Watercolour Painting on a Budget

Generally speaking  the advice given by nearly all professional artists is to use the best materials. By this they mean Artist Quality paints, 100% cotton papers and Sable or possibly Squirrel brushes. There are exceptions, Ron Ranson being someone who questioned the need to spend the large sums of money necessary to fulfill these recommendations. I suppose they are aiming their advice at either other professionals or serious amateurs but don't - largely - seem to recognize that there is a large - very large - number of hobby painters for whom such materials are either unaffordable or bluntly a waste of money.

As a start what did Ron Ranson paint with before he moved to the USA? With paints he used a limited palette of Winsor & Newton Cotman student quality, Paper was Bockingford, which is made from high quality wood pulp, and brushes comprised a hake and two or three synthetic rounds.

My reading of Ron's approach was to demystify some of the  things surrounding watercolour painting,  one being that you had to spend a fortune on materials. The very finest materials may be beneficial to the talented and experienced artist, who knows how to use them to the best advantage, but is this the case with many amateurs? It is also a fact that quite a few  professional artists paint with either Cotman or a mix of student and artists quality, Bockingford paper and synthetic brushes. The famous British landscape artist Edward Wesson used 140lb Bockingford paper exclusively, then switched to 200lb, which was initially produced specifically for him. He also used, and popularized, such was his influence, what were originally called `French polisher  mops', which I take to be the Isabey range widely used today. Isabey however are not cheap. Various  manufacturers have produced Isabey `equivalents' but in general the original is still thought the best.

Bockingford Tinted 11" x 15" sheet pack

There are some who will tell you not to use Bockingford because it isn't 100% cotton. I also notice on the Ken Bromley website that the artist Trevor Lingard is complaining about recent variable quality, but such complaints are made from time to time about other well-known makes, with claims that quality has deteriorated. Bockingford is available in a wide range of weights and also tinted sheets.

When I first started painting I mostly used the  16" x 12" Bockingford spiral pads. There are several other budget makes, one of the best being Brittania from Hahnemuhle, made from cellulose. I have tried it and thought it fine, especially the rough surface although I wasn't so impressed with the cold pressed. It is very hard sized and so the paint doesn't sink into the paper, remaining bright. I think a lot depends on how you paint. There are others so try them and see how you get on.

I have tried a wide range of papers and have reached a provisional consensus that Saunders Waterford and Fabriano Artistico are my favourites, taking into account cost and quality. I do like Fontenay but the price has suddenly rocketed well out of reach and the Great Art website now talks about it being `handmade'. In any event this is about budget materials so I'll leave it there. According to Ian Sidaway the Daler Rowney Langton is also Bockingford. For the best buy some of the mail order specialists, specifically Jacksons and Ken Bromley, sell special offer packs of Bockingford cut into either half or quarter sheets, 50 or 100, at very keen prices equating to around 30p per sheet for the 11" x 15". Any 100% cotton paper will be more than double that and if you buy blocks even more expensive. Try Bockingford and if you are happy with it why buy anything else? Many professional artists do. I have no knowledge of other budget papers available outside Europe either in Asia or the North American Continent but I'm sure they exist.

Comparison of Cotman Tubed paints (Top three rows) and W & N Artists quality pans (bottom three).

 Can anyone looking at the above say the Cotman results appear seriously inferior? I might add since I did this, several years ago, Cotman has been upgraded and are using better quality pigments, many being exactly the same as the artists range. Another thing we are often told is that it is a false economy to use student quality as the pigment concentration is so much higher in the artist paints. The pigment concentration may well be higher but  this statement is very debatable. A comparison of costs per ml ( Jacksons prices) taking the Series 1 Artists quality price 14ml tube and the 21 ml Cotman gives figures of 48p and 15p respectively. This means that Cotman is less than a third of the cost. Has the artists range three times as much pigment? I think not. Bruce McEvoy of Handprint says actual pigment content in paints varies between 20% to 50%. The differences are variable between different pigments and are not dictated purely by cost. The balance is made up with additives and fillers. A brilliant Chinese artist who uses Cotman paints is Guan Weixing www.guanweixing.com/  Have a look at his wonderful paintings. Michael Wilcox says, in one of his books on colours and pigments, if you wish to economize on paints start with the earth colours.

