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green
Key to the Paint Ratings
PIGMENT PIGMENT PAINT
MANUFACTURER CODE Tr St VR Gr Bl Df HA HS Lf
C.I. NAME CHEMICAL NAME MARKETING NAME

chlorinated copper
PG7 phthalocyanine (1927; winsor green BS Winsor & Newton 209 3 4 53 0 1 1 178 -2 8,8
1938)
PG7 phthalocyanine green M. Graham 150 3 4 64 1 2 2 184 -5 8,8
PG7 phthalo green BS Daniel Smith 055 3 4 59 0 2 1 179 -2 8,8
PG7 phthalo green Rembrandt 675 4 3 59 0 3 4 176 -1 8,8
PG7 cupric green deep MaimeriBlu 324 4 3 52 0 3 4 177 -2 8,8
PG7 phthalo green DaVinci 268 4 4 62 1 2 2 175 -1 8,8
PG7 blockx green Blockx 263 4 4 58 1 1 3 175 -3 8,8
PG7 phthalocyanine green Utrecht 167 4 3 55 0 3 1 174 -3 7,8
PG7 phthalo green Rowney Artists 361 4 3 50 0 3 1 175 -2 7,8

convenience greens made with PG7, listed in hue angle order from blue green to yellow green
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY150 phthalocyanine + nickel hooker's green deep Rembrandt 623 2 3 58 0 3 2 161 0 7,8
azomethine yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY175 phthalocyanine + zinc winsor emerald
Winsor & Newton 054 2 4 27 0 3 2 160 -13 3,6
+PW4 oxide + benzimidazolone [discontinued in 2005]
lemon
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY151 phthalocyanine + permanent green light M. Graham 130 2 3 63 0 3 2 160 -7 7,8
benzimidazolone yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY3 phthalocyanine + arylide permanent green light Utrecht 161 2 3 52 0 4 1 159 -16 7,7
yellow 10G
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY3 phthalocyanine + arylide permanent green Daniel Smith 022 2 3 44 0 3 0 158 -13 7,8
yellow 10G
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY175 phthalocyanine + permanent green deep MaimeriBlu 340 3 2 43 0 2 4 158 -9 7,8
benzimidazolone lemon
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY154 phthalocyanine + permanent green Rembrandt 662 2 3 57 0 3 2 157 -7 7,8
benzimidazolone yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY3 phthalocyanine + arylide
hooker's green #2 [dark] Rowney Artists 354 4 3 36 0 3 1 153 -5 5,6
+PV19 yellow 10G +
quinacridone rose
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY3 phthalocyanine + arylide permanent green light Daniel Smith 047 1 3 35 0 4 2 148 -15 6,7
yellow 10G
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY153 phthalocyanine + nickel hooker's green #1 [light] Rowney Artists 353 4 3 60 0 3 1 140 -12 4,4
dioxine yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PO49 phthalocyanine + hooker's green MaimeriBlu 325 3 3 60 0 2 3 139 -14 7,8
quinacridone gold
chlorinated copper
phthalocyanine +
PG7+PY110 hooker's green M. Graham 108 1 3 63 0 4 1 139 -5 7,8
tetrachloro-isoindoline
yellow
chlorinated copper

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PG7+PY3 phthalocyanine + arylide phthalo yellow green Daniel Smith 124 2 3 28 0 3 2 135 -18 7,7
yellow 10G

chlorinated copper
phthalocyanine +
PG7+PO62 sap green M. Graham 174 1 3 61 0 4 1 132 -11 7,8
benzimidazolone orange
H5G
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY138 phthalocyanine + vivid green Rowney Artists 047 1 3 31 0 4 2 131 -12 7,8
quinophthalone yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY150 phthalocyanine + nickel sap green Rembrandt 623 2 3 55 0 3 2 131 -12 7,8
azomethine yellow
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY1 phthalocyanine + arylide
permanent green #1 Holbein 266 2 1 33 1 0 1 128 -10 5,6
+PY42 yellow G + synthetic
yellow iron oxide
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY42 phthalocyanine + yellow sap green DaVinci 277 3 3 45 2 1 1 128 -1 7,8
iron oxide
chlorinated copper
phthalocyanine + nickel
PG7+PY153
dioxine yellow + sap green Rowney Artists 375 4 3 62 0 3 1 123 -10 7,8
+PR101
transparent red iron
oxide
chlorinated copper
PG7+PO49 phthalocyanine + sap green Daniel Smith 043 3 3 51 1 2 0 119 -12 8,8
quinacridone gold
chlorinated copper
phthalocyanine +
PG7+PBr7 terre verte Schmincke 516 4 1 31 1 2 2 107 -2 8,8
natural iron manganese
oxide
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY150 phthalocyanine + nickel
olive green Rembrandt 620 2 3 48 0 3 2 103 0 7,8
+PV19 azomethine yellow +
quinacridone rose
chlorinated copper
phthalocyanine +
PG7+PY42 olive green Winsor & Newton 033 4 0 38 1 1 1 99 -4 7,8
synthetic yellow iron
oxide
chlorinated copper
PG7+PY153 phthalocyanine + nickel
olive green Rowney Artists 363 4 3 69 0 3 1 95 +3 2,4
+PR264 dioxine yellow + pyrrole
carmine
TOP 40 PIGMENT Phthalocyanine green PG7 (blue shade) is a very
lightfast, transparent, heavily staining, dark valued, moderately dull blue
green pigment, one of the most widely used modern industrial colorants,
offered by 60 pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999) rates its
lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I); all manufacturer and
independent tests agree. PG7 is twin to the yellow shade of phthalocyanine
green (PG36) and cousin to the phthalo blues (PB15); like them, its tinting
strength is very high.

