My TOP selection of Pigments
Would like to share watercolor pigments that I use the most in my daily painting process. My paint box has 53 pigments :) I don't use them all, most of them have been used 5-10 times, but I have my TOP pigments that are used again and again and again :)
Lemon Yellow – Schmincke
Indian Yellow - Schmincke
Transparent Yellow - Winsor&Newton
Sennelier Red - Sennelier
Alizarin Crimson - Schmincke
Perylene Maroon - Winsor&Newton
Perylene Violet - Winsor&Newton
Blue Violet - Sennelier
Opera Rose - Winsor&Newton
Permanent Rose - Winsor&Newton
Manganese Violet - Schmincke
Red Violet - Mijello
Permanent Sap Green - Winsor&Newton
Perylene Green - Daniel Smith
Ultramarine Blue - Schmincke
Indigo - Winsor&Newton
Manganese Blue Hue – Winsor&Newton
My paint box has 53 pigments :) I don't use them all, most of them have been used 5-10 times
This is still quite a wide range of pigments if I needed to pick TOP pigments and live alone on an island :))) then it would be - Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Transparent Yellow, Sennelier Red, Alizarin Crimson, Perylene Violet, Perylene Maroon, Red Violet, Manganese Violet, Permanent Rose, Permanent Sap Green, Perylene Green, Ultramarine Blue, Indigo!!!!
This pigment selection came as inspiration from other botanical artists, teachers, and my own experience with watercolor painting. As I was just starting - I wanted to buy a lot of different pigments and still was struggling with finding the right color mix. With experience in watercolor botanical painting, I tend to use a lesser amount of pigments and some tubes haven't been opened for years.
I know botanical artists that use 5 to 7 pigments in total :) and now I see that it is possible, but there are so many beautiful pigments - why not just use them :))))
https://www.kristineart.com/shop/p/watercolor-set-green
Selection of 14 Professional Watercolor pigments. These watercolors are the highest quality and will last for a long time. Using these pigments you will be able to mix any color you will need! FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING!
Using a lesser range of pigments allows traveling with a small watercolor paintbox, and paint outside a studio without bringing a lot of art supplies! Also, it helps with not over mixing pigments what can lead to messy color mixes on a painting! One of the rules with color mixing is - mix 2 to 3 pigments, maximum 4. And layering pure pigment washes between layers will help you to keep subject fresh and vibrant!
Most important - experiment with pigments that You have already in Your paintbox, make color mixes, color swatches, color charts - know your pigments and then if You can't work with them, search for something new :) Here is a tutorial on how to know your pigments better: https://youtu.be/tpmkyqAWqKU
If you are interested in my Top selection of pigments, I have a very useful and nice Watercolor Set to try all these pigments - https://www.kristineart.com/shop/p/watercolor-set-green
This small box holds professional watercolor pigments and will last for a long time just because these pigments are professional grade and rich in pigment saturation.