Where you do tend to lose out is in expensive pigments like the Cadmiums,  Cobalts, Cerulean and Viridian. They are replaced by `Hue' equivalents. In the Cadmiums many manufacturers offer additional  `hue' versions as the toxic and opaque qualities of the true Cadmiums are anaethema to many artists. With blue one of the Phalo Blues or Ultramarine is used with added white to make `hue' equivalents of Cobalt and Cerulean Blue.  Viridian is replaced by a  `hue' version based on Phalo Green. Nothing to stop you buying a few Artist Quality as several good professionals use a mixture of the two. See my post on Paul Weaver, a very fine up and coming Bristol artist www.paulweaverart.co.uk/

I also think two other student quality paints are worth consideration. Van Gogh from Talens (Rembrandt) and Venezia from Maimeri. Maimeri is not easy to get in the UK but Van Gogh can be found with a little searching. Both are available in the USA. In each case, as with Cotman, the range is 40 paints and the same remarks apply regarding the Cadmiums and expensive blues. There may be others but these are the only ones I have experience with. St Petersburg and Shin Han paints come (in my opinion) into a different category - perhaps a halfway house, although both lines have question marks against them, particularly in the use of fugitive pigments, especially St Petersburg, while Shin Han have many multiple pigment paints, with white in quite a number. 

Keynsham Park 16" x 12" Bockingford 140lb Not

This painting was done using Van Gogh paints several years ago. My style was different then or probably more correctly still in a state of flux. Still is to some extent. I think Van Gogh paints are excellent, highly pigmented and a very good budget alternative to the eye wateringly expensive top ranges. Bockingford paper also. I don't present it as a good painting but not a great deal wrong with it. The same comments apply to Van Gogh as Cotman in that you might want to supplement them with a few tubes (or pans) of the expensive blues and/or Cadmiums only sold  in Artists Quality, although in the USA and Canada they are available in Cotman - 10 additional colours in all, slightly more expensive than the normal 40 colours but still very well-priced. Memo to Winsor & Newton. Why not in the UK? No more spurious excuses please.

We now come to brushes and the choice is plain, either animal hair or synthetic. With sable there is a choice of either Kolinsky or Red Sable, the latter generally cheaper. This is simplified because there are several different grades of sable and they vary in quality, depending on gender of the animal, time of year when harvested and also what species the hair comes from. Buy from a well-known source and beware cheap offers of `Kolinsky Sable' brushes. See my post on Rosemary and explore her catalogue online. Red Sable is the budget sable choice and then we move to synthetic/sable mixes. All the leading brushmakers offer a range and they are only slightly more expensive than pure synthetic. Rosemary, Stratford and York and  Pro Arte all make them. The SAA (Society of All Artists) now have a full range of own label brushes and have recently introduced a sable/synthetic. You need to be a member or know someone who is to buy at members prices. Jacksons are gradually increasing their own label brushes and there are some good buys amongst them. I think the Da Vinci Cosmotop Mix B is well worth a look being a mixed hair brush. Rosemary says that both Mongoose and Shiraz are suitable for watercolour. I have a Mongoose fan and it works well for tree  foliage although I don't use it much - perhaps I should. New synthetic brushes are coming onto the market all the time and are getting closer, so we are told, to emulating sable. Certainly some artists prefer the firmer feel of synthetic compared to the softness of sable. Yvonne Harry is one. The Internationally acclaimed Australian artist Robert Wade uses synthetic brushes exclusively, although they are his own signature brand made by Neef.

Paints, paper and brushes are the most expensive materials in painting although you can spend considerable amounts on other items like easels but again the range is vast, both in choice and price. I have previously posted on plein air equipment and admit that I have wasted a lot of money overall  on stuff I use only sparingly, or not at all, so be warned! Unfortunately I'm something of an impulse buyer although I have bought a lot of good stuff  at bargain prices. Art shops and mail order catalogues are full of interesting items but buy only what you really need and don't be seduced by siren voices saying you need this or that, all of which will make you a wonderful painter in a week or two. One tip is to get on the e-mail list of the mail order suppliers who regularly have special offers. When items you use appear buy! If you belong, and it is a good idea, to a local art group buy together to avoid paying carriage charges. I buy for my AVA group and  monitor  special offers.

