Category: Watercolor Paint

Explore watercolor paint guides covering color choices, transparency, and how to mix specific paints to build versatile palettes.

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Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

Cadmium Orange

In the past, I used Cadmium Orange as the tertiary yellow-orange on the color wheel. It is a pure color that is perfect for its complementary color listed below. But, there are newer paint color alternatives that I prefer now. They are Transparent Orange and Cadmium-Free Orange. Why? Because Cadmium paints are toxic. So, I avoid using them.

Understanding Cadmium Orange on the Palette

Cadmium Orange is known for its strong chroma and distinctly opaque nature. Unlike transparent watercolor pigments that allow light to pass through the paint layers and reflect back from the paper, Cadmium Orange blocks light. This opacity causes the color to sit more heavily on the paper surface, which affects both layering and mixing.

Because of this, Cadmium Orange does not glaze well and can quickly dull mixtures when combined with transparent pigments. While it produces bold, solid color in a single layer, it often lacks the luminosity that many watercolor artists seek in modern transparent palettes.

Cadmium Orange vs. Modern Transparent Alternatives

Advances in pigment technology have made it possible to achieve vibrant orange hues without the drawbacks of cadmium paints.

  • Transparent Orange offers high chroma with excellent transparency, making it ideal for glazing, color layering, and clean mixes.
  • Cadmium-Free Orange provides a similar visual warmth to Cadmium Orange without the toxicity, though it may differ slightly in intensity or undertone depending on the manufacturer.

These modern alternatives support luminous watercolor techniques while maintaining safety and versatility in the studio.

Temperature and Color Bias of Cadmium Orange

Cadmium Orange is a warm orange with a noticeable yellow bias. This warmth influences how it behaves in mixes:

  • Mixed with blues or blue-violets, it tends to create muted neutrals rather than vibrant secondaries.
  • When combined with yellows, it produces strong, earthy yellow-orange passages.
  • With reds, it can quickly overpower the mixture due to its opacity.

Understanding this color bias helps predict results and avoid muddy mixes.

Color Schemes Using Cadmium Orange

The following color schemes are based on Stephen Quiller’s “Quiller Color Wheel” and his book “Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory.“

Complementary

The complementary color sits on the opposite side of the color wheel. For Cadmium Orange, the complementary color is:

Split-Complementary

The split-complementary colors are the two colors located on either side of the complementary color on the color wheel. The following are the split-complementary colors for Cadmium Orange:

Analogous

Going clockwise on the color wheel from YELLOW-ORANGE to YELLOW-GREEN the analogous colors for Cadmium Orange are:

Triadic

This Triadic consists of three INTERMEDIATE colors. In addition to Cadmium Orange, the other colors that make up this Triadic color scheme are:

Opacity, Mixing, and Layering Effects

Because Cadmium Orange is opaque, it can flatten underlying washes when layered on top of transparent colors. This characteristic makes it less suitable for traditional watercolor glazing techniques but more appropriate for:

  • Single-layer applications
  • Flat color areas
  • Graphic or illustrative styles

In contrast, transparent oranges maintain color harmony and optical depth when layered.

Lightfastness vs. Watercolor Technique

Historically, cadmium pigments were prized for their excellent lightfastness, which made them attractive to artists concerned about permanence. However, permanence alone does not guarantee successful watercolor behavior.

Modern transparent pigments now offer both lightfastness and superior handling qualities, allowing artists to achieve longevity without sacrificing luminosity or clean mixing.

Safety Considerations When Using Cadmium Pigments

Cadmium paints are toxic, particularly if inhaled or ingested. While safe handling practices can reduce risk, many artists prefer to eliminate cadmium pigments entirely—especially in home studios, shared workspaces, or teaching environments.

Cadmium-free alternatives provide a safer and more practical choice for everyday watercolor use.

When Cadmium Orange May Still Be Useful

Although no longer part of my regular palette, Cadmium Orange can still be useful in limited situations, such as:

  • Painting autumn foliage or rustic subjects
  • Creating muted, earthy neutrals
  • Working in styles that favor opacity over transparency

Used thoughtfully, it can serve a specific visual purpose rather than a primary mixing role.

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Watercolor Paint

Watercolor Paint Characteristics

Watercolor paint characteristics describe the physical qualities of color pigments. Understanding the characteristics of each watercolor will help in deciding which paints to use and how to use them for the best results.

Transparency

A transparent watercolor allows light to pass through its pigment particles and reflect back to the eyes the color of the surface the paint is applied to. The effect resembles light reflecting through colored glass.

  • The white of the watercolor paper is reflected through the first layer of transparent paint.
  • If a second layer of transparent watercolor is glazed over another, the first watercolor will reflect through the second layer causing a color change (for example, a transparent blue painted over a transparent yellow will result in a green color).

Transparent watercolor paints mix well with all other paints except for those that have strong staining characteristics. Transparent watercolor is best used for glazing and layering techniques, where luminosity and depth of color are essential.

