Colours I use a lot

firstly, may 2019 be a beautiful painting year with lots of success.

I mainly use Winsor Newton pro. Paints. They have a fantastic range of 96 colours within their scope and the light fastness is excellent.

Just a note if you are beginning with water colour please don’t go mad and buy the professional Winsor Newton colours, they have a range called Cotman with all the same colours however the pigment is not as strong. Cotman are at least twice as cheap as the Winsor Newton pros.

So here I go, just a quick bit of information on each of my favorite colours and sometimes why they are, sometimes I have no idea why they are.

My very, very favorite Is Cobalt turquoise, yummy colour.

A granulating colour which is opaque

Granulation just means you get a grainy effect sometimes when using it. I love this effect, but some artists don’t like it.

I use it a lot for white areas, yes, I realise that sound a bit strange, but white is never white, it always picks up the colours around it.

Next on my list Winsor violet (dioxide)

Winsor violet is a very strong colour, you have to be sparing with it. Undiluted this can be used as a deep black; however, you may want to add a touch of burnt umber to it, this will soften the purple and make a better black.

A transparent colour that you may want to use for shadows. It is also good for layering when its has been diluted lots.

Quinacridone gold.

I have real difficulties with spelling and some of the names of the paint are so difficult to spell.

This colour was originally design for the car industry, so cool.

A transparent colour which can be used as a glaze which gives such a warm glow to a painting. But of course, its real value is in itself, this colour is wonderful and is a good mixer for making other colours also.

It is another granulation pigment which you may feel adds texture to your painting

Opera rose

a vivid magenta fluorescent colour. Not fully transparent but as close as you can get. There’s not an awful lot to be said about it even from Winsor Newton but I’m sure it would add life to any painting, even if it’s just a touch in one corner

Prussian blue

A deep blue made by German chemists around 1704. Making it the first synthetic blue pigment ever. It is a transparent colour and you may find so many uses for it that it will be invaluable to you.

Mix with a touch of burnt umber and you will have the most beautiful black, not a black but a multi-colour rich dark.

Well they are my favorite colours they mix so well together for me and I do use them in most of my paintings, even though you may not see them.

You must have your own favorites, Face book me with yours

Painting from the heart