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Choosing Watercolours
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Message
Posted
I have always found that the best way of buying watercolours is to get them individually. The trouble with ready filled paintboxes is that the choice of the manufacturers is not necessarily mine, especially with regards to durability and handling. These two factors may be found by enquiry and sometimes only by research. I like to know what the actual pigments are used, but then maybe I am rather fussy.
If I intend selling my work I think that it would be irresponsible of me not to provide the buyer with the most long-lasting painting that I can.
To this end, if you intend selling your work and need to buy new watercolours, I would unhesitantly recommend that you spend some time in looking at the excellent website put together by Bruce MacEvoy at:
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/pigmt0.html
In fact the whole of the handprint site is fascinating and one of the best wholly independant source on the whole subject of choosing watercolour.
I was particulary amused at the page where he comments on the flights of fancy indulged in by individual paint manufacturers. Do go and see for yourself.
http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/wretail.html
John
Posted
I'm a regular visitor there - he has some unkind words to say about a number of manufacturers (eg - while I like the Old Holland range of paints, he's quite right to say it's hugely extended, and that they've simply taken what they know about oils, which is a lot, and applied to watercolour, to which it's not necessarily relevant). He also analyses the claims of the "split palette", and the Michael Willcox method, which I found very interesting; I've used the Willcox method, and colours, but it can stand some criticism.
Ready made-up sets of paint nearly always include the cheapest colours that can be crammed in, plus Black, and Chinese White in watercolour. They also invariably include Hue colours, ie not genuine cadmiums or cobalts; I suppose you wouldn't really expect any different, but it's a good reason to buy an empty tin and fill it from your own selection.
http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net
http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk
Posted
When I started back to painting last year I had to invest in some new watercolours and decided on tubes. A few weeks ago I felt, however that I wasted quite a lot so decided I would buy an empty tin and fill this with my favourite colours. This has worked very well as I only need to use enough for the painting I'm doing, so no more waste for me.
Posted
As a matter of interest, what would be the colours you'd choose for your self-designed watercolour tin? I know we've had talk of palettes before, but that was mostly about the basic, limited palette.
I'll kick it off - mine includes Burnt Sienna or Light Red (or Venetian Red - or let's be a pig, and have all three), Permanent Rose, Cadmium Red, Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Naples Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Viridian, Winsor/Pthalo Blue, Ultramarine, Cobalt or Cerulean Blue/Coeruleum, . I might have Burnt Umber, and Payne's Grey in there as well - and a bit of Lamp Black tucked away somewhere.
I've got other colours - Sepia, Raw Umber, Perylene Green, Winsor Emerald, Indian Red, Permanent Brown Madder for instance - but they're only brought out for special effects, and hide in a drawer rather than sit in my paintbox for regular use.
I wouldn't use more than a few of those up above in any one painting, incidentally. One of my favourite games - I lead a full and exciting life - is comparing artists' palettes...
http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net
http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk
Posted
My full watercolour palette: Ultramarine violet, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt blue, Winsor Blue, Paynes Gray, Light red, Burnt sienna, Raw Sienna, Burn umber, Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium red, Hookers Green, Sap Green, - typing this from the top of my head and don't think I've left anything out.
I never use the greens as they are - I always add other colours to get the shade I want - don't need raw umber as I get the same colour by mixing raw sienna and burnt umber - could go on but I'll stop there.
Posted
I only buy tubes from which I fill the wells in an extremely well worn pocket paint box. Colours are: Ultramarine, (deep shade) Manganese blue, raw sienna, raw umber, Indian yellow, light red, Venetian red, burnt sienna, (not used very often, except with Manganese blue which makes a really rich dark green) burnt umber and paynes grey........all Old Holland.
I do have a few other colours but not in my paint box, I only get them out on very rare occasions, perhaps when doing flower subjects when the use of a brighter palette is called for.
Posted
The colours I have in my palette are: Winsor lemon, olive green, perm. sap green, Winsor green, cobalt turquoise, Winsor blue, cobalt blue, French ultramarine, bright violet, cobalt violet, quinacridone magenta, opera rose, perm rose, alizarin crimson, perm carmine, quinacridone red, scarlet lake, quinacridone gold, yellow ochre, Payne's grey, burnt sienna, raw sienna and white gouache.
I have loads of other colours in tubes but as I'm mainly painting flowers at the moment the palette I have set up seems to work for me. I do have two Winsor lemon pans, one which gets dirty when mixing and one clean colour.