Thankfully, this is only the case for a few pigments. Paint manufacturers can take advantage of this to produce a greater variety of colors. So chemically speaking they are classed as PV19 but they produce different color results. Pigments can exist in slightly different forms but still have the same chemical composition. The pigment number is not always a guarantee of color appearance. So how can they produce different hues if they all contain the same pigment? For example, the colors Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Rose, and Quinacridone Violet all use one single pigment labeled PV19. When you look at their color chart you can see several paint colors which use the same single pigment, but which have different color appearances. Take the example of Daniel Smith watercolors. Ok… This next bit is slightly geeky, but you may ask yourself the following question when you start examining paint labels. Paints with more than one pigment are generally known as “ convenience” mixtures (more about these later). You also want to look at the quantity of pigments used in the formula. The “PB” means “pigment, blue”, and “28” means that it’s the 28th blue pigment listing in the color index.
For example PB28 is traditionally used for Cobalt Blue. Pigment numbers tell you exactly which pigment was used in the ingredients.
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It’s a pretty simple code and begins with the letter P (for pigment) followed by some letters to indicate a basic color category: This handy color index avoids having to use the technical chemical names of pigments. And it provides artists with the most trustworthy way to identify colors used in paint ingredients. This is a standardized list which is internationally recognized by all manufacturers. To make pigment identification easier to remember, paints use a code known as the Color Index Name.
I’ll cover some of the other properties later, just so you know what they are. You’ll sometimes find other information on the labels as well, but the list above are the most important characteristics to look for.
Ignore the generic name and take a peek at the label! There are a few characteristics which you should look for: So how do figure out which paints to use? This is mixed with a few other things to improve the paint’s handling qualities, including gum arabic, glycerin, and a wetting agent.Įach of these ingredients varies from one brand to another, and even if the ingredients between two brands are extremely similar, the marketing name probably won’t be the same! Manufacturers can call their products whatever they want, so don’t rely on it for comparing paints. The principle ingredient in watercolor paint is the pigment. If you have the chance to choose you paints ahead of time you can generally find a complete color chart on the paint producers website. Labels vary from one manufacturer to another, and sometimes not all the information is available on the label itself. Which is why, if you’re serious about watercolors, you need to read the labels and the manufacturers data if you want to learn more about the paints you purchase. But those fancy names are just marketing names, and they don’t really tell you anything about what’s inside the paint. You often see names like “Phthalo”, “Quinacridone” and “Sienna”. You’ve probably noticed the poetic names printed on your tubes of watercolor. And it also helps your color mixing skills when you know which pigments you’re mixing. Knowing what’s actually in the paint formula will help you choose your paints with confidence. Interpreting labels might seem confusing at first but it’s actually quite simple once you become familiar with it. Why is this information important? Because it can help you choose your paint, and give you a better understanding of color mixing. The generic name of the paint is less important. So how do you read the labels on watercolor paints? There are at least four important characteristics to look for on labels: the pigment number, the transparency rating, the lightfastness, and the staining property of the paint.
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A basic understanding of how to read this information is a great way to familiarize yourself with watercolors. I remember when I first started painting I was bewildered by the huge range of hues, the different brands, the fancy names, and all those code numbers on the labels. Beginners often get confused about watercolor paint.
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