A warm morning glow and cool evening light, that’s the story of an east-facing room. Yellow 01 is just perfect in settings such as this because its paler tendency (because of the aforementioned level of tint) and its creaminess giving you characteristics that work with both sides of the story.
Essential Yellow Hues for Art
Yellow pigment form an important part of the artist’s palette as yellow is a primary color. For this reason, it is important not to confuse primary yellow with any other yellow pigment which may not be a primary color at all. To understand the difference between a primary yellow and non-primary yellow, exploring the pigment color chart is necessary.
What is the Best Yellow Pigment for Art?
Without yellow, an array of greens or oranges cannot be mixed. A yellow that closely approximates a primary yellow is vital. In fact, in pigment terms, there is no such thing as a true primary color as impurities will exist, regardless of how small. Examine many yellow pigments and a few will be ‘biased’ one way or the other. This might be a ‘golden yellow’, that possesses a little brown or orange, or lemon yellow which is slightly biased towards green, as it has a sharp, acidic quality. About Cadmium Yellow
Look at oil pigments and there are a few different types of cadmium yellow. There is cadmium yellow (deep) which is almost red in hue; simply cadmium yellow, which appears almost orange, and then there is cadmium yellow (pale) which is a rich, yellow hue. Cadmium lemon can also be found, which is a sharp, bright yellow. In my personal opinion, I find cadmium yellow (deep) and cadmium yellow redundant for the art palette, and prefer cadmium yellow (pale). This color has a sharp, yet rich quality which closely approximates primary yellow. Lemon yellow is also a very useful color to have, as this yellow is more acidic in quality and is great for mixing greens.
Cadmium yellow (pale) is ideal for rendering bright sunlight and golden linings in clouds. When mixed with a little burnt sienna and white, an approximation to Naples yellow can be achieved. Lemon yellow is ideal for expressing sunlit lawns and under-ripe fruit. Both these yellows cover the yellow spectrum, from warm yellows to cool yellows.
See my Youtube clip on how to paint a lemon in 6 steps.
Let’s talk undertones
If you noticed our description of our warm Yellow 02 paint with its reddish undertones and are wondering what the heck are we talking about, let’s break it down.
Colors are made up of a very precise recipe, and one of the main ingredients is the undertone – the underlying color that’s mixed in and that helps to define its character. A warm base, for example, will tip a yellow into warm territory whereas a grey base will add softness, for sure, but it’ll also transform a yellow into a cool cat.
Pay attention to them, because they’re key to establishing the whole tone of your room and your color’s temperature. Want things cosy? Look for those reds. Want something classic and country? Creamy, yellow undertones become your bestie. Rather play it cool and contemporary? Blues and greys, come on down.
Drop a tint. Throw some shade
So you’ve got your undertone sorted, now you’ll want to pay attention to how much tint and shade your color’s working – tint being how much light white is stirred through and shade being the dark side and black pigment to deepen things.
Yellow 01 is fresh as a daisy with lots of tint in the mix, whereas Yellow 02 has, without doubt, a dollop of black poured in so give it hidden depths.
Color compatibility and room direction
Temperature, tint and shade are your first few pieces of the puzzle, but the next part can be a bit of a stumbling block for many – not for much longer though. The question of which direction does your room face has a lot to do with which colors complement it most.
If you don’t want to get bogged down in the detail, why not book a color consultation with any of our specialists – Tash, Sam and Vanessa? They’ll take you by the hand and guide you to the yellow that best suits your space. Or if you were part of the orienteering club at school, whip out your old friend the compass and discover which yellow will salute to your room’s direction with great honour.