The same general comments apply to books and dvd's which appear in ever increasing numbers. You can spend a fortune on them if not careful. From the many to choose be selective and buy only those that will be of use, although this is easier said than done. You really have to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Having said all this I will now don sackcloth and ashes and admit I buy (mostly) Kolinsky sables, 100% cotton paper and artists quality paints. I do shop around and buy at the best prices, also special offers which are frequent. For example prior to the January price increase Great Art www.greatart.co.uk/ were offering Fabriano Artistico paper at half price. I bought a shipload. Amongst artists quality paints Daler Rowney are often the best priced. Lukas via Great Art are well priced and so is Maimeri from either Jacksons (only on the website) or Turnham www.artistmaterial.co.uk who are cheaper. With Turnham you have a fixed carriage charge regardless which has to be added. In the UK Winsor & Newton are very well priced and cheaper than the American imports Graham, Daniel Smith and Da Vinci. These latter are all very good but expensive in the UK. Jacksons www.jacksonsart.co.uk offer well-priced own brand paints, made I'm told by Sennelier. And so on. Watercolour painting is an expensive hobby but you can cut corners and work within a limited budget so don't despair. Unfortunately local art shops tend to sell at full price. Some will give a 10% discount to students and members of local art groups. It is a fact that you can save considerable sums of money, at least 20-30% and sometimes up to 50%, buying from the mail order specialists, of which there are an increasing number. Jacksons, Ken Bromley www.artsupplies.co.uk/  and Great Art, all waive carriage charges over a certain amount. Some of the others now seem to be catching on to this. In the USA there are many excellent internet suppliers like Dick Blick, Cheap Joes, ASW, and Jerrys Artarama to name just four. On the continent you obviously have Great Art, who are German, but I don't as yet know of any others. The language barrier is a problem as are carriage charges. I also point out once more that countries outside the EU can order from UK suppliers and the 20% VAT is deductable. Carriage charges will be higher but they will give you a quote and you might be surprised how competitive some of the prices are.

The question of what to buy, especially that between  `best' materials and budget ones never stops. The consensus leans towards the best but as I've said this depends on circumstances. Brilliant paintings have been and are being produced by some very fine artists using cheaper materials.. I think the key thing here is the `very fine'. Their skill enables them to overcome any deficiencies which might be insurmountable to the lesser talented. 

I shall be taking a weeks holiday at Lake Garda in Italy starting tomorrow so no more posts for probably ten days. Comments (and corrections!) welcome. 

William H Macy

This is William H Macy the well-known actor pictured in his new role as `Frank' in the American TV version of the British soap Shameless. No I don't watch it. This photograph was on the cover of the Weekend Guardian colour magazine. I immediately thought he would make a great subject for a watercolour portrait.

Initial drawing.

This was my second attempt. I rejected the first painting because the resemblance to Macy was not good enough and I also realised I was beginning to tighten up, something I'm always fighting against. For the outline drawing I used a Shorty  Propelling pencil. This is a tool I first read about in Robert Wades last book  and on perusing the Great Art catalogue I saw and ordered one. It is unusual in that the pencil is short and stubby 10.5cm long 1.5cm wide, hence the name, with a quite large 7B 0.3mm lead. It is soft being a 7B so I was careful not to press too hard. It's in the latest Great Art catalogue if anyone is interested. I've not seen it anywhere else in the UK mail order specialists. Robert Wade said he bought his in an art shop in Venice and that he believed it was called a `Stumpy' in the USA. Code number is 28391/2 black or white. It costs £6.95 and comes with three leads. I presume you can get replacement leads although they aren't listed in the latest `small' GA catalogue, possibly on the website. www.greatart.co.uk Note Added 13/06/11.Yes they are available.

