USING THE RIGHT COLOURS AND PIGMENT IN PAINTING
Most painters have a huge interest in colour and tend to want control over their choice in colours when looking for painting supplies. They are concerned with both the appearance of the colour right out of the tube and also the way it will mix with other colours to create new colours in a reliable way.
Successful colour mixing relies on the pigments in the paints. You want to be the one that selects the colours you need for your palette when looking for paint but the name of the colour alone isn’t enough to know what the colour will be in the tube. Different manufacturers sometime gives the same pigment different names and different pigments the same name. Additionally even the same pigment can differ to another because of treatment used by the manufacturer for their paint or the variety of that pigment.
FOR COLOUR ACCURACY YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON THE TUBES!
The same pigment can have different names depending on the language it was named in, the name given to it by a brand or where it originated. For example Prussian Blue is also known as Berlin Blue, Bronze Blue, Chinese Blue, Iron Blue, Milori Blue, Parisian Blue, Paste Blue, and Steel Blue.
The same name can even be different for the colour that is actually in the tube depending on the brand and this is the other side to the problem. This is more of a headache than just having several names for a colour, so what this means is that when you buy different brands of one particular colour name, you may not get the same colour when it comes out of the tube.
Fortunately there is a way to get a better understanding of what is in the tube. Since the name of the colour can be unreliable it is important to look for the pigment number that’s on the label. It’s generally listed by the colour Index name, a code for the pigment group plus a number.
When you’re looking for the pigment information on a tube of paint you can spot whether it’s a single pigment or more than one pigment quite easily. Artist quality paints tend to be more single pigment colours and less mixed colours. Student quality colours make colours that look good if used right from the tube but chances are they may not mix well.
Some paints made with the same pigment look completely different to each other, so unfortunately knowing the pigment in a paint still isn’t a perfect solution to knowing what the colour will look like or how it will mix.
Some paints made with the same pigment look really different to each other. Currently, labels on artists painting supplies show the pigment used but doesn’t include all the ingredients. No specifics are given on the pigment just the chemical name and who knows what else isn’t listed.
WE CAN HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT COLOURS FOR YOUR PAINTINGS!
Painting is fun, relaxing and can also be a great way to earn a living. If you're interested in some fun painting tutorials to do with your friends and family then you should definitely check out our Bob Ross DVDs.
- Studio Six