similar. I do however mix my own paynes gray and sepia.
Hi Tom, just came across your channel. Love your videos! I'm just starting my watercolor journey (altho have been an artist all my life in other mediums). I am planning to take a serious dive, and have always believed that good materials are essential to the learning curve. With a zillion brands and colors out there the choices are overwhelming and are expensive. This video was just what I needed. Thank you!
Thanks for joining me! I fully agree that good materials are essential, and the best you can justify will certainly make the whole experience more fun and exciting, and therefore more successful!:)....I still get overwhelmed, but often a simplest set of colours with an understanding of their properties is all that is really needed. Whilst I have loads of colours I think I can safely say 95% of the time I select from a core 10 colours and use form that anywhere from 2 - 8 of those in a single painting. Any more question, feel free to ask :) T
Hi Tom, just found your youtube videos, they are great, thank you! I am a total beginner with watercolour, the number of colours is a little mind-boggling!! This was very helpful... just a quick question after watching... hope this doesn't sound silly, but how do you know which colours are opaque & which are transparent when you are buying them, does it say on the tube? Thank you in advance : )
Hey Lisa, so pleased they help and thanks for the comment!!:) Not a silly question at all!! Usually the tubes will say on them what they are and if you are buying online they should say too.....if it doesn’t say in words then it will be a square symbol. Clear square is transparent, filled in black square is opaque, half and half diagonal split is semi-opaque....you should also find the light fastness rating there too :) Hope that helps. T
I love pastel and soft colors but for some reason I always come back to using indigo! I've been thinking about trying super granulating paints as well, but really don't know where to start apart from the pricey Daniel Smith's ones. Thank you for this really useful guide, just suscribed! :)
Thanks so much....so pleased it helps!! I absolutely love indigo! When I started it was my go too colour :)....I’m sure I’ll swing back round to it sometime ;)....ultramarines and cobalts generally granulate across most brands. Some brands more than others. And generally, french ultramarine granulated more than ultramarine.....earth colours and some blacks do too. Again, some brands much more than others....and Daniel Smith seemed to have created granulation amongst groups of colours that don’t usually, plus some other weird and wonderful ones....pricey as you say though!!!☺️
so glad that I found your channel Tom! wonderful content! Right now I love the color of Phthalo Blue, such a pure blue. Daniel Smith's Phthalo Turquoise is beautiful as well! Holbein has some great colors, but some of theirs are not lightfast and some are unnecessarily multi-pigment, therefore I prefer Daniel Smith more.
Hi there. I love yellow ochre! And it has crept on to my palette more and more:) usually opaque I am just careful to not use it to heavy in washes I tend to later paint over again ...I.e I use it nice and watery early in a painting! Daniel Smith version feels more transparent for some reason. I believe their french ochre is more transparent of top of head. Raw sienna can be used in a similar way often and is transparent :)
Thank you for the valuable advice! At the moment, I am struggling with narrowing down my palette to only 12 colours. 😮 I love turquoise. Which colour would you suggest? Phtalo green blue shade, Phtalo turquoise or Cobalt turquoise? It should be a colour that is versatile and can be used to mix well with other colours. Up to now I have been using Phtalo green, but I am not sure. I would appreciate your opinion on this.
Hi there...yes narrowing down our colours is tricky! And I also love Turquoise...I would say there's no harm in owning all 3 but try and decide on which one to use for an individual painting based on what you need it for...for example the turquoise blue by Holbein I use, is very heavy and opaque. So if I intend to use it for finishing touches or dropping into darker areas to create interesting effects, or I know I will not be mixing much with it or glazing over it, this is fine.... However, I I want a better turqouse for mixing, a lighter more transparent one, and more of a translucent feel then i would choose a more transparent one like the Pthalos... I own loads of colours but recommend people start out with a few and expand. And then try to limit colour choices for each painting to mke things easier...but not be afraid to change your colours around form one painting to another. I hope that helps:) T
I have a bit of a problem, my sketching is pretty decent and my use of pencil shading etc is also very good. So basically I can draw well. But I am colour blind, I can see main colours but I find it very hard to tell the different between colours in particular red/greens and blues generally all look just dull blue. Is there any thing I could do to improve or simplify my colour selections or would i be better try to but lots of ready made colours and individually try to match colours to photographs that i am painting?
Hi there, I personally really love Holbein and I use some Daniel Smith colours. I think if you can afford artist quality ones, most of the main brands are great...Winsor and Newton, Sennelier, PWC and Schminke are others I have used and like . T
I tend to just go Quin Gold/New Gamboge + French Ultramarine + Pyrrol Red + Cerulean these days as my main mixing colors. I do love convenience greens for sketching outside as it allows me to work quicker (but I try to match the pigments in the mix to what I have on my palette). Daniel Smith's Sap Green and Undersea Green get used a lot. I also love Daniel Smith's Lunar colors for granulation and texture. Lastly, I really love Daniel Smith's Opera Pink but it's one I only use in practice or sketch work due to lightfastness but I keep it on my palette because it's so ridiculous (and reminds me I paint for fun)
That's a nice combo! I agree regards greens, since making this video a couple of convenience ones have crept in and I love them....I've not tried the lunar colours but can see that they would be amazing to work with. Always nice to remind ourselves why we paint too!!;) Thank you for the great comment, much appreciated. T
Absolutely love Manganese Blue, think it's only made by Cotman. Such a pure, clear blue. Lovely to mix with other colours. Also love the transparent Winsor colours. Love your videos. Thanks for sharing.
Oh yes!! I was completely obsessed with manganese blue for while, for those exact reasons!! I’ve had a few different brands, Daniel Smith and QOR but I didn’t like them at all, and I can’t remember what my original one was that I loved...It may have been Cotman then! Thank you for the memory jog! T
What are your favourite colours? Have you got ones you cannot live without!!?
I don't know if you are still checking this, but I love Phthalo Blue Turquoise by Daniel Smith. It is the prettiest, richest color that makes everything thing come alive on the page. Also, Quin Magenta by Qor is the only pink that I'll use. There is nothing I've found that matches its brilliance.
Excellent explanation. Clear and succinct, and the best video I’ve seen covering this topic.
Good quick color comments. I love that he doesn't take up hours of your time and he gets right to it!
Paynes Grey for me - just does so much when used in tiny amounts with other colours. Another colour is Viridian Green. So vibrant lush and spring-like.
Lovely video as always. Keep up the fab work, Tom.
Yeah!! Great choices...!!!! Payne’s grey is so versatile ☺️🙌🏼...thank you!!🙏
I wish I had seen this video when I started out! Just to say that I read that Aussie Red Gold does fade because it contains PY83. Kim Crick does lightfastness tests and has a photo of the change in colour on her web site.
I’m stuck at home recovering from mild Covid. Absolutely love your videos. ❤
Ah thank you...hope you are well on the mend!!
Love my holbein’s too. Just realised I haven’t been using a warm red properly for mixing.
I love indian yellow, but can’t live without quin gold (very similar) and diox violet. For flowers I love opera rose.
Yes love color.. opera rose my favorite colors but I paint flowers a lot. Love watch you paint animals ..❤️
Thank you. A wonderful colour, definitely thinking about trying some of it soon. T
Good quick color comments. I love that he doesn't take up hours of your time and he gets right to it! I'm looking for a good green or green mixture that glows and does not dull when it's dry for nature, floral. Preferably more transparent than opaque.
Indian Red is my new favourite! The most beautiful colour imo
Lovely...I’ve never actually tried it but definitely on my radar as looks beautiful!
Isn't it very opaque?
I share your love for Cobalt Blue over Ultramarine. I kept running out of it so now I use those really big Blockx pans of it (18 ml). My palette evolved over time by noting that I ran out of some paints quickly whereas others were left virtually untouched. The ones I ended up with mostly work well together in mixtures (to easily make browns, blacks, etc.). Cobalt Violet is an outlier, I only use it to impart a subtle texture and warmth to my skintones (made with a base of Benzimidazolone Orange and Dioxazine Violet). Perylene green is perhaps another unusual one, together with reds it makes really dark browns. One I keep trying to replace is Cobalt Yellow (Aureolin) because it gets such a bad rep concerning lightfastness but it's such a lovely color with a subtle texture .