The `Shorty' compared

William H Macy `Frank' - Waterford High White 140lb (300gsm) 11" x 15"Not

I've just compared this with the actual painting and the painting is better, not quite so truncated (my ad hoc photography!). I also think the values are better in the actual painting.Note Added 11/6: I have rephotographed the painting, using a tripod and different settings and removed the original. Still far from perfect. Overall I'm pleased with the result. I first did a loose drawing making sure the proportions were correct by using the variscaler and just putting dots in which I then used as guides for the drawing. I used the Shorty for all the intial drawing but switched to a normal B pencil for the  eyes etc.

Paints used were a mix of Cadmium Red Light or Pale, Cadmium Yellow Light and Cerulean for the features but in order to get the darker shades, especially around the eyes, I mixed Ultramarine Blue with Burnt Sienna. The eyebrows and moustache are a mixture of mainly Gold Ochre with some Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and a little of the dark mix. Touches of Ivory black for the dark areas above the eye and corners and also the pupils. The hair is mainly Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and Gold Ochre partially mixed on the paper. Touches of Hookers Green in the corners of the eyes. The shirt was a mixture of Cerulean and Cobalt Blue, with the jacket mainly Raw Umber. I think that's it.

Brushes used were the Isabey No 6 retractable for the eyes, nose and mouth and Rosemary No.6 and 9 series 33 Kolinsky for the rest of the face. I used the Da Vinci 44 Kolinsky Mop No 2 and Rosemary No 9 for the hair.

This was also another trial of the Waterford High White paper and I'm beginning to change my opinion and becoming more positive about it.

Time to Experiment

I decided to chance my arm yesterday and made an experimental painting from the photograph below.

This is down Manor  lane near my home and I went through the gate this morning on my daily walk, down on the edge of the farmers field and into the Community wood. Saw a deer, a doe, she was only about twenty yards away, standing stock still until I walked off.  Since I took the above photograph, some weeks ago, the foliage growth has increased and looking at it from close up it seemed quite different. For one thing the detail in the rear was visible and the darks were not so dark.

 The Gate - 18" x 14" Not Canson Acquarelle.

I decided to experiment and move towards `realistic abstracts' a la Victoria Prischedko - well partially at least. The gate is the key feature and I have used colour in a far more vibrant way than the dullness one gets with greens. Although we are only at the beginning of June the weather here has been so warm and mild that everything is beginning to have a mid-Summer look.

I first made a loose drawing without much detail and then painted using a No.14 Sable brush labelled Simonart. This is one I bought in my early days when I was studying at Mary Shaw's studio by the River Avon. It was from a wholesale catalogue only for professionals. The head is quite large more like a 16 when compared to some other makes and it has a sharp point. The only other place I have seen them on sale was at a framing gallery in Bath.  I should have said I first applied Winsor & Newton masking fluid to the gate, parts of the trees and various other places. After this had dried I splashed paint! The paper is Canson Acquarelle, not one of my normal choices by any means but I just happened to have some. In fact this was painted on the back of another experimental painting that I did at one of my AVA sessions. When I removed the masking tape some of the paper came with it.

The darks were various combinations of Permanent Carmine (W & N PR n/a), Cyan Blue (Maimeri PB15-3), Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna. There is some Viridian in there somewhere and I mixed the greens with combinations of Hansa Yellow Medium (Daniel Smith PY97)  and various blues. Gold Ochre (W & N PY43), was used on the tree trunks and parts of the wall and touches of Ultramarine Violet (Rowney PV15). Greys were mostly a mix of Cyan Blue and Cadmium Orange (Maimeri PO20). I think there are touches of Raw Umber and Raw Sienna as well. Comments welcome.

Tim Hetherington

Tim Hetherington was a famous war photographer and journalist. I say was because, sadly, he was killed in Libya by a mortar bomb on 20th April. He was also a filmmaker and one of his recent documentaries `Restrepo', about a US Army platoon in an especially dangerous area of Afghanistan, won awards.If you wish to learn more about him go to www.timhetherington.com/

Tim Hetherington

I happened to pick up this magazine when at my sisters recently. It struck me as a very evocative study which epitomizes the strain, pressures and danger that war correspondents/photographers, who do these dangerous jobs, are under.

