Gogh Auto (with Van Gogh Paints)

By now this is a familiar scene, Joe and Ralph auto on Somerled Avenue, now renamed 'Gogh Auto'. I just had a little time today during the sunny day to make a quick painting, and wanted to test a new product I got called Van Gogh paints by Royal Talens a dutch company, sold by Kama Pigments in Montreal. I promised myself to stop buying paint but then I figured, of all the addictions to have this one was pretty harmless! These paints are considered 'student quality' because they add some filler and keep the pigments simple. I found them to re-wet beautifully and provided very strong pigmentation. The new paper helps too, it holds the paint, notice how bright and vibrant the brick red is.

Gogh Auto, 5 x 7" cold press, watercolour, May 2021 (No. 2637)

 

Here is a picture of some of the Van Gogh paints before they were unwrapped. I got several yellows, just because it was his favorite colour. The size of these is about that of your thumbnail, but they hold a surprising amount of paint.

This is a shot of the new aluminum palette I got also from Kama Pigments, it was the main thing I wanted to buy so that I could bring my other pan paints on location. The pans are little plastic cubes with the paint in them, you see how they clip in to the holder area, and you use the fold out to mix. On the back is a ring to put your thumb, that lets you hold it with one hand. I also filled two empty pans with indo blue (PB60 Daniel Smith) and magenta (PV19 Shcminke) from tubes that I have, and clipped them to complete the set. I had to draw the line at buying any more blue or pink paint that is why I used some from tubes, once they dry it is almost the same as the premade pan paint. 

In this snap you see the test painting, and the paint-outs of the Van Gogh paints, they are very bright almost whiteish, that is likely from aluminum hydroxide brightener/filler they add, and the yellow has white in it. I think they were out of stock on some of my order because they sent yellow light and red light instead of regular yellow and red. Close enough!

The pigments are...

Permanent red light (PR255)

Azo yellow light (PY154 +PW6)

Pyrrole orange (PO73)

Permanent yellow green (PY154+ PG7)

Viridian (hue; PG7)

Phthalo blue (PB15)

Raw Sienna (PY42)

Yellow ochre (PY42)

Light oxide red (PR101)

Oxide black (PBk11)

The word permanent has no meaning anymore, all these pigments are very lightfast (stable). They use that word because in the old days they would have used a non-stable pigment, then they replace it with a new one that is 'permanent'. In fact, no paint is permanent, and the inclusion of brighteners may diminish the longevity of these paints further. In general modern watercolour paints will remain mostly unchanged for 50 - 100 years, so its not something we need to worry about!