2 - Yellow Watercolour SwatchesThere are literally hundreds of artist quality watercolours available from many brands and there are also sometimes different quality ranges within brands. I am concentrating on the Artist Quality ranges. I have tested many of them and created almost 700 swatches as seen on the right. The square box is painted into a damp wash at the top to show the colour mixed in water, with more pigment added towards the bottom. The rectangle is painted in a juicy wash to show the mass-tone. The small squares at the bottom of the swatch have the pigment number and characteristics - staining, lightfast rating, granulation and transparency.
For more information on yellow pigments see the Artiscreation yellow database here. See the Handprint yellow pigment information here (but note that is it based on tests completed in 2004). I'll be sorting these swatches into smaller galleries...
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The size of my swatches
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Single Pigment Yellow Watercolours
Most yellow watercolours will be made with yellow pigment, denoted as PY for 'Pigment Yellow'. One commonly recommended colour to avoid is Aureolin PY40. This colour fades in a wash and goes dark in mass tone. See my lightfast test results here. There are better alternative mid yellows such as Azo and Hansa yellows. See also the Quinacridone colours made with PO48 & PO49 in the orange sections, and Green Gold colours made with PY129 in the single pigment greens section. I have put the Naples yellows in the yellows section though they may not be made with yellow pigments.
Hansa Yellows/Lemon Yellows made with PY3
Also known as Monoazo Yellow, this pure chroma cool yellow pigment is available in many brands.
Shown here are Blockx Yellow; Hansa Yellow Light by Daniel Smith; Hansa Yellow by Da Vinci; Lemon Yellow by Art Spectrum, Schmincke, Mission Gold, Sennelier and Renesans Pan.
In addition to those shown here, it is available as Hansa Yellow Light: Aquarius, QoR and Hydrus; Lemon Yellow: Jackson's, Daler Rowney, St Petersburg/White Nights, Renesans Intense range; Lemon Yellow (Primary): Lukas; Scheveningen Yellow Lemon, Old Holland; Hansa Yellow: M.Graham; Sour Lemon: American Journey.
If you see this pigment listed, it is very consistently a cool or lemon yellow.
Shown here are Blockx Yellow; Hansa Yellow Light by Daniel Smith; Hansa Yellow by Da Vinci; Lemon Yellow by Art Spectrum, Schmincke, Mission Gold, Sennelier and Renesans Pan.
In addition to those shown here, it is available as Hansa Yellow Light: Aquarius, QoR and Hydrus; Lemon Yellow: Jackson's, Daler Rowney, St Petersburg/White Nights, Renesans Intense range; Lemon Yellow (Primary): Lukas; Scheveningen Yellow Lemon, Old Holland; Hansa Yellow: M.Graham; Sour Lemon: American Journey.
If you see this pigment listed, it is very consistently a cool or lemon yellow.
Cadmium Yellow Light, Lemon and Pale made with PY35
Cadmium Yellow PY35 can be a cool, mid or warm yellow pigment. The name is the best guide - as pale, light, lemons or primrose will tend to denote a cool yellow. I'll gradually add those here...
Cadmium Yellow medium and mid yellows made with PY35.
Cadmium Yellows PY35, Py37 and PO20
As well as those shown, PY35 is found in Cadmium Yellow Pale and Cadmium Yellow Medium in Daler Rowney; Cadmium Lemon in Aquarius; Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Pale and Cadmium Yellow Light in Holbein; Cadmium Yellow Light in Lukas; Cadmium Yellow Medium in Maimeri Blu (new); Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Yellow Deep in M.Graham; Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Yellow Medium in Old Holland; Cadmium Yellow Primrose, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium and Cadmium Yellow Deep in QoR; Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Yellow Medium in Rembrandt; Cadmium Yellow Deep in Schmincke; Cadmium Yellow Lemon and Cadmium Yellow Deep in Sennelier; Cadmium Yellow in Winsor & Newton; Cadmium Yellow in Wallace Seymour; Cadmium Yellow Lemon and Cadmium Yellow Light in Isaro; Cadmium Lemon in Turner; Cadmium Yellow Light in American Journey; Cadmium Yellow Pale and deep in Renesans in both their Intense and half pan (shown) ranges. These swatches are still to be added.
PY37 is less common and used for the warm Cadmium Yellow. Aquarius Cadmium Yellow Deep and Art Spectrum Cadmium Yellow are the only available versions.
PO20 is a Cadmium Orange but it varies from an orange-yellow to a yellow orange so appears here.