 This was my setup in my study - a converted bedroom

I first of all I made a loose drawing,  as accurate as possible, with the help of a ruler. I did get the Variscaler out but didn't use it. This was to get the proportions right. I do portraits without them and am getting better at doing so but every little helps!

Stage 1 Eyes and Nose

As usual I started with the main features first, beginning as always with the eyes followed by the nose. My brush was the Isabey No 6 retractable. This brush, of which Jacksons sell two sizes ( I think that's all Isabey make), is very slim and pointed, much smaller in diameter than a normal 6. I find it excellent for this purpose. It is also good for small detail.

Stage 3 I completed the mouth and upper lip.

Tim Hetherington -Fontenay 16" x 12" Not

This required a different approach to my other portraits, one reason I tackled it. I used pan paints for the features and .put in some of the darker areas first with Manganese Violet (W & N PV16) heavily diluted. The basic mix then applied was my usual Cadmium Red Light/ Yellow Ochre  mix adding Cobalt or Cerulean Blue where I wished to darken it - round the eye sockets and eyebrows. I then used a toothbrush to spatter darker spots of either Manganese Violet or Burnt Umber to represent the dirt and grime. I also tapped the toothbrush onto the paper when holding diluted amounts of these colours.

Apart from the Isabey, brushes used were the Da Vinci Artissimo 44 No 2 and Rosemary Series 33 No 6.

As you can see from the photograph his face is surrounded by dark areas with no visible detail. I did not want to put a very dark wash all over but tried to create the sense of  him being in a war situation with all the attendant danger. Mostly cool colours Cerulean, Viridian (Rowney PG18) with  Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine, mixed partly on the paper for the dark hair. I added Cadmium Orange (Maimeri PO20) top right and over his left shoulder to suggest the colours of warfare. Overall I'm quite pleased with it. Comments welcome.

 Note Added 1/06/11: To avoid confusion and bearing in mind the comments from Mick and Yvonne (in an e-mail) I have changed the Stage 1 & 2 paintings so they are more accurate. They liked the very strong darks but they were inaccurate and did not represent the real studies correctly. Those now shown are actually a little lighter than the painting but are the nearest I can get. I frequently have trouble getting a fair representation of my paintings on here, probably due to faulty photography, and tinker about with the `auto correction' feature but it has misfired on this occasion. Food for thought for the future.

May Challenge

This is the latest photograph in the ongoing (fun) competition between Mick Carney and myself . .www.thepaintingstruggle.blogspot.com/

This is a complicated scene  (I don't know where it is) so the first decision was what to leave in and what to leave out. I decided to omit the canal boat on the left hand side but otherwise follow the basic scene, simplifying as I went. I did a preliminary sketch to see how this would look and then proceeded to do an outline drawing.  If you study the photograph you have two distinct near halfs. The left hand very light side, mainly the building (hostelry?), the largest shape and the dark right hand side, the bridge predominating. I decided not to have such an abrupt separation and deliberately lightened the right hand side, then making the large windows and door of the house as the key elements linking them to the hand rail and the boat under the bridge.

 18 x 15" Waterford High White Not

I painted in stages starting with the top roof and carried on from there linking things up as I proceeded.

Colours used were a mixture of Burnt Sienna, Permanent Carmine, Burnt Umber and Cerulean for the roof, mixing on the paper. I also put these colours in the left hand side of the bridge. Others used were Cobalt Blue and Cerulean for the sky, Raw Umber in various places and for the first time Hansa Yellow Medium (PY97 Daniel Smith) mixed with various blues for the greens, instead of W & N Transparent Yellow (PY150) which I have discarded. I think that's it.

The painting was completed using one brush which was the Da Vinci Artissimo 44 Size 2 Kolinsky mop. This is roughly equivalent in size to something between a 12 and 14 round Kolinsky. A superb brush, one of my favourites even if it is expensive.

Initially I was quite pleased with the result but in the light of the following day have some doubts, which happens all too often. Comments welcome.

