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Properties and Personality
The whole range of Lefranc and Bourgeois Artist quality
Oils have a very soft consistency, making them easy to work with and excellent
for brush work, also, very little Zest-it
Clear
Painting Medium is needed to paint wet-on-wet (Tole
and Flowers).
All the colours are clean and bright, with many being single pigment colours.
The range for landscapes, seascapes and portraits being well covered. Their main
binding oils being Linseed, Soya and Poppy. Flake White is the only toxic colour
in their entire range of 132 colours, which also include metallic and
interference colours. Colours are available in a range of sizes from 20ml; 40ml;
60ml and 250ml depending on the series. The star rating = *** Absolutely
permanent colours even when lightened. ** Very permanent. * Lightfast
colours used in a pure state. M = colours which can be safely intermixed
with each other.
Flanders Yellow. PY3 Semi Transparent.
*** M
A bright Yellow which mixes well with most of the Blues in the range. It appears
weak against such strong colours as Prussian and Indian Blue, so only add
tiny amount of these Blues to this yellow. Added to Azure Blue results in
colours suitable for seascapes. Adding a little white will make it more opaque
without loss of intensity and mixed with Ivory Black will give some very subtle
greens. Can be thinned with Painting Medium to use as a glaze.
Sahara Yellow. PY65 Semi Opaque. *** M
Has an orangey look to it straight from the tube, makes good orange colours with
either Japanese Red D or Breughel Red. Makes some soft creamy colours when mixed
with Zinc/Titanium White, mixed with T White makes a useful substitute for
Naples Yellow. A strong colour and when mixed with Prussian Blue or Ivory Black
makes rich dark greens, a good colour for some Evergreen trees.
Japanese Red Deep. PR3 Semi Opaque. **
M
A strong red, gives a good range of very soft clean coral pinks when mixed with
Titanium White. Makes a selection of interesting browns when mixed with Sap
Green or Ivory Black. Use with the Yellows to make a selection of bright to dull
orange colours.
Ruby Red. PV19 Semi Transparent. *** M
A clear cool bright Red with blue/violet undertone. Could be used as a
substitute for Alizarin Crimson which is prone to fading when mixed. Thinned
with painting medium it makes a good glazing colour. Makes clean bright pinks
when mixed with Titanium White and clear violets with Ultramarine or the strong
Indian Blue.
Ultramarine Deep. PB29 Opaque ** M
A clear clean blue with good covering power, or Ultramarine Light if you want a
transparent colour. Ultramarine and Cadmium Yellow make a Sap Green colour that
isn't prone to fading when mixed with other colours. Makes some subtle greens
when mixed with the yellow range and mixed with Ivory Black and a touch of T
White makes a very useful blue/grey.
Prussian Blue. PB27 Opaque ** M
A strong powerful cool colour, easily overpowers other colours. Mix with Bayeux
Violet for a deep rich Purple colour, add Cadmium Yellow to the mix for an
interesting grey. Easily moved with some yellows towards seascape colours. Add T
White for cool blues and Ivory Black for a colour similar to Paynes Grey.
Titanium White. PW6 Opaque *** M
A cool white with good covering power.
When adding white to other colours you may not obtain the results you expect -
adding a touch of white to the Yellows often intensifies the yellow, whereas
added to reds it cools and controls, but added to blues brings out their true
colours, add to Ivory Black for a full range of neutral Greys.
Zinc White. PW4 Semi Opaque *** M
A warm creamy white with limited covering power, gives a warmth to white added
as a highlight. Mix with painting medium for a useful glazing white.
Ivory Black. PBk9 Opaque *** M
A cool black that mixes well with most colours. So valuable for making two
pigment darks and strong enough to take white for tints. Black is found in many
useful colours e.g. Sepia, Olive, Indigo, Paynes, Charcoal and Grey.
Mars Black. PBk11 Opaque *** M
A warm dense brown black with good covering power. The brown undertone can
disrupt some of your colour mixtures, use with discretion.
Worthy Additions.
Burnt Umber. PBr7 Opaque *** M
For many people Burnt Umber is indispensable on their palette. A warm rich burnt
orange with good covering power. It has many uses, in it's own right mixed with
white it makes soft tan colours, mixed with Ultramarine it produces a valuable
dark almost black neutral, which when mixed with white presents us with some
delicate Greys. It is good at darkening orange/reds. It is one of the fastest
drying oil paints and will cause other paint it is mixed with to dry faster,
(acts like a siccative).
Often referred to as an 'earth
colour'.
Burnt Sienna. PBr7 Opaque *** M
Another earth colour, a warm rich reddish brown, adding white produces some very
delicate tints. Can be thinned with painting medium to produce a glazing colour
although Raw Sienna is more transparent but cooler. Mix Burnt Sienna with
Ultramarine or Prussian Blue to give useful darks. Can be used to darken, reds
and some greens.
Yellow Ochre. PY42 Opaque *** M
A strong quiet golden yellow that comes alive when white is added, has good
covering power. Will make subdued greens with blues and a tiny amount will
control reds and yellows. Another useful earth colour.
Aubusso Green. PG7 Transparent *** M
If you feel the need for a green, try this one. It's a bright strong green with
high tinting strength, moved with the yellows or oranges, but only add tiny
amounts of the green. Yellow Ochre will cool it down. Mixed with Ruby Red it
makes an interesting brown that tends to be semi transparent. This green is more
useful for seascapes than landscapes. Cadmium Yellow and Ultramarine would give
a better moveable green for landscape use.
I hope the descriptions of the personality and properties of
the above paint has helped you become acquainted with them, some parts are
standard descriptions, others are personal views, your view may be different and
that's how it should be. Find the colours that you feel comfortable with and are
happy using, this will lead to finding your own colour 'style'.
This is not a 'recommended palette' of colours, but it is a selection of colours
that will get you off to a good start, covering transparency, tone, warm, cool,
opposites and neutrals. All the paints are single pigment colours, selected to
give clean clear results to your colour mixing.
If you've enjoyed this insight or would like other colours
listed, or have any questions please e-mail me at Jacqui zest-it.com
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