Lightfast Tests 4 | We have some changes!

After seven months in direct sunlight on my studio windowsill, let's see which watercolours have faded and which haven't!
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[@notesinthemargin]

It is quite surprising to see which ones do & don’t change, but the big question is: Just how lightfast is wasp poo? 😆🐝 Plus I’ve now got ‘Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I’ve got, I’ve got - I’ve got rain spots on my swatch’ playing on a loop in my head! 🎶🤪🎶

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

This is TOO GOOD. 😂😂😂

[@ArtyAntics]

“Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I’ve got, I’ve got, I’ve got poo spots sitting on my swatch. Used to have none, now I got a lot, because they lived on my win-dow”

[@kriksis]

Haha, this is so funny! :D Now we need to see wasp poo on the other side too so we can compare. :D

[@ArtySubu]

Please please do some art-parodies!

[@julienotsmith7068]

History of color nerd here… (I did some research on dyes for some articles I wrote and things got out of hand.) The issue/story with the medium “Mayan Blue genuine” is that scientists have figured out the components of the historic blue paint of the Mayans, and re-created it. True Mayan Blue is the lighter of the two shades you’ve got, here. The real stuff on Mayan codices and temples hasn’t faded… but this stuff does. Meaning the scientists missed something. There’s some legal wrangling over the term “genuine” and a lot of philosophical discussions about whether being colorfast is part of color or not that sounds like a bunch of freshmen philosophy students who’ve been up too late. 😀 But, that’s the short version of why - last time I checked - it doesn’t have a pigment number, and there’s all the brouhaha. I’m also wondering if there’s something in the atmosphere - globally - that’s causing yellowing paint. Because people are getting that reaction all over in real-time light exposure experiments, but it doesn’t happen in sped-up, simulated tests with blasts of ultraviolet light. Back in the day, coal fires put enough sulfur in the air to turn lead pigments black, and lord knows humans have put a lot of literal and metaphorical garbage in the air. So. Wondering. Hopefully this was mildly interesting for you, but I’ve been watching your experiment with interest, while I’ve got my own paints up in my window. Thanks for sharing the data, and happy painting.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I found all of this absolutely fascinating, so thank you for taking the time to share this information! I think you might be on to something re: the yellowing of the paint. This really has made me wonder...

[@julienotsmith7068]

@@NatashaNewtonArt Oh good, I didn’t want to be clogging up your comments with stuff you already knew. My experience is with textiles, which usually simply fade. So all the yellowing seems strange to me. And is it PY4 that turns grey? It’s really strange.

[@ghoulchan7525]

i heard/read that Cigarette smoke also causes stuff to yellow. so yeah probably air pollutants

[@AlyonasWatercolourCreations]

Thanks for sharing these Lightfast tests! ☺️ Even though some of those paints are sold as artist grade with a premium price tag we still have to take time to do our own tests to be certain it seems. Yet they claim in most cases they are “lightfast”. I want to test all of my art supplies but I don’t think I have enough windowsills… 😆🧡

[@thebirdartistscottage]

You could just tape swatches to the window itself! 🪟

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Ha ha, I know how you feel! I'm going to be testing my gansai paints next, I think.

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

I mix my own moonglow using viridian (PG 18) quinacridone coral (PR 209) and ultramarine (PB 29.) Specifically, I used QOR viridian, Daniel Smith quin coral, and Sennelier ultramarine, but I don’t think brands matter much. If mixing your own be aware that you will need TONS of viridian (not phthalo green!) because it has such a low tinting strength.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I heard about this from Kim Crick and I keep meaning to have a go!

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

@@NatashaNewtonArt Yes! I actually mixed it before I saw her video and I have to say I was quite impressed with myself for figuring out the pigments by myself and then finding out I did it right!

[@thebirdartistscottage]

Thanks for sharing this info! Moonglow is so pretty!!! 😍

[@ChristinaTodd1970]

@@thebirdartistscottage You’re welcome. Give it a try, it’s fun experimenting with the pigments. You can make it more purple or more muted, more green, depending on your ratio of pigments. Just remember you’ll need a lot of Viridian. And if you use a super granulating ultramarine with a super granulating viridian you’ll get a lovely moonglow.