Phthalocyanine is the most widely used green pigment in watercolors and is

the green anchor for many brand specific convenience greens (discussed
below). It undergoes a moderately large drying shift, both lightening and
losing saturation by 15% to 20%. Unlike the phthalo blues, phthalo green
shows almost no hue shift from masstone to undertone. There are many
excellent mixing complements for phthalo green, including quinacridone
maroon (PR206), perylene maroon (PR179), pyrrole scarlet (PR255),
pyrrole red (PR254), cadmium red (PR254) almost any scarlet or middle
red, intense or dull, will do nicely. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for
phthalo green [blue shade] (PG7) are: 31, -51, 1, with chroma of 51
(estimated hue purity of 52) and a hue angle of 178.

If you're interested in the phthalocyanines as a pair, then there are four

brands Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, MaimeriBlu and Rembrandt that
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currently offer both PG7 and PG36, all with a comparable hue spacing (about
17 degrees), chroma and tinting strength. However, most artists choose only
a single phthalocyanine green (if any) for their palette, and PG7 tends to be
the preferred choice of manufacturers and artists. The Winsor & Newton and
MaimeriBlu paints have good chroma and tinting strength but the Daniel
Smith and M. Graham paints are darker valued, which I prefer to mix moody
dark blues with quinacridone violet (PV19) or dioxazine violet (PV23). The
Daniel Smith phthalo green BS bronzes in heavy applications. Utrecht's
phthalo green is a pale, almost pastel formulation that holds its color in tints
and has a lower tinting strength that does not overwhelm other paints (a
design point consistent throughout Utrecht's watercolor line). Both the
Utrecht and MaimeriBlu phthalo greens are less staining, making them
generally easier to work with. The Blockx blockx green is flat and dull.

Both phthalo greens PG7 and PG36 are notable for their intense tinting
strength and strong tendency to stain paper, attributes that arise from their
small particle size. They easily stand up to or even dominate other strongly
tinting pigments such as the quinacridones, dioxazine violet or pyrrole red, and
they are an excellent choice as the foundation paint when nonstaining
pigment glazes are to be laid down and then partially lifted or blotted away.
The drawback is that phthalo green must be applied exactly where you want it
on the first pass make a mistake, and you'll be scraping paper to remove it!

Convenience Greens. Next we enter the jungle of specialty greens mixed

with PG7 or PG36 ... an overgrown and treacherous profusion of paint. Many
of these convenience greens were developed as substitutes for fugitive or
antiquated green pigments, including copper greens, and these fusty old
pigment names contribute to a labeling free for all in green paints: the
marketing name tells you nothing about what you're buying.

The lightfastness of PG7 is no guarantee that convenience green mixtures

with a yellow paint will be equally lightfast. In fact, convenience greens are
often the most impermanent paints in any watercolor line. I recommend you
do your own lightfastness tests on any convenience greens you use.

Nearly all convenience greens are a mixture of a green and a yellow or yellow
orange pigment, which locates the hue somwhere between middle to yellow
green. Why don't artists just mix these greens themselves? Many do. But
greens can be hard to mix, and repeatedly mixing the same green hue gets
tedious very quickly. However, the real benefit of convenience greens is that
they reliably locate a specific hue, value and saturation of middle or yellow
green, which can then be modulated with a little added color from any other
paint on the palette. This home base mixing strategy creates a cluster of
related greens centered around a specific and familiar point in the color space.
These mixing points are standardized as a handful of widely sold generic paints
which, despite their conventional labels, do not adhere to a specific color
standard and typically do not resemble the historical color.

The major convenience greens, from blue green to yellow green, are:

EMERALD GREEN. Originally a mid valued, moderately intense, green

copper pigment made with arsenic, and sold in the 19th century both as a
pigment and a pesticide. It was discontinued in the early 20th century as it
was poisonous and impermanent. My spectrophotometric measurements
confirmed that Winsor & Newton emerald green, now discontinued, was a
close match to the historical pigment: a whitened bluish green (hue angle
160) with a slight twist of lemon. The color is close to the historical
formulation Victoria green (approximately 8 parts viridian, 2 parts cadmium
lemon, 1 part zinc oxide). Note that in France, the label vert emeraude
traditionally refers to viridian (PG18).

PERMANENT GREEN [DEEP]. The conventional marketing name for a

moderately dark valued to dark valued, moderately intense green
convenience mixture with a hue angle between 155 to 160, historically
associated either with a mixture of viridian and zinc yellow, or with a mixture
of cadmium yellow and cobalt aluminum oxide known as cadmium green.
The paint is artificial looking as a foliage color and usually requires as much
adjustment as a green mixed from scratch. Nearly all permanent greens
resemble Daniel Smith permanent green: a color only slightly yellower

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than phthalo green YS. Few paint companies make this color; few artists seem
to use it.

