All My Blue Colors [Why I Chose Them]

[@Anonymoi]

The topic of the temperature of blues, in particular, is an interesting one. I have a fine arts degree, but watercolor is largely a new medium for me (and like so many others, I’m returning to art after a long break.) I generally don’t have any trouble determining temperature of a color, but I see ultramarine as cool, and always have, and see phthalo blue (and other blues which lean slightly green) as warm. I don’t remember anyone in college ever commenting on the temperature of those blues and I was shocked the first time I heard someone say ultramarine was warm. And then, confusing me more, I saw other people say that it was cool. Finally, I did some online searching and realized it is somewhat of a subjective thing and maybe a little controversial. I think there is the intellectual answer based on how a color leans, but perception and visceral response can be different. I generally see all clear purples as cool and ultramarine is slightly purple and therefore cool to me. In contrast, I see blue-green colors (blue with a bit of yellow) as warm… yet I see a clear yellow with no red in it, mixed with the slightest bit of blue, so it has a slight green undertone, as a cool yellow. If I wanted a room to feel warm and I could only paint it blue, I would use a blue with a bit of yellow, not a blue with a bit of red. There’s an interesting article out there about this.

[@Anonymoi]

One article which addresses the issue is on OutdoorPainter, titled, “Is Ultramarine a Cool Blue?”

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks. I'll look for the article.

[@sanchapa5185]

Glad it wasn’t just me, it’s counter-intuitive to my logic

[@NicoleLan622]

Blues are my favorite range and i can't live without your five plus manganese mix and indanthrone!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I now have Indanthrone on my palette too. Love it. Just bought Prussian Blue to see how I like it.

[@appleknocker56]

@@KrisDeBruineStudioAs b This “cool” blue often difficult for me to see the yellow leaning or best yellow to mix as then 2 yellows involved?

[@pamlake8213]

I love all of those. I agree with you on Cerulean Blue Chromium over Cerulean, it's definitely a great choice. Lately I have really been enjoying Phthalo Blue Turquoise (by DS- PB16) even though it's a staining color it makes a beautiful cloudless summer sky!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.

[@dandfawesome3611]

Thank you, your explanation of warm and cool colours is very helpful. I’ve been using Prussian blue, and Indigo, as well as the cobalt and ultramarine. I really like them

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I'm so glad to hear you found the video helpful. I use Indigo also...and love it. I haven't tried Prussian Blue....but several others have mentioned it.

[@leslie-annepepin8927]

I am so grateful for all your information! Thank you.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You are so welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@appleknocker56]

Just showing these blues & how lean from warm to cool as doing a big color wheel! For my warm blue know want Ultramarine & was thinking about Prussian blue (leans yellow) so a cool & Pthalo to staining. So for my cool think Cobalt blue as my Cerulean has white mixed in so not very transparent but use it. Helped me learn just blues & tyvm as college class (one hour) might not to it “keep it simple” 😊!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for the feedback

[@appleknocker56]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio After trying many blues to make greens & mix own primary green wasn’t easy (for real my colors have color wheel)! Two of each primary (cool & warm) then mix you’d secondaries with those. Then tertiary (not there yet mixed from above “muted one” and feel learning more about my own watercolors & so beautiful a medium w mind of its own 😊.

[@appleknocker56]

Found Cobalt blue didn’t really work great as cool blue (more mid blue) so went with Pthalo blue & F. Ultra as warm & again ty as learned more about blues in your tutorial than could have semester of college (truth).

[@carolehaferling5563]

Just watched your video on warm and cool blues. Thank you. I am new to watercolor and love learning the do’s and don’t.I think I feel like I am in a classroom and I am happy to have come across your video. I liked and subscribed and am looking forward to more.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Welcome to the channel. Thanks for watching. I appreciate your feedback.

[@anthonykoeslag]

thank you ! this really helped, love the cobalt teal

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and leaving feedback. I agree. I love that teal!! I use it in water landscapes all the time.