[@lightwavz]

I think it was the Rhodonite that Oto Kano did a test on and when it was put back in the dark it lost the brown tones and regained vibrance?! I could be wrong, but if anyone has a particular love for that color, it would be worth a dig through her back catalog. Also, that Mayan Blue Dark made me swoon! Such a beautiful night sky color! I could just dive right in. Strangely, I think I liked the faded Mayan Blue better than the original. But I do a lot of "aged" vintage effects in mixed media projects. It might be handy, that hue!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Ooh, I'll put that one back in the dark as well, alongside the Prussian Green! I think that some of them fade to a lovely hue (like the Mayan Blue and the Prussian Green).

[@jennw6809]

I'm fascinated that Shell Pink is made with just orange pigment and white!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Yes, I'm surprised that there's no red pigment in there!

[@jennw6809]

@@NatashaNewtonArt I was going to try mixing it this morning and forgot. PO73 is quite lightfast, and so far your shell pink has been fine, right? But many colors lose lightfastness when mixed with whites particularly PW6. Sad, really!

[@knowthyselfandyoullknowthe8216]

love your videos :) Wasp poo and JLO you made me laugh :D

[@SupraSoulStar]

Same here🤣🤣

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I couldn't resist a bit of J.Lo, ha ha!

[@lindsaylongpre8188]

Hunker down and enjoy the storm. ☺️ Sounds like you need a pot of tea and a cozy fire. Thanks for doing these lightfast tests! They’re so informative!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

It's so strange, we've just had dinner and I was thinking, "I really need a cup of tea" and then I saw your comment! The wind is still howling out there...

[@RinN3-.]

I can’t tell any difference of the watercolour ones you said changed on (video) camera except Mayan Blue Gen. and slight diff. to Moonglow & Rhodonite Gen. Wow Opera Pink I knew but still wow 😮 Thanks Natasha 👍🏻✌🏼💗

[@jinee2151]

Thank you for sharing this lightfastness test. I'm so happy about the result of Mayan dark blue. It's my favorite color but mayan blue genuine is my favorite too..😢 Mayan blue genuine on my color chart, Canson heritage100% cotton paper, has been still good. I made this color chart around March. 2020. and I've hung it on the wall. And Schminke 'indigo' on my color chart has been faded so fast but the indigo on my lightfast test sheet, Fabriano artistico 100% cotton, is still good for about 9 months. (there is a little fading but not that bad..^^;) I've been thing there must be some secret in the paper itself. Still curiouse.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

That's really interesting! I'm sure that the paper does make a difference.

[@fathomingfables9211]

I can understand your concerns about lightfastness. But I would advise anyone buying art whether the paints are lightfast or not is to avoid displaying them in strong sunlight. When I worked in a shop the displays in the window would always fade so quickly! I have a-lot of crystal specimens and many of them are known to fade or alter when exposed to air and light. Once they’re dug up from the earth they can start to alter. All my Amethyst samples are kept away from direct sunlight as I know from experience that they fade. Although Amethyst can look beautiful when it turns to pale lilac!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

This is interesting and I agree with you. All the time I've been performing these tests I've been thinking that we wouldn't ever hang a painting directly in a window with no protection anyway! But this seems to be the accepted way of performing a lightfast test. I'm amazed that so many of the colours have held up so well.

[@fuzzydragons]

glad that mayan dark blue hasnt faded, it gorgeous colour

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I was so happy about that!

[@spoonierv1543]

DaVinci paint in the US has done some clever chemistry and they have an opera pink (they call it Opus) that holds up pretty well! This wasn’t part of your set today but they also have an Aureolin that holds up much better than usual.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

That's really interesting to know! I love Opera Pink and it's such a shame that most of them tend to be fugitive, so this is great news!

[@gailbrule1744]

Thank you for this! Since I work predominantly in a sketchbook I don’t care for myself but this is good info to have for others...

[@kriksis]

Although I'm not doing lightfast tests myself I found these '' lightfast test'' series super interesting, I like how you compare those colors! :)

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I'm glad you're finding it interesting, Kristiana - it's been fascinating seeing how they've changed over the months. :)

[@katnilsson]

Is the paper archival (or how do you determine papers quality)? I ask because I wonder about the yellowing in some of the colors like Sleeping Beauty and jadetite. I heard from a woman that works with paper that we often underestimate the paper quality. Many papers brake down with age, light, air moisture and so on. The second question: do you use the same paper in all of these swatches? I suspect that many use their ‘not so expensive’ papers when they do these test and I wouldn’t be surprised if I will show that the paper quality will affect the lightfastness of some paints. Maybe I’m wrong. I was already thinking how paper quality effects these test before I talked with the ‘paper lady’ and now I’m really curious if I’m on to something🥸. I’m probably reinventing the wheel 🤪 and somebody already pointed these things out 😂. Love your videos as always!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