Opacity

An opaque watercolor allows little or no light to pass through its pigment particles. Opaque watercolors are best used singly or mixed with staining transparent watercolor paints. Otherwise, they can have a flat appearance that resembles house paint and often display an earthy, neutral nature.

Opaque watercolors can be effectively used alongside transparent or semi-transparent watercolors using the variegated technique. This contrast can add visual interest and emphasis within a painting.

Saturation

Saturated watercolors are pure of other color additives in their pigment. Saturated watercolors require a lot of water to dilute them. They have intense, staining qualities that overpower other colors they are mixed with and typically display transparent or semi-transparent characteristics.

Unsaturated watercolors have white, black, or other colors added, or they are a mixture of two or more pigments. This results in a loss of purity and transparency. While less intense, unsaturated colors can be useful for subtle passages, neutral mixing, and atmospheric effects.

Permanency

Permanency refers to a paint’s ability to withstand fading when exposed to light, also known as lightfastness. It also refers to a paint’s ability to not change its hue color over time, known as fugitiveness. Watercolor paint manufacturers use a numerical rating system on their paint tubes from 1 to 4, where 4 is excellent and 1 is unsuitable.

Selecting paints with high permanency ratings is especially important for finished artwork intended for display or sale.

Granulation

Some watercolor paint pigments have granulated characteristics that are natural. These pigments contain heavier or larger particles that settle into the valleys of textured watercolor paper.

Granulated watercolors are best used for painting grainy textures such as a sandy beach, masonry or stone, organic passages in nature, or a blue sky. Granulation can add visual texture and movement that is difficult to achieve with smooth pigments alone.

Staining Characteristics in Watercolor Paint

Staining watercolors contain pigments that strongly bond with the paper fibers. Once applied, these colors are difficult or impossible to lift, even after they are dry.

Staining pigments are excellent for glazing and creating strong, clean color layers, but they allow little room for correction. Non-staining or low-staining pigments, on the other hand, are more forgiving and easier to lift, making them ideal for beginners, highlights, and soft transitions.

See my blog post Which Watercolor Paints Are Transparent for lists of transparent non-staining, simi-transparent non-staining, and transparent staining watercolors.

Single-Pigment vs. Multi-Pigment Watercolors

Single-pigment watercolors are made from one pigment only and are labeled with a single pigment code on the tube. These paints produce cleaner, more predictable color mixtures and are preferred for controlled mixing.

Multi-pigment watercolors contain two or more pigments blended together. While convenient and often beautiful straight from the tube, they can create muddy results when overmixed. Understanding whether a paint is single- or multi-pigment helps artists make better mixing and layering decisions.

Pigment Particle Size and Texture

Pigment particle size plays an important role in how watercolor behaves on paper. Larger pigment particles tend to create textured washes and granulation, while smaller particles produce smoother, more even washes.

Earth pigments often have larger particles and display granulation, whereas many modern synthetic pigments have very fine particles that disperse evenly in water. This difference affects not only texture but also how the paint flows and settles during drying.

Flow, Dispersion, and Bloom Behavior

Different pigments disperse in water at different rates. Some pigments flow freely and evenly, making them ideal for flat washes, while others settle quickly or separate, creating natural texture.

These flow characteristics influence the formation of blooms, backruns, and soft transitions in wet-on-wet techniques. Understanding how individual pigments behave helps artists better control washes and anticipate drying effects.

Matte vs. Glossy Finish in Watercolor

Some watercolor pigments dry to a matte finish, while others have a slight sheen or glossy appearance. This finish can affect the perceived depth of color and the overall surface quality of a painting.

Glossy pigments often appear darker and more saturated when dry, while matte pigments can appear softer and lighter. This characteristic may also influence how artwork is photographed, scanned, or varnished.

Why Watercolor Brands Behave Differently

Watercolor brands may use the same pigment but produce paints that behave very differently. This variation is due to differences in binders and additives used in the paint formulation.

Most watercolor paints use gum arabic as a binder, but manufacturers may add honey, glycerin, ox gall, or other wetting agents. These additives affect rewetting, flow, shine, and how the paint moves across the paper. As a result, one brand’s version of a pigment may feel creamier, more fluid, or more resistant to lifting than another’s.

Understanding these differences helps artists choose brands that best suit their painting style and techniques.

See my blog post How Watercolor Paint Is Made for more information about watercolor brands and watercolor paint manufacturing.

Choosing Watercolors Based on Paint Characteristics

Understanding watercolor paint characteristics allows artists to select pigments more intentionally. Transparent and staining colors are ideal for glazing, non-staining pigments work well for lifting and corrections, and granulating pigments add expressive texture.

Keeping a personal swatch chart and noting each paint’s transparency, staining strength, granulation, and flow can greatly improve confidence and consistency when painting.

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Transparent Watercolor Watercolor Paint

Which Watercolor Paints Are Transparent

I first learned which watercolor paints are transparent by reading Jim Kosvanec’s book, “Transparent Watercolor Wheel: A Logical and Easy-to-use System for Taking the Guesswork out of Mixing Colours” first published by Watson-Guptill on May 1, 1994. They republished it in paperback on April 15, 2000. However, both editions are no longer in print. But, you can buy it from used book dealers on Amazon. You can also borrow a copy from your local public library.

