My current watercolor palette. It’s been quite a journey, with twists and turns, as I’ve navigated through various color choices over the years.

Like many artists, I began my journey with just a handful of colors, which I reckon kept things simple for me. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon Daniel Smith’s Essential Set of 6 colors in my adult years that I felt intrigued with my palette, and eventually found myself drawn to a humble trio from that set of Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Rose, and Lemon Yellow. It was a time of both simplicity and exploration, and I thought I had all I needed.

Little did I know, this was just the beginning of my wild pursuit into the vibrant world of pigments…

Researching pigment properties and understanding the differences between brands and their attributes became my curious obsession. But let me tell ya, the more I learned, the more tangled up I got in a web of choices that left me scratchin’ my head somethin’ fierce. It was like wadin’ through a swamp of confusion, tryin’ to find solid ground.

LIGHTFASTNESS. Turns out, some pigments were as transient as a summer rain, fadin’ away quicker than a wink if they caught a glimpse of the sun. Now, ain’t that a bitter pill to swallow? You wouldn’t believe the sadness that washed over me when I discovered that so many of my beloved pigments were nothin’ but fugitive.

Btw, if you’re ready to dive into the depths of watercolor knowledge, I invite you to visit www.handprint.com. Trust me, it’s a can of worms that will amaze you with incredible insights into watercolors and the way they work.

That part of the journey eventually led me to a place of inner peace with my pigment choices, where all the colors I use now are highly lightfast and permanent.

And after receiving this dreamy studio palette as a gift (Thank you mommy!!!) I decided it was OK for me to spread my wings and use all the colors that I love, and fully understand.

Now, I find myself surrounded with a vibrant spectrum of colors I trust and love!

Sure, this is much more than I actually need for each painting. Usually, I reckon I only use about 3-6 colors in a single piece, but the choices are there, allowing me to explore and express my creativity.

Along the way, I discovered the sheer delight of embracing novelty colors like cobalt turquoise and potters pink. Oh, how my heart flutters with joy as I swirl those enchanting hues all over my palette. They capture my imagination and captivate me, and have since become cherished companions in my creative endeavors.

I found myself filled with endless possibilities and a world waiting to be explored. With this in mind, I carefully curated my color palette to reflect my mindset and capture the essence of every hue.

WARM/COOL I made sure to have a warm and cool variation of each color, even for the earth tones. For instance, the warm embrace of Burnt Sienna complements the subtle warmth of Raw Sienna, while the cool allure of Indigo stands in contrast to the deep richness of Lamp Black.

CYM Furthermore, I wanted to maintain a CYM (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta) palette, represented by the vibrant PB33 (or PB15:3), the captivating PR122, and the radiant PY150. Now, my selection process went way beyond simply choosing a range of colors. I aimed to eliminate any true duplicates and ensure that each color could harmoniously work together, creating a color wheel of endless possibilities.

Transparency is something worth considering when selecting your own paints. Some are transparent, while others are not. Combining two transparent colors or a transparent color with an opaque one tends to create beautiful harmonies, but two opaques can lead to muddy results. Just a little tip to keep in mind.

Color Wheel My palette is designed to function like a color wheel, a clock of possibilities that allows for easy color selection and alteration. While I initially aimed to avoid repetition, I stumbled upon colors that rotated harmoniously, mimicking the motion of a clock hand on a real-life color wheel. The outer eight colors represent my earth tones, providing me with a newfound freedom after years of using those limited palettes consisting solely of transparent and non-granulating colors.

Ah, GRANULATION—yet another beautiful and exciting property of watercolors! Not all pigments possess this quality, but the particles and textures created by granulating colors offer unique effects that enhance realism and inject energy into a painting. I didn’t even realize I was a big fan of granulation. Now that I feel liberated to embrace it, I’m constantly seeking opportunities to incorporate it, even in skin tones, where it adds a touch of “noise” texture for a quick infusion of realism.

Single Pigments are a must. I mustn’t forget to mention, I learned that some popular color choices like quinacridone gold are actually just a mix of PY150 and some manufacturer-selected red, with the red often lacking lightfastness. However, PY150, according to handprint, offers plenty of permanence. So, I decided to purchase Winsor & Newton’s PY150 and mix it with my own reds to create my own quinacridone gold 😊

Finally, My Current Palette Includes:

• PY150, I went w/ Winsor & Newton’s “Transparent Yellow” for the LF rating. This radiant and powerful gold-yellow quickly became one of the stars of my current palette. Its transparency adds a captivating depth even in mixtures.
• PY53 Lemon Yellow (Nickel Titanate) by W&N. This lemon is unique compared to other Lemon pigments and is actually permanent. The opacity is both a blessing and a unique personality to work with.
• PY35 Shminke Cadmium yellow, just a pure yellow. Although Winsor Yellow is similar, I like the brilliance of this yellow and decided to keep it around for kicks
• PY154 Winsor Yellow. Just a real pure yellow with great lightfastness, and a hair-bit warmer than Cadmium
• PY 110, my go-to yellow besides PY150. Very warm, nearly orange, breathtaking and versatile.
• PR255, A brilliant firetruck-red known for its vibrance + warmth.
• PV19, The same pigment as Quinacridone Rose, but this lightly less saturated alternative by Rembrandt offers true permanence.
• PR122. This enchanting color is used in the controversial “Opera Pink”, but without the fluorescent component it is more muted and fully permanent.
• PV14, Cobalt Violet. I almost chose this mauvy-pink as my magenta. It’s a gentle but still fabulous color, and mixes great into foliage too.
• PB60, Indanthrone Blue is a warm, muted, dark blue and incredibly stunning. It’s great when I want to go dark QUICK, and sings with cool blues like Manganese and Phthalo Blue.
• PB29, This is my own handcrafted Blue Ultramarine. I love it so much and use it faithfully! It’s cooler than some ultramarines on the market, which makes it more primary. It’s granulation properties are poetic and embrace all the colors on my palette.
• PB15:6, Phthalo Blue (red shade) is a real beauty, I tell ya! Now, I can’t rightly say if it’s an absolute necessity for every artist, but it sure has its charms. As a phthalo blue, it’s got that powerful pigment strength that just goes on and on, making it go a long way.
• PB28, Cobalt Blue. This expensive and timeless pigment is worth the investment. It’s a neutral blue that seems to want to clean both warm and cool with beautiful granulation properties. So lovely for clouds and dresses and shadows.
• PB35, Cerulean is an exquisite cool blue that has been a faithful choice for artists since the 1800s. I love painting with the same colors the masters used!
• PB 15:3, Phthalo Blue by DS has been my go-to for many a year, and I just bet it might be yours too. It’s a versatile color, one used as a primary in its pure form. They’ve gone and given it all sorts of fancy names and mixed it with just about every color under the sun, trying to sell it as some sort of magical convenience color or another. And not just for artists—it’s used in printers and all kinds of other handy applications, so its cheap (but permanent!).
• PB33. Manganese Blue. This COLOR!!! Be still, by heart. Not to be confused with “Manganese Blue Hue”, This discontinued pigment is the crème de la crème of cyans. It’s the richest shade you could ever imagine! Although, I must confess, I don’t often mix it with other colors. It’s simply divine on its own.
• PG50, Cobalt Turquoise is a novelty choice, but truly you cannot match the beauty of this shade with anything else.
• PG7 – Phthalo green is like painting with precious gems. If I want to transform this jade-like-green into a foliage shade, I just add browns and oranges – it’s stunning! I love how, like the other phthalos, it goes on and on making it an economical choice.
• Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Potters Pink, Burnt Sienna, PB6, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, I added all the earth colors because of their beautiful granulation values and connection with the masters timeless favorites.
• Indigo, a perfect blend of PB60 and PBk6 already on my palette, found its convenient and rightful place in the harmonious symphony of colors.

Currently, my palette boasts around 25 colors, and I’m not opposed to adding more. With indigo on my palette, which is simply a mix of lamp black and indanthrone blue, I’m contemplating creating more mixtures to fill the empty wells in a similar manner.

While my palette may lack a true purple or typical green due to limited lightfast options, I discovered the magic of mixing PY150 with my handmade blue ultramarine to create a delightful foliage/apple green, and combining PR122 magenta with the same blue to achieve a stunning purple.

And there you have it, my fellow artists—the story of my current watercolor palette and the personal discoveries that have shaped it. It’s an ever-evolving journey filled with color, knowledge, and endless possibilities.

So, as you embark on your own artistic adventures, remember to explore the properties of pigments, embrace transparency and granulation, and most importantly, unleash your creativity with a palette that speaks to your artistic soul 💓