Painting on Location
by Donald A. Jusko


Real Color Wheel for Pigment Artists

Chemical Colors, USA Manufacture's color choices on RCW

(Golden, Grumbacher, Liquitex, W/N color choices are great, 2006, they all have the correct transparent colors now. Daniel Smith is finally coming around, 10-18-2006, they published their color wheel. It now has the correct primaries, almost, their magenta of choice is PR19 which is too warm and makes a poor blue and they like the theory of separating the optical and mixing colors saying yellow is opposite purple. But they are getting closer, and that's a big step.)

for mixing complement opposition colors into neutral dark.





The Original RCW painting, 12-19-95, had 4 tints to white on 12 colors with 8 values to dark neutral.

Painting #816, acrylic, 15x22 on 1/8 mahogany plywood covered with polyester woven cloth.
 Liquitex had the first correct magenta back then and called it Acra Violet, PR122 was it's Color Name.
Sennelier is the only supplier I could find with the PR122 dry pigment, the best magenta color for making oranges and blues.

Real Color Wheel's are 36, 12, 6 or 3 colors.

Concentric Numbers of the RCW.

00. Outer rings, lighter pigment or tint hue of this color.
0. 100% full chroma for opaque pigments, 50% top-tone tint for transparent pigments.
1. 10 shades to dark.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Mass-Color of transparent pigments.
7.
8.
9.
10. 10% intensity of this color.


The dots on the colorwheel locate different pigments on 10 different value concentric rings.

The RCW Pigment Color Number for Cadmium Yellow Lemon Opaque is, RCW36#1.0.1, that is the coolest yellow in the yellow arc.
#1.0.9 is the warmest yellow in the yellow arc, a tint of Indian yellow transparent could be #1.00. #1.0 is the Pure Yellow arc with10 graduated values getting darker below it, there are 36 color arcs in all, Color #1, yellow, has five different pigment color values located in it, 00, 0, 3, 6 and 10 all have pigments in them.

Brown is the darkest intensity of Yellow. Mix this low intensity yellow with it's opposite color Ultramarine blue for a neutral dark.
THIS IS HOW AND WHY THE RCW WORKS.

 Element Color = Crystal and Chemical Colors = Pigment Color
They all become dark on the same color path.

While painting, darks should be made to match nature by mixing in the opposite complementary color and not by adding black pigments. These same color pigments are used in all media.
This RCW 36 colorwheel has brand pigment names and generic Chemical Class names.
It also includes the pigment chemical names in these Chemical Classes,
and the Color Index Name, and the Color Index Number.
.

Each brand name pigment is a chosen color made from one or more Chemical Classes in combination.
Each Chemical Class color travels on a graduated path changing hue and... (sometimes) Pigment Color and Color Index number as it moves. The PC number itself also has a graduated path of different related colors. Different brands, different names, same color.. or close. You have to find the right brand color, start with the Chemical Class color. Daniel Smith did a good job, so did Grumbacher. No one brand has all the best pigment colors and there is no standard for the names they choose to call them.

Example.. From the element Copper we get Copper Phthalocyanine as a Chemical Class with a path from green PG36 with chlorine and bromine to PG7 just chlorine to Cyan PB15. PB15 has a path from cyan to a transparent ultramarine/blue blue hue at PB15:6.

Or is it like Senopia says and sells, PB15.1 has a magenta cast, PB15.3 or 4 is pure cyan without magenta called Royal blue, which the English call ultramarine blue. PB15.6 has a magenta cast farther then PB.15.1. Recently I heard that Grumbacher uses PB15.4, I never saw the information, if that's the case, that's the one. No one sells it dry that I could find.
To paint a sky you need the purest PB15 cyan near the horizon line and by adding magenta or purple you get the sky's zenith color of ultramarine blue.

Manganese Blue PB15 (made of phthalocyan and phthalocyan chlorinated copper) is closer to the pure cyan color and can't be made with PB15.4. Manganese blue can make P15.4 with a little magenta. Grumbacher doesn't sell a Manganese blue hue but they have a great cyan called Thalo blue.

Blue-Violet is between Cyan and Magenta and is Ultramarine Blue in hue. Blue-Violet is a photo industrial color term for the blue filter used to make the yellow printing plate. Blue is opposite yellow. Red, Green and Blue are primary colors on the Light color wheel only.. red, green and blue are the more saturated RGB colors.