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻…Paynes grey and Quinac. Burnt Orange are among my “many favorites”…🤭🤣🤣🤣
I am a beginner and this was so useful thank you.
Brilliant...so pleased to hear that. T
I’ve never seen quin red as a cool red on a palette on YT! That’s neat. I’ve been a fan of pr206, py129. Im fairly new to paints too, and l have had an issue with not having single pigment options for the 12 high chroma colors on the color wheel. I have a full spectrum now and could fill a 24 color wheel but there are tricky areas in the greens and the blue violet area. I love the color of smalt by WN. By fun colors, I would think pg50 teal, but my all time favorite is PBK11, specifically Aquarius black
I love dioxazine purple. Great for shadowssnd hatd to mix exactly.
Yes absolutely...I’ve started exploring tube purples a lot more and I like soo dioxazine:)
Holbein's Peacock Blue is an awesome color
ooo I've never tried that...but I've certainly noticed it as one I want to try!!! :) Next order and I'm going to go for it!!;)
@@tomshepherdartist I decided I'm going to swatch it with my reds and yellows to see what I get since I recently purged most of my supply.
Winsor blue (green shade) is pb15 and I love it! I'm only in my beginning of learning to paint, but have a design background - so for me in combination with chinacr. Magenta (pr122) and any bright yellow (even new gamboge!) It makes the best base for cmyk mixing like used in printing! It's a slightly different colour wheel than you presented (red is a secondary mixed from magenta and yellow), but works all the same in principle!
Thanks for some great info!! I’ve heard Winsor as a great blue especially with quin Magenta as a great base for mixing. Almost like you can get widest range of mixes with minimum fuss!!...I really like the YURNMBY wheel..basically RGB and CMYK put together, kind of makes sense in my head (ha!)...I’ve actually recorded a video on different colour wheels, hopefully out soon:)...as you say though, all same basic principles, just different ways to conceptualise colour!...thanks so much for a great and engaging comment!!:)
I absolutely love Ausie Red Gold and it comes on Jane Haines Daniel Smith artist master sets … and it create great mixes yellows and greens … when mixed with cool reds create nice corals and oranges 😍
Yes, it’s such a wonderful colour. I had to keep it off my palette for a while as was using for everything and all my paintings where Aussie red gold with cool reds in (ha!!) not necessarily a bad thing but wanted to mix it up a bit. Such a great colour!!!☺️🙌🏼
W&N Green Gold (PY129) I love the luminous but natural greens you can make mixing it with Prussian Blue and Ultramarine Green Shade. Also Monte Amiata Natural Sienna. Daniel Smith sells this in a ready-made watercolor, but I make mine with pigment purchased from Jackson's Art Supplies. It reminds me a lot of quin gold and PY150 (various proprietary names). If you have access to these two colors you should give them a try. You'll love them.
OO nice, I haven't tired many tube greens but they are slowly creeping in more. I am finding them nice when mixed with a little touch of yellow or blue. That's interesting you make your own with pigment, what binders and other bits do you put in yours?....I will definitely give them a go, thanks so much for the recommendation! T
@@tomshepherdartist I think of Green Gold (P129) as more of a yellow than a green, a muted lemon yellow. It has a very high tinting strength, so it doesn't take much to turn a blue into a green. In regard to binders and additives in my homemade paints, I use gum Arabic, glycerin, honey, and oil of cloves as a preservative. I wouldn't say they are superior to commercial paints, except maybe for tinting strength. I only make the ones that are fairly easy to disperse and use bought paints that are tricky to make, like pthalo blue and other staining pigments that are hydroscopic and require an hour or more of mulling. The cobalts, earths, and cadmiums are easy to make though and perhaps worth it because of the higher pigment ratio you can get making them yourself. It's really just something I wanted to do and there is no huge advantage to handmade paints. Bought tube paints are much more convenient. You should try the Monte Amiata Natural Sienna (Daniel Smith). You'll love it. Anyway, I enjoy your videos! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skill with us!