Wild Flowers

The other day I wandered along the lane near my home and collected a bunch of wild flowers, both from the verges of the road, down into the farmers field, and beyond into the community forest. I have done two  paintings with flowers collected from my small garden in the last two weeks, but wasn't really that enamoured of them. Recently I have started to question whether I was becoming too focussed on portraits to the detriment of other subjects. What exactly do I want to paint? I like doing portraits in the loose manner but also  still lifes, incorporating flowers and other objects in the manner of Charles Reid. Pure landscapes? Not really as I prefer old buildings with thatched roofs, and small boats on the rivers and canals around here.

 I managed to collect a good mixture of wild flowers, including a dark-coloured geranium from the verges outside one of the very old buildings along the lane, that may have been a garden escapee. Here is the result.

Wild Flowers- Fabriano Artistico Extra White Not 16" x 12"

I used a lot of colours in this painting. Transparent Yellow (W & N PY150), Cadmium Yellow Pale (Rowney PY35)), Indian Yellow (Rowney PY153) plus Green Gold (Rowney PY129). Reds were Permanent Carmine (W & N PR N/A), Opera Rose (W & N), Permanent Rose (W & N PV19). Greens were mixed partly from  yellows and blues except for Hookers Green (Maimeri PO49/PG7)) which was modified with Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and darkened with  Faience Blue (Maimeri PB60). The geraniums were Permanent Mauve (Rowney PV23) with some Carmine added. Other blues were Cerulean (W & N red shade) and French Ultramarine (Rowney PB29). A lot of the colours were mixed on the paper. The limited palette artists might flinch but flower painters usually have larger palettes and so do I. Opera Rose? A paint with limited lightfastness, although W & N say it is still better than many paints used in the past. I used it sparingly.

Conversely I only used three brushes. All Rosemary, Series 33 Kolinsky rounds in sizes 6 & 8 and Series 44 pure Kolinsky rigger size 7. Although this brush is called a rigger it is quite full bodied compared to most riggers and more like a very long No.6. I have bought a Da Vinci Series 35 No 8 specifically for flower painting but not used it yet. I quite like the result. Comments welcome.

Realistic Abstracts by Kees van Aalst

9" x 9" (23cm x 23cm) Paperback 160 pages

Published in 2010 by Search Press, with a reprint in 2011, this is a translation of a book originally published in Holland.  The concept is aptly described by the title `Realistic Abstracts'. I take this to mean an abstract painting with small areas of realism. Some months ago I saw something about this book and read the reviews on Amazon. They were generally positive and may have been the first time I heard about Viktoria Prischedko, who is described as one of the contributing artists. The painting on the cover is by Viktoria.

I find this an interesting book and am intrigued by this concept of realism allied to abstraction. Charles Reid talks about small areas of detail coupled with large areas of generality which isn't that different, although the resulting execution by the artists highlighted in the book is. Including the author twelve artists are listed as contributors, although all the text seems to be by Kees van Aalst. This method of painting seems to be very much in vogue on the Continent, indeed they appear to be pioneering it with many exciting artists painting in  a variety of styles roughly linked with the overall concept.

This isn't a book for beginners but something to encourage more experienced painters to `develop your own way of painting in this exciting style'. It is certainly making me think how I can incorporate some of the ideas and concepts into my current way of painting. The book is mainly illustrative although there is fair amount of text. One of the complaints on Amazon reviews was the lack of text but I don't agree with that.

Of the contributing artists the ones that I liked most are Viktoria and Slawa Prischedko www.prischedko.de/ , Cao Bei-An www.caobeian.com/ , Piet Lap, Xavier Swolfs www.xavierswolfs.com   and Helen Vriesendorp www.heleenvriesendorp.nl/ . Kees van Aalst's website is www.keesvanaalst.nl/ . 

The retail price is £12.99 Uk and US $25.95. I bought mine on Amazon, from one of their partners, for just under £11 including carriage. The SAA are selling it (`a best seller') for £9.99 and are currently out of stock. If you are interested in loose and impressionistic painting then it is certainly well worth obtaining.

