Basic Watercolor Palette for Tuesday Afternoon Class

This is the watercolor palette I am currently using.  I recommend students use paints they already have and add to them when they find a gap.  You need a warm and cool of the three primaries, but there are many pigments that meet that requirement.   You will develop a palette that suits you.  I have listed the pigment numbers for the colors on my palette.  All of the pigments are available in the Daniel Smith line.  I have also listed in blue the closest pigment in the Grumbacher Academy line. If you have no paints, start with these ... and move up to the professional line as you replace each color.  The Academy line has permanence issues, but this will not affect the painting exercises ahead of you as a beginning watercolorist.

Double Primary Palette 

• Bismuth Yellow PY184 or Benzamida Yellow PY175 - cool yellow (Lemon Yellow)
• Hansa Yellow Medium PY97 - warm yellow (Golden Yellow)
• Perinone Orange PO43 - warm red (Cadmium Red Light)
• Anthraquinoid Red PR177 - cool red (Alizarin Crimson)
• French Ultramarine PB29 - cool blue (Ultramarine Blue)
• Phthalo Turquoise PB16 - warm blue (Turquoise)
• Viridian PG18 - cool green (Viridian)

Optional or Occasional Colors

• Raw Sienna PBr7 (Raw Sienna)
  
• Burnt Sienna PBr7 (Burnt Sienna)
  
• Burnt Umber PBr7 (Burnt Umber)
• Cobalt Blue PB28 - true blue with low tinting strength, good for glazing (Cobalt Blue Hue)
• Quinacridone Rose PV19 - high tinting strength cool red, good for florals (Thalo Crimson)
• Phthalo Blue PB15 - high tinting strength cool blue, good for mixing darks (Thalo Blue)
• Phthalo Green PG7 - high tinting strength cool green, good for mixing darks (Thalo Green)
• Quinacridone Red PR209 - true red (Grumbacher Red)