You can also determine what watercolors are transparent by downloading color charts from brand-name watercolor paint companies. My favorite brands are Winsor Newton and Holbein. Follow the links below to download their color charts:

Jim Kosvanec’s Color Choices

Jim Kosvanec did extensive studies of watercolor paints and developed a color chart that categorizes color names into “rings” on a color wheel, as follows:

  • Ring 1 – Transparent Non-Staining
  • Ring 2 – Simi-Transparent Non-Staining
  • Ring 3 – Transparent Staining
  • Ring 4 – Semi-Opaque & Opaque
  • Ring 5 – Whitened & Blackened

Transparent Watercolor Colors

There are two groups of transparent watercolor colors. They are “non-staining” and “staining” found in Ring 1 and Ring 3 of Jim Kosvanec’s color wheel.

Ring 1 – Transparent Non-Staining Colors

Ring 3 – Transparent Staining Colors

Beware When Mixing Transparent Staining Colors

Transparent staining colors in Ring 3 only mix well with other staining colors in the same Ring 3. If you try to mix Ring 3 colors with Ring 1 transparent non-staining colors, the staining color will overpower the non-staining colors. They will also overpower other colors in Ring 2 and 4.

Mixing Ring 1 & Ring 2 Colors

To quote Jim on what colors mix well, he said:

Transparents mix or glaze with other transparents without restrictions. Transparents mix well with all others pigments except staining colors, which can “dye” them. Semi-transparents may be used like transparents but with more restraint.

~ Jim Kosvanec

Ring 2 – Semi-Transparent Non-Staining Colors

Here are the semi-transparent non-staining watercolors Jim Kosvanec classified as Ring 2 on his color wheel. These colors mix well with Ring 1 transparent colors identified above.

Recommended

I use Ring 1 transparent non-staining colors for glazing my first layers of color. Then I add colors from Ring 2 for depth and darker tones where needed. And, for my darkest darks, I use colors from Ring 3 sparingly.

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Watercolor Paint

What Watercolor Colors To Buy

What watercolor colors to buy is a personal choice. Experienced watercolor artists develop their own favorite color palette. But, for a beginner, you can start with the bare minimum three PRIMARY hues:

  • Yellow
  • Blue
  • Red

Having only the three primary hues, you can mix all the secondary hues and the hues that fall in-between. But, who wants to do all that mixing? So, why not buy the SECONDARY hues as well:

  • Green
  • Purple
  • Orange

The hues in-between the primary and secondary hues are called TERTIARY hues, they are:

  • Yellow-Green
  • Blue-Green
  • Blue-Purple
  • Red-Purple
  • Red-Orange
  • Yellow-Orange

All of the above consist of the 12 hues on the color wheel. Each of these hues have associated COLOR names that differ slightly depending of the watercolor manufacturer’s labeling.

What Are The Common Color Names

The following chart displays the most commonly used watercolor color names for each hue:

Hue Name

  1. Yellow
  2. Blue
  3. Red
  4. Green
  5. Purple
  6. Orange
  7. Yellow-Green
  8. Blue-Green
  9. Blue-Purple
  10. Red-Purple
  11. Red-Orange
  12. Yellow-Orange

Color Name

  1. Aureolin or Cadmium Lemon
  2. Winsor Blue (Green Shade)
  3. Alizarin Crimson
  4. Viridian or Hooker’s Green
  5. Winsor Violet
  6. Cadmium Scarlet
  7. Winsor Green (Yellow Shade)
  8. Manganese Blue Hue
  9. Ultramarine Violet
  10. Winsor Violet
  11. Cadmium Red Deep
  12. Cadmium Orange

Watercolor Manufacturers

To see a list of well-known watercolor brands click here.

Recommended

If you are on a tight budget buy the watercolor Color Names listed above: numbers 1 to 6. My favorite brands are Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith and Holbein. I also buy a few Blick colors. I recommend that you always buy professional-quality watercolor paints, especially if you are planning to sell your watercolor paintings.

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Watercolor Paint

How Watercolor Paint Is Made

Prior to the mid-18th century, watercolor artists handmade their paints by mixing powdered pigments with sugars and/or hide glues or some other binder and preservatives. Brothers William Reeves and Thomas Reeves invented the moist watercolor paint-cake in 1781, at the start of the “golden age” of English watercolor painting. The “cake” was immediately soluble when touched by a wet brush; a time-saving convenience.

William Winsor secured the patent for the metal paint tube invented by American oil painter John Goffe Rand. Winsor improved the design by adding the screw cap in 1904 and started manufacturing the Winsor & Newton moist watercolors in tubes.

Today, watercolor paints are sold in tubes and pans in a variety of sizes. Tubes are the most commonly used and are sold in sizes 5ml, 10ml, 14ml, 15ml, 21ml, and 37ml depending upon the manufacturer’s brand. Pans come in full-pan and half-pan sizes.