`Permanent' Alizarin Crimson

The impermanence or `fugitive' qualities of the popular Alizarin Crimson PR83 were discussed last week. Actually there is no such thing as a `Permanent' version because all such alternatives are not Alizarin Crimson but different pigments. They ought really to be described as `Alizarin Crimson Hue', the key word being `hue'. Those paints intended as alternatives to the Cadmiums are thus described. Handprint gives a very comprehensive treatise on pigments but my intention is to try and simplify things and not give readers a headache. Actually, although some of these alternatives are described as similar or identical in hue, none quite compare to the original. This is possibly why it remains popular and still widely available. Apart from Daniel Smith no one comes out and says it is fugitive although in the case of Winsor & Newton, Rowney and some others - not all - the star rating is lower. Who reads the small print on the tubes anyway? It is frequently so small that it is difficult to find let alone read.

Generally speaking most basic palettes start with warm and cool versions of yellow, red and blue. This isn't always so but is probably the most popular. With regard to the red Alizarin Crimson was often - but not always - selected as the cool red so this is what we are looking to replace. The basic three paint primary colours, often called `printers colours', are Primary Yellow, Magenta and Cyan. Note this is not just `yellow, red and blue'.

Winsor & Newton recommend Permanent Rose (PV19) as one of the three primary colours, adding Scarlet Lake (PR188) when increased to six. Although they list a `Permanent Alizarin Crimson' it is a mixture of an unlisted pigment, usually written as PR N/A, and PR206 otherwise known as Brown Madder. Bruce McEvoy suggests Permanent Carmine as a better bet, no PR206.

 Some of the pigments/paints mentioned in the text. The top row and the right hand vertical one don't have much variation but note the difference between the Rowney version of Perylene Maroon PR179 (Note added 27/05/11. I am in error here. The Rowney PR179 is called Perylene Maroon and is similar to the Graham hue. The paint shown Quinacridone Magenta, is PR122) and that of Graham next to it. Note also Quinacridone Red PR209 as made by Graham and Daniel Smith. Differences in manufacturing processes, and also variations in the same pigment supplied by different sources,  are the probable cause. Note also the Cotman and Venezia student quality paints. Are they weaker than the artist quality?

What `Permanent Alizarin Crimsons' are there?

Winsor & Newton. Already described, a mix of PR N/A and PR206.

Rowney. Alizarin Crimson , correctly described as a `hue' (the original fugitive version is also still listed). A mixture of PR209 and PR179.

Graham. Permanent Alizarin Crimson (PR264), also list the original.

Lukas. Alizarin Crimson (PR176).

Daniel Smith. Permanent Alizarin Crimson a three pigment mix of PR177, PV19 and PR149.

Holbein. Permanent Alizarin Crimson. PR N/A presumably similar to the W & N Permanent Carmine.

Da Vinci. Alizarin Crimson (PV19).

PV19 Quinacridone Rose/Red and Violet - there are three versions - has become one of the most popular pigments and is increasingly appearing in manufacturers ranges, both as single pigment paints and in mixtures. Confusing?

According to Bruce Mc Evoy of Handprint the problem with the reds is that in general his tests show they mostly - even the newer colours - have `marginal' lightfastness.

Many artists won't want to get too involved with this stuff and I can understand that, although personally I find it fascinating as well as informative. IF you are interested then have a look at the Handprint section on paints. Bruce recommends a mixture of Perylene Maroon (PR179) and Quinacridone Magenta (PR122) as a better bet than most of the above.

Alizarin Crimson - Pigment Red 83 (PR83)

We know about `lightfastness' or more commonly `fading' in watercolours. This means that in so-called fugitive paints the original colour changes if exposed to sunlight. The most common effect is the colour just bleaches away. The above book cover is an example of what can happen. Obviously I don't know what the  colour is composed of but it is almost certainly a dye. Paints are not generally offered in watercolour made of or including dyes, although there are a few, Opera by Holbein is one example. The spine of the above book was originally exactly the same colour as the rest. The book has been in my north facing study in a bookcase with only the spine exposed to light, actually facing East. Despite being exposed to very little sun the colour faded in a very short time. This is a perfect example of a fugitive colour and what happens when exposed to light. This is also what happens to Alizarin Crimson PR83, a very popular colour over the years and still offered by such major paint manufacturers as Winsor & Newton, Holbein (Carmine, Rose Madder), Daniel Smith, Sennelier, Graham, Rowney and others.

