Have you been experimenting with your paint colors lately? Do you wonder about different colors and the best way to mix them? Well, you’re in luck! Robert Gamblin and product manager Scott Gellatly are here to answer more of your questions in our special color episode!

In this episode of The Savvy Painter podcast, you’ll learn about the pigments used in modern paints, the emotional content of a color, what makes student grade paints “student grade,” the best paints to use for plein air painting, and so much more. You don’t want to miss a minute of this in-depth and fascinating conversation!

2:55 - Why modern oil paints have more pigments than older ones

5:54 - Gamblin’s guide to color imaging and the emotional content of color and its impact on paint-making

9:51 - Are there paints that artists often misuse (aside from whites)?

14:36 - How modern pigments differ from mineral pigments

19:41 - Comparing Gamblin’s color palette to Rembrandt’s and the intention behind Alizarin Crimson Permanent

24:00 - What lake colors and hues are and the hues that Gamblin features

28:44 - How student grade paint differs from artist grade paint

34:20 - The best way to prevent dead spots/sinking in on your paintings

40:12 - Gamblin’s plans for skin tone colors and the concern over representation in the art world for artists of color

45:53 - Mixed colors as shortcuts, common mistakes to avoid in your palette, and when to move away from student grade color

51:54 - The different characteristics of Gamblin’s black oil colors

58:22 - Advice on the minimum amount and best paints to use for plein air painting

1:03:34 - Looking at the relationship between pigments when you’re creating a color palette

1:07:55 - Scott reveals the “secret weapon” colors he likes to use in his paintings

1:10:04 - How Robert produced his beautiful series of large iceberg paintings during his Greenland trip

1:14:27 - How to have a good white for glazing and whether some Torrit Grey colors are made by Gamblin in actual color

1:16:56 - The difference between transparent earth colors and ochres, umbres, and siennas

1:19:15 - Three reasons why cadmium and cobalt colors are so expensive (and three reasons why they’re worth it)

1:22:09 - Why Scott uses Transparent Earth Red (specifically one in the FastMatte line) for his underpaintings

Mentioned in Unlocking the Secrets of Color: Robert Gamblin and Scott Gellatly Answer Your Questions

Gamblin Artists Colors | Instagram | Twitter

Previous Q&A with Gamblin

Bonus Content: Transcripts and Extra Interview with Gamblin

Claude Monet | Lori Putnam | Rachel Jones | Anna Rose Bain | Wolf Khan | Nancy Zydler | Robert Gamblin | Scott Gellatly

The History of Color in Painting by Faber Birren

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