Red and Blue pigment colors are secondary colors and can be made mixing the pigment primary colors of transparent Yellow and Cyan or transparent Cyan and Magenta. Red pigment is not opposite green pigment, they are both secondary colors capable of being mixed with pigment.

As in the RCW, the same brown to yellow color intensity path of yellow is found in both element crystal compounds, and class chemical compounds. The elements lead and iron have oxides with similar ranges of color from yellow to brown and red to brown in synthetic chemicals and natural oxides, just like their crystal counterparts. Pigment color oppositions should match the natural color of the element's crystal oppositions. Just as the lead element only makes yellow and blue crystals. The RCW matches the chemical class colors with their paths to darker color intensities.

For we pigment artists, pigment color oppositions should match the element's crystal opposition which can make crushed pigments.
Crystal color paths to darker color intensities move straight across dark to the opposing color.

The Pigment Color numbers mark that color's position on that Chemical Classes path. Chemical colors and combinations make new brand name colors. Brand color names are still arbitrary. Pigment Color numbers and Color Index numbers are not arbitary and not logical, and they don't give the pigment's attributes. Which are from transparent to translucent, mono-toned or dual-toned and granular or not.


This RCW color wheel, based on the color paths in element crystals, oxides,
chemical colors and vegetable colors, it also works in stage lighting.


Yellow and red both darken to brown in crystals, natural oxides, chemical class pigments and vegetable colors.

Yellow to Brown
Elements in Crystal
The Chrysoberle crystal with the element Beryllium is the standard yellow cente. to brown transparent crystal.
The Citroen Quartz crystal with the element iron includes from yellow to orange to brown.
The Chalcopyrite crystal with iron will show colors from, yellow, orange, tan, red and brown.

Yellow to Brown Chemical Class Pigments
Diarylide Yellow makes these colors.
Diarylide Yellow AAA,
Diarylide Orange, PO34
Diarylide Red, PR166, Disazo Scarlet
Diarylide Brown  PY12 brown.

Yellow to Brown Chemical Class Pigments
Monoazo-Aceoacety Benzimidazolone makes this path of intensity for yellow colors, just like oxides and crystals.
Benzimidazolone makes these colors from yellow to brown only, like the Chrysoberle crystal and calcimined lead oxides.
Benzimidazolone Yellow H3g, PY154 CI# 11781, yellow to yellow-orange.
Benzimidazolone Yellow PY151. Naples Yellow Hue
Benzimidazolone Orange, PO62, 11775. D.S = Permanent Orange.
Benzimidazolone Orange H5g, PO62. Schmincke = Chrome Orange
Benzimidazolone Orange H5g, PO62, Lukas W/C = Helio Genuine Orange.
Benzimidazolone Orange HL, PO36, 11780.
Benzimidazolone Red, Deep Scarlet, PR175, 12513.
Benzimidazolone Carmine, Hf3c, PR176, 12515.
Benzimidazolone Brown, Permanent Brown, PBr25, 12510.
Benzimidazolone Maroon, Napthamide Maroon, PR171, 12512
Benzimidazolone Bordeaux PV32, 12517

Yellow to Brown Oxide Pigments,  Opaque and Translucent
- Mars chemical compound colors colors are synthetic iron oxides and follow the same color color intensity scale getting darker as iron oxides. Both are matched on the Real Color Wheel.
- Old Holland, Iron Oxides, Gold Ocher Light orange side, opaque. Brown Ocher Pale red side. Brown Ocher darker yellow side. Red Ocher dark red side opaque. Brown Ocher Deep is close to Iron Oxide Burnt Umber, translucent.
- Talens, Burnt Umber translucent, PR101, Iron Oxide Brown natural.
- Blockx, Iron Oxide, Venetian Red natural opaque PR101
- Blocks, Iron Oxide, Italian Earth natural translucent high silica content.
- Schmincke, Grumbacher and others, Iron Oxide Raw Sienna, PBr7, translucent high silica content.
- Old Holland, Iron oxide natural colors, Gold Ocher PY43, Brown Ocher Pale,
- Lefranc & Bourgeous, Vandyke Brown, PBr8 Manganese Brown.