[@annenglish2935]

Love Aqua Green by Winsor Newton Professional watercolor tube!!! I'm a beginner and I love it. The pigment says Phthalo & that's it. Also like Winsor Blue, (gr. Shade) & Winsor Green (blue shade). Love Winsor red, warm shade, smooth, vibrant, non- granulating... love Daniel Smith Permanent Red Deep watercolor... for the cool red in my pallet. Colors bring about a lot of emotion for me... swatches, leaves, flowers for fun... had to quit for several weeks. I'm just a few months into this and have found great, fantastic teachers... I will begin again... and be thankful for the small steps I make. Thank you for sharing... Someone told me "THERE ARE NO RULES IN WATERCOLOR!" & I ADOPTED THAT FOR ME!!! I APPRECIATE ALL YOU BRING! A Grateful California Gramma ❤

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi Ann. Thanks for watching and for sharing your favorite colors. I love to hear from my viewers. I can't encourage you enough, to begin again and keep on painting. It is such a rich journey of discovery. Have a wonderful day!!

[@annenglish2935]

Thank you! I appreciate all you do for us!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You are welcome.

[@igormikhaylov8421]

Cool. I am using 3 of tham : Ultramarine (PB29) finest from Schmincke (because almost does not granulate) Phthalo GS (PB15:3) of DS and Turquoise light (PG50) from W&N (because more intense and lighter, but less of granulation).

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for sharing

[@brucewayne5715]

Ufff como me encanta el azul. !!!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yo también

[@Ulldraken]

For anyone interested, many cobalt pigments are very toxic, but this particular one is not. The cobalt in these pigments is not bioavailable ie. it does not dissolve into cobalt ions in the blood. It's always a good idea to research pigments before buying them, so that you are informed about possible health and environmental risks. PB 35 is toxic. Doesn't mean you as an artist can't use it but you should be aware so you can keep yourself and others safe.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for sharing

[@TheBeverleyann]

Great information ! Thank you Kris :)

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@janetwebber7814]

Yes, helpful explanations. thanks

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I'm glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching and leaving feedback.

[@stevesidare2493]

Just like me. I make a lot or corrections and adjustments and tend to steer away from high staining colors.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yes. I think it is good to be aware of the properties of different paints. So if we do choose to use them...we know what to expect and how to use the paint in our particular style of painting. Thanks for watching and sharing your perspective.

[@roselynferreira6255]

Thank you!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome!

[@Newlinjim]

Very good. Thank you Kris.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome!!

[@nadeaner.cowley513]

Great video, thanks for sharing🧡💜❤

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You are so welcome. Thanks for watching....and leaving feedback. I appreciate it.

[@barbararivera2380]

thank you

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome Barbara. Thanks for watching and leaving feedback.

[@periknows]

Thanks for this great information- where would Prussian blue fit in the warm to cool scale?

[@periknows]

Oops….I see you answered the question in another comment 🐶 keep up the great work🌻

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yea...I thought I had already responded....but KZbin didn't show the response....so I did so again. So for the duplication.

[@lurklingX]

manganese blue (or a hue), and also some of the turquoises. (love MGraham's. and since that looks like a studio palette, you'd be good. the honey makes it not ideal for travel of course. i really like how it is SO dark in masstone, like a PB60 indanthrone/threne blue. my fav of that so far is da vinci's) :)

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thank you so much for sharing your favorite blues. There are so many to choose from!!!

[@monelleny]

Love this! Wish you had included Prussian, but I guess it's not a single pigment?

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Ahhh. Yes. Prussian Blue is beautiful. Actually in the Daniel Smith line it IS a single pigment color - PB27. (That might vary in other manufacturers.) It is a very cool blue and I already had a few of those. Have a great day and thanks for leaving feedback.

[@monelleny]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio - It is fairly close to Phthalo, I guess. Interesting that Ultramarine and Cobalt are so different in the DS line. Thank goodness for generous people like you, who take the time to share your knowledge with us! :)

[@nachobidness2553]

Most Prussians have a green undertone, so a lot of artists just mix their own versions or skip it.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Helpful advice. Thanks for adding to the discussion

[@SlySkippy15]

Have you tried WN cobolt turquoise or teal light? I was gifted DS phthaol turquoise, but have nothing to compare it to. I’m not a fan of all granulating colors. Thanks

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

No, I don't have any WN colors. I have DS Phthalo Turquoise and DS Cobalt Teal Blue. Between those two colors, I definitely use the Cobalt Teal Blue the most. I also have a free download you might be interested in. I share four recipes for mixing turquoise or teal from common, single pigment colors on your palette. You can get it here: studio.krisdebruine.com/turquoise Enjoy!!

