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Color Mixing Watercolor Paint Characteristics

Winsor Yellow Watercolor – Paint Characteristics & Color Mixing

Winsor Yellow watercolor is a clear, transparent yellow with a cool temperature similar in color to Cadmium Yellow Light, the lightest color on the color wheel.

It is one of the “yellows” in the transparent staining watercolor palette used for the glazing technique and mixing with other colors in its category.

winsor yellow watercolor thumbnail
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Measured against a gray scale value finder, transparent staining watercolors range in value from 10% light to a maximum of 90% dark.

gray scale value finder

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 Yellow 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 Yellow can be glazed and mixed with colors in the transparent staining watercolor category.

COLOR MIXING WITH WINSOR YELLOW WATERCOLOR

Add Winsor Red (thalo red) or Winsor Blue (phthalo blue) or Winsor Green (phthalo green) to Winsor Yellow to mix a variety of orange and green colors.

Mix Winsor Yellow with Winsor Violet to create interesting mid-value transparent gray colors. For a darker gray, mix it with Permanent Violet.

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.

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.

Purchase watercolor paints using my affiliate links below:

… and the recommended transparent staining watercolor for mixing grays with Winsor Yellow

… in addition to the above list of colors, the following transparent staining watercolors are best for glazing or color mixing with Winsor Yellow

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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Categories
Color Mixing Watercolor Paint Characteristics

Winsor Yellow Watercolor Characteristics & Color Mixing

Winsor Yellow watercolor is a very strong staining semi-transparent yellow that is described as a warm yellow.

But, in Jim Kosvanec’s book Transparent Watercolor Wheel, he includes Winsor Yellow in his group of transparent staining watercolors and describes it as having a cool temperature.

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Actually, a color’s temperature can be shifted from cool to warm and vice versa depending upon what color is placed next to it in a painting composition.

A warm color placed next to Winsor Yellow will make it appear cooler, and a cool color next to it makes appear warmer.

PAINT CHARACTERISTICS

Winsor Yellow is an intense, saturated color that will stain the fibers of the paper it’s applied to, as well as overpower other watercolors it’s mixed with.

It is often used as the first layer of a glaze before other color glazes are applied on watercolor paper.

COLOR MIXING WITH WINSOR YELLOW WATERCOLOR

When color mixing with Winsor Yellow, add it sparingly and gradually to another watercolor until the desired color mixture is reached.

As a transparent staining watercolor, it mixes well with other transparent staining watercolors.

But, it will slightly dull non-staining transparent and semi-transparent watercolors.

All transparent staining watercolors produce a less successive color mixture when mixed with semi-opaque and opaque watercolors which have coarser pigments that will stain and discolor.

Purchase watercolor paints using my affiliate links below:

… and the recommended transparent staining watercolors for color mixing with Winsor Yellow

Book – Jim Kosvanec’s Transparent Watercolor Wheel

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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