Re: Why Winsor & Newton?

Agreed, Scott. The most special thing about Wand N is availability, and
certainly not price. But it is a wonderful watercolor line, no doubt about
it. I'd use it all the time if it were cheaper.

I personally have in my stash W and N, Schmincke, Daniel Smith, M. Graham,
Maimeri, Holbein (the latest brand I am trying) and frankly, the two things
that most determine my outcome are pigment choice and pigment load. As long
as it is the color I want and enough of it in the tube's mix, they all work
just fine. I mostly use M. Graham because it is so darn cheap AND good. Or
if something is on sale, I buy it--like Holbein was (50% off) at CAA this
spring. Now, Holbein does have one color that no other person makes quite
the same--Opera. Can't wait to make a gum with that as my magenta of
choice. Apparently W and N are trying to come up with an Opera of their
own.

I do think a lot of blame is placed on a pigment or a pigment's vehicle that
may be better placed on operator error. Some, tho, do granulate (like
cerulean) or settle, and some are not intense enough no matter how much of
them you use. One of my magentas is quite weak, I notice, but I can never
seem to remember which one it is. So what, I just do another layer when it
happens again (but maybe this time I'll mark the bottle).

Katharine, I did buy one of the last tubes of genuine gamboge a while back
(PY34), just to see how it performs. I tried my darnedest to find a tube of
chrome yellow (PY24) to test the old adage that chrome colors affect the
process adversely, but to no avail. No chrome yellow anywhere, although it
seems that Rowney is one company that makes it. This is not to mention the
company or two that use the name "chrome yellow" but the pigment is not
genuine chrome yellow.

Back "in the day" when I used to weigh out my pigments, I would weigh a tube
of pigment to get a gram per ml measure of my gum formula. I couldn't
believe how differing the weights of pigments were--quinacridone pink was,
for instance, 14.6 g and nickel titanate was 25.4 g for the same amount.
That was when I quit weighing my pigments, when I realized that weight has
no correlation (at a certain point) with intensity.

So many things I used to worry about that now make no mind.
Chris

From: "Scott Wainer" <swphoto@verizon.net>
> It may not be that there is anything special about W&N pigments but rather
> that they are one of the better known brands on the market and are sold
> just
> about everywhere. It's all about marketing. Being new to gum printing and
> not knowing much about pigments, I went to several art supliers in search
> of
> pigments and everyone carried a different selection of manufacturers;
> except
> they all carried W&N pigments. After talking with people on this list, I
> have mail ordered Daniel Smith and M. Graham pigments and plan on testing
> them over the next few weeks. Seeing how they handle versus W&N pigments
> will be the deciding factor on which manufacturer/pigment I use.
> Best, Scott

(big snip)
> From: "Robert M" <written_by@msn.com>
>> I am ever so curious. What is so special about Winsor & Newton paints
Bob
>> ..
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>
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Received on Sun May 29 06:09:01 2005