Dual-Toned Transparent Pigments

Yellow to Orange path in Chemical Class pigments

-Tereachloroindolinone, which makes Isoindolinone Yellow R, a brown/side Indian Yellow .
-Isoindolinone Yellow, PY10, weak dual-tone and PY109.
-Paliotol Yellow-Orange is also slightly duel-toned to yellow PY39
-Anthraquinone, which makes transparent Anthrapyrimidine Yellow PY108 and Flavanthrone Yellow PY112
-Nickel complex, PG10F is the primary transparent compound. It makes Indian Yellow Green side, Indian Yellow PY153 and PY150 are Indian Yellow. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRANSPARENT YELLOW PIGMENT since Indian Yellow Original was discontinued in 1900. Not that cadmium opaque yellow or Benzimidazolone translucent yellow should be neglected. Buy your supply while this nickel complex is still availble, 1-6-5.
6-6-6 Golden Acrylics has some new colors in this range. Indian Yellow Golden Hue, Arylide Yellow PY7, Nickel Complex Azo PY150 and Quinacridone PR206, Transparent. I understand you may call this new pigment to be released in the fall of 2006, Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold. Also, for the brown side Indian yellow they have Nickel Azo yellow, PY150

Yellow to Green path in Chemical Class pigments
Nickel Complex, PG10, Green-gold.

Yellow to Magenta and Yellow to brown Chemical Class pigments.

Quinacridone Gold, RCW36#3.5, duel-tone, Yellow Oxide O/s hue in mass-tone, translucent.
Quinacridone Sienna, #5.6.
Quinacridone Red, #10.1, PR192, Red translucent with magenta under-tone.
Quinacridone Violet, #12.1mass-tone, PV19,  Grumbacher Thalo Crimson, opposite Thalo Green.
Quinacridone Magenta Y form, #14.5, mass-tone, PR122, Grumbacher and Liquitex, better for mixing blues and a good neutral with Thalo green.

ALIZARIN to Red and Brown Chemical Class pigments,
Anthraqinone A Vat Pigment makes these colors.
Alizarin Crimson 1.2 Dinydroxy Anthraqinone, transparent
Pyanthrone, Red Oxide hue, translucent
Perylene Red BL, Red, transparent
Perlene Red, Red-orange. translucent
Pyantrone Red, Red-Burnt Sienna hue


Cyan darkens to ultramarine blue hue in these transparent crystals and class chemicals... and the sky above us.

Crystal compounds Cyan to Blue in color depth.
-AZURITE crystal, Cu3[CO3]2[0H]2. COPPER, Standard Azure/Cobalt color, #22.1, [MCCC]. Includes cyan, azure (cobalt blue) and ultramarine blue hue, transparent, translucent and opaque, shows blue in mass.
-CALCITE crystals, CaCO3, trigonal crystals, also aggregate and mass, colorless, transparent and translucent.  
-CALCITE crystals w/COPPER, "Iceland Spar crystal", Cyan, allochromatic, polarizing filter. In this crystal light cyan turns into dark ultramarine blue, like in the the Real Color Wheel.

Chemical class compound pigments Cyan to blue.
The Copper Phthalocyanine chemical class.

-PB15 is a primary pigment color, Daniel Smith calls it Manganese Blue Hue instead of Cyan, but it is the same color. Marketing. Manganese does make an excellent cyan.
Phthalocyanine PB15:1 to PB15:6 go through cyan, cobalt blue and ultramarine blue. This color range is as the cyan Iceland Spar crystal, it shows from cyan to ultramarine blue. The color element in both crystal and pigment is copper. The pigment's mass-tone color looks darker then ultramarine blue genuine.
The chemical class of Ultramarine blue is a complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulphur, it makes only slight variations of this blue hue.
-Ultramarine Blue PB29 is translucent. Phthalocyanine Blue PB15.6 is a transparent cyan magenta/side.
-Phthalocyanine Blue PB15.3 by Holbein is called a transparent Cobalt Blue Tint. Sinopia calls PB15.3 Royal Blue but it's really cyan and as a tint should match the printers cyan print-out.
It is possible that PB15.3 is the perfect color, I don't know what Grumbacher uses, but they got it right, so did Hyplar Acrylic's Manganese, using a chlorinated copper phthalocyanine.