This is a very good point, Katja! It is acid-free paper, but it's cellulose paper and not 100% cotton (I didn't want to waste my good paper on swatches!). I think that as long as the paper is acid-free, it shouldn't affect the lightfastness/colour of the swatches. I did use the same paper for all of the swatches. But this is an interesting point!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Having said that, I could be wrong - what do I know?! 😂

[@catsontherise4300]

Interesting point...According to handprint, they suggest "Be sure to use only 100% cotton, acid free or 100% cotton, pH neutral watercolor sheets, as wood pulp or "alpha cellulose" papers can yellow in sunlight, affecting your judgment of color change in the paints." This would be an interesting comparison study.

[@chaosinca]

Wouldn't you be able to see a change in the unpainted paper though? Maybe wet a section to show any water affect to control for that?

[@katnilsson]

@@chaosinca It may depend on several factors like if the color/water dissolve the protecting layer off the paper or if the paper would take much more longer to show the aging process as it’s sized. Honestly I really don’t know but I seeing some of my older papers (cheap cheap stuff) getting color shifts after they’ve been in my drawer for a couple of years. I would not have noticed that if it wasn’t for my Christmas cards this year, I didn’t have enough of the old paper so I bought a new block. The newer is White and the old ones has a slightly gray/yellowish color to it. Like ceilings in a smokers house but it’s almost not noticeable. It still says 100% cotton acid free? 🤔

[@susanhepburn6040]

Thanks very much, Natasha!

[@erikaleighart]

Jenny from the block?? Is that you?! 😂 Oh god, I forgot to say the thing I meant to say. The serious thing. Thank you for sharing the results from your tests!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Ha ha! I so wished I'd said, "Don't be fooled by the spots on my swatch..." 😂

[@jennyb-aeternabitart7436]

I've never seen wasp poo before, so that was also interesting 😁

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Ha ha!

[@SloveniaWalksAndViews]

Very interesting and informative. Thank you for sharing this test with us.

[@paulinabm_]

Thank you for sharing your lightest results! I'm always looking for information about lightfastness. And from what I've gathered, I realized is super important that we all do lightfast tests because we will get different results depending on location and season. So, if I plan to sell a painting to someone in England, I could use your results as a guide on what colors I should not use/buy. Also, my window swatches got a bit dirty too. It's inevitable. I wonder if we could use cello bags to keep them clean? Also, an update from my own testing: It's been 3 months since I started this batch on my window facing the pacific ocean on the south of California and: - my Holbein opera has changed it's color a bit, it looks warmer. The diluted swatch has vanished a little. - Same with my Schmincke's opera but a little bit worse. - My schmincke's prussian blue faded a little in mass tone and almost vanished on the diluted swatch. - My Holbein permanent green light 1 has lost a bit of its yellow and has vanished a little on the diluted swatch. - My Holbein lemon yellow has vanished a little on the mass tone and completely on the dilted swatch. - My Schmincke's cadmium yellow light and lemon yellow only vanished a little on the diluted swatches and it is barely noticeable.

[@thebirdartistscottage]

Thanks for sharing these! I’ve always been a bit lazy about lightfastness testing but maybe I should rethink my attitude! 🧐

[@paulinabm_]

@@thebirdartistscottage I wish there was a type of social media were artist would post only lightfast test results. It would be a great guide to buy our art supplies for original artwork and it would force sellers to at least be honest with what they sell, specially since they have the capacity to do faster lightfast tests. It would also be a great place to watch pretty colors and palettes. ☺️

[@avirtualcanvas7584]

Glad to get an update on the lightfast test!, and naughty wasps messing up the swatches!!. Hope you and Dominic were both okay during he storm. My own test on all my handmade water colours have not shown significant changes,in the metallics yes,but more a case of oxidising than fading. But glad you were able to update your main palettette on the results of this test. I thnk it's a good testament to the qaulity of al the handmade paints. These tests have been really informative. Will look forward to seeing your revamped main palette!! we're as excited to see it as you are to share it with us. I think in the new year I wil reconfigure my main handmade watercolour palette. I wonder if its an idea with colours that have faded to make your own version of that colour from other paints that are lighfast. I wondr if it's an idea to have a palette of colours that fade or change and have this palette soley for sketchbook work or for pieces to scan for printing. Will there be a swatching session for the new reconfigured main palette.......(matt)

