As any reader of my books will know, I suggest a limited palette of lightfast colors which will give the maximum possible range of mixes. I do not base any of my suggestions on romantic ideas from the past but solely on the qualities of the pigment used. We now have at our disposal the finest colorants of all time. Unfortunately, there are also many inferior or poorly labeled substances on the market.
As many artists have experienced difficulty in identifying suitable colors, which are also lightfast, I have introduced our own paints. They are intended only for those with a clear understanding of the thinking that is behind them. In other words, they are for use within the School by the discerning colorist requiring the best available materials.
I wanted a limited range of high quality, lightfast colors which would be compatible with each other and give the widest possible range of mixes. The paints are specially produced for the School in small, controlled batches. They are made to my specification and contain only high quality, lightfast, genuine pigments. Readers of my book 'Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green' will have found that six colors are enough for a vast range of mixes. To these six - two reds, two yellows and two blues - I have added Phthalocyanine Green as a clear mid-green; Burnt Sienna to give a neutral transparent orange; Yellow Ochre as a neutral orange-yellow; Phthalocyanine Blue to provide a transparent green-blue; Raw Sienna for a semi-transparent neutral orange-yellow; and White.
I also wanted the same, carefully selected pigments to be used in each media. The same pure Cadmium Red (for example) to be used in the watercolors, oils, acrylics and artists gouache. Never before done.
The more we know about our colors the more versatile they become. I have examined and tested virtually every modern paint in the world as part of my research and genuinely feel that we offer the finest possible range of colors. There are only twelve colors in total. As these twelve can be mixed to give several million other hues, I feel they are more than enough..
...Your colors have given me such a lift - I love color, my life is colorful and now I am beginning to produce beautiful colors in a beginners but very self-satisfying way.
