the complete palette palettes

This page is a complete listing of the over one

hundred distinct pigments currently used in watercolors and serves as an
COLOR CATEGORIES
index to the pigments listed in the guide to watercolor pigments.
green yellow
Excluding iridescent or pearlescent pigments, fluorescent pigments or yellow
dyes, and the unique mineral complexes used in the Daniel Smith orange yellow
yellow orange
PrimaTek™ paints, nearly every watercolor manufactured in 2010 was
orange
made with pigments in this list, and their importance in all areas of red orange
drawing and painting has not changed. orange red
red
Pigments are organized into 27 color categories around artist's color deep red
violet red
wheel. Each category includes the currently used watercolor pigments for red violet
that color, and suggests a single pigment watercolor paint (by name and violet
manufacturer) that represents the pigment's unique attributes. blue violet
violet blue
blue
When a pigment under a single color index name is available as one or
green blue
more distinct colors, two paints are listed that illustrate the pigment's blue green
range. If the color range is extremely large (cadmium yellow, iron oxide), it green
yellow green
is listed in all the color categories that describe it.
earth yellow
earth orange
Different typefaces are used for the pigment or paint names, as follows: earth red
brown
cobalt blue highly recommended pigment white, gray & black

cobalt turquoise reliable and permanent pigment

alizarin crimson unreliable or fugitive pigment

quinacridone gold discontinued pigment

permanent green convenience mixture (2 or more pigments)

All the highly recommended pigments are lightfast, versatile, and handle
well in watercolors. They include (but are not limited to) the paints most
often chosen by most watercolor painters, and most of them are available
in most watercolor paint lines. Note that this group includes several
exceptional pigments that have not yet become widely popular or are only
offered by a single watercolor paint manufacturer.

Pigments fall into four basic categories: natural inorganic, synthetic

inorganic, natural organic, and synthetic organic. Nearly all pigments in
common use today are synthetic, and the majority of those are organic.
Typically all pigments within a chemical category such as "quinacridone"
or "naphthol" have similar lightfastness and color characteristics.

Manufacturer and paint catalog numbers indicate paints that were actually
tested in the guide to watercolor pigments. Many paints have been
discontinued or reformulated since this guide was compiled, and many
new pigments, especially in mineral compounds and ceramic colorants,
have been devised since 2008. Despite that, most of the pigments listed
here define pigment categories of high quality. In the future, environmental
costs of production are likely to make some pigments, including the
cadmiums, less popular.

The location of the 27 color categories is summarized as a color wheel

diagram called a palette scheme. The palette scheme below shows the
hue and chroma positions of the 27 color categories on the artist's color
wheel. High chroma colors are located on the rim of the circle,
unsaturated or "earth" colors are located inside it. The denser spacing of
color categories within the magenta to yellow or "warm" section of the
circle indicates a larger number of pigments and finer color differences in
that part of the hue range.

palette scheme for the complete palette

click on a palette scheme anywhere it appears to see a key identifying the color
categories symbolized by each diamond

Palette schemes are used throughout this site to illustrate the selection of
paints in artists' palettes, hue contrasts in different color harmonies, the
location of hues in hue circles, and so on.

1. Click on the palette scheme anywhere it appears (including here) to see

a key identifying the color category symbolized by each colored diamond.

2. Click on a color diamond in that key to go to that color category in the

table below.

3. Click on the color index name of any pigment in the table, and you will
jump to the analysis of that pigment in the guide to watercolor pigments.

4. Click on the hue description for a pigment in the guide to watercolor

pigments, and you will return to this table, where you can find other
pigments available in the same hue range.

Color Index Name Pigment Name(s) Paint Brand & Number

green yellow
PY3 hansa yellow light Daniel Smith 070
PY35 cadmium lemon Winsor & Newton 080
PY129 copper azomethine green Robert Doak ---
PY175 benzimidazolone yellow [lemon] Winsor & Newton 211
PY184 bismuth yellow Winsor & Newton 222
PG7+PY42 olive green Winsor & Newton 033
PG10 nickel azomethine green Daniel Smith 037
PY97+PG36 permanent green yellowish MaimeriBlu 338

yellow
PY1 arylide yellow G Blockx 212
PY34 chrome yellow Winsor & Newton
cadmium yellow pale Winsor & Newton 087
PY35
cadmium yellow M. Graham 060
PY40 aureolin Winsor & Newton 063
PY53 nickel titanate yellow Daniel Smith 061
PY74 hansa brilliant yellow Da Vinci ---
PY97 hansa yellow medium Daniel Smith 039
PY117 copper azomethine green Holbein 046
PY120 benzimidazolone yellow [middle] Old Holland 014
PY129 copper azomethine green Winsor & Newton 217
PY138 quinophthalone yellow Rowney Artists 014
PY151 benzimidazolone yellow [pale] M. Graham 018
PY154 benzimidazolone yellow [pale] Winsor & Newton 058
PY159 zirconium praesodymium silicate Winsor & Newton 348

orange yellow
PY65 hansa yellow deep Daniel Smith 031
PY83 diarylide yellow HR Old Holland 015
PY108 anthrapyrimidine yellow Daniel Smith 024
PY150 nickel azomethine yellow Daniel Smith 108
PY153 nickel dioxine yellow Daniel Smith 020
PY216 titanium zinc antimony stannate Winsor & Newton 649
NY24 genuine gamboge Winsor & Newton 069

yellow orange
PO20 cadmium yellow orange Blockx 312
PY35 cadmium yellow deep Winsor & Newton 086
PY110 isoindolinone yellow R Daniel Smith 133
PY139 isoindoline yellow MaimeriBlu 114
PY153+PO62 indian yellow Winsor & Newton 319

orange
PO20 cadmium orange M. Graham 038
Daniel Smith 212
PO62 benzimidazolone orange
MaimeriBlu 110

red orange
PO5 beta naphthol scarlet Lukas 1099
PO20 cadmium red orange Blockx 321
PO34 disazopyrazolone orange Lukas 1088
PO36 benzimidazolone scarlet Art Spectrum W11
MaimeriBlu 125
PO43 perinone orange
Daniel Smith 014
PO67 pyrazoloquinazolone orange Old Holland 145
PO69 isoindoline orange Old Holland 018
PO71 pyrrole orange Schmincke 218
PO73 pyrrole orange Daniel Smith 126
PR108 cadmium red orange Holbein 216

orange red [spectrum red]

PR48 beta oxynaphtholic acid scarlet Holbein 225
PR106 vermilion [mercuric sulfide] Blockx 320
cadmium scarlet Winsor & Newton 006
PR108
cadmium red light Holbein 214
PR112 naphthol AS-D red M. Graham 120
PR168 anthraquinone scarlet Old Holland 151
PR188 naphthol AS scarlet Winsor & Newton 044
PR242 disazo condensation scarlet Sennelier 675
PR251 pyrazoloquinazolone scarlet Schmincke 361
PR255 pyrrole scarlet Daniel Smith 084

red
Note: "Spectrum" red pigments (those that contain no blue reflectance) are indicated with an asterisk (*).
See the sample reflectance curves here.
PR3 beta naphthol red* Blockx 225
PR9 naphthol AS red* Lukas 1097
PR108 cadmium red* Winsor & Newton 082
PR149 perylene scarlet* Daniel Smith 044
PR170 naphthol AS red* Rowney Artists 509
PR209 quinacridone red M. Graham 155
PR214 disazo condensation red* Old Holland 024
PR254 pyrrole red MaimeriBlu 263
PR260 isoindoline scarlet* Old Holland 148

deep red
Note: "Spectrum" red pigments (those that contain no blue reflectance) are indicated with an asterisk (*).
See the sample reflectance curves here.
PR23 naphthol AS carmine* Holbein 210
PR83 alizarin crimson Winsor & Newton 002
cadmium red deep* MaimeriBlu 232
PR108
cadmium red* M. Graham 040
PR170 naphthol AS red* Daniel Smith 093
PR176 benzimidazolone carmine Daniel Smith 094
PR177 anthraquinone red MaimeriBlu 253
PR178 perylene red Daniel Smith 029
PR179 perylene maroon Daniel Smith 002
PR216 pyranthrone red deep Holbein 023
PR264 pyrrole crimson Daniel Smith 127
PR N/A quinacridone pyrrolidone [carmine] Winsor & Newton 226
PV19 quinacridone red Daniel Smith 056
PV29 perylene violet Winsor & Newton 470

violet red [magenta]

PR60 disazo lake Holbein 002
PR122 quinacridone magenta Winsor & Newton 229
PR171 benzimidazolone maroon Daniel Smith 039
PR202 quinacridone magenta Daniel Smith 073
PV19 quinacridone violet M. Graham 158
Winsor & Newton 075
PV19 quinacridone rose
M. Graham 156
PV32 benzimidazolone bordeaux Daniel Smith 008
PV42 quinacridone pink Daniel Smith 013
NR9 rose madder genuine Winsor & Newton 090
NR4 cochineal (carmine) Sennelier 637

red violet
PR88 thioindigo violet Winsor & Newton 231
Holbein 110
PV14 cobalt violet deep
Rowney Artists 417
PV15 ultramarine red Daniel Smith 052
PV16 manganese violet Daniel Smith 038
PV49 cobalt violet light Daniel Smith 088
PR259 ultramarine pink M. Graham 192

violet
Holbein 110
PV14 cobalt violet deep
Daniel Smith 030
PV15 ultramarine violet [RS] Winsor & Newton 221
PV23 dioxazine violet Winsor & Newton 213

blue violet
PB29+PV15 ultramarine violet [BS] M. Graham 193
PB60 indanthrone blue Daniel Smith 018
PV39 triphenylmethane violet Sennelier 903

violet blue
ultramarine blue M. Graham 190
PB29 french ultramarine Winsor & Newton 068
ultramarine blue deep Holbein 094
PB29 ultramarine blue GS Winsor & Newton 220
PB72 cobalt blue deep Rowney Artists 116
PB73 cobalt blue deep Winsor & Newton 233
PB74 cobalt blue deep Old Holland 038

blue
PB15:1 phthalocyanine blue RS Winsor & Newton 208
phthalocyanine blue M. Graham 140
PB15:3
phthalocyanine blue GS Winsor & Newton 207
Daniel Smith 036
PB27 iron [prussian] blue
Winsor & Newton 003
PB28 cobalt blue M. Graham 090
Holbein 092
PB35 cerulean blue RS
Winsor & Newton 065

green blue
PB15:3+PG7 green blue MaimeriBlu 409
PB16 phthalocyanine turquoise MaimeriBlu 350
PB17 phthalocyanine cyan Holbein 101
PB33 manganese blue Blockx 250
Daniel Smith 065
PB36 cerulean blue GS
M. Graham 080
PB36 cobalt turquoise Winsor & Newton 078
PG50 cobalt teal blue Utrecht 166

blue green
phthalocyanine green M. Graham 150
PG7
phthalocyanine green BS Winsor & Newton 209
PG18 viridian Winsor & Newton 077
PG19 cobalt zinc oxide Rowney Artists 324
PG26 cobalt chromate Schmincke 533
PG50 cobalt titanate [BS] Winsor & Newton 067

green
PG7+PY3 permanent green Daniel Smith 022
PG36 phthalocyanine green YS Winsor & Newton 210
cobalt titanate YS Winsor & Newton 234
PG50
cobalt green light MaimeriBlu 316

yellow green
PG7+PY150 hooker's green Rembrandt 623
Blockx 161
PG23 terre verte
Winsor & Newton 048
PG7+PY3 Daniel Smith 047
permanent green light
PG36+PY175 MaimeriBlu 339
PG7+PO49 sap green Daniel Smith 043
PG7+PY3 phthalo yellow green Daniel Smith 124
PG8 hooker's green Utrecht 163
PG17 chromium oxide green Winsor & Newton 072
PG36+PO49 hooker's green Winsor & Newton 202

Note on "earth" colors. Traditionally, a large number of unsaturated warm or green pigments were extracted from natural
clays mined throughout Europe and the Middle East. In modern watercolors these natural pigments are often replaced by
mixtures of many different synthetic iron oxide pigments, many of them manufactured as concrete colorants or wood and
leather stains. However, these are still referred to as "earths" in the art materials literature, and the term "hue" is routinely
omitted by paint manufacturers from paint marketing names. This section includes natural iron oxides pigments, synthetic
iron oxides, and synthetic organic pigments that have the same dull or near neutral color appearance: compare the chroma
of pigments in the orange and earth orange hue categories, for example.

earth yellow
Daniel Smith 197
PBr7 raw sienna
M. Graham 160
PBr24 chrome titanate yellow Winsor & Newton 203
PO49 quinacridone gold Daniel Smith 096
PR108+PO20+PW6 Holbein 232
naples yellow
PY37+PY42+PW4 Blockx 115
gold ochre Winsor & Newton 059
PY42 mars yellow Daniel Smith 060
transparent yellow oxide Daniel Smith 121
PY43 yellow ochre Winsor & Newton 216

earth orange
Daniel Smith 198
PBr7 burnt sienna
M. Graham 020
burnt sienna Winsor & Newton
PR101
transparent red oxide Daniel Smith 020
PBr11 magnesium ferrite Daniel Smith 019
PO48 quinacridone orange Daniel Smith 091
PO49+PR209 quinacridone sienna Daniel Smith 095
PR102 burnt yellow ochre Old Holland 059
Holbein 328
PY119 zinc magnesium ferrite
Winsor & Newton 381

earth red
PO65 methin nickel complex Old Holland 136
PR101 venetian red [mars red] Winsor & Newton 051
PR101 indian red Utrecht 006
PR101 mars brown Old Holland 346
PR101+PY42 light red Winsor & Newton 029
PR175 benzimidazolone red Daniel Smith 046
PR206 quinacridone maroon Daniel Smith 007
PR233 chrome aluminum stannate Winsor & Newton 537

brown [dark earth hue]

PBr6 van dyke brown M. Graham 194
Daniel Smith 041
PBr7 raw umber
Winsor & Newton 554
PBr7 burnt umber M. Graham 030
PBr25 benzimidazolone brown Daniel Smith 032
PBr33 zinc iron chromite Schmincke 041
PBr41 disazo condensation brown Schmincke 648
PR101 transparent brown oxide Daniel Smith 129
caput mortuum Winsor & Newton 215
PR101
mars violet Daniel Smith 102

white
PW4 zinc white Winsor & Newton 011
titanium white Winsor & Newton 206
PW6
buff titanium white Daniel Smith 015

gray
PBk10 powdered graphite Daniel Smith 010
PBk19+PW4+PBk6 davy's gray Winsor & Newton 019

dark shade
PBk6+PB60 indigo Daniel Smith 025
PBk6+PB15+PV19 neutral tint Winsor & Newton 032
PBk6+PB29 payne's gray M. Graham 128
PBr7+PBk7 sepia M. Graham 178
PBk31 perylene black Winsor & Newton 386

black
PBk6 lamp black Winsor & Newton 034
PBk7 furnace black MaimeriBlu 537
PBk8 vine black Old Holland 367
PBk9 ivory [bone] black M. Graham 110
PBk11 black iron oxide Daniel Smith 021

Last revised 08.I.2015 • © 2015 Bruce MacEvoy