HOOKER'S GREEN. Hooker's green is typically a dark valued, dull yellow

green color; it makes more natural foliage than permanent green and was a
preferred green paint among 19th century landscape and botanical painters. It
was originally devised for botanical illustration by the famous Victorian
botanist, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, director of the Kew Gardens (London, UK)
and a president of the Royal Society, as a mixture of iron blue (PB27) and
genuine gamboge (NY24). To reproduce the historical color, use iron blue with
either anthrapyrimidine yellow (PY108) or nickel azomethine yellow (PY150)
as a gamboge substitute. The proportional mixture of the two pigments has
varied from one manufacturer to the next over the years, but most modern
"hooker's green" paints are dark, dull yellow greens with hue angle around
140. The main differences among commercial brands are in (1) lightness and
(2) chroma. M. Graham hooker's green is quite dull and dark, apparently
mixed to match the fugitive yellow green pigment (nitroso iron complex,
PG8) that became associated with the name; most brands, such as Winsor &
Newton hooker's green are brighter and lighter valued. (A few companies
offer two versions.) As a dark valued paint made primarily of phthalo green
pigment, hooker's greens tend to show a very large drying shift, lightening and
losing saturation by as much as 30%. The best mixing complement is
dioxazine violet (PV23). Modern paints normally have a rich, dark tonal value
that provides a great range in color mixtures from masstone through
undertone, and the color represents a convenient "middle green" that can be
warmed or cooled without much loss of saturation.

PERMANENT GREEN LIGHT. Another arbitrary marketing name, typically

denoting a moderately dark, moderately intense yellow green at around the
color point 11 on the color wheel (hue angle 140 to 150). These greens
usually resemble a hooker's green at a lighter value, and are apparently more
popular among painters than the "regular" permanent green. Because these
paints contain a greater amount of yellow paint, their drying shifts are
reduced. The color must be muted with an ochre, orange, sienna or magenta
before it resembles a natural green, but then it matches many deciduous
trees, grasses, spring shoots, and salad greens. The main concerns are the
lightfastness and stability of the mixtures: avoid paints made from three or
more pigments, or with an iron oxide yellow (which tends to separate out in
juicy washes). Choose paints mixed with phthalo green and a single, lightfast
synthetic organic yellow pigment, such as an arylide, quinacridone or
benzimidazolone yellow.

BRIGHT GREEN, VIVID GREEN, PHTHALO YELLOW GREEN, etc. Paint

companies have recently introduced a number of mid valued, intense yellow
greens, including Daniel Smith phthalo yellow green, Rowney Artists
vivid green, Holbein's permanent green #1, M. Graham's permanent green
pale and MaimeriBlu's permanent green light. These have a hue angle around
130 to 135 and appear quite bright; most are formulated with a light or lemon
yellow and the yellow shade of phthalo green (PG36). These paints appear to
be approximately midway between unique yellow and unique green, much as
orange is midway between yellow and red. I like them; they produce a wide
range of green mixtures with all other paints, and interesting botanical browns
and tans with reds or magentas.

SAP GREEN. Originally (according to Mayer) a lake pigment made by

fixing the juice of green buckthorn berries on a substrate of alum, and about
as fugitive as the grass stains fixed on the knees of your Levi's. The color is
usually a dark valued, dull yellow green (with a hue angle either less than
120 or close to 130); a hue this close to yellow starts to appear green gold
unless it is somewhat dulled, as all sap greens are. The best mixing
complement for sap green is usually dioxazine violet (PV23). The Daniel
Smith sap green is a typical example of the more yellow green, very similar
to the paints by MaimeriBlu and Holbein (listed below under PG36), although I
found the Holbein paint loses its yellow after a few weeks of sunlight exposure.
The M. Graham and Rembrandt sap greens, and Winsor & Newton permanent
sap green (also listed under PG36), are slightly bluer, closer to the color of a
permanent green; the M. Graham and Rowney Artists paints are also darker
valued. There is actually a fairly close color resemblance among the various
sap greens tested here. One reason may be that the original buckthorn recipe
is easy to reproduce as a color standard. But another may be standardization
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through frequent use: it is (with hooker's green) the convenience green most
often chosen by professional artists. And it's a versatile "home base": add a
touch of yellow, orange, sienna, scarlet, red, violet, blue or green blue paint,
and you have a new and useful green color. Unmixed, sap green is a natural
appearing yellow green, and it does not have to be adjusted by much to create
pleasing landscape passages. The main drawback is that most brands stain
heavily. As a dark valued paint made primarily of green pigment, sap greens
also tend to show a very large drying shift, lightening and losing saturation by
as much as 30%.

OLIVE GREEN. The conventional label for a dark valued, dull green yellow
paint, with a hue angle of around 100, yellower and lighter valued than sap
green. Few companies make it, as sap green is a close neighbor in the color
space. The name is sometimes used for chromium oxide green, PG17, which
is significantly duller and less yellow. Winsor & Newton olive green is a
familiar convenience mixture. The Rowney Artist's paint is exceptionally dark,
which gives it a very large value range, worth investigating. If you have a good
sap green, you can easily get the olive green hue by adding a little deep yellow
or orange paint and diluting a little to lighten the value.

