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About Our Colors We manufacture our paints in a range of 78 colors. Each color is milled to bring out the individual characteristics of the pigment. Instead of an overall uniformity of texture that is found in cheaper paints, our paint may vary in its feel and handling from color to color. Our earths may feel a little gritty, while our cadmiums will be ultra smooth. The reason for this is that the particles of different pigments have particular physical shapes that are important to the overall brightness of the color. Overgrinding can make a color go flat, just as undergrinding can give the paint an uneven consistency. Additives, too, can make a color dull. The hallmark of a high quality handmade paint, therefore, is the attention given to the specifics of each color to ensure its maximum purity and luminosity. A little over a third of our colors are mixed. Tints made by mixing with white are kept at a high key so the color retains its bright chroma, instead of going chalky or pasty. If a lighter color is desired, more white can always be mixed in.
Our cadmiums are imported from England. These are the cleanest and brightest of any cadmiums we tested. They are chemically pure and full strength. Several of the shades are made specially for us so that the spectrum of light yellow to deep red is made up of distinct steps. All cadmiums are opaque. Cadmium Lemon Slightly off key and acidic next to the other yellows. It creates hard accents. Next to cadmium greens it is more on key and turns sweeter. Cadmium Yellow Light By itself it has a sense of purity and clarity, without the usual hint of greenishness that would sour it. In mixes, however, it has a bias toward green. Cadmium Yellow Medium Full warm bright yellow. Can mix toward red or green. Cadmium Yellow Deep More saturated than most deep cadmium yellows, but does not lose its brightness. Mixes toward red. Cadmium Orange Perfectly balanced between deep yellow and light red. Cadmium Red Light Intense scarlet. Can substitute for true Vermilion, but a bit more electric. Cadmium Red Medium What some would call a "true red." Very saturated. Cadmium Red Deep Many deep cadmium reds seem muddy. Ours goes bluish without seeming brownish. A bright ruby red. Cadmium Green A very warm, bright green, but soft, leans toward yellow. A mixture of cadmium yellow and viridian. Cadmium Green Pale A sweet, soft, very yellow green. Like the sun through spring leaves. A mixture of cadmium yellow and viridian. Our cobalt colors are full strength, genuine cobalts, no hues or tints. The pigment particles of some cobalts are almost jewel-like, and it is that quality that must be retained in the milling or the color will muddy and go flat. Cobalt Yellow Has a mustardy top tone but a vivid golden undertone. This is an excellent glazing color. One of the only transparent yellows that is reliably light fast. Mixes slightly to the greenish. transparent Cobalt Violet Light A delicate, almost ephemeral, pinkish violet. Very weak tinting strength. semi-transparent Cobalt Violet Deep Very royal purple, leans a little to the red. Used by Monet for his intense purple shadows. semi-transparent Cobalt Blue The "true" blue, because it is distinct from Cerulean on the green side and Ultramarine on the red. This color is normally not totally opaque, but we pack in extra pigment because its mass tone is so important. Makes muted greens when mixed with cadmium yellow. opaque Cobalt Turquoise Deep vivid greenish blue undertone. Its top tone is dark and somber. semi-transparent Cerulean Blue A complicated color. It is quite greenish laid next to cobalt blue and yet under fluorescent light it can take on a violet cast. Its large particle size makes it a little gritty and semi-transparent, but this also adds to its luminosity. semi-transparent Cobalt Green Light A delicate bluish green. Like Cerulean, it has a large particle size. Not a strong color, but extended over a white ground, it acquires a luminosity of pale emeralds. semi-transparent Mars colors are synthetically made iron oxides. They are the counterpart to natural ochres. The practice of manufacturing them goes back to the 17th century. The term "mars" refers to the Roman deity, who was the god of iron as well as war. The advantage of the synthetic pigment is that it is uniformly cleaner, brighter, and denser than the ochres. They have incredible tinting strength and opacity. All mars colors are opaque Mars Yellow Light