Watercolor Web

Brands I use:

M. Graham, Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, daVinci

The daVinci version is slightly more saturated than the other brands.

How I Use it:

Perylene Maroon with Phthalo Green

Perylene Maroon with Perylene Green

For Making Darks:

A deep crimson is essential to my palette, and it is most useful for creating darks. Although there are more saturated alternatives to perylene maroon, such as Winsor & Newton’s Permanent Alizarin or Daniel Smith’s Carmine, nothing beats perylene maroon for its lightfastness or ability to create a rich dark.

A deep green, used in conjunction with perylene maroon, makes an exceptional dark that approaches the darkness of lamp black. My favorite choices are Phthalocyanine Green (also known as Winsor Green) and Perylene Green. Both of these combinations dilute to a lovely, neutral gray.

Mixed greens, such as sap green or hookers green, will not go as dark as a single pigment green.

Perylene Maroon with Cadmium Red Light

For Shadows on Red:

I love to put red objects in my paintings, and M. Graham Cadmium Red Light has long been a favorite red paint. Perylene Maroon is slightly cooler than the cadmium red, and when I use the the maroon in the shadows then red appears to glow in a warm light.