Favorite Watercolours- Pinks

I hope with time to include all my paints in similar posts, but for now, it's all about pink!

I have lots of pinks in my palette... And I love it! I divided my selection into groups of similar pigments/colors. You can probably tell already, that the same pigment can create different colors, but many are similar, so be sure to check the names and pigments before purchasing. A great (albeit dangerous for us pigment junkies ) is Jane Blundel's painted color swatches. You have been warned!!

Also be mindful that the screen you're using can affect the appearance of the colors. Also, while I did my best to edit the photos to look as close to real life as possible, it is never accurate, and some colors just don't photograph as well as others.

OK, so enough with all the talk, let's get to the good stuff. Which pinks are the best? Obviously this depends on personal preference, as well as what one paints. Certain colors work well for landscapes, other for flowers, etc. etc... I will share with you my personal favorites. I tend to gravitate towards bright, transparent, and cooler pinks (more bluish than reddish). Lightfast ratings are irrelevant to me (since I mostly paint in journals), but if they are for you, make sure you know what you're buying.

In a demon dimension, where I could only pick one, I'd cry. And then I'd probably go for PR122 aka Quinacridone Magenta/Rose/Lilac (the name varies from brand to brand). 
It is a gorgeous, transparent, intense purplish pink, and I love all 4 versions of it that I have in my collection. You can see it in the middle row in the photo. 
All 4 versions are beautiful, I like the Qor one especially because it disperses the fastest, and just takes over, which I personally love, but can be hard to control. Sadly, Qor's tubes are quite expensive, but their High Chroma set is fantastic and has a small tube of Quin. Magenta (their 12 tubes introductory set also has it). The White Nights version is lovely, and comes in their 36 full pan set which I have reviewed and discussed in several videos.


From top left corner- Mission Gold Permanent Rose; Sennelier Carmine; Daniel Smith Quin. Rose; Cotman Permanent Rose; Second Row- Sennelier Helios Purple; Daniel Smith Quin. Lilac; White Nights Quin. Rose; Qor Quin. Magenta; Bottom Row- Holbein Bright Rose; Sennelier Opera Rose; Schmincke Brilliant Purple; Shinhan Bright Rose
PV19 is used to make softer and redder pinks like you can see in the top row of the photo above. Cotman's (Winsor & Newton's student grade paint ) permanent Rose is lovely and very affordable. It comes (along with all the colors in the Cotman range) in the 45 half pans studio set, which is a great option for a palette (read this post for more information about the Cotman set). I love Daniel Smith's Quin Rose and use it often. Mission Gold's version of this paint (from their 36 tubes set) is pigmented and intense, but more reddish, and therefore, less to my liking. 

On the bottom row of the photo above are my lovely bright roses... My favorite is the Holbein Bright Rose, I don't know why, I just love that color. I also use the Sennelier Opera Rose and Schmincke's Brilliant Purple often. I got the Shinhan (PWC) one to see how it compared to Holbein, and it is very similar (costs about half), but it's just not the same (mind you, I can get extremely weird about this particular paint...). Depending on availability and pricing, I'd go for any of those in the bottom row.

Let's move on to some softer pinks. These would probably appeal to those who like softer colors (I know, what an insightful and not at all banal remark), or paint flowers. I also included here some of the odd balls in my collection. My most used one from this lot is the Winsor & Newton Rose Madder Genuine. From what I understand it's not lightfast (since I paint mostly in journals this is not a concern of mine, but if it is for you make sure you buy lightfast colors), so if you'd like that color, go for another version, like Daniel Smith newer color Rose Madder permanent (a mixture of 2 pigments). The Cotman version is lovely too, and more affordable. If you're looking for a soft pastel pink that is more opaque, Holbein's Brilliant Pink is lovely. Daniel Smith Rhodonite Genuine is also beautiful and comes in their gorgeous Primatek set. I was curious about M Graham's ultramarine pink. It's an interesting color (less purple in real life than it looks in the photo), but not one I have to have in my palette.

Top Row Left to Right- Holbein Brilliant Pink; Cotman Rose Madde Hue; Winsor & Newton Rose Madder Genuine; Bottom Row Left to Right- White Nights Carmine; Mission Gold Rose Madder; Daniel Smith Rose Madder Permanent; M Graham's Ultramarine Pink;
Last but not least are the crazy pinks, the fluorescent ones that have become incredibly popular recently, probably thanks to talented artists like Jean Haines, that use it so beautifully (flamingos!!). I admit I don't use it often in its pure form, but I love it in mixes. There are lots of versions to choose from, all insanely bright. These are fugitive colors that will fade with time. These look different in real life than in photos, but you can get an idea. Some versions are a tad more fluorescent than others, some are a little purplish than others. I don't have a clear winner here. I like Winsor & Newton's version, and the Shinhan Pass is incredibly intense and the most affordable of the bunch, at least where I but, at Jackson's Art in the UK. The only one here that came in a set is the Mission Gold one from their 36 tube set.

Top Row Left to Right- Holbein Opera; Mission Gold Bright Opera; Shinhan Pass Opera; Bottom Row Left to Right- Daniel Smith Opera; Winsor & Newton Opera Rose
That's it for now :)

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