I remember finding cerulean and falling in love with it for skies!
Yes! A wonderful colour...and one I don’t use, but must add to the collection!!:)
I like single pigment colours because my mixes don’t get muddy. My favourite is Indanthrone blue pb60
Oh yes, there’s a few points I missed in this video...like pigment over colour and single pigment colours! Used to Love indanthrone blue but haven’t used in a while...I think you’ve sparked my interest in it again!
@@tomshepherdartist hope to see a video where u use indanthrone blue soon!...I’ve binged watched most of videos now..thankyou for such great content..
@@meherenow haha I am sure you will! Thank you :)
I love having Sap Green in my palette. I find it very versatile for mixing or on its own.
Great channel you’ve got there! ♥️ Love your content and considering joining you on Patreon!
Oo I don't think I have used Sap Green. I will give it a go. I rarely use tube greens, but they can be so great for greens that can't quite get mixing, or with other colours added. They are creeping on to my palette more and more:) Thanks so much for the support. T
I am just starting and this was so helpful
Great!! So pleased it helped :)
Thanks Tom for these lovely informative videos. Always a pleasure to watch. I’ve made a few mistakes in buying my colours : for instance buying the same colours from different brands which have different names🤨. Only later did I learn to buy by pigment. My faves are cobalt blue ( schmincke), perylene Maroon (M Graham’s), Thalo blue( Daniel Smith), Ultramarine blue ( Daniel Smith), Transparent Yellow ( W&N), Quinacridone Red (W&N), Burnt Sienna...
Thank you for a lovely comment! Very good point to buy by pigment, not name!! Something I will mention in another video, thank you :)...great colour selection!!!☺️🙌🏼
Hi Tom, thanks so much for your explanation about the 6 cool and warm primary colours on the colour wheel. it made sense for me. I wish I had viewed your channel before buying over 50 tubes of all the colours I thought I needed. I love to mix colours myself ut really love having my sap green and indigo and of course Burnt Sienna :). Looking forward to viewing your tutorials, thanks from Canada
Thanks Patricia!! So pleased it made sense...I know for a fact you are not alone in that (you should see how many tubes I own - and generally use a handful of the same ones over and over!!)
That said, it is so nice to swap out colours and experiment - funnily enough I’m going through an experimental stage right now and branching out into different colours and variations...
Ultimately as ling as we understand what’s going on with our colours, and that however weird and wonderful the names are we are only ever mixing primaries...it doesn’t harm to have plenty of options!!;)
You’re a girl after my own heart. I own 50 tubes and counting too. I’d like to blame it on senility because I am pretty old. But maybe it’s just a case of the "I wants." And add to that a case of I love to see and experiment with them.
I'm looking for a good convenient GREEN that does not dull when it dries. Can you talk more about your choice of sap Green.?
Very useful! Love a split primary palette and can’t live without burnt sienna by Winsor Newton, favourite way to make grey and sooooo easy with ultramarine.
I do love split primary, so versatile!!:) And burnt sienna is such a beautiful colour, and the perfect for greys with ultra blue. I recently replaced Burnt Sienna with Daniel Smith Quinacridone Deep Gold I think it was, or something similar...it's a beautiful colour tat does much the same.
The primary yellow I definitely can't go without is Nickel Azo Yellow. It allow you to mix deep darks with just your primaries because it is so transparent but still gives you the very bright glowy yellow when you need it. Also specialty colors that have specific textures you cannot achieve by mixing such as myan blue genuine, hematite genuine, and more
Edit: also quinacridone coral becuase those bright corals are unique and not easy to mix just right
Thanks for great comment Lukas! I don’t think I’ve tried that yellow, sounds perfect for the way I like to work I.e. transparent and good for limited palettes and darks...I have both those unusual colours actually, but haven’t really tried them, I’ll checkout Quinn. Coral too...kind regards, T
Really helpful! Love the looseness!
