Why I Use Neutral Tint Watercolor Paint - A Great Color for Landscapes

[@cindytaylor6657]

I just bought a tube but didn’t know why. Thank you.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Haha. That's funny! Glad I could help. 😀

[@amypanddirtytoo1926]

I love neutral tint. I use the Windsor and Newton Professional Watercolor version and I'll have to give the Daniel Smith a try. I do love DS watercolors and if it is even just slightly different than the WN it will still create some wonderful mixes! I use it specifically so I can always get the same mix over and over without having to fuss over it.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for sharing your experience with Neutral Tint. The Daniel Smith version is a bit warmer than other grays. Have a great day!!

[@rebeccashaw957]

Just bought it now can't wait to use it after watching your video.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@michaelklein5242]

I've heard several online artists wax eloquently about using neutral paint, so bought a tube of Cotman's at my art school today. Thanks for this fine demo! I can see already I'll be utilizing it for my landscapes, especially.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I picked up this color recommendation from Andy Evansen and Alvaro Castagnet -- two great watercolor artists who use it all the time. :-)

[@UJB123]

I like it for the crazy greens in pallets these days. One really bright wild green can produce all sorts of calm greens when mixed with the neutral tint.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yes!! What a great idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertweinblatt2018]

I have neutral tint by DS on every one of my palettes and I’ve got about 37 palettes! I’m a hoarder too😜

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi Robert. Wow! 37 palettes??!! You have me beat. I'm glad to hear you use neutral tint. I find it to be very helpful.

[@SarahAndBoston]

Fun to see all these different colors mixed with Neutral Tint! Love how the Quin Rose & Lilac almost produce a purple when neutralized, gorgeous. I really like it mixed with Cobalt Teal, it looks like the ocean. Thanks for these color combo inspirations! I use Sennelier's Neutral Tint, it's pretty good. I used to consider it more like a black color, but thanks to this video and some others, I'm learning how versatile it is, so it's definitely going in my plein air set! Thanks Kris.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for the feedback. I agree that this color has a unique role on the palette -- different than black or even other grays. Have a great day.

[@mariajosegarciabarroso1006]

Lo siento. No lo puedo Traducir 🥹

[@polgara28]

Excellent! Good to see how it mixes with everything! Didn't know that. Going to make one of these of my own. Thanks so much!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yes. This is a great color. Thanks for watching.

[@triciac.5078]

I haven’t even finished the video and I already purchased the Quiller color wheel. I’ve been looking for something like that for at least several weeks. First time I’ve seen it and I can not wait for it to arrive!! Thank you for showing this great tool!!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You are so welcome! I think you will enjoy it.

[@catherinelevison3310]

I’m glad you approve of Neutral Tint. It was recommended when I was a beginner but then I had more and more teachers only using compliments and I was starting to think of it as bad or cheating. (I know it’s great when in a hurry.) This video makes me feel better about it.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I was told the same thing by other artists. Then I took a workshop by Andy Evansen -- a recognized "Master" in watercolor - and he recommends it. So I got over it. :-) It is a very helpful pigment for toning down colors. I love it and use it alot.

[@shirleygreaves9650]

Great tutorial thank you, I would imagine neutral tint would be good for shadows,I’m going to try it today. X

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Yes, it works great. I like to mix it with blue or another cool color for shadows.

[@CopperBooom]

This helped me immensely! Thank you so much! 😊

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I'm so glad! You're welcome.

[@harrietbissette]

Before watching your video, I was unsure how or why I would use Neutral Tint. Especially given that I have some dark colors like Payne’s Grey, and Moonglow. Now, I can’t wait to run out and get some Neutral Tint!! Thank you for sharing this information with us Kris!! 😊

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mariajosegarciabarroso1006]

Yo tengo el de smk Horadan. Una maravilla. Fue el primero que coji, y ahora tengo miedo de cambiar de marca 😊

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

If the Horadan brand is working for you...that's great! Stay with it. :-) Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Have a great day!

[@krisyoungsteadt9139]

Beautiful!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thank you!

[@JorjaZanetta]

Amazing video

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks!

