Winsor Red (thalo red) watercolor is a transparent red with a cool temperature similar in color to Permanent Red and Quinacridone Red, but it is a more saturated, intense, staining color.
It is one of the “reds” in the transparent staining watercolor palette used for the glazing technique and mixing with other colors in its category.
Measured against a gray scale value finder, transparent staining watercolors range in value from 10% light to a maximum of 90% dark.
Colors in the transparent staining category can portray intensity and dark values without becoming muddy and are adequate for a full palette except for where opacity is desired.
PAINT CHARACTERISTICS
Winsor Red is a supersaturated, stronger color than watercolors in the non-staining category and more restraint is required when mixing or glazing it with other watercolors.
Transparent staining watercolors will stain the fibers of the paper they are applied to, and stain, overpower and dull non-staining watercolors they are mixed with.
For the best results, Winsor Red can be glazed and mixed with colors in the transparent staining watercolor category.
COLOR MIXING WITH WINSOR RED WATERCOLOR
Add Winsor Yellow or Permanent Yellow Deep or Winsor Blue (phthalo blue) to Winsor Red (thalo red) to mix a variety of orange and purple colors.
Mix Winsor Red with Permanent Green #1 or Winsor Green YS to create interesting mid-value transparent gray colors. For a darker gray, mix it with Winsor Green BS or Hooker’s Green Light.
Transparent staining watercolors can be layered one over another, wet over bone dry, successfully as long as the number of layers and density is controlled.
Before applying a layer of color from another category, use the transparent staining watercolor as the first layer.
Use Winsor Red as a transparent under-glaze in areas intended to be dark, such as shadows in a landscape. Colors painted over it will have more life and warmth.
Interesting textures and effects can be achieved by painting opaque colors over a layer of transparent staining watercolor and allowing some of the staining color to peek through using various lifting methods.
Semi-opaque or opaque colors are composed of coarser pigments that are stained and discolored when mixed with transparent staining watercolors. So, they are the least successful combinations.
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… and the recommended transparent staining watercolor for mixing grays with Winsor Red
… in addition to the above list of colors, the following transparent staining watercolors are best for glazing or color mixing with Winsor Red
- Winsor Yellow
- Permanent Yellow Deep
- Carmine
- Alizarin Crimson
- Winsor Violet
- Permanent Violet
- Indanthrene Blue
- Winsor Blue GS
- Winsor Blue RS
To learn more about transparent watercolors, click the link to my blog post “Which watercolor paints are transparent.”
See my YouTube playlist “Watercolor Paint Characteristics & Color Mixing” for more videos. And, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
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