I love Cobalt teal Blue from Daniel Smith, and Quinacridone Coral
Thank you, Tom, so much for this, so informative and interesting ... my one colour....perylene green...wonderful
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you. Oo that sounds good, I’ll have to look it up!!:) T
Just starting my watercolor journey but working with kids type pallet- thinking I need tubes... love birds so you are my go to for learning! Thanks for these!
Thank you!...the pans can be great, but depends what quality they are:) I personally much prefer tube because I can get more pigment out of them more easily :) and the best quality you can justify will make a difference .T
Tom, would you be able to mix those classics like Venetian or Indian Red from the primaries you mentioned? I am addicted to these colors and also Quinacridone Orange and Transparent Oxide Red. My must haves include also ultramarine blue and burnt sienna which I mix with each other to get shadow grey and this is much more interesting grey than anything I found in a ready-made tubes/pans.
I would imagine you get very close. Whatever colours we are using we are really only ever balancing red, blue and yellow :) So in theory we can get close to any colour...all though of course, there are some tube colours that are just magic and we can never quite mix them :)....I have never tired either of the orange or oxide red you mention, they sound lovely though :)...I agree totally regards burnt sienna and ultra. Nice to have a grey but be able to easily tint it to be warmer or colour and it naturally creates variation and more ineterest :)
Thank you Tom, for this great video. l am new subscriber of your channel. Holbein is my first watercolor set, before discovering QOR, but l still using Holbein. Now, l would like to do some testing for the warm and cool primaries, 2 quick questions…. is Phthalo Blue Green Shade is cool blue or the Yellow Shade is better? What is best substitute for Prussian Blue, as l read they are fuigitive color.
Very helpful Tom. Thanks. I am concerned about toxins. Also I would like 1 pigment paints and transparent. But the toxins are a real concern. Any ideas?? Thx.
Thanks Sue. Yes it’s a great question...I know there are a couple of companies that produce person friendly earth pigments only, and a couple of very small brands that make earth pigment paints. All though a lot of earth pigments still have substances that in large doses are toxic, but they I believe are in tiny amounts and ones we have in our bodies anyway, like manganese etc....it seems to be the heavy metals like cadmiums, and cobalts too, which are the big ones; but with that two camps, one that you literally having to be eating the paint and rolling around in it to cause issues; the other that if there is even the slightest chance of risk, why have them in your palette if you can find alternatives....to me, it seems that like anything, even small amounts, particularly of heavy metals which the body can have trouble getting rid of, could in some cases accumulate over time and cause issues....I really don’t know though, so I take a very careful approach and also don’t use cadmium paints anyway as I don’t like them.
I think Michael Harding as some good and detailed information in their website. It’s in relation to oils but I would assume still relevant to the pigments...and they are releasing watercolours this year (which I’ve had the pleasure of testing and they are wonderful!!)
I don’t about the modern man made chemical colours like quinacridones, and how stable they are? I believe also that cheaper paints have various chemical binders and fillers, these are never going to be particularly nice for us...but most artist grade seem to be just a few ingredients and so I believe safer on that front.
I do remember reading a couple of studies a while back on toxicity and safety testing on watercolour waste water and it seemed that the levels were incredibly low and considered very “safe”
Don’t quote me on any of the above as I by no means an expert, and there’s so much conflicting info out there. I take the approach of being sensible and safe...and ideally not eating the paint, however hungry!;)
I would down the line love to make my own paints and explore natural pigments more. Fir now though the convenience of buying tubes wins out by far (ha!!)
Daniel Smith or M Graham Indigo. I also love the Aussie Red gold. Use it lots. I have a passion for Opera pink but only use it in my sketchbook as I know it is fugitive. So pretty though.
Quin Gold. Sooooo versatile and gorgeous
You are second person to mention this colour and it sounds right up my street!!! I’m ordering some tomorrow!!!😅 thank you!!:) T
Since the car industry is no longer using Quinn gold I believe it is being discontinued. I think Daniel Smith bought the last batch. I need a new substitute for it.
This is very helpful ~ thank you!
My pleasure..thank you!! T
Seven white nights in tin..Aurelin.. Golden.. Ruby.. Perylene violet.. Bright blue (phthalo gs) ultramarine and burnt umber as my dark earth. Fav could not pick reallly, would swop out golden for indian gold when it runs out. But they are my got to for the last year painting mainly street scenes with people added. And yes i am mixing more than painting, but i do not mind using up the paints as they are super cheapo...but not quality wise.
Yeah, that's a nice set of colours! Nice amount of bases. I have heard good things about then, one of those being affordable but good! I must look into them a bit more. Thanks for the comment, much appreciated. T
Quinacridone gold. I paint birds so find some colours essential. I use it in particular in glossy bird colours. By accident I threw out my remaining QG and am unable to mix anything similar. I do however mix my own paynes gray and sepia.
Hi Tom, just came across your channel. Love your videos!
I'm just starting my watercolor journey (altho have been an artist all my life in other mediums). I am planning to take a serious dive, and have always believed that good materials are essential to the learning curve. With a zillion brands and colors out there the choices are overwhelming and are expensive. This video was just what I needed. Thank you!
Thanks for joining me! I fully agree that good materials are essential, and the best you can justify will certainly make the whole experience more fun and exciting, and therefore more successful!:)....I still get overwhelmed, but often a simplest set of colours with an understanding of their properties is all that is really needed. Whilst I have loads of colours I think I can safely say 95% of the time I select from a core 10 colours and use form that anywhere from 2 - 8 of those in a single painting. Any more question, feel free to ask :) T
I just love Windsor blue
Ooo I know of it...but have never used it. I must give it a go!!☺️🙌🏼
Hi Tom, just found your youtube videos, they are great, thank you! I am a total beginner with watercolour, the number of colours is a little mind-boggling!! This was very helpful... just a quick question after watching... hope this doesn't sound silly, but how do you know which colours are opaque & which are transparent when you are buying them, does it say on the tube? Thank you in advance : )
Hey Lisa, so pleased they help and thanks for the comment!!:) Not a silly question at all!! Usually the tubes will say on them what they are and if you are buying online they should say too.....if it doesn’t say in words then it will be a square symbol. Clear square is transparent, filled in black square is opaque, half and half diagonal split is semi-opaque....you should also find the light fastness rating there too :) Hope that helps. T
@@tomshepherdartist Brilliant! Thank you Tom, that is so helpful, great information! Thank you for taking the time to reply! : )
I love pastel and soft colors but for some reason I always come back to using indigo! I've been thinking about trying super granulating paints as well, but really don't know where to start apart from the pricey Daniel Smith's ones.
Thank you for this really useful guide, just suscribed! :)
Thanks so much....so pleased it helps!! I absolutely love indigo! When I started it was my go too colour :)....I’m sure I’ll swing back round to it sometime ;)....ultramarines and cobalts generally granulate across most brands. Some brands more than others. And generally, french ultramarine granulated more than ultramarine.....earth colours and some blacks do too. Again, some brands much more than others....and Daniel Smith seemed to have created granulation amongst groups of colours that don’t usually, plus some other weird and wonderful ones....pricey as you say though!!!☺️
so glad that I found your channel Tom! wonderful content! Right now I love the color of Phthalo Blue, such a pure blue. Daniel Smith's Phthalo Turquoise is beautiful as well! Holbein has some great colors, but some of theirs are not lightfast and some are unnecessarily multi-pigment, therefore I prefer Daniel Smith more.
Thanks so much!! Yes, very good point about the multi pigment and light fastness!!:) thank you for a great comment :) T
I don't have PB15:3 or PG7 in my palette; I use a convenience pthalo turquoise mix instead as my cool blue.
