My Old Master Palette

[Karin Wells]

There are times when I see an artist's paintings that I wonder what colors they use.

In my work, I am greatly inspired by the Old Masters. Here is the limited core palette of (mostly Windsor-Newton) colors I use to get "that look"...

*Titanium White
Zinc White
*Yellow Ochre Pale (Windsor Newton)
*Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Orange
Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
Alizarin Crimson
*Indian Red
Raw Umber
Burnt Umber
French Ultramarine Blue
Prussian Blue
Ivory Black

* Indicates opaque paints. All the rest of the colors in my palette are glaze colors.

Note: I seldom, if ever, use the blues except as glaze colors. I make the color of "blue" the old-fashioned way - by mixing ivory black and titanium white. (When you see my work, you would swear I use blue.....but I don't!)

Although I think that there is no color that I cannot mix with these paints , I do experiment with other colors.

[William Whitaker]

I go around and around and nothing is ever written in stone, but lately I've been using Old Holland Cremnitz (flake) white into which I mix a little titanium white to make it more opaque.

Like a lot of other art stuff, the flake white "feels" like it looks better. I can't explain it.

[Karin Wells]

I agree, I'd love to paint with flake white. But I won't use it. It has lead in it and that is a no-no for me....too toxic....I do use Liquin though and that is bad enough.

I just ordered a safe Gamblin substitute for Flake white...and when it comes, I'll test it out.

Right now, I am using Griffin Alkyd Titanium White (by Windsor Newton) because it dries so very fast and quite frankly, I am verrry impatient. Working in layers that dry inbetween painting sessions takes a long time and anything that I can do to shorten this process makes me happy and more productive.

I mix Griffin Alkyds (when the color is on target) and traditional oil paints with my medium (Liquin) to hasten drying times.

[William Whitaker]

Karin,
I would be very interested in your report on Gamblin's Flake White replacement. I haven't tried it myself and I'm curious.

White lead paint has certainly gotten a lot of bad press in the past decade or two. When I was a kid, our toys were made of lead. I

[Karin Wells]

I think that lead paint is serious poison...

My oldest son was lead paint poisioned as a child and we went through some expensive and difficult chelation therapy. He never ate paint...we learned that with some people, merely touching the paint (even when it is dry!) can be absorbed into the body through the skin. Lead in the body is stored in the soft tissues (i.e., the brain). An overload will quickly and silently cause brain injury and eventually lead to a painful death.

I am glad that the government is fussy about these things...and I hope it gets even fussier on these environmental issues...

[William Whitaker]

Karen,

I see your point. I've been very lucky.

Bill

[Tarique Beg]

Hi Karin

I love using Prussian Blue but I read somewhere that it was extremely fugitive. The same with Van Dyke brown which I also like (it's not in your recommended palette).

I know the Windsor and Newton brands (the professional artist grade) are marked with a level of permanence. What is your long term experience with Prussian Blue?

I understand you study the old masters. So, I'd like to know what their opinion was of Prussian Blue?

I think Windsor and Newton also have two Alirizon Crimsons. One of them which, I'm told, has an almost imperceptible shade of difference from true Alirizon Crimson, is the permanent one, while true Alirizon Crimson is supposed to be notoriously fugitive. I'd also appreciated it if you have information on Vandyke brown.

The information I have of impermanence is from reading here and there and talking to art store owners. I'm sure you'd have better sources of information with your study of the old masters and their techniques.

Thanks,
Tarique

[Karin Wells]

All Winsor & Newton colours rated AA or A are recommended as permanent for artists

[Tarique Beg]

Thanks for the Windsor and Newton website link Karin.