It's worth your time to review the ingredients in these convenience greens
(listed at left, under the color index name): a few yellow, orange or earth
paints turn up repeatedly. You may want to consider these ingredients as
paints for your palette.

convenience green lightfastness samples (2004)

after 800+ hours of sunlight exposure, some samples show significant
fading or discoloration

CAUTION. The phthalo greens PG7 or PG36 are very colorful and versatile
green pigments in themselves, but some convenience green paints made
with them can be far less lightfast if the yellow or orange pigment is not
equally durable. It is always prudent to put the convenience greens on your
palette through your own lightfastness tests. See also the section on
phthalocyanine pigments.

nitroso iron complex

PG8 hooker's green Utrecht 163 3 3 62 1 4 0 141 -11 5,7
(1921)
Hooker's green PG8 is an impermanent, semitransparent, staining, very dark
valued, very dull yellow green pigment; 12 pigment manufacturers offer it
worldwide. It is one of the oldest chelated iron pigments. The ASTM (1999)
rates its lightfastness in watercolors as "fair" (III, "may be satisfactory when
used full strength or with extra protection from exposure to light."), and my
2004 tests agree. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for hooker's green (PG8)
lightfastness test sample
are: 26, -19, 14, with chroma of 23 (estimated hue purity of 22) and a hue
angle of 144. unexposed (top); exposed 800+ hours
(bottom)
Utrecht's hooker's green and Yarka russian green (not listed here) are
apparently the only commercial sources in watercolors. The pigment fades
fairly readily in tints, but stands up well full strength. M. Graham hooker's
green (see PG7) is nearly identical in hue, saturation and value and, unlike
the Utrecht paint, can hold a very dark value without bronzing.

AVOID. This marginally lightfast pigment should be replaced by a more

permanent green convenience mixture. See also the section on metal
complex pigments.

anhydrous chromium
PG17 sesquioxide oxide of chromium Winsor & Newton 072 0 4 53 1 3 1 140 -13 8,8
(1809; c.1840)
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PG17 olive green MaimeriBlu 331 0 3 52 0 1 2 138 -16 8,8

PG17 oxide of chromium green Rowney Artists 367 0 3 52 0 1 2 139 -10 8,8
PG17 chromium oxide green Rembrandt 668 0 3 51 0 1 2 137 -12 8,8
paint introduced after my last pigment
PG17 chromium oxide green DaVinci 232
tests
PG17+PG23 terre verte Holbein 065 0 2 54 1 2 2 138 -17 8,8
TOP 40 PIGMENT Chromium oxide green PG17 is a very lightfast, very
opaque, heavily staining, dark valued, very dull yellow green pigment; about
two dozen manufacturers offer it worldwide. The ASTM (1999) rates its
lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I), and it is perhaps the most
durable green pigment known. Because of its durability and high reflectance in
the near infrared range, which mimics the infrared reflectance of green plants,
it has been the principal pigment in military camouflage paint. In watercolors
PG17 undergoes a very large drying shift, darkening by 13% and losing
saturation by 35%. It can be evocative in tints or mixtures but is obtrusively
drab and lifeless when used full strength. The tinting strength of chromium
oxide green is moderately high. The best mixing complements are dioxazine
violet (PV23) or ultramarine violet (PV15). The average CIECAM J,a,b values
for chromium oxide green (PG17) are: 35, -18, 16, with chroma of 24
(estimated hue purity of 21) and a hue angle of 139.

This pigment is highly consistent across watercolor manufacturers.

Winsor & Newton oxide of chromium is the bluest hue, darker than other
paints; the Rembrandt is the yellowest, but these differences are small. As for
the Holbein terre verte: whatever trace of green earth may actually be in it is
entirely hidden under the chromium oxide hue. (For genuine terre verte
pigments, see PG23.) PG17 makes an interesting "green earth" to
complement a red earth such as venetian red or a yellow earth such as yellow
ochre. It is useful to subdue bright synthetic organic pigments, such as
benzimida yellow or phthalo green, which temper its dullness and combine well
with its fine powdery texture. Because it contains both blue violet and red
reflectance, it has interesting mixing behavior with warm and cool colors. It is
tricky to use, however, as it will overpower or gray almost any other paint, and
tends to color shift noticeably or produce a clayey color texture as it dries: test
mixtures on scrap paper first. I find it works best in dilute mixtures with yellow
or green to make naturalistic, dull olive greens, and in warm mixtures where a
touch of it effectively desaturates or cools reds and oranges.