Yellows made with PY40
I don't tend to use this pigment since it will fade on exposure to light, or turn grey in masstone.
Shown here are Aureolin - Jackson's watercolour; Aureolin - Winsor & Newton; Aureolin (genuine) - Daniel Smith and Aureolin (Mixture) - American Journey
PY40 is also used in Aureolin - Daler Rowney; Aureolin - Art Spectrum; Cobalt (Aureolin) Yellow Lake - Old Holland; Aureoline - Sennelier and Aureoline - Rembrandt.
Shown here are Aureolin - Jackson's watercolour; Aureolin - Winsor & Newton; Aureolin (genuine) - Daniel Smith and Aureolin (Mixture) - American Journey
PY40 is also used in Aureolin - Daler Rowney; Aureolin - Art Spectrum; Cobalt (Aureolin) Yellow Lake - Old Holland; Aureoline - Sennelier and Aureoline - Rembrandt.
Nickel titanate yellows - PY53
PR53 is not a strong pigment, and can be difficult to reactivate when dry. The best example I've found is the new (2017) Schmincke Rutile Yellow shown in the first swatch.
This is followed by Nickel Titanate Yellow - Daniel Smith; Nickel Titanate Yellow - Maimeri Blu; Nickel Yellow - Blockx; Lemon Yellow (Nickel Titanate) - Winsor & Newton; Titanium Yellow - Schmincke and Venetian Yellow - Renesans pan; Nickel Titanate Yellow - Daler Rowney.
It is also available in Aquarius, Da Vinci and Old Holland as Nickel Titanate Yellow; the new MaimeriBlu as Naples Yellow; from QoR and Sennelier as Nickel Yellow, from Renesans as Titanium Yellow in their Intense range, and from Pip Seymour Vintage as Lemon Titanate.
This is followed by Nickel Titanate Yellow - Daniel Smith; Nickel Titanate Yellow - Maimeri Blu; Nickel Yellow - Blockx; Lemon Yellow (Nickel Titanate) - Winsor & Newton; Titanium Yellow - Schmincke and Venetian Yellow - Renesans pan; Nickel Titanate Yellow - Daler Rowney.
It is also available in Aquarius, Da Vinci and Old Holland as Nickel Titanate Yellow; the new MaimeriBlu as Naples Yellow; from QoR and Sennelier as Nickel Yellow, from Renesans as Titanium Yellow in their Intense range, and from Pip Seymour Vintage as Lemon Titanate.
Yellows made with PY65
Known as Hansa Yellow Deep, this is a very pure chroma deep yellow. Recommended as a warm yellow in a palette.
Shown here are Gamboge - Blockx; Permanent Yellow Deep - Mission Gold; Hansa Yellow Deep - Da Vinci; Arylide Yellow - Da Vinci; Chrome Yellow Deep - Schmincke; Hansa Yellow Deep - Daniel Smith; Winsor Yellow Deep - Winsor & Newton.
As well as those shown, it is available from Aquarius as Hansa Yellow Deep; MaimeriBlu new range as Indian Yellow and from Hydrus as Chrome Yellow.
Shown here are Gamboge - Blockx; Permanent Yellow Deep - Mission Gold; Hansa Yellow Deep - Da Vinci; Arylide Yellow - Da Vinci; Chrome Yellow Deep - Schmincke; Hansa Yellow Deep - Daniel Smith; Winsor Yellow Deep - Winsor & Newton.
As well as those shown, it is available from Aquarius as Hansa Yellow Deep; MaimeriBlu new range as Indian Yellow and from Hydrus as Chrome Yellow.
Yellows made with PY74 and PY97
These tend to be mid or primary yellows.
PY74 is used in Primary Yellow, Sennelier(shown); Scheveningen Yellow Light, Old Holland (shown)
PY74 is also used in Aquarius and Da Vinci as Hansa Yellow Medium.
PY97 is used in Hansa Yellow Deep, M.Graham (shown); Hansa Yellow Medium, Daniel Smith (shown); Arylide Yellow Medium, Da Vinci (shown) and Bumblebee Yellow, American Journey (shown).
PY97 is also used in MaimerBlu Primary Yellow.
PY74 is used in Primary Yellow, Sennelier(shown); Scheveningen Yellow Light, Old Holland (shown)
PY74 is also used in Aquarius and Da Vinci as Hansa Yellow Medium.
PY97 is used in Hansa Yellow Deep, M.Graham (shown); Hansa Yellow Medium, Daniel Smith (shown); Arylide Yellow Medium, Da Vinci (shown) and Bumblebee Yellow, American Journey (shown).
