Painting: How to Know What Colors are What

Paint Colors Can Be Confusing. Here is How Know What Colors You Are Buying

Why is Buying Oil Paints So Confusing?

If you have ever had a to buy paints, gone to the art store and found yourself  staring at the paints wondering why so few have the same names for their paint colors. It's a problem that has plagued the art world since they began manufacturing oil paint over 150 years ago. Companies are more interested in great sounding color names than accurate color descriptions. So let's demystify some of the ambiguity.

Here are some ways of buying the correct colors

1. Every paint color lists the pigment or pigments used to make that tube color(it's required by law). Not only the pigment name is listed but also the color index number. So for instance I need to find a paint color Phalo Blue,  the problem is the manufacturer paint names for this color varies. Here are some of the common names across manufacturers : Thalo blue, Monestial Blue, Winsor Blue, Monastral Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue, Phalo Blue,  Heliogen Blue, Intense Blue, Old Holland Blue, Rembrandt Blue. I however know the color  pigment name is Copper Thalocyanine  and that color index number is PB15 or PB16(either works but one is greener and the other slightly bluer). By looking at the pigment name or the color index number listed on the paint tubes you can be sure you have the right color no matter what. 

Below I list some of the paint colors whose names vary the most between manufacturers

The paints that vary the most in terms of paint names are the following:

Thalo Blue - copper phthalocyanine - PB 15 or PB 16

Hansa Yellow Light - Arylide yellow - PY 3

Hansa Yellow Medium - Arylide yellow PY 74

Hansa Yellow Deep - Arylide yellow PY 75

Thalo Green - copper phthalocyanine -PG7 or PG36

Thio Voilet - Quinacridone  - PR122

Thalo Rose- Quinacridone  - PV19

Dioxizine Purple- carbazole dioxazine - PV23

Be Aware of Color Hues

"Color Hues"- Cadmium, cobalts and Chromes are all paints made with metals. Many companies make paints that look similar to these colors they are less expensive but don't mix the same as the real paints. These are named "hues" such as Cadmium Red Light Hue. These paints don't actually contain any cadmiums, cobalts or chromes. Don't buy the "hues" if you can avoid it. They are harder to control as a beginning or intermediate painter.

Metal Paints are Always named Accurately

The good news is the Classic metals paints are always named by their pigments names. So for example it will says it's Cadmium Red Light or Cadmium Red Light Medium, Cobalt Blue or Chrome Yellow and so forth, you will know you are buying the actual metals based paints. Use these tips and save yourself a lot of headaches at the art store.