Substitutions: You can reproduce the same color and powdery pigment
texture with a mixture of cobalt blue (PB28) or reddish cerulean blue (PB35)
and a transparent yellow iron oxide (PY42). See also the section on
chromium pigments.

hydrous chromium
PG18 sesquioxide viridian M. Graham 195 4 2 39 3 1 1 175 -2 8,8
(1838; 1862)
PG18 viridian Daniel Smith 077 4 2 38 3 3 2 176 -4 8,8
PG18 viridian Winsor & Newton 077 3 3 44 2 3 2 176 -4 8,8
PG18 viridian Rowney Artists 381 4 1 50 3 2 2 175 -2 8,8
PG18 viridian Rembrandt 616 4 1 40 3 2 2 174 -2 8,8
PG18 viridian Utrecht 164 4 1 43 2 3 0 174 -1 8,8
PG18 viridian green DaVinci 290 3 1 53 0 1 2 176 0 8,8
PG18 viridian MaimeriBlu 348 3 1 36 1 3 2 174 -4 8,8
PG18 viridian Lukas 1154 4 1 38 2 3 2 175 -8 8,8
PG18 emerald green Blockx 261 4 1 38 2 3 2 175 -8 8,8
PG18+PG7 viridian Holbein 260 4 1 33 3 2 2 174 -1 8,8
hydrous chromium
PG18+PY37 sesquioxide + cadmium cobalt green Holbein 268 1 1 36 2 3 1 185 -3 8,8
sulfide
hydrous chromium
PG18+PBr7 sesquioxide + natural terre verte Daniel Smith 048 3 3 46 2 3 3 156 -13 8,8

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iron oxide
TOP 40 PIGMENT Viridian PG18 is a very lightfast, transparent,
moderately staining, moderately dark valued, moderately dull blue green
pigment, offered by 6 pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999)
rates its lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I), and all manufacturer
and independent tests agree. In watercolors PG18 undergoes a small
drying shift, lightening slightly and losing saturation. In most brands it has a
slightly gritty and gummy texture; useful for glazes that need to be lifted, for
light tints, and for mixing very natural looking greens with moderately intense
yellows such as nickel azomethine (PY150). The tinting strength of viridian
green is moderate to low. The best mixing complements for viridian are
pyrrole red (PR254), naphthol scarlet (PR188), quinacridone maroon
(PR206) or perylene maroon (PR179). The average CIECAM J,a,b values for
viridian (PG18) are: 42, -48, 3, with chroma of 48 (estimated hue purity of
48) and a hue angle of 177.

Viridian color is fairly consistent across manufacturers, though the texture and
concentration of the pigment vary. M. Graham viridian is in the middle of
the pack in value and saturation, but contains no whitish additives and
provides a beautiful fine granular texture. Winsor & Newton viridian is the
darkest and one of the most saturated viridians, with one of the bluest hues.
The Utrecht and Rembrandt paints are slightly yellower still, more finely milled
but less concentrated. Blockx emerald green (vert meraude is the French
term for viridian, not to be confused with emerald green, PG21) is a similar
color but more heavily granulating and somewhat difficult to use in mixtures.
The Daniel Smith, Rowney Artists and MaimeriBlu paints were by a small
amount the least intense of the group tested here. The Old Holland viridian
deep is actually an unpleasant yellowed shade. Holbein's "viridian", although it
provides a nice granulation, is formulated with phthalo green, their "cobalt
green" doesn't match the color of genuine cobalt green, contains no cobalt,
and doesn't use the word "hue" in the name to indicate it contains no cobalt:
four strikes, you're out. Finally, the Daniel Smith terre verte is viridian
darkened with umber, and is not a natural clay pigment: the term "hue"
should be used.

Viridian was formerly the most common watercolor green, used by past
masters such as J.S. Sargent and John Marin, and by contemporary
traditionalists such as Trevor Chamberlain. It creates a glowing, granulating
green in the right concentration and setting Sargent's use of it in a backlit
parasol is perfect. It is now commonly replaced by the darker, more saturated
and staining phthalo green (PG7), but especially for landscape work viridian
has many good points, though it is a pigment that requires experience to use
effectively. (Viridian paints need patient mulling with the brush to dissolve
completely; if you are careless your washes can be streaked by tiny dark clots
of undissolved pigment, and the paints require patient rewetting if they have
dried. Mixtures must be frequently stirred to keep the viridian from settling
out. The paint's granulation is put to best effect in diluted, near neutral
mixtures, and works well with flocculating ultramarine blue ... and so on.) For
mixing with opaque or iron oxide paints, the recently developed cobalt green
(PG50, blue shade), which is the same hue and chroma but slightly more
granulating, may work better. See also the section on chromium pigments.

cobalt zinc oxide (1780,

PG19 cobalt green Rowney Artists 324 3 1 33 4 0 0 188 -4 8,8
c.1835)
PG19 cobalt green pale Daniel Smith 049 3 1 34 4 0 0 188 -23 8,8
PG19 cobalt green Rembrandt 610 3 1 42 4 0 0 188 -11 8,8
Cobalt green PG19 is a very lightfast, semitransparent, staining, moderately
dark valued, moderately dull blue green pigment, offered by 4 pigment
manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999) rates its lightfastness in
watercolors as "excellent" (I). The average CIECAM J,a,b values for cobalt
green (PG19) are: 50, -39, -7, with chroma of 40 (estimated hue purity of 39)
and a hue angle of 190.

The three paints listed here are nearly identical. Rowney Artists cobalt
green is a heavily granulating, powdery pale blue green; the Daniel Smith and
Rembrandt paints closely match it, but seem to have less tinting strength.