The shade most associated with yellow ochre. A soft very slightly greenish yellow. Against darker colors it is almost brilliant. Mars Yellow Deep Warm, slightly reddish. Top tone is a bit like raw sienna but denser and brighter. Mars Orange A bright very, very light red. It is almost pinkish against darker colors. Mars Red The most intensely red of the mars colors. In a high key painting it appears almost brown. Surrounded by low key colors it can be strikingly saturated but never electric. Makes salmon pink tints. Similar to the natural ochres: English Red or Light Red Mars Violet The counterpart to Indian Red. A low intensity deep bluish-red earth. Makes lavender tints. Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale So light it’s almost not yellow but a yellow off-white. Still, to capture the effect of soft diffused light, it is just yellow enough. It is a mix of white and cadmium yellow. opaque (pigment stick only)Naples Yellow A lead-free mix, it captures the low key sweet yellow of the traditional lead-based color. Made from cadmium yellow, iron oxides, and white. opaque Jaune Brillant Deeper, warmer, slightly orange version of Naples yellow. The French name is traditional. Mixed from cadmium yellow and orange, iron oxides, and white. opaque Alizarin Crimson Almost impossible to mill without using stearate additives. We don’t use them because stearates dull the color. Our milling is extraordinarily difficult and tricky, but the result is a pure, luminous ruby red undertone. Less harsh than Quinacridones. Not sufficiently light-fast in tints. transparent Rose Madder Orangey-red version of alizarin. A beautiful glaze the color of blood. Not sufficiently light-fast in tints. A mix of alizarin crimson and monoazo red. transparent Warm Pink An intense salmon hue made from cadmium yellow and red, quinacridone red, and white. opaque Warm Rose Bluer than Warm Pink. A soft magenta shade. Mixed from cadmium red, quinacridone red, and white. opaque Dianthus Pink Gaudy, in-your-face, ultra-sweet, violent, vivid, outrageous, hot-house pink. More intense than deKooning’s pinks, but adding a little white easily takes it down. Made from quinacridone red and white. opaque Manganese Violet The reddest of the violets. Nevertheless, it can substitute for the more expensive Cobalt Violet Deep. semi-transparent
Ultramarine Violet The bluest of the violets. Low covering power and weak tinting, but a beautiful delicate glaze. semi-transparent
Quinacridone Magenta
Ultramarine Blue The reddest, deepest ultramarine we could find. Beautiful glazing color. transparent Prussian Blue Deepest, reddest of all blues. Powerful and very very velvety. Slightly grainy texture. May not be absolutely light-fast in tints. semi-transparent Phthalo Blue Very powerful, makes very clean tints. Greener than Ultramarine and Cobalt Blues. transparent Phthalo Turquoise Vivid undertone. Hue is midpoint between Phthalo Blue and Phthalo Green. transparent Manganese Blue This beautiful pigment is no longer made anywhere in the world. A tragedy for artists, since it has an ice-blue undertone unmatched by any other pigment. We still have a supply. Beautiful glaze color. transparent (encaustic only)Indigo Very dark, blackish-blue top tone. Earthy greenish-blue undertone. Has an edgy feel to it. Great for line work. Made from natural earth, ultramarine blue, and prussian blue. semi-transparent King’s Blue Very warm, soft light blue. With cool colors can be almost neutral. With warm colors, hints of lavender, like a blue that’s hiding a rose. It is a mix of cobalt blue and white. opaque Azure Blue Bright, slightly greenish light blue. A little like a high-keyed Cerulean. Made of phthalo blue, ultramarine blue, and white. opaque Turquoise Blue Very greenish light blue mix of phthalos and white. opaque Phthalo Green Very powerful and deep. In line work can look blacker than black. Vivid undertone, can be a bit harsh. Excellent glaze color. transparent Viridian Emerald undertone. Softer, slightly yellower, and slightly less transparent than Phthalo. Beautiful glaze color. Also known as Vert Emeraude and Guinet’s Green transparent Celadon Green Like the Chinese ceramic, it is delicate, cool, and slightly yellowish. Combine with Iridescent Pearl to effect that glaze-like color. opaque Chromium Oxide Cool, low intensity. Over dark colors it can almost float. Makes beautiful olive tints. opaque Courbet Green Like a green version of Indigo. Alongside other dark colors it is a somber