True Transparent Test, the under-tone of any tested pigment will not show lighter on a black paper.

Translucent pigments are semi-transparent or semi-opaque, weak opaque colors. Both strong and weak opaque colors all will lighten a black paper, so they are not transparent.
-Aureolin, PY40, Potassium Cobaltinitrite, is not transparent as has always been claimed, it's a translucent, a weak opaque. Chemicals can make a transparent dark brown pigment, oxides can make translucent and opaque pigments.

Here are the transparent yellow chemical pigments. Indian Yellow can be made with these Chemical Class colors;
-Dioxine Yellow Nickel Complex which makes Nickel Dioxine Yellow Br/s PY153 and Org/s PG10F.
-Disazo, which makes Dairylide Yellow HR70.
-Anthraquinone, which makes Anthrapyrimidine Yellow PY108 and Flavanthrone PY112.
-Tetrachloroindolinone, which makes Isoindolinone Yellow R, a brown/side Indian Yellow.

Using Transparent Yellow.
Indian Yellow is a set of two colors, transparent yellow-orange to yellow PY139, or better PG10F. And transparent yellow-brown to yellow PY153. They both seem to be very, very close. One is a strong yellow to mix with magenta making orange to crimson rose, including bright red, the other is for lower chroma greens and browns. These transparent duel-toned colors mix a lot of greens and reds.
Water Colors located on the Real Color Wheel, for accurate mixing oppositions.
RCW 36 Color Arcs, 1 to 10 darker Color Values, by Don Jusko
All opposite colors are complements used to mix shadows and neutral dark.


#1.00.1 Lemon Yellow Chromate
#1.00.2 Nickel Titanate Yellow PY53
#1.00.3 Hansa Yellow Light Arylide PY3
#1.0.1 Zinc Yellow
#1.0.3 Bismuth Yellow PY184
#1.0.5 Aureolin Cobalt PY40
#1.0.5 Cadmium Yellow Light PY35.1
#1.0.6 Cadmium Barium Yellow Pale
#1.0.8 Indian Yellow B/s Nickel Dioxine PY153 -PG10F
#1.0.9 Indian Yellow O/s Anthrapyrimidine PY108 Tint
#1.0.9 Flavanthrone Yellow is Vat Yellow 1 PY12
#1.2 Gamboge hue mass-tone translucent PY108
#1.3 Indian Yell Br/s Nickel Diox transp PY153 - PG10F
#1.4 Italian Warm Gold Ocher - Verona Gold opaque
#1.4 Nickel Azo, mass-tone transl PY150 O/s
#1.6 Raw Umber translucent PBr7
#1.10 Burnt Umber translucent PBr7
#2.00 Naples Yellow Light opaque
#2.0.4 Hansa Yellow Medium translucent PR3
#2.0.5 Cadmium Yellow Medium, PY35
#2.3 French Ocher R/s opaque PY43
#2.4 Yellow Oxide/Ocher Br/s opaque PY43
#2.10 Burnt Umber translucent PBr7
#3.00 Naples Yellow Deep opaque
#3.0 Cadmium Yellow Deep opaque
#3.3 Raw Sienna translucent PBr7
#3.4 Italian Deep Yellow Ocher R/s opaque
#3.6 Quinacridone Deep Gold PO48 transparent
#3.7 Transparent Brown Oxide PR101
#3.10 Burnt Umber PBr7
#4.0.1 Isoindolinone Yellow R transparent PY110
#4.0.4 Benizimidazolone Orange transparent PO62
#4.0.5 Cadmium Orange PO20 opaque
#4.6 Burnt Sienna translucent
#4.10 Burnt Umber translucent PBr7
#5.7 Italian Burnt Sienna PBr7 translucent
#5.10 Burnt Umber translucent PBr7
#6.0 Vermilion opaque - China Vermilion transl PR188
#6.10 Burnt Umber translucent PBr7
#7.0.5 Cadmium Red Light PR108 - Thioindigoid PR88
#7.5 Wm. Italian Venetian Red opaque PR101
#7.6 Wm. Red Oxide PR101
#7.9 Benizimidazolone Brown transp PBr25
#7.10 Burnt Umber transl PBr7
#12.0 Quinacridone Rose Bata transp PV19
#13.0 Quinacridone Magenta Y transp PR122
#14.0 Cobalt Violet PV49 opaq - Quin Violet PR212
#15.0 Manganese Violet top-tone PV23 (Rs)
#15.6 Manganese Violet mass-tone, PV23 (Rs)
#16.0 Dioxazine Purple T-tone transp PV15
#16.6 Dioxazine Purple M-tone transp PV15
#18.0 Ultramarine Violet T-tone, translucent
#18.6 Ultramarine Violet M-tone translucent
#19.0 French Ultramarine Blue transl PB29
#19.2 Ultramarine Blue Light transl PB29
#19.3 Ultramarine Blue Deep transl PB29
#22.0 Cobalt Blue opaque PB28
#22.0 Azurite, transp to opaque top-tone, PB28
#22.6 Azurite, transp to opaque mass-tone PB28
#25.0 Pathalo Blue - Cyan T-tone PB15.3
#25.6 Pathalocyanine Blue - Cyan M-tone PB15.3
#27.0 PhthaloTurquiose Top-tone PB15 + PG36
#27.6 PhthaloTurquiose Mass-tone PB15 + PG36
#29.3 Opaque Green Light
#31.0.1 Pathalocyanine Green Y/s T-tone transp PG7
#31.6.1 Pathalocyanine Green Y/s M-tone transp PG7
#31.0.10 Pathalocyanine Green B/s T-tone transp PG36
#31.6.10 Pathalocyanine Green B/s M-tone transp PG36
#33.3 Permanent Green Light opaque PY3 + PG7
#33.6 Hooker's Green Prm. transp PG36 + PY3 + PO49
#34.6 Chromium Green oxide opaque PG17
#35.0 Lime Green
#36.0 Priderit Yellow Yellow-Green opaque PY157
#36.3 Rich Green Gold Nickel Chelated Azo PG10, PG10F is Indian yellow O/s
#36.7 Green Gold Azomethine or Irgazine Green PY129
#36.10 Green Umber mass-tone translucent