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Like chromium oxide (PG17), PG19 might make a useful "earth green" to
complement earth colors on the red and yellow side of the color wheel.
However, PG18 is a more intense pigment with essentially the same hue. This
is essentially of interest as a historical pigment. I have never seen PG19 used
or recommended by contemporary artists, and apparently 19th century
painters (other than Paul Signac) didn't regard it highly either. (See also the
cobalt greens under PG50 below, and the section on cobalt pigments.)

celadonite [green shade]

PG23 bohemian green earth Daniel Smith 104 4 0 31 1 2 1 110 -6 8,8
(antiquity)
PG23 green earth Rembrandt 629 2 0 36 2 1 2 128 -5 8,8
PG23 terre verte Blockx 161 3 2 30 1 2 1 105 -10 7,8
terre verte (yellow paint introduced after my last pigment
PG23 Winsor & Newton 638
shade) tests
celadonite + hydrated
PG23+PG17 terre verte MaimeriBlu 296 2 0 31 2 1 2 121 -7 8,8
chromium oxide
glauconite [blue shade]
PG23+PG18
+ hydrated chromium terre verte Winsor & Newton 048 2 4 42 3 0 1 155 -16 8,8
+PB28
oxide + cobalt blue
Terre verte PG23 is a very lightfast, semitransparent, lightly staining,
moderately light valued, very dull yellow green pigment. The ASTM (1999)
rates the lightfastness in watercolors of genuine terre verte as "excellent" (I),
but nearly all modern watercolor paints with the same name are imitation or
"hue" paints made with a great range of organic or mineral pigments. Central
European greenish clays (terre verte is French for "green earth") have been
used as pigments since Roman times. Hue varies from yellow to blue green,
depending on the geological variation of the clay used, often mixing to a gritty,
gummy solution. As natural supplies of the pigment are largely depleted,
manufacturers mimic the earthy soul of terre verte with a substitute mineral
pigment such as viridian, iron oxide or chromium oxide, or use artificial
ceramics colorants.

Blockx terre verte and Daniel Smith bohemian green earth are very
similar pale, transparent yellow greens made of pure earth, no additives.
MaimeriBlu terre verte is in the same hue neighborhood, but is a much darker,
more saturated color. In contrast, Winsor & Newton terre verte is a muted,
darker bluish green hue (it looks like a less intense cobalt green PG26) that
also stains. The new Winsor & Newton terre verte YS has a color I would call
"chromium oxide light," useful as a dulling color in flesh tones and botanicals.

Another historical green pigment of importance to oil painting but of limited

interest for the watercolorist, satisfactorily replaced by mixtures of yellow iron
oxides with modern pigments such as cobalt green (PG50), chromium oxide
green (PG17) or viridian (PG18). See also the section on green earth
pigments.

cobalt chrome oxide

PG26 cobalt green deep Old Holland 267 1 1 57 1 3 0 188 -6 8,8
(1780; c.1835)
PG26 cobalt green dark Schmincke 533 1 4 50 2 1 2 168 -9 8,8
Cobalt green dark PG26 is a very lightfast, opaque, staining, dark valued, dull
blue green pigment, offered by 6 pigment manufacturers worldwide. Unrated
by the ASTM, my own and manufacturer tests give it an "excellent" (I)
lightfastness rating. Notable for its very grayed color, it approaches a greenish
black in masstone, and can be used (in the same way as charcoal or ivory
black) to tint yellows into dull green. The average CIECAM J,a,b values for
cobalt green dark (PG26) are: 33, -27, 0, with chroma of 27 (estimated hue
purity of 28) and a hue angle of 180.

Old Holland cobalt green deep is the darkest PG26 available, with a distinct
blue green tone; it blossoms actively when rewetted, lifts easily, but is inert
wet in wet. Schmincke cobalt green dark is slightly lighter, grayer, stains
heavily, and is more active wet in wet.

PG26 is an excellent dark middle green for an "earth palette" of dull paints;
it produces an interesting smoky slate gray when mixed with a touch of
venetian red and applied in a diluted wash, and is a very effective paint for dry

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pine forest or oak tree foliage (in trees represented at a distance, the pigment
granulation creates the effect of clumping branches). For most other painting
purposes, it is not a very versatile pigment. See also the section on cobalt
pigments.

chlorobrominated copper
PG36 phthalo green YS Daniel Smith 054 4 4 48 1 1 2 161 -2 7,8
phthalocyanine (1938)
PG36 cupric green light MaimeriBlu 322 4 3 49 1 3 4 160 -3 7,8
PG36 bright green Rembrandt 615 4 3 44 1 3 4 159 0 7,8
PG36 bamboo green Holbein 278 3 4 41 0 2 3 160 0 7,8
PG36 winsor green YS Winsor & Newton 210 3 4 44 0 3 2 163 -6 7,7
phthalocyanine green paint introduced after my last pigment
PG36 M. Graham 151
yellow shade tests