earthy green. Surprising blue undertone. Developed by Carl Plansky of Williamsburg Art Materials, it is a mix of natural earth, cadmium yellow, and prussian blue. semi-transparent Veronese Green Brighter and bluer than Cadmium Green. Favored by the French Impressionists. The original, no longer made, was arsenic based and very toxic. This is a mix of cadmium yellow, phthalo green, and white. opaque Green Earth Delicate, slightly yellowish. Excellent for toning down bright colors and for giving shadow effect. Made from natural earth, viridian, and ultramarine blue. semi-transparentRaw Sienna Luminous, deep golden undertone, excellent for glazing. Top tone is a rich caramel. Beautiful interplay of tones comes through in laying on a stroke of paint. semi-transparent Burnt Sienna Reddish-brown mahogany top tone with luminous orangy undertone. Beautiful washes go easily from strong to delicate. semi-transparent Raw Umber Ours is a cool, very slightly greenish umber. Makes almost neutral grey tints. semi-transparent Burnt Umber Deep reddish chocolate brown. semi-transparent Turkey Umber Greenish Like a brackish Raw Umber. Very edgy. semi-transparent Brown Pink Dark reddish-brown top tone. Fiery pinkish-brown undertone. Excellent glaze. transparent (pigment stick only)Sanguine Earths Developed to duplicate the reddish chalks of the Renaissance masters. These are less dense than Mars colors to allow for sensuous fleshy undertones. They are mixes of transparent iron oxides, quinacridone pigment, and white. all the sanguines are semi-transparent (pigment stick only)Sanguine Earth Light Pinkish red, like the worn facing on aged brick. Sanguine Earth Medium Warm, orange hue of wet red clay. Sanguine Earth Deep Plum-red maroon earth. Sepia Deep purplish brown. Developed to match the color of the ink from cuttlefish, the traditional source of sepia. The reddishness associated with the sepia washes of Renaissance drawings is actually faded from the natural color. Ours is a permanent mix of transparent iron oxides, quinacridone pigment, ultramarine blue, and white. semi-transparent Ivory Black Velvety top tone. Has brownish undertone and makes brownish greys with white. Not overly strong, good for scumbling. opaque Mars Black Very dense black. Slightly violet undertone and greys. Mixes cleaner than other blacks. opaque Lamp Black Bluish undertone and greys. Extraordinarily slow drier in oil. opaque (pigment stick only)Intense Carbon Black The blackest of all blacks. Can unbalance the rest of the palette. Best for special effects. Reddish undertone and tints. Extraordinarily slow drier in oil. opaque Neutral Greys Pale, Light, Medium, & Deep. These are mixes of white, raw umber, and cobalt blue. Much more complex undertones than from mixes of black and white. semi-transparent (pigment stick only)Graphite Grey Pigment is pure graphite. Retains the peculiar slightly iridescent quality of graphite. Beautiful washes. opaque Payne’s Grey Very deep semi-transparent eggplant violet. Good replacement for black, since it will not sully other colors, yet can act as a neutral. It’s made from natural earth, ultramarine blue, and quinacridone. semi-transparent Titanium White Warm white. It is the brightest, the most reflective, and the most opaque of all whites. opaque (encaustic only)Titanium-Zinc White 60% titanium dioxide, 40% zinc sulfide. Combines the hiding power of titanium with the clean tinting properties of zinc. opaque (pigment stick only)Neutral White Compared to Titanium-Zinc looks almost brown. But with spectrum colors looks white and does not tend to "pop" out like Titanium-Zinc. Not a good mixing white. Made from unbleached titanium and zinc sulfide. opaque (pigment stick only)Iridescents are iron and titanium oxides fixed onto mica. They create a range of pearl and metallic colors that are extremely light fast and non toxic. Pearl By itself has the look of crushed pearls. Can be mixed with transparent pigments like ultramarine or phthalos to make beautiful iridescent colors. semi-transparent Silver Captures that elusive quality of silveriness. Does not have the usual grey aluminum look. semi-transparent German Silver A very warm deep silver. semi-transparent Pewter Dark bluish grey metallic. opaque Brass Cool, light and yellowish. semi-transparent Gold Very warm and deep. semi-transparent Copper Deep and very red. opaque Bronze Has the clean brown look of bronze that has not been weathered. opaque
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