Where Watercolor Pigments Come From

Watercolor paint begins with pigment, the finely ground substance that provides color. Historically, pigments were derived from natural sources such as minerals, plants, insects, and metals. Famous examples include ultramarine made from lapis lazuli and carmine derived from cochineal insects.

Modern watercolor paints rely primarily on synthetic pigments. These pigments are engineered to provide greater color consistency, improved lightfastness, and safer handling compared to many historical pigments. While the names of some colors remain traditional, their chemical composition has often changed significantly over time.

Pigment Grinding and Particle Size

Before pigments can be made into paint, they are milled and ground into fine particles. The size of these particles plays a critical role in how watercolor paint behaves on paper.

  • Larger, heavier particles tend to settle into the paper’s texture, creating granulation.
  • Smaller particles disperse more evenly, resulting in smoother washes.
  • Particle size also affects transparency and staining properties.

Natural earth pigments such as ochres, siennas, and umbers tend to granulate more due to their heavier particle structure, while many modern organic pigments produce smooth, flat washes.

The Role of Gum Arabic in Watercolor Paint

Once the pigment is prepared, it is mixed with a binder—most commonly gum arabic. Gum arabic is a natural resin harvested from acacia trees, primarily grown in parts of Africa.

Gum arabic serves several essential functions:

  • It binds pigment particles together.
  • It allows paint to adhere to watercolor paper.
  • It influences flow, sheen, and rewetting ability.

Different manufacturers use varying concentrations of gum arabic, which is one reason watercolor paints can feel and behave differently from brand to brand, even when using the same pigment.

Additives Used in Watercolor Paint Manufacturing

In addition to gum arabic, watercolor paint contains small amounts of additives that affect performance and longevity.

Common additives include:

  • Glycerin, which improves moisture retention and helps paint rewet easily.
  • Honey, used by some manufacturers to enhance softness and flow.
  • Wetting agents, which help paint spread evenly across damp paper.
  • Preservatives, which prevent mold growth during storage.

These subtle differences in formulation contribute to each brand’s unique handling characteristics.

Tube Watercolor Paints

Watercolor paints in tubes are soft and moist. They are made with natural or synthetic pigments suspended in a binder of gum arabic with glycerin added as a wetting agent. By reading the label on the tube, you will discover the pigment formula number(s), transparency rating, lightfastness rating, staining property rating, and an approved product seal.

Tube vs. Pan Watercolor Paints: How They Are Made

Although tube and pan watercolor paints may appear similar, they are manufactured differently.

Tube paints are poured while still fluid and sealed to retain moisture. Pan paints are typically poured in multiple layers and allowed to dry slowly between pours. This process creates a firmer cake that withstands repeated wetting.

Some manufacturers use the same paint formulation for both tubes and pans, while others adjust binder ratios specifically for pan strength and durability.

Understanding Pigment Numbers on Paint Labels

Pigment numbers are standardized internationally and provide valuable information to artists. Each code begins with letters identifying the color family (such as PB for blue or PR for red), followed by a number that identifies the specific pigment.

Pigment numbers matter because:

  • Color names can vary between brands, but pigment numbers do not.
  • Single-pigment paints produce cleaner color mixes.
  • They help artists avoid unintended color shifts or muddiness.

Learning to read pigment labels is an essential skill for watercolor painters.

Lightfastness Testing and Paint Permanence

Lightfastness refers to a pigment’s resistance to fading when exposed to light. Modern watercolor manufacturers test their paints using controlled ultraviolet exposure over extended periods.

Results are often rated according to industry standards, allowing artists to choose colors that will remain stable over time. This testing is one reason modern professional watercolor paints are significantly more reliable than historical formulations.

Environmental and Safety Considerations in Modern Watercolor Paints

Many traditional pigments are no longer used due to toxicity, environmental impact, or scarcity. Synthetic pigments allow manufacturers to replicate historic colors while improving safety and sustainability.

Occasionally, pigments are discontinued or reformulated as regulations change, which is why some familiar colors may disappear or return under new formulations.

Watercolor Paint Manufacturers

Here is a list of popular watercolor paint manufacturers in alphabetical order:

Other Watercolor Mediums

  • Gouache – an opaque watercolor with a higher pigment density and white chalk added
  • Liquid Watercolors – resembles ink and is sold in small dropper bottles
  • Watercolor Sticks – resembles crayon or pastels that can be used dry or wet
  • Watercolor Pencils – resembles a lead pencil but contains dry watercolor pigment

Why Professional-Quality Watercolor Paint Matters

Professional watercolor paints contain higher pigment loads, fewer fillers, and undergo stricter testing for consistency and permanence. Student-grade paints are often made with imitation pigments and extenders that reduce color strength, mixing clarity, and longevity.

Recommended

My favorite manufacturers of watercolor paints are Daniel Smith and Holbein in tube size 15 ml, and Winsor & Newton in tube sizes 14 ml and 37 ml. I recommend and use only professional-quality watercolor paints. NOTE: Student-grade watercolor paints are mostly made of imitation pigments of low quality.