[@danclark9987]

Why Daniel Smith Neutral Tint over M.Graham Neutral Tint? M. Graham and Daniel Smith are my two favorite watercolors, with M. Graham edging out DS for top spot. I just ordered M. Graham Neutral Tint to see how well it works. I’d like to hear your opinion.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi Dan. That is a great question. I used to use M.Graham watercolor paints and still consider them a high quality, professional grade paint. However, after using them for a year or two, I decided I didn't like the addition of honey as a humectant. The honey helps the paint retain moisture and re-wet (which is good), but it also makes the paint really sticky and difficult to work with (in my opinion). So, I transitioned to using Daniel Smith almost exclusively. I still have some M.Graham on my palette, but most of my new paint is DS. Hope this helps. Have a great day and thanks for leaving your feedback and question. I really appreciate it.

[@danclark9987]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio Kris, thanks for the feedback!

[@joykruczay]

Just "found" you courtesy of KZbin algorithms. Thanks ever so much for the informative video and sharing your considerable talent with the world.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Welcome aboard!

[@canalterraincognita]

Hi! I will try Neutral Tint for shadows. Which BLUE color would you add to the mix?

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Oh great question. I love Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue Chromium and French Ultramarine.

[@GratefulDeb270]

Thank you!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome!

[@peterplantec7911]

Kris, this was helpful. I'm wondering what happens if you glaze say a permanent rose with neutral tint. I'm going to experiment. My main interest is in creating believable shadows for vibrant colors. Thank you for taking the time to swatch this out. It was informative. BTW I make my own Neutral Tint from veridian, perm-rose and just a hint of lamp black.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

This is great. Thanks for sharing.

[@Midgy21747]

Great video thankyou.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@larryglatt2548]

Thank you for this important video; my question is; is it better to put the color down first, as you have, or the neutral tint first, as I saw someone else do? Thank you very much.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hmmm. Great question. Well, I like to put the "base" color down first...then slowly add the Neutral tint, so I can measure the amount of neutralizing that is being achieved.

[@jenneke9763]

I’m going to be a pain in your neck…;) but I wonder how different the neutralized colours would look if you mixed the complements of each together and compared them to the neutral tint mixed version?

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

That's a great question (not a pain at all) :-) As I mentioned in the video, using complements is the traditional way to achieve these colors. However you can get inconsistent results. Some complements create mud. Some create beautiful neutral grays. I encourage people to experiment with the colors on their palette and see what they get. It's a great exercise!!

[@jowilliams6309]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio I have all Quiller's books and DVDs and I've noticed that over his 50 (!) year career, his palette colors have changed. His efforts have been to find the true complements of colors by mixing to create a neutral gray (not brown=mud). One of the most difficult ones was the true complement of his primary yellow, Cad. yellow light, which at one time was mauve, now it's Quiller Violet, an Ultramarine Violet created for him by Jack Richeson Co. Using the colors on his current color wheel should produce neutrals when the correct complements are mixed. However, I like your swatches with Daniel Smith's (favorite paints) Neutral Tint, and I think I'll try the suggestion from the comment above about comparing the complements mixed with those of the neutral tint version. Thanks!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

@@jowilliams6309 Hi Jo. Thanks for all this information. I'm wondering if Quiller used opaque paint (like Acrylic or Oil) for his experiments. I also wonder if the results are different with watercolor, as these paints are largely transparent. Anyways....I always encourage everyone to do their own tests and find the colors and combinations that work best for them, given the type of paints they use. It's all fun! Thanks again!!

[@jowilliams6309]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio Hi Kris. Went through all the books I have of his, so In Color Choices (1989), pg. 21 he says: " I am primarily a water media painter, so the majority of studies in this book are done in water media. Many of the colors used in other media: gouache, casein, pastel, etc. are also common to this color wheel (his first color wheel) and color relationships can be determined in exactly the same manner." In this same book he uses watercolor, acrylic, and oil in a general way without testing complements for creating neutrals. In his book, Acrylic Painting Techniques (1994), it's all acrylic except for a brief mention of casein at the end. His book in 1999, Painter's Guide to Color has a new color wheel with each color note followed by letters w, o, or a, standing for watercolor, oil, and acrylic and you can use the same color notes that he uses in his water color studies. These are broken down into charts per each media showing which brands were used in his color wheel (excellent to know). Both this book and the next one, Water Media Painting with Stephen Quiller (2008) are the best for answering your question. His "color wheels" are the actual palettes he uses in painting, his Quiller palette for watercolor and gouache; a clear glass palette with a white board underneath designating the placements of each color for both acrylic, and casein (this would also work for oils). Each of these media have a chapter where he shows the complements in swatches creating neutrals for that media. Note that Ultramarine Violet replaces Mauve in the watercolor wheel as the true complement of Cadmium Yellow Light. Also, in acrylic this is replaced by his own brand, Quiller Violet by Richeson. I found that the 2008 color wheel matched his 2013 one used on one of his KZbin.com videos, but since I don't have the color wheel he sells on his site, I don't know if there's a more recent, up-to-date one. Does anyone know if it's a different one? Thanks, and sorry this was so long! Jo Williams