 Sennelier offer at least four paints with PR83 so do Shin Han. Sennelier claim the paints that have PR83, some included in mixtures, are `moderately lightfast'.  Shin Han claim paints with PR83 are `permanent' or `absolutely permanent'. Sometimes instead of Alizarin Crimson we have names like Carmine or Rose Madder, Madder Lake etc. Holbein claim that their Carmine and Rose Madder, both PR83, are `absolutely permanent' despite what Bruce McEvoy, the ASTM (now known as ASTM International formerly American Society for Testing and Materials), Hilary Page, Michael Wilcox and others have found when testing this pigment. Rowney claim it is `normally permanent' and Winsor & Newton `moderately durable'. Daniel Smith call it like it is and list Alizarin Crimson PR83 as`fugitive'. Charles Reid has used Holbeins Carmine for years and this is pure PR83. He says that he has never had any complaints about fading. I think though he has now switched to the `Permanent' version, possibly from Winsor & Newton.

Read what Bruce McEvoy of Handprint says, having extensively tested this pigment,  with illustrations of what happens when it is exposed to light. His recommendation AVOID. If you use this pigment I urge you follow the link,  read what he says and view the examples he gives. www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/waterfs.html. The ASTM, the recognized authority on such things said in 1999 that PR83 was `not sufficiently lightfast to be used in paints' and `poor' to `very poor' in watercolours. If you continue to buy and use it that's a personal decision, but if you sell paintings is it ethical?

 There has been some discussion on Wetcanvas about this pigment and its suggested replacements. The consensus seemed to agree with the ASTM and Handprint findings. How do you avoid it? All the majors put pigment information on the tubes. Very small on many and a magnifying glass may be necessary (!) to read the details but it is there. You can also download pigment charts from virtually all paint manufacturers, although hard to find in some instances.  To their shame the SAA, the `Society for ALL Artists' does not give this information on the SAA range of watercolours, although I did, some time ago, finally receive a sheet giving details after I complained.

I was intending to cover the suggested replacements for Alizarin Crimson PR83 but have decided to do this in a separate piece next week. Interestingly the so-called student makes of Cotman, Van Gogh and Venezia do not offer any paints with PR83 and have switched to more lightfast alternatives.

Flowers ... and Things.

Flowers..and Things.- Canson Fontenay 16" x 12" Rough

The other day I decided that I needed a change of subject and went into my small garden to select some flowers as part of a still life. I added some fruit and two jugs. This isn't a specific flower painting just a painting with flowers in it a la Charles Reid's approach..

I first made a loose drawing and then painted. Not much preparation apart from juggling the still life about and the whole thing was completed in less than two hours. Yes possibly I should have spent more time on planning,  but I have a personal conflict between spontaneity and  deliberation. I should be more deliberate and think more about what I do I realise that, but on this occasion just wanted to get paint on paper with a changed subject after a lot of portrait work in recent months. Hopefully this will open the door to more considered paintings with a similar theme.

Colours used included Cerulean, Cobalt Blue, Indian Yellow (Rowney PY153), Ultramarine Violet (Rowney PV15), Permanent Carmine (W & N PR N/A), Permanent Rose (W & N PV19), Transparent Yellow (W & N PY150) with various blues for the greens. A touch of Greengold (Rowney PY129) and some Burnt Umber for the dark stems and white flower centres. Also touches of Gold Ochre (W & N PY43). I think that's more or less it. Usual brushes with Rosemary Series 33 No 9 prominent.

A word about the paper. I like Canson Fontenay a lot. It has a rough surface on one side and a not on the other. You can choose whichever side you want facing out when you order the blocks. A word of caution. The rough side is not very rough, more like a not on some other makes and the not surface moderately smooth. This suits me but may not suit everyone.  It is also available in sheets. I haven't looked very hard but the only source from the usual suppliers I deal with is Great Art www.greatart.co.uk . The other problem is the price has been increased in the last year and it is now more expensive than both Fabriano Artistico and Waterford, the other two makes I use most often. Still it is a very nice paper. Comments welcome.