[@SlySkippy15]

@@KrisDeBruineStudiothank you, I’m checking you link now

[@kdebruine]

@@SlySkippy15 Great. Let me know what you think.

[@carolehaferling5563]

I am trying to obtain a wedgewood blue color. Can you make any suggestions that I could try. I find your show a great learning experience for me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😄🌻

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi Carole. I love the way you spell your name. My mom spelled her name the same way....and she was my dearest friend. So, I don't know you....but I already like you! :-) In the Daniel Smith Watercolor line (which I am most familiar with), I would say the closest to wedgewood would probably be Verditer Blue. Here's a link to learn more - amzn.to/3vWQJi9

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

PS. Color names and hues can be so subjective. So you might also want to take a look at this color chart by Daniel Smith. This will allow you to compare all their blues, side by side. Hope this helps -- danielsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DSWTCBookUPDATEDMay20.2021.pdf

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

PPS. One more thought. Of the five colors reviewed in this video, I would say Cerulean Blue Chromium (Daniel Smith) is probably the closest to wedgewood. I LOVE Cerulean Blue and use it ALL the time. It is one of my highly recommended colors - amzn.to/3Qz7xDz

[@carolehaferling5563]

Hi Kris. Thank you for responding. I do appreciate your suggestions, thank you. I also thought that perhaps you could recommend a “recipe”for colors that might get me that wedgewood color to mix with the blues on your video. Thanks again.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi Carole. I'm sorry I misunderstood your previous question. It is hard to suggest a recipe when I can't see the actual color from your reference material. I would just start with a blue that is close to the color you want (i.e. Cerulean or Verditer as recommended above). Then if it needs to be warmer, add a little red. If it needs to be cooler, add a little green or yellow. Go back and forth, and experiment until you get it right. You might also try adding a little Neutral tint if the color is too saturated. This will tone it down a bit. I have a video about Neutral tint here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5mYd5Z_d9CEmJY

[@StephenSwanson-f1q]

How much of what you said about French Ultramarine is true too of plain Ultramarine?

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Great question. They are made from the same pigment (PB29) and have the same qualities (granulating, transparent, medium staining, etc). French is slightly warmer (closer to violet). Hope this helps!!! Have a great day.

[@Worldfriends218]

is acrylic Marian blue paint is it the same as ultramarine blue

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi! Thanks for watching and leaving a question. I will have to plead ignorance on this question. I am not familiar with Acrylic colors as I focus on watercolor. However, I did a quick Google search for you and found this - www.colorxs.com/color/marian-blue. In my opinion that looks very similar to Ultramarine Blue. :-) However, I don't find that pigment name in my other favorite source -- www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/palette1.html#blue

[@Dinky_Bunny]

Is Cobalt Blue any good at glazing? I've been finding conflicting opinions about this lately. I know transparent staining colors are better suited for glazing. But I'm curious whether or not Cobalt Blue will have issues with lifting like Ultramarine Blue does when applied in many thin glazes. Any thoughts?

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I believe Cobalt Blue's semi-transparent quality makes it a wonderful candidate for glazing. And I think its non-staining quality are also a benefit to glazing. I didn't have this color on my palette in the early years but then I added it and I'm so glad I did. It is now an essential color for me. I specifically use Daniel Smith. Here is how they describe their Cobalt Blue. danielsmith.com/color-stories/watercolors/cobalt-blue-watercolor/ I hope this helps.

[@nerdnam]

Interesting how the colors seem to change as you put one against the other.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Ahh....yes. The juxtaposition of colors and how they affect each other. It is interesting.

[@AyaSmith]

I’m a little surprised you don’t have pb60 in there too :)

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I've never tried that color. Just looked it up. I will have to test that one too. Thanks.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Also....I have a mixture of PB60 in my Indigo....which I really like. However, Indigo is not a single pigment color. It is a mixture of PB60 and PBk6.

[@AyaSmith]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio Yes :) I like to use pb60 and mix umber or black into it for my own indigo.. it’s a very nice deep warm color, it would fit in your scale of blues very nicely :)

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks!!

[@juansantiago2986]

PB60 from M. Graham

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I love that color. In the Daniel Smith line, that pigment is referred to as Indanthrone Blue. And the pigment is found in some other colors like Indigo. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@lindathaxton1994]

Thank you!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome!