Yes I’ll look out for it, and as always (but only provided comments and suggestions are invited), I’ll give my opinion and offer up any suggestions - not that I expect to have to make many in your case, perhaps none! Well of course I’ll always find some little thing! You know me! My Sap Green is W&N Artists oil, PY110 PB15. I use so little of it (who does!), so it’s possibly 20+ years old, but still useable.

My only hesitation with Sap Green is - what's in it? Numerous companies make it, it's a very useful colour (all makes vary a bit) - it certainly would work mixed with Manganese Violet (well, you know that!), as would genuine Viridian. But there again - Viridian is so often really Pthalo Green (do you remember the late Syd Edward's strictures against Pthalo Green? He wasn't wrong!); Viridian is more expensive, but it's a much, well - kinder colour: one of the most useful mixing colours we have. You can satisfy yourself as to the reliability of your Sap Green by looking for the predominant colour in its mix (ie the Pigment Number): if that's got a good rating, I should have no fears. Flake White was indeed a lead white - it can still be obtained, but only if you go searching for it; the Supreme Paint Company can obtain it for you. It went the way of all flesh when the EU banned lead, to all intents and purposes - and we in this country went even further, with the REACH regulations. Lead-makers closed down, and frankly just as well, because lead pollution of water-courses is no joke. But it is still made; it remains very useful indeed for all sorts of reasons (lead, that is) but a powerful reason for banning it was that China exported children's toys painted with it. And children chew and suck on things.... thus ingesting lead. Even so, the severity of the measures against it grossly exceed the dangers that regulated lead paint production poses; we always go too far in regulation, or not far enough - given half a chance, legislators invariably get things wrong... As soon as my painting is surface-dry, I'll post it in the Forum first of all - asking for suggestions on how I could make it more interesting: do look out for that, since I value your advice. R

Well I may have said this before, but during my college years, all of us used Flake White, which I believe is Lead White, you will know if I’m right here. It was excellent to use and then it disappeared!, reasons we now know to be environmental, again I may be wrong. Just been having a mix with some colours from today’s expedition. The Manganese Violet mixed with Ultramarine Blue and a touch of Sap Green (I hardly ever use this green), makes a gorgeous deep warm strong shadow, ideal for my Spanish paintings. Strange combo but there we go!

You tempt me Alan, you wicked devil - my own palette has been revolutionized from time to time: I found that Mars Violet did that....... I haven't used it in my latest, because I wanted to restrict the palette, but .... I had to fight with myself! There are so many colours - and yet some have been lost over time, when I look at old catalogues ... I think the biggest loss, though, has been the whites; it's hard now to lay hands on lead whites, but they're the best for paint-film strength, they're warm, they mix so much better than Titanium White with so many colours.... They're worth laying hands on, in short; difficult though it be. As are the genuine earth colours - not that there's anything wrong with, eg, Mars colours: some of them are excellent; but I do like to know what I'm using; and too much Yellow Ochre isn't Yellow Ochre at all, but Mars Yellow - I LIKE Mars Yellow; it's very useful. But it ain't Yellow Ochre, or Raw Sienna. I think we should all familiarize ourselves with pigment numbers/names, or we've no idea what we're choosing to paint with. Here endeth the First Lesson.

Yes, it is a vast range indeed. Far far too many, but I stuck to my tried and tested list that I’ve been using for decades. Well, I nearly did! I was tempted by Deep Ochre PR102, very rich gorgeous brown (I do love my earth colours). That may be a W&N colour with a different name - you may know! Then I couldn’t resist Manganese Violet PV16 which is a stunning colour, and frankly unmixable, and I will have some fun using this one.

Alan - I've rarely (actually: have I ever?) used Old Holland paints. I think their range is excessively extensive, but I've no doubt they make great paint. I have used Michael Harding Cobalt Blue, though; and it's also expensive - very expensive! But it's just ..... well.... gorgeous. And while his range is growing, it's nowhere near as vast as the Old Holland range; and I hope it doesn't become so, because colour mixing is, as we both know, important - not just because it saves paint, though it does, but because it teaches us so much. You're a far better colourist than I am - I play with different colours, but never with your confidence and bravura. I am far more drawn to learning how to mix colour which corresponds to reality - you're quite prepared to go beyond quotidian 'reality', and in that regard I'd seek to learn from you. We cleave, I think, to different periods - you to Impressionism; I to the period before that, but subsequent to the glazing techniques of yesteryear (which do, though, fascinate me). I think there's room for both of us! But I admit to taking perhaps too much interest in the techniques of yesterday .... it's a different vision, but I've never had any doubt that your work is more striking than mine: you beast! I think we both agree on water-miscible paints, though: to me, they are thin, and unconvincing - and those who use them convincingly are perhaps far better painters than I - in that they've triumphed over the limitations of the medium. But if painting is at least a little bit about enjoyment, and employing media playfully - I can't do that with water-miscibles. I don't enjoy painting with them - I think they lack subtlety, and one has to fight with them to introduce it. All praise to those who can, but I can't. I know Murray Ince, who paints exclusively in Artisan colours these days - I have huge admiration for him (and he's a lovely man, by the way - yes you are, Murray, if you're looking in and inclined to deny this) but I think he triumphs over his paint; I don't want to do that - I want IT to help me, not the other way around.

Interesting Robert, your technical knowledge is beyond good, mine is sadly lacking but I get the job done. I’m with you all the way with these water miscible paints. Glad to hear you’ve got a hint of inspiration back, it ain’t easy, I have a constant battle with it. I’ve just returned from Patchings to spend my £450 voucher. Amongst some other stuff, most of it has gone on the Old Holland oils paints. They are expensive I must say! I hope that I get on alright as I’ve not tried them before. 40ml cobalt PB28 was about £50, cerulean blue PB35 about £60. Anyway, it was a fantastic prize and I’ve been very lucky.