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

@@jowilliams6309 Hi Jo. Thanks for writing up such a thorough reply. Great information. Thanks. I'm sure all my viewers will appreciate it!!

[@oliferous]

Great stuff! But have you ever tried Daniel Smith "Joseph Z's Cool Grey" or any of the other guys in that series?? The cool grey is my favorite and I don't have a palette w/o it!! Lemme know what you think about it, I think you'll love it. It's like neutral tint but even better to blend in landscapes 😋

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi!! Yes, I have heard of it. But I haven't used it. I use Payne's Gray (DS) for my cool and Neutral Tint for my warm gray. But, I may have to try Joseph Z's some day. Thanks for watching and leaving feedback. I really appreciate it.

[@oliferous]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio absolutely! I just found your channel today and binged a lot of it lol! But I definitely recommend giving the Joseph Z series a whirl, they are his neutral blends that he uses in tube form and I am in love with them! Cheers!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for the recommendation.

[@alajnabiya]

This is the first video of yours that I have seen and I appreciate it. I'll be back for more but to be honest the thing that excited me most was the painting of the Dome of the Rock behind you. There's no video about it? Do you think you could put a still of it on your community page please? Or a link somewhere else? That's the kind of work I aspire to do.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Hi. Thanks for your kind feedback and welcome to the channel. The painting you see on the wall behind me is a print of a watercolor painting I did for a friend as a commission. I sold the original. It was inspired by my visit to Israel and Jerusalem in 2018. At the time I painted it, I wasn't creating tutorials. I will post the painting in my community section of this channel. Thanks again.

[@alajnabiya]

@@KrisDeBruineStudio thank you so much. I did see the short video on the exhibition of your paintings but I don't think this one is the one in the video. (Which I'd also love to see. Do you have a website or a pinterest board of your work?)

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for asking. I have an Instagram at: instagram.com/kris.d.art/. I have prints for sale at: krisdebruine.com/ and in a couple months, I will be starting an online community where I will be offering classes and mentoring. I can send you more info when it is available, if you'd like. Thanks again.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Inspired by your question....I just created this post on my channel. Enjoy! kzbin.infoUgkxw4XU9XmmPlQ76jG-wGpQSjFi6fFuWO5T

[@janetwebber7814]

Great!

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thank you!!!

[@SwatiBasanwal]

I love your handwriting :D

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thank you!

[@IMAGINENGINE]

Makes no sense to me.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@whatifitnt]

Neutral Tint was one of the last colors I bought… who needs a gray? I’ll just mix it myself … right? 😮 WRONG… I bought a small tube for a class project and boy did it go fast! 😂 It’s now one of my favorites for making moody dark skies around my galaxy paintings, too. Give it a try and play around with it… Thanks, Kris💖

[@FuriedHearts]

I have Winsor's version and Daniel Smith's and I like both. But recently I discovered M. Graham's version made with PV19 and PG7 (no black pigment) and it's absolutely amazing. It's super dark, nearly black, and super transparent. I'm not sure why it not more popular- it's pretty well known but not as much as you'd think. I don't understand the addition of a black pigment in a neutral tint paint if it's not needed to create a black/dark? Curious how these compare in mixes to the M.Graham.

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

I can't say. I don't own the Winsor & Newton version. If you have a chance to compare, I'd love to hear what you think.

[@myyoga8spa]

Thank you for sharing Great video 👍🏻 I’ll subscribe and 👍🏻🥰 too

[@KrisDeBruineStudio]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Happy painting!