convenience greens made with PG36, listed in hue angle order from blue green to yellow green
chlorobrominated copper
PG36+PO49 phthalocyanine +
hooker's green Daniel Smith 110 3 3 53 0 3 2 147 -12 7,7
+PY3 quinacridone gold +
arylide yellow 10G
chlorobrominated copper
hooker's green
PG36+PO49 phthalocyanine + Winsor & Newton 202 3 4 45 0 2 2 140 -4 7,7
[discontinued in 2005]
quinacridone gold
PG36+PY110 hooker's green Winsor & Newton 311 3 4 49 1 2 3 137 -8 .,.
chlorobrominated copper
PG36+PY175 phthalocyanine + permanent green light MaimeriBlu 339 3 1 26 1 3 4 137 -7 5,6
benzimidazolone lemon
permanent sap green
PG36+PO49 Winsor & Newton 204 3 4 53 0 2 1 130 -6 7,7
[discontinued in 2005]
PG36+PY110 permanent sap green Winsor & Newton 503 3 4 56 1 2 3 126 -9 .,.
PG36+PO49 sap green MaimeriBlu 358 3 3 50 2 3 4 118 -7 7,7
chlorobrominated copper
PG36+PY17 phthalocyanine +
sap green Holbein 275 3 2 54 1 3 1 117 -8 4,6
+PG8 diarylide yellow + nitroso
iron complex
TOP 40 PIGMENT Phthalocyanine green (yellow shade) PG36, the
brominated (rather than chlorinated) version of copper phthalocyanine, is a
lightfast, transparent, staining, dark valued, moderately intense green
pigment, offered by 16 pigment manufacturers worldwide. The ASTM (1999)
rates its lightfastness in watercolors as "excellent" (I) and my tests agree,
though the paint seems marginally less lightfast than phthalo green (blue
shade, PG7). In watercolors the green phthalocyanines undergo a moderately
large drying shift, both lightening and losing saturation by 20%. PG36 is
usually lighter valued and less staining than PG7; it has good tinting strength
but is weaker in mixtures than PG7 and diffuses more actively in washes. The
hue is very close to the psychological unique green, as defined in the section
on color vision. The best mixing complements are quinacridone rose
(PV19), benzimidazolone maroon (PR171) and quinacridone carmine
(PR N/A). The average CIECAM J,a,b values for phthalo green [yellow shade]
(PG36) are: 39, -54, 18, with chroma of 57 (estimated hue purity of 49) and
a hue angle of 162.

If you're interested in the phthalocyanines as a pair, there are four brands

(Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, MaimeriBlu and Rembrandt) that currently
offer both PG7 and PG36, all with a comparable chroma, tinting strength and
hue spacing (about 17 degrees). For the single choice of PG36, MaimeriBlu
cupric green light is the darkest, most saturated and strongest mixing
phthalo green among those listed here (Winsor & Newton is the lightest
valued, Daniel Smith the least saturated). Most artists seem to prefer PG7 for
its darker value, blacker neutrals, bluer hue, higher tinting strength and better
lightfastness.

See under PG7 for information on the major convenience greens mixed
with phthalo green. Notice in PG7 and PG36 the variations on hooker's green,
sap green and permanent green: the same names are used for different

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pigment mixtures, or different names for the same mixtures. Often a golden
or brownish yellow, such as quinacridone gold (PO49) or an azomethine
yellow (PY129 or PY150), is mixed with PG7 or PG36 to produce
convenience greens.

CAUTION. The phthalo greens PG7 or PG36 are very colorful and versatile
green pigments in themselves, but convenience green paints made with
them can be far less lightfast if the yellow pigment is not equally durable. I
think it is always good practice to put the convenience greens on your palette
through your own lightfastness tests. See also the section on
phthalocyanine pigments.

cobalt titanium oxide

PG50 cobalt teal blue Daniel Smith 078 3 2 28 2 4 1 198 -5 8,8
(1992)
PG50 colbalt turquoise light Winsor & Newton 235 2 3 31 1 2 1 198 -4 8,8
PG50 cobalt teal Utrecht 166 2 0 27 1 0 2 196 -3 8,8
cobalt titanium nickel
PG50 cobalt green [BS] Winsor & Newton 067 2 4 36 2 1 1 178 -3 8,8
zinc oxide (1992)
PG50 cobalt green [YS] Daniel Smith 067 2 2 45 2 3 2 156 -9 8,8
PG50 cobalt green deep MaimeriBlu 317 0 2 48 2 2 1 155 -7 8,8
cobalt green YS
PG50 Winsor & Newton 234 1 3 44 2 3 2 153 -3 8,8
[discontinued in 2005]
PG50 cobalt green pure Schmincke 535 1 4 47 2 4 1 152 -9 8,8
PG50 cobalt green YS Holbein 276 1 3 42 1 2 2 151 -3 8,8
PG50 cobalt green light MaimeriBlu 316 1 1 33 1 1 2 150 -9 8,8
paint introduced after my last pigment
PG50 cobalt green M. Graham 194
tests
TOP 40 PIGMENT Cobalt titanate green PG50 is a very lightfast,
semiopaque, moderately staining, mid valued, moderately intense green blue
to moderately dark, moderately dull blue green or green pigment, available
from 10 pigment manufacturers worldwide. Like other cobalt pigments, all
manufacturer tests (as well as my own) show these pigments have "excellent"
(I) lightfastness, though they are still unrated by the ASTM. In watercolors the
PG50 pigments undergo a very small drying shift, holding their lightness and
dropping in saturation by 10% or less.