3 color watercolor palette from Daniel Smith and others.

  * New Gamboge is equal to the result of Original Indian Yellow O/s, PG10F or PY150 Nickel Dioxine Yellow.
Two tubes, one color. Yellow is in two parts, one to make red and warm colors, one to make green and cooler colors.
  * Indian Yellow hue, PY108, Anthrapyrimidine and PY153 Yellow are equal to Original Indian Yellow Br/s.
If I could have only 3 tubes, Nickel Dioxine is very important, it tints to Cadmium Yellow's hue.
  * Quinacridone Magenta, PR122 is the best magenta. PV19 is a little better for reds, PV212 for blues.
  * Pathalo Cyan, PB15.3or4

5 color watercolor palette.
Nickel Dioxine Yellow PY153 (or) cool Indian Yellow PG10F
Burnt Sienna natural,  PBr7
Magenta, PR122
Ultramarine Blue, PB29
Cyan, PB15

6 color watercolor palette.
Nickel complex PY153 or PG10F
Burnt Sienna natural,  PBr7
Magenta, PR122 or PV19 (warm)
Dioxazine Purple, PV23 R/s
Ultramarine Blue, PB29
Cyan, PB15.3

12 color watercolor palette.
Nickel Dioxine Yellow Py153 or PG10F Yellow for greens.
Cad Yellow Light, PY35
Burnt Sienna natural,  PBr7
Venetian Red Oxide, PR101
Quinacridone Magenta, PR122
Carbazole Violet, PV23 R/s
Ultramarine Blue, PB29
Cobalt Blue, PB28
Pathalo Cyan, PB15
Turquoise, PB15 / PG36
Green, PG7
Yellow Green
Green Gold PG129 and PV19 Rose have got to be the next two color additions.



Real Color Wheel

Clickable photo chips of 49 Pigments on a Real Color Wheel. Don't miss it! New window


I wish.. I had a pre-made Purple made with PR122 and PB15, and a transparent Cool Magenta from Cobalt Violet Phosphorous.
Also a Rhodamine  Y, PR81, translucent or opaque, permanent. Maimeri calls it Garanium Lake and it's bright but fugitive.




Pigment Color Numbers MORE, in this window.

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since July 4th, 2003.