What is phthalo blue?
Great question! Phthalo blue (aka Thalo blue) is an abbreviated name for paints made with the pigment Phthalocyanine Blue, or PB15. This blue is a longstanding favorite of many watercolor painters and seems to be an extremely popular choice for a watercolor palette.
Is cerulean blue the same as Phthalo Blue?
Cerulean blue (a pigment I did not mention) is also in the same warm blue family as phthalo. About the phthalo blue from Gamblin’s “1980” line of student-grade paint), Carol notes, “Because it has less pigment and more filler, the color is not as intense as regular phthalo.”
What is the best alternative to phthalo?
Another alternative to phthalo is manganese blue hue. Straight from the tube, manganese is about the same mid-value as Mediterranean and Azure blues. However, it is not as potent as Mediterranean, Azure, or phthalo.
Can I use ultramarine instead of Phthalo?
If you were to replace ultramarine with phthalo for most of your blue mixes, your painting would take on a strange, acidic blue-green pall. Instead of traditional phthalo blue, there are several alternative pigments. “Mediterranean Blue” from Daniel Smith and “Azure Blue” from Sennelier.
What are the disadvantages of ultramarine over Phthalo?
The disadvantage of ultramarine blue over phthalo blue, though, is that it doesn’t make as deep of a dark shade on its own.
Is phthalo blue GS a better mixer than Rs?
To give you the best idea of the range possible for each mix, I displayed two colors per mix: the first (left) is the mixed color dominant, the second mix (right) is the blue dominant. I’ve heard through the watercolor grapevine that Phthalo blue GS is a better mixer than RS, but based on my experiences, I disagree.
Can I use cobalt instead of phthalo blue?
It would be churlish to say no; if you don’t have phthalo blue, you may substitute ultramarine. Ultramarine is the best alternative because that color is also a transparent pigment with a good tinting strength. Cobalt is transparent but has a weak tinting strength, and cerulean blue is only semitransparent, also with a weak tinting strength.