Artists & Illustrators - UK (2021-04)

QuinacridoneMagenta

WinsorRed

DanielSmith

CarbazoleViolet

Winsor& Newton

UltramarineViolet

DanielSmith

PermanentViolet

PhthaloBlue(GreenShade)

FrenchUltramarine

MIXING INTERMEDIATES

Intermediate purples provide a further array of colours different to

those in the bright and dull mixes. For example, pure Phthalo Blue

(GreenShade)is muchtoocoolfora skybutwitha touchof

QuinacridoneMagentait is a perfectnon-granulatingalternativeto

CobaltorUltramarineBlues.Meanwhile,thepurplesproducedby

FrenchUltramarineandWinsorRedaremuchwarmer,witha decent

purplish-greyinthemiddlethatis idealforshadows.

BRIGHTANDDULLPURPLES

UsingjustFrenchUltramarineandQuinacridone

Magenta,it is easytomixa brightvarietyofpurples

andvioletsthatwillcomeveryclosetomany

proprietarycolours(existingtubesofshop-bought

paint).Trymixingthisrangeofswatchesyourself–

thereis nobetterwaytogettogripswithcolour

mixing.Aimtoaddjustenoughofthesecond

primaryforeachswatchtocreatea subtlebut

definitecolourchange.

Onthedullerrange,theorangebiasofWinsorRed

andgreenbiasofPhthaloBlue(GreenShade)areso

farfromeachotherthatthemixedhuescouldbarely

beconsideredtobepurple.Instead,wegetthis

usefularrayofpurplishgreys.

French Ultramarine

Phthalo Blue

Quinacridone Magenta

Winsor Red

Daniel Smith

Indanthrene Blue

Castlerock, watercolour on 425gsm Saunders
NOT paper, 51x38cm
Quite by chance I discovered that M Graham’s Cadmium Red
mixed with Winsor & Newton’s Winsor Blue (Green Shade)
created similar purple-tinged greys, but the mix separated. Used
carefully here, the separation creates an interesting variety of
distinct reds and blues within the clouds.

I would suggest that our six-colour system gives us a good
balance between the possible colours we can mix and
remembering how to actually mix them. Pointillism used
optical mixing in much the same way as the printing process
and it is generally considered that the blended colours are
brighter and more vibrant than if physically mixed.
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