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Thanks Matt! Yes, we had a really big storm that night, but fortunately no damage. It's also been bitterly cold ever since. How are things for you two up there in Yorkshire? I'm currently in the process of filming/editing the watercolour palette video - it's taking longer than I thought and I've also had other things to do today, but should hopefully be up on KZbin soon! I will be swatching all 47 colours. :)

[@pennypop408]

So I thought they were ment to be light fast, a rating of one or two on Daniel smith chart. Very interesting results thank you for posting. I tested the M Graham watercolors in my collection and was pleased that I had no change what so ever in 12 months on my Australian north facing window for any of my colors with high light fast ratings. I dont buy any colors that rate poorly. I did have some interesting results with pencils that were ment to be stable so check those.

[@louisebourne5779]

Very informative lightfastness tests, its amazing how different some paints fade and others stay beautiful. xx 😘

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

It's been fascinating to see the swatches change over the months. :) xx

[@kaidusa]

Thank you so much for doing the Rhodonite one, I've been wanting to see if Rhodonite actually changes because I've heard so many things about it. But no where could I find any visuals of the changes. Thanks so much, i can now avoid using that color!

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

So glad it was helpful! Thank you. :)

[@sarahlouwolfe8302]

Kinda bummed about the Mayan Blue. I use it a lot. Well, I mix with it a alot. There's always a splodge of it on my palette when I'm using my DS colors. I use it to mix earthy/stony looking greys. I really like it with piemontite genuine especially. I keep forgetting about the Dusk Pink. Everytime you show that swatch I tell myself to remember and order it. I love that color. I'd love an antique chaise lounge upholstered in that color.

[@anitadavidson1266]

This is so interesting, thank you for sharing!

[@tradingpostfarms]

I have authentic indigo pigment powder and I had it in the window for about a year and it never faded. I moved and didn't put it back up. But I was suprised.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

That's really surprising as I've heard that natural Indigo is always fugitive! Very interesting.

[@thebirdartistscottage]

This was a fascinating comparison, Natasha! I wonder what the ASTM lightfastness ratings are for these and how those compare to your results? I’ve never done any lightfastness testing on my materials so it was fun to see how these turned out, even though I don’t own most of the colors you showed. Thanks for taking the time and effort to do these and share them with us! 💝

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I should mention that, actually! Good point. :)

[@tradingpostfarms]

I knew there were issues with some of the DS colors but some of these I had no idea had such severe lightfast issues. Mostly the sleeping beauty turquoise..one of my favorites. I won't be restocking that color. I'm a color collector I also do sell a few pieces here and there. So I guess I need to pay better attention. All my colors in my primary color pallette are from well known manufacturers and I don't really enjoy double checking the potential LF issues. I just want to be able to see a color I like and know it's reliable. Ugh

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I totally agree!

[@ChrissieNicely]

Your pronunciation of Rohrer & Klingner is perfect. A German would not "roll" the Rs, of course, but please don't try that! 😉 Thank you for the ongoing tests! 🥰😘🤗

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Ah, really?! I was convinced that I'd mangled the pronunciation so that's good to know! ;) xx

[@ayedicko6452]

First like!!! I love your videos natasha ❤

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

Thank you! 🎉

[@thuntz29]

I always wonder, if you sell a watercolour do you recommend to frame it with a UV protected glass? I think if I had original artwork exposed on my house I’d put a uv glass to protected. 🤔 Most paints say 100+ years under museum conditions but a house wouldn’t keep those conditions.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I don't tend to recommend/mention UV glass and if you're using lightfast watercolours I don't think it's totally necessary, but it could certainly help! It can't hurt. :)

[@moonlightgator]

I really enjoyed all the colors even though I can't afford to buy them, but they all look really pretty.

[@jennw6809]

Have you considered taping them to the window?? 🙂

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

I have, but I didn't want to block the light coming in through the window! At one point I had quite a few lightfast tests running at once. It would certainly keep them out of the way though!

[@jennw6809]

@@NatashaNewtonArt Later, I figured out you might not want to block your window! LOL. I really want to start some tests of my own.

[@chaosinca]

Rhodonite breaks my heart 💔 I love the colour soooo much but it changes soooo quickly 😪 Does anyone know of a lightfast version of this shade?

[@kanamichelle7404]

I’m sad about Moonglow. It is one of my favs. I don’t sell my art, but if I did, I would exclude it, but yes, still use in my sketchbook.

[@NatashaNewtonArt]

It's such a beautiful colour and it is sad that it isn't lightfast.