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Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

Prussian Blue

Prussian Blue is a deep, moody blue valued for its strength, staining power, and ability to create luminous darks. It is especially prized by watercolor artists for producing transparent near-blacks and dramatic shadow mixtures without the deadening effect of tube blacks.

Understanding Prussian Blue on the Palette

Prussian Blue sits on the cool blue side of the color wheel and leans slightly toward green, though it is more neutralized than high-chroma blues such as Winsor Blue. This subtle neutrality gives it tremendous versatility, particularly in shadow work and dark passages.

Because it is semi-transparent and staining, Prussian Blue excels in layered washes and deep value building. It is not a delicate blue; instead, it is a workhorse pigment used for structure, depth, and atmosphere.

Pigment Information: What Prussian Blue Is Made Of

Prussian Blue is made from Iron Blue (PB27), one of the earliest synthetic pigments.

Typical characteristics include:

  • Semi-transparent
  • Strong staining behavior
  • High tinting strength
  • Minimal granulation
  • Excellent depth at low dilution

PB27 is known for its ability to create very dark values while remaining transparent, a rare and valuable quality in watercolor.

Handling & Mixing Characteristics

Prussian Blue is known for:

  • Rapid value buildup
  • Strong staining of paper fibers
  • Smooth, even washes

Because of its staining strength:

  • It is difficult to lift once dry
  • It should be used with a light hand
  • Small amounts significantly affect mixtures

It mixes especially well with reds and greens to produce rich, neutral darks.

Why Prussian Blue Works Well in Color Theory Systems

As a cool, dark blue, Prussian Blue:

  • Creates strong value contrast
  • Produces transparent neutrals instead of flat blacks
  • Supports sophisticated shadow mixtures

Its neutrality allows it to function as a darkening agent without overwhelming color relationships.

Use Prussian Blue for Dark Backgrounds

Prussian Blue is similar to Winsor Blue, but it is a neutralized semi-transparent staining watercolor. I mix Prussian Blue with Alizarin Crimson and Viridian to create strong darks for backgrounds and to darken other colors.

This dark mixture is almost black, but is still transparent. I use it instead of black tube paints such as Ivory Black, Neutral Tint, Payne’s Gray, etc. which have an undesirable flat appearance.

Color Schemes Using Prussian Blue

Prussian Blue’s complement on the traditional color wheel is a shade of red-orange, but in watercolor, artists often use warm reds and burnt sienna to neutralize it or create rich, earthy browns and grays, with orange/gold offering vibrant contrast and reds/browns creating sophisticated shadows.

Key Complementary Colors & Uses:

  • Cadmium Scarlet: Painting Prussian Blue adjacent to a vibrant red-orange, creates an energetic contrast, making the blue pop.
  • Light Red / Burnt Sienna: Mixing Prussian Blue with reds/browns creates beautiful, deep, cool grays and muted browns, perfect for shadows or stormy skies.
  • New Gamboge / Cadmium Yellow: Mixing Prussian Blue with warm yellows creates olive greens, while cooler yellows make brighter greens, though these are analogous, not complementary.

Why This Matters for Watercolor:

  • Neutralizing: Adding a touch of its complement (like Cadmium Scarlet or Light Red) to Prussian Blue cools it down and dulls its intensity, making sophisticated grays.
  • Shadows: Mixing Prussian Blue with its reddish or brownish complement creates realistic, rich shadow colors, as pure blue shadows can look flat.

Prussian Blue Compared to Other Blues

Prussian Blue excels where depth and darkness are needed without sacrificing transparency.

Best Uses for Prussian Blue

Prussian Blue is particularly effective for:

  • Dark backgrounds
  • Night scenes and stormy skies
  • Deep water passages
  • Shadow construction
  • Neutral dark mixing without black

Limitations of Prussian Blue

Despite its strengths, Prussian Blue:

  • Can easily overpower mixtures
  • Is difficult to lift due to staining
  • Can appear heavy if overused

It benefits from dilution, restraint, and thoughtful pairing with warmer pigments.

A Note on Prussian Blue’s Role on the Palette

Prussian Blue is a structural, atmospheric color rather than a decorative one. Its ability to produce transparent, luminous darks makes it indispensable for artists who want depth and realism without relying on premixed blacks. Used intentionally, it adds sophistication, drama, and control to watercolor palettes.

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Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

French Ultramarine

French Ultramarine is a classic, expressive blue prized for its warmth, granulation, and versatility. It is one of the most widely used blues in watercolor because of its ability to create both luminous passages and richly textured darks without overwhelming other colors.

Understanding French Ultramarine on the Palette

French Ultramarine occupies a warm blue position on the color wheel, leaning toward violet rather than green. This placement allows it to create depth and atmosphere while maintaining harmony with both warm and cool colors.

Because it is semi-transparent and non-staining, French Ultramarine excels in layered washes, soft transitions, and passages where subtle color variation and texture are desired. Its warmth makes it especially effective for shadow work and spatial recession.

Pigment Information: What French Ultramarine Is Made Of

French Ultramarine is made from Ultramarine Blue (PB29), a synthetic inorganic pigment originally developed as a replacement for natural lapis lazuli.

Typical characteristics include:

  • Semi-transparent
  • Warm blue-violet bias
  • Strong natural granulation
  • Moderate tinting strength
  • Excellent lightfastness

PB29 is valued for its stability, predictability, and distinctive textural qualities.

Granulation & Handling Characteristics

French Ultramarine is known for:

  • Pronounced granulation
  • Soft, broken color in washes
  • Expressive texture on cold-press and rough paper

Because it is non-staining:

  • It can be lifted more easily than staining blues
  • It responds well to rewetting
  • It layers beautifully without becoming heavy

These properties make it especially well suited for atmospheric landscapes and painterly techniques.

Why French Ultramarine Works Well in Color Theory Systems

As a warm blue, French Ultramarine:

  • Produces rich neutrals with earth colors
  • Creates natural shadow mixtures
  • Maintains clarity in both complementary and analogous relationships

Its moderate strength makes color interactions easy to control and visually informative.

Color Schemes Using French Ultramarine

French Ultramarine is one of my favorite blues. It is a warm semi-transparent non-staining watercolor that mixes well with other transparent non-staining colors. It is a good color to use as foreground shadows.

Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber complement French Ultramarine when juxtaposed in a composition.

Complementary Relationships

Warm earth colors such as Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber provide strong complementary contrast to French Ultramarine. When mixed, these pairings create a wide range of expressive neutrals ideal for shadows, architecture, and landscape forms.

Analogous Relationships

Sitting between Winsor Blue (Green Shade) and Ultramarine Violet, French Ultramarine supports smooth transitions across the blue spectrum. These combinations are especially effective for skies, water, and atmospheric distance.

Triadic & Expanded Mixing Use

Within broader palettes, French Ultramarine:

  • Anchors triadic schemes with warmth and texture
  • Softens high-chroma colors
  • Supports believable spatial depth

Its adaptability makes it a foundational blue in both limited and expanded palettes.

French Ultramarine Compared to Other Blues

  • French Ultramarine: warm, granulating, non-staining
  • Winsor Blue (Green Shade): cool, staining, high-chroma
  • Cobalt Blue: softer, lighter, more delicate

French Ultramarine offers the greatest balance between texture, warmth, and control.

Best Uses for French Ultramarine

French Ultramarine is particularly effective for:

  • Foreground and midground shadows
  • Skies and water
  • Landscape painting
  • Architectural forms
  • Expressive, painterly watercolor styles

Limitations of French Ultramarine

While highly versatile, French Ultramarine:

  • Cannot achieve the intensity of staining blues
  • Granulates heavily on some papers
  • Requires layering for deep saturation

These qualities are often strengths when used intentionally.

A Note on French Ultramarine’s Role on the Palette

French Ultramarine brings warmth, texture, and emotional depth to the palette. Its granulation and non-staining behavior make it indispensable for artists who value atmospheric color, expressive surfaces, and nuanced shadow work in watercolor.

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Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

New Gamboge

New Gamboge is a rich, warm yellow prized for its glow, versatility, and expressive warmth. It bridges the space between cool yellows and oranges, making it especially useful for creating form, light, and dimensionality in watercolor painting.

Understanding New Gamboge on the Palette

New Gamboge occupies a warm yellow position on the color wheel, leaning gently toward orange without losing its clarity. This placement allows it to function both as a luminous yellow and as a natural transition color when moving into warmer passages.

Because of its warmth and moderate strength, New Gamboge is especially effective for conveying sunlight, warmth, and volume—particularly in yellow-to-orange forms where subtle shifts in temperature are essential.

Pigment Information: What New Gamboge Is Made Of

Modern New Gamboge is a convenience color, typically made from a blend of transparent yellow and orange pigments rather than the historical, fugitive gamboge resin.

Typical characteristics include:

  • Transparent to semi-transparent
  • Warm yellow-orange bias
  • Moderate to strong tinting strength
  • Smooth, even washes
  • Excellent lightfastness (modern formulations)

Pigment combinations vary by manufacturer, so checking pigment codes is always recommended.

Handling & Mixing Characteristics

New Gamboge is known for:

  • Smooth, flowing washes
  • Warm, luminous mixtures
  • Easy transitions into oranges and earth tones

Because of its warmth:

  • It creates natural shadows within yellow forms
  • It mixes beautifully with reds for glowing oranges
  • It pairs well with cool violets for balanced contrast

It performs equally well in direct washes and layered applications.

Why New Gamboge Works Well in Color Theory Systems

As a warm yellow, New Gamboge:

  • Balances cooler yellows such as Aureolin
  • Creates strong temperature contrast with violets
  • Supports believable form modeling in warm subjects

Its position makes color relationships easy to understand and visually satisfying in structured palettes.

Color Schemes Using New Gamboge

New Gamboge is my favorite, warm, yellow semi-transparent non-staining watercolor. It sits between Aureolin and Cadmium Orange on the color wheel.

I like to use it whenever a cheery yellow is called for and when creating 3-dimensional form for yellow-to-orange objects.

Complementary Relationships

Cool violets such as Ultramarine Violet and Permanent Mauve provide strong complementary contrast to New Gamboge. These pairings create visual vibration while also producing rich neutrals when mixed.

Analogous Relationships

Sitting between Aureolin and Cadmium Orange, New Gamboge naturally supports smooth analogous transitions. These combinations are ideal for sunlit passages, florals, fruit, and warm landscape elements.

Triadic & Expanded Mixing Use

Within broader palettes, New Gamboge contributes warmth and light to triadic schemes by:

  • Supporting reds in glowing mixtures
  • Balancing cooler blues and violets
  • Maintaining luminosity in complex color interactions

New Gamboge Compared to Other Yellows

  • New Gamboge: warm, glowing, versatile
  • Aureolin: cooler, lighter, more transparent
  • Cadmium Yellow: opaque, heavier, more direct

New Gamboge sits comfortably between delicacy and strength.

Best Uses for New Gamboge

New Gamboge is particularly effective for:

  • Sunlit highlights
  • Florals and botanicals
  • Fruit and warm still-life subjects
  • Creating form within yellow shapes
  • Cheerful, expressive passages

Limitations of New Gamboge

While highly versatile, New Gamboge:

  • Can overpower cooler yellows if overused
  • Requires temperature awareness in mixes
  • Varies by brand due to mixed pigment formulations

Used intentionally, these traits enhance its expressive potential.

A Note on New Gamboge’s Role on the Palette

New Gamboge brings warmth, optimism, and dimensionality to the palette. Its ability to bridge yellow and orange while maintaining clarity makes it an indispensable color for artists who value expressive warmth and believable form in watercolor.

Categories
Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

Cadmium Scarlet

Cadmium Scarlet is a bold, warm orange-red known for its opacity, intensity, and visual impact. Historically favored for strong focal points and direct color statements, it sits firmly in the orange family while retaining enough red influence to feel powerful and energetic.

Understanding Cadmium Scarlet on the Palette

Cadmium Scarlet occupies the orange side of the red–orange spectrum, leaning warm and forward on the color wheel. Its hue makes it especially effective for sunlight, florals, fruit, and foreground elements that require immediate attention.

As an opaque watercolor, Cadmium Scarlet behaves very differently from transparent oranges. Rather than relying on glazing and optical mixing, it establishes color through direct application and solid coverage, giving it strong physical presence on the page.

Pigment Information: What Cadmium Scarlet Is Made Of

Cadmium Scarlet is traditionally made from cadmium sulfoselenide pigments (commonly PR108).

Typical characteristics include:

  • Opaque
  • High chroma
  • Dense pigment load
  • Strong covering power
  • Excellent lightfastness

Handling & Mixing Characteristics

Cadmium Scarlet is known for:

  • Strong, opaque washes
  • Immediate color payoff
  • Reduced luminosity compared to transparent pigments

Because of its opacity:

  • It can dominate mixtures easily
  • It tends to mute transparent colors
  • It performs best when used deliberately and sparingly

It is most effective when paired with other opaque pigments or used intentionally as an accent color.

Why Cadmium Scarlet Works in Color Theory Systems

As a secondary orange, Cadmium Scarlet:

  • Creates strong complementary contrast
  • Anchors warm color passages
  • Makes hue relationships easy to identify

Its solidity and opacity make it useful for teaching color placement and contrast, even though many artists now favor safer alternatives.

Color Schemes Using Cadmium Scarlet

In the past, I used Cadmium Scarlet as the SECONDARY ORANGE on the color wheel because it is a pure opaque watercolor that is perfect for its complementary color listed below. But, now I prefer to use Cadmium Free Scarlet because Cadmium paints are toxic.

The following color schemes are based on Stephen Quiller’s “Quiller Color Wheel” and his book “Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory.“

Complementary

The complementary color sits on the opposite side of the color wheel. For Cadmium Scarlet, the complementary color is:

This pairing produces strong visual contrast and muted neutrals when mixed.

Split-Complementary

The split-complementary colors are the two colors located on either side of the complementary color on the color wheel. The following are the split-complementary colors for Cadmium Scarlet:

This scheme softens contrast while maintaining balance between warm and cool.

Analogous

Going clockwise on the color wheel from ORANGE to YELLOW, the analogous colors for Cadmium Scarlet are:

These combinations create strong, cohesive warm passages with high visual energy.

Triadic

This Triadic consists of three SECONDARY colors. In addition to Cadmium Scarlet, the other colors that make up this Triadic color scheme are:

This triad produces dynamic interaction while maintaining structural balance across the palette.

Cadmium Scarlet Compared to Other Oranges

  • Cadmium Scarlet: opaque, bold, warm
  • Cadmium Orange: lighter, more yellow-leaning
  • Cadmium Free Scarlet: safer, often more transparent

Cadmium Scarlet stands out for its weight and immediacy rather than subtlety.

Best Uses for Cadmium Scarlet

Cadmium Scarlet is most effective for:

  • Bold focal areas
  • Floral accents
  • Sunlit highlights
  • Teaching opacity vs transparency
  • Direct, painterly techniques

Limitations of Cadmium Scarlet

Despite its strengths, Cadmium Scarlet:

  • Reduces luminosity in mixes
  • Can overpower transparent pigments
  • Contains toxic heavy metals

Because cadmium pigments contain heavy metals, they are considered toxic and must be handled with care. For these reasons, many artists now prefer cadmium-free alternatives such as Cadmium Free Red Deep, Cadmium Free Scarlet, Cadmium Free Orange and Cadmium Free Lemon.

A Note on Cadmium Scarlet’s Role on the Palette

Cadmium Scarlet represents a traditional, assertive approach to color—one rooted in opacity and directness. While modern alternatives offer safer and more transparent options, understanding Cadmium Scarlet remains valuable for color theory education and historical context.

Categories
Color Schemes Watercolor Paint

Cadmium Red Deep

Cadmium Red Deep is a strong, warm red-orange valued for its opacity, weight, and visual authority. Historically favored for bold passages and solid coverage, it occupies a transitional space between red and orange that gives it both warmth and structural strength within a palette.

Understanding Cadmium Red Deep on the Palette

Cadmium Red Deep sits on the red-orange side of the color wheel and leans distinctly warm. Its hue makes it especially effective for sunlit passages, florals, foreground elements, and anywhere visual emphasis is needed.

As an opaque pigment, Cadmium Red Deep behaves very differently from transparent reds. Rather than building color through glazing, it establishes form through direct application, making it a defining color rather than a subtle one.

Pigment Information: What Cadmium Red Deep Is Made Of

Cadmium Red Deep is traditionally made from cadmium sulfoselenide pigments (commonly PR108).

Typical characteristics include:

  • Opaque
  • High chroma
  • Heavy pigment load
  • Strong covering power
  • Excellent lightfastness

Because cadmium pigments contain heavy metals, they are considered toxic and require careful handling.

Handling & Mixing Characteristics

Cadmium Red Deep is known for:

  • Dense, opaque washes
  • Strong covering ability
  • Reduced luminosity compared to transparent reds

Because of its opacity:

  • It can easily overpower mixtures
  • It tends to dull transparent colors
  • It is best used deliberately rather than casually

This pigment performs best when used sparingly and with intention, particularly in combination with other opaque colors.

Why Cadmium Red Deep Works in Color Theory Systems

As an intermediate red-orange, Cadmium Red Deep:

  • Anchors warm passages
  • Establishes strong complementary contrast
  • Provides visual weight in structured palettes

Its solidity makes color relationships immediately visible, which is why it has historically been included in teaching palettes despite its limitations.

Color Schemes Using Cadmium Red Deep

In the past, I used Cadmium Red Deep as the INTERMEDIATE RED-ORANGE on the color wheel because it is a pure opaque watercolor that is perfect for its complementary color listed below. But, now I prefer to use Cadmium Free Red Deep because Cadmium paints are toxic.

The following color schemes are based on Stephen Quiller’s “Quiller Color Wheel” and his book “Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory.“

Complementary

The complementary color sits on the opposite side of the color wheel. For Cadmium Red Deep, the complementary color is:

This pairing produces strong contrast and muted neutrals, especially useful for structural color studies.

Split-Complementary

The split-complementary colors are the two colors located on either side of the complementary color on the color wheel. The following are the split-complementary colors for Cadmium Red Deep:

This scheme offers balance while retaining warmth and visual interest.

Analogous

Going clockwise on the color wheel from RED-ORANGE to YELLOW-ORANGE, the analogous colors for Cadmium Red Deep are:

These combinations create strong, cohesive warm passages but can become heavy if overused.

Triadic

This Triadic consists of three INTERMEDIATE colors. In addition to Cadmium Red Deep, the other colors that make up this Triadic color scheme are:

This triad produces dynamic contrast while maintaining structural balance across the palette.

Cadmium Red Deep Compared to Other Reds

Cadmium Red Deep is best understood as a structural color rather than a luminous one.

Best Uses for Cadmium Red Deep

Cadmium Red Deep is most effective for:

  • Bold focal areas
  • Floral accents
  • Foreground elements
  • Teaching opacity vs transparency
  • Direct, painterly techniques

Limitations of Cadmium Red Deep

Despite its strengths, Cadmium Red Deep:

  • Reduces luminosity in mixes
  • Can overpower transparent pigments
  • Contains toxic heavy metals

For these reasons, many artists now prefer cadmium-free alternatives such as Cadmium Free Red Deep, Cadmium Free Scarlet, Cadmium Free Orange and Cadmium Free Lemon.

A Note on Cadmium Red Deep’s Role on the Palette

Cadmium Red Deep represents a traditional approach to color—one built on solidity, opacity, and directness. While modern alternatives offer safer and more transparent options, understanding Cadmium Red Deep remains valuable for historical context and color theory education.

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