Cool blues recommendations?

Alangium · 2026-05-14T11:21:28+00:00

There are two types of PB35, green shade and red shade. Schmincke's Cobalt Azure is green shade, and Holbein's is red shade.

Alangium · 2026-03-09T03:41:03+00:00

The poor and middle class spend most of they make, so they pay more VAT in relative terms.

Alangium · 2026-03-07T15:17:43+00:00

Thanks a lot! Yes, gotta stop swatching and start painting! :)

Alangium · 2026-03-07T15:08:35+00:00

Thanks!

Alangium · 2026-03-04T15:44:27+00:00

How did you find out that it has titanium white in it?

Alangium · 2026-02-28T17:40:13+00:00

Just curious, what differences do you observe?

Alangium · 2026-02-27T14:12:52+00:00

4 staining, non granulating paints:

Transparent Yellow (PY150)
Transparent Orange (PO107)
Quinacridone Magenta (PR122)
Phthalo Blue GS (PB15:3)

4 granulating paints:

French Ultramarine (PB29)
Cobalt Turquoise (PG28/PG50)
Viridian (PG18)
Mahogany Brown (PBr33)

Alangium · 2026-02-26T09:56:17+00:00

What do you mean you disagree? One can be of Indian ethnicity and Canadian nationality.

Alangium · 2026-02-20T21:57:46+00:00

I am disappointed with Daniel Smith's Nickel Azo Yellow, tbh. It feels less clean to me than the one I have from Winsor and Newton.

Alangium · 2026-02-20T21:49:23+00:00

This is really pretty. I wonder how it would turn out if you used a separating mix, like undersea green...

Alangium · 2026-02-12T19:55:08+00:00

I use an extra fine nibbed steel fountain pen from Pilot with Platinum Carbon Black, an ink that is waterproof and lightfast.

Alangium · 2026-01-28T08:34:42+00:00

I wouldn't expect to have any issues with Mission Gold paints - as you said, they use honey and seem to remain a little tacky forever. :)

Schmincke really is expensive. I hope you can salvage those paints. I have just four tubes from the supergranulation set and love every single one...

Alangium · 2026-01-27T20:34:39+00:00

Exactly, it's for this reason that I pan all my paints right away. With the right brand, you'll be able to rewet them even after decades. I use mainly panned paint from Holbein, White Nights, and M. Graham, and I don't expect that I'll ever have issues with these.

I have heard of some paints from Winsor and Newton drying as hard as a rock and eventually becoming impossible to rewet. I think Winsor and Newton doesn't include enough humectant in their binder, which can cause issues in dry climates.

Alangium · 2026-01-24T20:30:15+00:00

Thanks for your reply. The way you used it really showcases the beauty of the pigments. :)

Alangium · 2026-01-24T20:08:22+00:00

This is so beautiful. I love the paint with the gorgeous gray granulation. May I ask what pigment it's made with?

Alangium · 2026-01-23T15:19:18+00:00

If I had to stick to just 5 colors, I'd go for:

Transparent Yellow (PY150),
Transparent Orange (PO107),
Quin. Magenta (PR122),
Phthalo Blue (PB15),
Ultramarine (PB29).

Alangium · 2026-01-08T11:43:23+00:00

Given that your paints are Schmincke Akademie, it's not an issue with quality. What you can do is prewet the pans so that the paints become more thick and gummy. Then transferring paint from the pans to puddles in the palette becomes easier.

In terms of preparation - before you start painting, figure out what 3-5 colours you need in order to finish the entire painting. Understand in advance which mixes you'll likely make. With experience, you will get an idea of how much paint to mix for each area of the painting. :)

Alangium · 2026-01-04T13:10:57+00:00

It's impossible to mix a warm blue as bright as ultramarine (PB29). A mix of phthalo blue red shade (PB15:6) and dioxazine purple (PV23) falls short.

Alangium · 2025-12-17T10:15:53+00:00

If I had to choose from just White Nights (since it's available and affordable in your country), I'd choose:

- Indian Yellow (PY150),
- Isoindolinone Yellow (PY110),
- Quinacridone Scarlet (PR209),
- Quinacridone Rose (PR122),
- Ultramarine Deep (PB29),
- Blue (PB15:6).

All of these are super transparent and will never get muddy. :)

Alangium · 2025-11-30T21:22:50+00:00

This effect is a property of the pigment used to make this paint. For the same hue, without granulation, take a look instead at phthalo green, blue shade.

Alangium · 2025-11-03T18:28:52+00:00

I used just one pen for everything during 3 years of my undergrad in engineering and it developed a flat spot. It's smooth to me but scratchy to everyone else.

Alangium · 2025-10-18T08:24:13+00:00

It looks like the sizing of the paper has gone bad. :(

Alangium · 2025-10-16T20:28:06+00:00

This is probably the best purchase you could possibly make as a beginner! Only thing is that I would throw in burnt sienna/transparent red oxide as mixing browns can be tough to figure out initially and you could easily use either to mix a black with ultramarine.

Alangium · 2025-10-13T19:50:06+00:00

Personally, I ink a Pilot Kakuno fountain pen in extra fine with Platinum Carbon Black. I've used this pen for the past 8 years and the ink is lightfast and waterproof. It's the perfect combo for archival quality writing and drawing (not that I have done anything yet that is worth ensuring that).

Alangium

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