PY97 is also used in MaimerBlu Primary Yellow.
Yellows made with PY83
Yellows made with PY108
Yellows made with PY138
Yellows made with PY110
This is a really warm orange-yellow. It is also available from Aquarius as Isoindolinone Yellow Deep, from M.Graham as Indian Yellow, from Turner as Permanent Yellow Orange and from Holbein as Isoindoline Yellow Deep.
PY138
Yellows made with PY150
Known as Nickel Azo Yellow, this is a lovely transparent mid yellow, useful as a primary yellow. Also available from Aquarius as Nickel Azo Yellow, Rembrandt as Aureoline and White Nights as Indian Yellow. The Yellow Shade of PY150 is used in Mission Gold Green Gold and the new MaimberiBlu Transparent Yellow. It is often used as the base colour for Quinacridone Gold hues.
Shown here are Nickel Azo Yellow - Daniel Smith; Nickel Azo Yellow - Da Vinci; Nickel Azo Yellow - M.Graham; Nickel Azo Yellow - QoR; Transparent Yellow - Winsor & Newton; Hot Mulled Cider - Daniel Smith; Transparent Yellow - Schmincke; Yellow Lake - Sennelier; Aureoline - Rembrandt
Shown here are Nickel Azo Yellow - Daniel Smith; Nickel Azo Yellow - Da Vinci; Nickel Azo Yellow - M.Graham; Nickel Azo Yellow - QoR; Transparent Yellow - Winsor & Newton; Hot Mulled Cider - Daniel Smith; Transparent Yellow - Schmincke; Yellow Lake - Sennelier; Aureoline - Rembrandt
Yellows made with PY151
This is another lovely primary yellow pigment.
Shown here are Azo Yellow - M. Graham; Azo Yellow (Aureolin) - M. Graham; Azo Yellow - Daniel Smith, Aureolin - White Nights.
Also found in Aureoline (hue) - Aquarius and Aureolin Hue - Schmincke.
Shown here are Azo Yellow - M. Graham; Azo Yellow (Aureolin) - M. Graham; Azo Yellow - Daniel Smith, Aureolin - White Nights.
Also found in Aureoline (hue) - Aquarius and Aureolin Hue - Schmincke.
Yellows made with PY153 and PY154
PY153 is a lovely yellow pigment that is no longer available. It is sometimes found as a primary or mid yellow, sometimes as a warm yellow. If you find any watercolours made with this pigment you may like to give them a go. PY154 is a primary yellow.
More single pigment yellows in order by pigment numbers
Samples include PY40, PY83, PY93, PY108, PY134. PY138, PY139, PY175 and others.
PY174 watercolours
PY184 watercolours
Shown here are Transparent Yellow Medium - Rembrandt; Bismuth Yellow - Daler Rowney; Bismuth Yellow - M. Graham; Bismuth Yellow - Winsor & Newton; Bismuth Vandate Yellow - QoR; Bismuth Vandate Yellow - Daniel Smith; Bismuth Yellow - Stephen Quiller; Lemon Yellow - Blockx.
'Quinacridone Gold' Watercolours
A few years ago, genuine Quinacridone Gold made with PO49 was only available in Daniel Smith 15ml tubes. They bought all of the pigment that remained when manufacturing was discontinued. They ran out in September 2017, so all Quinacridone Gold paints are now mixed hues. I also found some old stock of W&N genuine Quinacridone Gold. The first two are genuine PO49 samples, the rest are mixed hues.
Mixed Pigment and single pigment 'Indian Yellow' Watercolours.
'Naples Yellow' watercolours
These are mostly a mixture of three pigments including white, though PBr24 is a lovely option.
Mixed Pigment Yellow Watercolours
May be a mixture of two or more yellow pigments or a yellow and an orange or a couple of pigments and white. Where possible, I prefer the real pigment to a mixed hue. See also some unusual 'yellows' in the miscellaneous section.
Mixed pigment mid to cool yellows.
These swatches are painted and added as a guide. The intention is show the characteristics of each colour when painted. The colour reproduction is not perfect but hopefully will still be helpful used in conjunction with the manufacturer's website. Thank you to those of you, from Canada, Sweden, Australia and the USA, who have helped me with this section by sharing your favourite colours. If you notice errors please let me know so I can correct them. If you have artist quality watercolour that are not shown here and want to help me build up this resource, also please let me know :-)