Nice...I love the pthalos their turquoise bias, I think I'l have to give the pthalo turquoise a go then!! Thank you :)
tom does this mean you dont use Yellow Ochre as i believe it is opaque ? Can you suggest something that is a good transparent substitute thanks
Hi there. I love yellow ochre! And it has crept on to my palette more and more:) usually opaque I am just careful to not use it to heavy in washes I tend to later paint over again ...I.e I use it nice and watery early in a painting!
Daniel Smith version feels more transparent for some reason. I believe their french ochre is more transparent of top of head. Raw sienna can be used in a similar way often and is transparent :)
thanks so much for the info Tom .. really appreciate it .. keep up the stunning work@@tomshepherdartist
Thank you for the valuable advice! At the moment, I am struggling with narrowing down my palette to only 12 colours. 😮 I love turquoise. Which colour would you suggest? Phtalo green blue shade, Phtalo turquoise or Cobalt turquoise? It should be a colour that is versatile and can be used to mix well with other colours. Up to now I have been using Phtalo green, but I am not sure. I would appreciate your opinion on this.
Hi there...yes narrowing down our colours is tricky! And I also love Turquoise...I would say there's no harm in owning all 3 but try and decide on which one to use for an individual painting based on what you need it for...for example the turquoise blue by Holbein I use, is very heavy and opaque. So if I intend to use it for finishing touches or dropping into darker areas to create interesting effects, or I know I will not be mixing much with it or glazing over it, this is fine....
However, I I want a better turqouse for mixing, a lighter more transparent one, and more of a translucent feel then i would choose a more transparent one like the Pthalos...
I own loads of colours but recommend people start out with a few and expand. And then try to limit colour choices for each painting to mke things easier...but not be afraid to change your colours around form one painting to another.
I hope that helps:)
T
Thanks 👍🏻
quinacridone rose❤️
I have a bit of a problem, my sketching is pretty decent and my use of pencil shading etc is also very good. So basically I can draw well. But I am colour blind, I can see main colours but I find it very hard to tell the different between colours in particular red/greens and blues generally all look just dull blue. Is there any thing I could do to improve or simplify my colour selections or would i be better try to but lots of ready made colours and individually try to match colours to photographs that i am painting?
Amazing Channel Thank you
Thank you :)
Daniel Smith essentials set colours
I love olive green
Excellent Tom!
Thanks so much!!!T
Really helpful thanks!
Hi, which watercolor brand do you recommend?
Hi there, I personally really love Holbein and I use some Daniel Smith colours. I think if you can afford artist quality ones, most of the main brands are great...Winsor and Newton, Sennelier, PWC and Schminke are others I have used and like . T
I tend to just go Quin Gold/New Gamboge + French Ultramarine + Pyrrol Red + Cerulean these days as my main mixing colors. I do love convenience greens for sketching outside as it allows me to work quicker (but I try to match the pigments in the mix to what I have on my palette). Daniel Smith's Sap Green and Undersea Green get used a lot. I also love Daniel Smith's Lunar colors for granulation and texture. Lastly, I really love Daniel Smith's Opera Pink but it's one I only use in practice or sketch work due to lightfastness but I keep it on my palette because it's so ridiculous (and reminds me I paint for fun)
That's a nice combo! I agree regards greens, since making this video a couple of convenience ones have crept in and I love them....I've not tried the lunar colours but can see that they would be amazing to work with. Always nice to remind ourselves why we paint too!!;) Thank you for the great comment, much appreciated. T
Absolutely love Manganese Blue, think it's only made by Cotman. Such a pure, clear blue. Lovely to mix with other colours. Also love the transparent Winsor colours. Love your videos. Thanks for sharing.
Oh yes!! I was completely obsessed with manganese blue for while, for those exact reasons!! I’ve had a few different brands, Daniel Smith and QOR but I didn’t like them at all, and I can’t remember what my original one was that I loved...It may have been Cotman then! Thank you for the memory jog! T
Nickel Azo Yellow by M. Graham
I discoverd your channel by following Liron Yakonsky.interesting,...
Oh great...thanks for popping over and the comment. T