Values of Pigments in Paints

This is part two of the article "Pigments: Light and Dark," which deals with how light and dark pigments appear in different drawing and painting mediums such as oils, watercolors, acrylics and pastels. This second part of the article deals with specific pigments and classes of pigments.

Below is a list of commonly used pigments and their relative lightness or darkness. This list assumes the pigment is used in oils unless otherwise noted:

Dark-Value Pigments

• All blacks in oils, acrylics and most varnished mediums.
• Azine black. Seldom used alone, this organic black is probably the darkest of all dry pigments. In soft pastel, it is often used in making a color called "Intense Black."
• Dioxazine Violet. Except for actual blacks, this produces the darkest color in oils and in most water-based mediums and is one of the darkest pigments available in soft pastels.
• Prussian Blue. In soft pastels, this produces one of the darkest colors.
• The Indanthrone (also called Indanthrene or Anthraquinone) Blues. These also produce among the darker colors in pastels.
• All of the phthalo blues and greens except possibly the managanese blue shade of phthalo blue. As noted elsewhere, all the phthalo pigments but especially the phthalo greens are lighter in water-based media and are much lighter in soft pastels.
• Ultramarine Deep, particularly in oils.
• Usually Burnt Umber and sometimes Raw Umber (which can be the darkest of the commonly used earth colors)
• Genuine Alizarin Crimson. This pigment is rarely used in acrylics. In other water-based mediums it tends to be at least somewhat lighter and is significantly lighter in soft pastels. However, it is not a very permanent pigment and can be replace with any of the alizarin crimson hue colors.

Medium-Dark-Value Pigments

• The Ultramarine Blues in acrylics and some watercolors.
• The quinacridone reds, crimsons and violets.
• The perylene reds. The maroon shade is the darker of the two common perylenes.
• Many of the cobalt colors: Cobalt Blue Deep, and in oils, Cobalt Blue Light (often just called Cobalt Blue) and cobalt green deep and cobalt violet deep.
• Viridian Green. Hydrated Chromium Oxide Green. Cool, transparent, weak tinting green. Permanency close to the earth colors. Rarely used in acrylics or pastels.
• Burnt and Raw Sienna.
• Some varieties of Raw Umber.

Medium-Value Pigments

• Cerulean Blue. This pigment can vary from medium dark in oils to medium light in some water-based paints. Cerulean blue "hue" and "Sky Blue" colors are usually phthalo blue mixed with a relatively small amount of white. The white does not function as an extender or cheapener but produces brilliant hues that can not at this time be produced by any single, permanent pigment.
• Cobalt Violet Light. A very permanent but toxic rose-violet pigment.
• Yellow Ochre and Mars (Synthetic Iron Oxide) Yellow.
• Chromium Oxide Green. Anhydrous Chromium Oxide. Dull, warm and very opaque. The most permanent green pigment. Chemically identical to Viridian except lacking "the water of hydration" that makes Viridian transparent.
• Most red pigments including the cadmiums, pyrolles, naphthols and the natural earth red and synthetic iron oxide reds. The "Deep" varieties are usually darker and cooler than the "Medium" or "Light" versions.
• Most clear oranges are medium-value colors. This includes the cadmiums, perinones, azos and pyrolle oranges.

Light Value Pigments

• Most yellows are light colors. The most commonly used yellows are the azo group yellows (various arylides and the newer benzimadazolone yellows) , the cadmium yellows and the new, non-toxic bismuth yellows. To mix dark colors with yellows -- dark greens for example -- use a yellow that is as transparent as possible. Caution: Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow) is transparent but of only moderate permanency and is toxic.
• Cobalt Turquoise Light (Cobalt Teal Blue). The most permanent turquoise pigment.
• Cobalt Green Light.
• Whites
• Various darker colored pigments pre-mixed with white pigments, similar to but lighter than the cerulean hue colors mentioned above. Often colors with the prefix "Brilliant" are in this group. In Gamblin Artist's Oils, the pale pre-mixes are called "Radiant" colors.

Sources:

• The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques, by Ralph Mayer, Viking Press, 1982.
• The Materials & Techniques of Painting, by Kurt Wehlte, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
• The Oil Color Book by Winsor & Newton, Colart Fine Art and Graphics Limited, 2001.

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