Warm blues
Warm blues are those with a purple bias rather than a green bias. They will appear to come forward in a painting, whereas cool blues will recede. It is useful to have a warm and a cool blue in a split primary palette - when mixed together they will create a mid blue.
When mixing with other colours, the warm blue will create clear purples when mixed with a cool (rose or pink) red, neutralised olive greens when mixed with a warm (orange) yellow, mid greens when mixed with a cool (greenish) yellow and mid neutralised purples when mixed with a warm (orange) red. When mixed with it's opposite, orange, it will create neutrals and greys.
Examples of warm blues are Ultramarine and Indanthrone Blue. Cobalt Blue is almost a primary blue but it is also included here. To see a paint-out with comments on a huge range of blues in many brands see my Blog post here. To see all the blue watercolours I have tried see here.
Ultramarine Blue
Ultramarine Blue. PB 29.
Ultramarine Blueis one of the most useful blues for watercolour painting. It is a warm blue, so on the purple side rather than the green side, and will mix with pinks and crimsons to make wonderful purples, with warm yellows to make realistic greens, and with oranges/orange-browns to make great neutrals, as well as a whole range of other colours. If you only want one blue, make it this one!
Buy artist quality, and look for PB29 in the pigment section of the tube. It should create a semi-tansparent, granulating, lightfast (ASTM 1) colour.
PB29: complex sodium aluminium silicate.
For more information on Ultramarine and comparisons between brands see my blog entry here.
Pure bright purples - Ultramarine + Quinacridone Rose
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Quinacridone Rose (right).
Here is Ultramarine Bluemixed withQuinacridone Rose, which creates gorgeouspure purples. There is no yellow to dull or neutralise the mix. Quinacridone Magenta PR122 is another lovely mixing colour for clear purples.
Pure bright Purples with Quinacridone Violet
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Quinacridone Violet (right).
Quinacridone Violet is another option when creating pure purples with a warm blue, in this case Ultramarine. Some brands may call this permanent violet, but look for PV19
Purples - Ultramarine + Anthraquinoid Red
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Anthraquinoid Red (right).
Ultramarine mixed with a crimson red, in this case Anthraquinoid Red, (though you could use Permanent Alizarin, Pyrrol Crimson or other crimson colours for these mixes), will also create purples though not as pure as the Quinacridone Rose and Quinacridone Violet.
Neutralised greens - Ultramarine + Cadmium Yellow Deep
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Cadmium Yellow Deep (right).
Here, Ultramarine is mixed with a warm yellow to create realistic greens. Warm yellows include Cadmium Yellow Deep, Indian yellow, New Gamboge, Hansa Yellow Deep an many more. They are on the orange side of yellow. Quinacridone gold is a transparent and slightly neutralised warm yellow and make fabulous greens for Australian landscapes.
Neutralised transparent greens - Ultramarine + New Gamboge
Ultramarine mixed with New Gamboge
Ultramarine mixed with a transparent warm yellow, in this case New Gamboge, will create transparent neutralised greens.
Neutralised transparent greens - Ultramarine + Quinacridone Gold
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Quinacridone Gold (right).
A really useful combination! Quinacridone Gold, Daniel Smith watercolour, is my favourite warm mixing yellow. In other brands it can be a more dull or a more green hue.
Mid greens - Ultramarine + Cadmium Yellow Light
Ultramarine Blue (left) mixed with Cadmium Yellow Light (right).
This card shows a range of greens possible with Ultramarine mixed with the cooler lemon yellow Cadmium Yellow Light.
Turquoises - Ulramarine + Phthalo Green
Ultramarine (left) mixed with Phthalo Green (right).
Here, Ultramarine blue is mixed with Phthalo Green to create a range of cool blues and turquoise greens.
Greys and neutrals - Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Sienna
Ultramarine (left) mixed with art Spectrum Burnt Sienna (right).
To make a gorgeous series of useful greys without adding black (which will dull down your painting), mix UltramarinewithBurntSienna, a neutral orange-brown. This will create an invaluable range of light greys, light blue greys for skies, deep browns, deep stormy greys as well as Indigo and Burnt Umber shades. it is a useful mix for deep shadows and, with lots of water, for painting white objects in shadow.
Note thatUltramarine Blue, made from PB29, is a granulating pigment so don't expect smooth washes, but enjoy the granulation as the pigment settles into the paper. Art Spectrum Burnt Sienna is also highly granulating.
Ultramarine + Quinacrdone gold + Quinacridone Rose in a colour wheel
Colour wheel with Ultramarine, Quinacridone Gold and Quinacridone Rose.
Ultramarine, Quinacridone gold andQuinacridone Rose create a very useful primary triad for creating natural, life-like colours. The greens and oranges are slightly neutralised but the purples are bright and pure. The oranges created by mixing the Quinacridone Gold and Quinacridone Rose is neutralised by Ultramarine to create browns and neutral darks.
Ultramarine mixed with common palette colours
Ultramarine with cadmium yellow light, cadmium yellow deep, quinacridone sienna, cadmium red medium, permanent alizarin, quinacridone rose, quinacridone violet, imperial purple, buff titanium, indigo, manganese blue, phthalo blue, phthalo green, sap green, raw sienna, burnt sienna, indian red, burnt umber.
Cobalt Blue
This beautiful blue is often regarded as a primary blue since it is avery pure blue, neither yellow nor green in bias sosome artists prefer to use Cobalt Blue as their main blue.I think it behaves more as a warm blue than a cool blue so I have included it here.It has less tinting strength than Ultramarine, my preferred blue for mixing, but has a lovely character.
Cobalt colours lift out easily which can be helpful if lifting out of a wet painted sky to make clouds.
Pigment is PB 28. Don't buy a cobalt hue, which is often created with ultramarine and white - you could mix that yourself.
Pure to mid Greens - Cobalt Blue + Cadmium Yellow Light
Cobalt Blue (left) mixed with Cadmium Yellow Light (right).
The lighter tones are created by adding more water to the mixtures in the top row.
Neutral Greens - Cobalt Blue + Cadmium Yellow Deep
Cobalt Blue (left) mixed with Cadmium Yellow Deep (right).
With a warm yellow, Cadmium Yellow Deep, the greens are more neutralised, but still not as 'olive' as greens made with Ultramarine with warm yellow.
Pure Purples - Cobalt Blue + Quinacridone Violet
Cobalt Blue (left) mixed with Quinacridone Violet (right).
Cobalt Blue makes lovely pure purple and mauve colours when mixed with Quinacridone Rose, Quinacridone Violet or Quinacridone Pink. Many of the best purple watercolours available are mixtures like this. They are easy to make yourself, but may be chosen for convenience.(See Quinacridones Tab for more)
Indanthrone Blue (Indanthrene Blue)
Indanthrone Blue PB60 | This is a gorgeous deep warm blue made with PB60. It is a non-granulating blue that will run wild on damp paper. I don't see it as a better warm blue than Ultramarine, but I love it as an additional blue in my palette. It makes wonderful greens with a range of yellows and is very effective for a night sky. |
As a seasoned expert in watercolor painting and color theory, I can attest to the crucial role that warm blues play in creating vibrant and harmonious artworks. The understanding of warm and cool blues, their properties, and how they interact with other colors is essential for any artist striving to achieve depth and nuance in their paintings.
The concept of warm blues, as opposed to cool blues with a green bias, is a fundamental aspect of color theory. Warm blues, such as Ultramarine and Indanthrone Blue, exhibit a purple bias and tend to appear more forward in a painting, creating a sense of closeness. On the other hand, cool blues recede, contributing to spatial depth within the artwork.
When it comes to mixing warm blues with other colors, the results are varied and offer a broad spectrum of possibilities. For instance, combining warm blue with a cool red like rose or pink produces clear purples. Mixing it with a warm (orange) yellow yields neutralized olive greens, while a cool (greenish) yellow results in mid greens. When paired with its opposite, orange, warm blue creates neutrals and greys.
One of the exemplary warm blues, Ultramarine Blue (PB 29), is a versatile pigment highly valued in watercolor painting. It interacts harmoniously with various colors, producing a range of hues. When mixed with Quinacridone Rose, it produces pure bright purples, showcasing the power of warm blues in creating vivid and dynamic color combinations.
The mixing possibilities extend to creating neutralized greens by combining Ultramarine with warm yellows like Cadmium Yellow Deep. Transparent neutralized greens can be achieved by pairing Ultramarine with transparent warm yellows such as New Gamboge or Quinacridone Gold.
Cobalt Blue, another primary blue with a pure character, is considered by some artists as a warm blue. It is known for its ease of lifting and produces a range of greens and purples when mixed with different yellows and violets.
Indanthrone Blue, while not necessarily a better warm blue than Ultramarine, adds depth and richness to a color palette. Its deep warm blue tone is particularly effective for creating night skies and lush greens when mixed with various yellows.
In summary, warm blues play a pivotal role in the world of watercolor painting, offering a diverse range of possibilities for creating vibrant purples, realistic greens, neutralized colors, and dynamic compositions. Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, and Indanthrone Blue stand out as exemplary warm blues, each contributing unique characteristics to the artist's palette. Understanding and harnessing the properties of warm blues are essential for artists seeking to master the art of color mixing and create visually stunning paintings.