The same color index name refers to a range of cobalt spinel pigments of
different hues, caused by differences in the proportion of aluminum, nickel or
zinc in the crystal. (A "spinel" is a crystal framework formed of magnesium
aluminum oxide; other atoms chemically fit into this lattice to produce
different colored compounds.) The paints are listed above in order of hue
angle, from blue to yellow. The major hue categories are:

TURQUOISE (TEAL). - This is the "pure" form of cobalt titanium oxide

without other metals in the crystal, but the lightness and chroma varies with
the proportion of titanium. The pigment is highly consistent across
manufacturers. The tinting strength is weak; the best mixing complements
for cobalt teal blue are quinacridone maroon (PR206), pyrrole orange (PO73),
pyrrole scarlet (PR255) or perylene scarlet (PR149); mixed with cadmium
red (PR108) it makes a lovely warm silvery gray. The teal blue has exactly
the same hue as cobalt turquoise (PB36) but at a higher lightness and
chroma (compare the pigment locations on the artist's color wheel).
Utrecht cobalt teal is completely nonstaining, indicating significant vehicle
strength; it works very well in mixtures, as it doesn't tend to separate out and
stain differently than other pigments it is mixed with. The Daniel Smith and
Winsor & Newton paints are excellent and nearly indistinguishable. The
average CIECAM J,a,b values for cobalt teal (PG50) are: 56, -56, -19, with
chroma of 59 (estimated hue purity of 59) and a hue angle of 199.

BLUISH GREEN. Currently Winsor & Newton cobalt green is the only
commercial source for this shade of PG50. It has a hue and saturation very
similar to viridian (PG18) but with a powdery texture similar to a cobalt blue
and a slightly lighter value; it has the same mixing complements as viridian or
phthalo green BS. It makes an excellent blue green to mix light valued,
whitish turquoise and cyan hues with a green shade of cerulean blue (PB35).

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In heavy concentrations these mixtures will be more saturated and lighter
valued than cobalt turquoise (PB36). The average CIECAM J,a,b values for
cobalt green [blue shade] (PG50) are: 50, -48, 0, with chroma of 48
(estimated hue purity of 45) and a hue angle of 180.

YELLOWISH GREEN. All the remaining paints are the yellow shade of
cobalt titanate, though they vary in tonal value and saturation. The tinting
strength is weak; the best mixing complements for this hue are
quinacridone magenta (PR122), quinacridone violet (PV19) or manganese
violet (PV16). Daniel Smith cobalt green YS and Holbein cobalt green YS
are similar in hue, value, granulation and activity in wet applications: the DS
paint is more transparent and slightly less staining. MaimeriBlu cobalt green
deep is a very similar yellow shade, but more opaque; Maimeriblu cobalt
green light is a pale, opaque paint, with the yellowest hue and lightest value
of any listed here; it has the same titanium whiteness of cobalt turquoise light
(PG50) but bronzes slightly when applied full strength. The Schmincke paint
is labeled as PG19 by the manufacturer, apparently in error; its color
resembles no other paint in that pigment category. The Winsor & Newton
cobalt green YS, which was useful as a more saturated, lighter valued
alternative to chromium oxide green, has been discontinued. The average
CIECAM J,a,b values for cobalt titanate green [yellow shade] (PG50) are: 42,
-41, 20, with chroma of 46 (estimated hue purity of 36) and a hue angle of
154.

The teal and blue green shades of PG50 are among my favorite paints. The
pastel quality is not added but integral to the pigment, which make interesting
whitened mixtures with violets, blues, and greens. The teal blue alone provides
bright, light greens with cadmium lemon (PY3) or copper azomethine
(PY129), can be used to whiten and dull cadmium yellow deep (PY35) into
an unusual "naples yellow," mixes with phthalo green BS (PG7) to make a
lovely emerald green, mixes well with cobalt blue (PB28) to mimic the cloudy
green tone of cerulean blues, provides an incomparable greenish blue glow in
sky washes and landscape foundation tints, and makes a gorgeous soft violet
gray when mixed with a dark bluish red quinacridone (PR122 or PV19). (Did
I mention this is one of my favorite paints?) The PG50 green pigments are
relatively flat, often granulating, and yet have a subtle, unique color quality.
Using them has helped me to see new avenues of design and color
composition. I urge you to give them a look: as relatively novel paints, they
have interesting potential, worth investigating. See also the section on cobalt
pigments.

KEY TO THE PAINT RATINGS. Summarized as numbers: Tr = Transparency: 0 (very opaque) to 4 (transparent) - St = Staining: 0
(nonstaining) to 4 (heavily staining) - VR = Value Range: the value of the masstone color subtracted from the value of white paper, in
steps of a 100 step value scale - Gr = Granulation: 0 (liquid texture) to 4 (granular) - Bl = Blossom: 0 (no blossom) to 4 (strong
blossom) - Df = Diffusion: 0 (inert) to 4 (very active diffusion) - HA = Hue Angle in degrees of the CIELAB a*b* plane - HS = Hue
Shift as the undertone hue angle minus the masstone hue angle, in degrees of the CIELAB a*b* plane - Lf = Lightfastness: 1 (very
fugitive) to 8 (very lightfast) for paint in tint,full strength - Mentioned in pigment notes: Chroma: For the masstone paint on white
watercolor paper. - Drying Shift: Change in masstone color appearance from a glistening wet to completely dry paint swatch, in units of
lightness, chroma and hue angle in CIELAB. For more information see What the Ratings Mean.

Last revised 07.I.2015 2015 Bruce MacEvoy

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