the complete palette palettes

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

Different typefaces are used for the pigment or paint names, as

follows:

cobalt blue highly recommended pigment

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
PY35
cadmium yellow pale Winsor & Newton 087
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
PO62 benzimidazolone orange Daniel Smith 212
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
PO43 perinone orange MaimeriBlu 125
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
PR108 cadmium scarlet Winsor & Newton 006
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
PR108 cadmium red deep* MaimeriBlu 232
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
PV19 quinacridone rose Winsor & Newton 075
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
PV14 cobalt violet deep Holbein 110
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
PV14 cobalt violet deep Holbein 110
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
PB15:3 phthalocyanine blue M. Graham 140
phthalocyanine blue GS Winsor & Newton 207
PB27 iron [prussian] blue Daniel Smith 036
Winsor & Newton 003
PB28 cobalt blue M. Graham 090
PB35 cerulean blue RS Holbein 092
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
PB36 cerulean blue GS Daniel Smith 065
M. Graham 080
PB36 cobalt turquoise Winsor & Newton 078
PG50 cobalt teal blue Utrecht 166

blue green
PG7 phthalocyanine green M. Graham 150
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
PG50 cobalt titanate YS Winsor & Newton 234
cobalt green light MaimeriBlu 316

yellow green
PG7+PY150 hooker's green Rembrandt 623
PG23 terre verte Blockx 161
Winsor & Newton 048
PG7+PY3 permanent green light Daniel Smith 047
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
PBr7 raw sienna Daniel Smith 197
M. Graham 160
PBr24 chrome titanate yellow Winsor & Newton 203
PO49 quinacridone gold Daniel Smith 096
PR108+PO20+PW6 naples yellow Holbein 232
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
PBr7 burnt sienna Daniel Smith 198
M. Graham 020
PR101 burnt sienna Winsor & Newton
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
PY119 zinc magnesium ferrite Holbein 328
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
PBr7 raw umber Daniel Smith 041
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
PR101 caput mortuum Winsor & Newton 215
mars violet Daniel Smith 102

white
PW4 zinc white Winsor & Newton 011
PW6 titanium white Winsor & Newton 206
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