Jackson’s Artist Pigment range consists of 100 dry pigments, from modern synthetics to natural earths with each pigment having a different set of characteristics, such as tinting strength, opacity and granulation. Every pigment requires a different volume of binder to bring it to the desired consistency. We asked painters Evie Hatch and Rhiannon Piper to try them out for making watercolour and oil paints and share their thoughts with us.
Evie Hatch uses Jackson’s Artist Pigments to make watercolour paint
I work with both oil and watercolour paint, and a fairly large proportion of my palette is made up of handmade paints. I like to be in tune with the pigments I use and feel a certain amount of physical connection with the paint. The process of milling, mulling, testing, and mulling again slows down the creation of a painting, certainly, but I paint loosely and quickly so it is a welcome way of slowing down my thought process. I think it makes me a better painter.
The pigments I use frequently are like old friends, and I can be confident in how they are going to behave. When I was asked to try out some pigments I was interested to try some I hadn’t used before. I tried them with a watercolour binder first (gum Arabic solution, honey, and a little clove oil) so I could record the colours in my sketchbook before using them with an oil binder.
Titanium Orange (PBr24)
This is not a pigment I’ve ever encountered, but I’ve heard this makes a good alternative to Naples Yellow, a historical pigment I love.
I found that it has the versatile characteristic of being a dense, opaque orange in masstone but dilutes out to a much more gentle, and more yellow, colour. The colour shift from wet to dry was quite considerable in watercolour. When it’s wet it is a bright, marigold yellow, but it dries down to a rich orange. This colour shift would likely be less dramatic with more mulling, and much less noticeable in an oil binder, so it didn’t worry me too much.
The mixtures I could make with Titanium Orange were so interesting. With Cobalt Teal (PG50, handmade watercolour) it made a variety of greens from tropical to olive. With Cerulean Blue (PB36, handmade watercolour) it separated out into modulated browns and greens that reminded me of super-granulation watercolours.
Prussian Blue (PB27)
Having previously tried (and failed) to fall in love with Phthalo Blue, Prussian Blue makes me a bit nervous. Dark and strongly tinting, it is quite literally the opposite of blues I like to use. I love Cobalt Blue, Cerulean, Lapis Lazuli, and Azurite – gentle and gritty blues with medium to almost-non-existent tinting strengths.
At first glance, Prussian Blue seemed to be very similar to a Phthalo Blue Red Shade. Its transparency was clear as soon as I started mulling it.
As I was expecting, the colour is slightly duller after it dried (slightly less jewel-like than a Phthalo Blue). After mulling, the colour became smoother, brighter, and more consistent in texture.
Van Dyck Brown (NBr8)
This pigment came as a recommendation from a painter friend. The Michael Harding Van Dyck Brown oil paint (PBr6) is a lovely cool brown that I use regularly. But my friend suggested that I’d like the ashy quality of this dry pigment, so I was excited to try it out. It is closer to black than Van Dyck Browns that I’m used to, but it got warmer the more I milled it.
I will definitely be using this regularly. It’s lovely to mix with, as it doesn’t have the ‘harshness’ of a black paint, but still enables you to bring the chroma down in mixtures.
Benzymidazole Orange (PO36)
This was my favourite pigment. It is bright red in masstone, reddish-orange in dilution, and with heavy dilution (or in tints with white) it becomes a lovely peachy pink. It needs just a hint of yellow to become a really bright, fiery orange.
It couldn’t be more different to the Titanium Orange, which leans more towards yellow. In fact, the two oranges should be quite interesting to use together in a palette – one transparent and could be used in place of a red, and the other opaque and could take the role of a warm orange. It just goes to show that orange pigments don’t always have to be used as oranges.
With my watercolour trials done, I bound the pigments in linseed oil and used them in a painting. I couldn’t resist adding a barium chromate-based Lemon Yellow (PY31), a pigment not included in the Jackson’s range but which I hope might be soon… I also used a tube of Titanium White Jackson’s Artist Oil Paint, but all other paints were handmade.
The Benzymidazole Orange was incredibly versatile to use – it could add flashes of red, as well as soft pinks when mixed with white. The Prussian Blue with white made a lovely sky colour, thanks to its green bias, and also contributed to bright greens when mixed with the Titanium Orange. Titanium Orange particularly played the role of a yellow, and made a beautiful green when mixed with Van Dyck Brown.
Overall, I loved working with these pigments. Trying new colours made me realise how much I stick to familiar pigments, and I have benefitted from branching out. Benzymidazole Orange and Van Dyck Brown will certainly be new favourites- both turned out to be so useful. I think I will be returning to my familiar blue pigments– the strength of Prussian Blue has made me appreciate gentle blues even more! But in terms of value, a little Prussian Blue goes a long way and it would take an artist a long time to use a 10g pot, so I recommend it on that front, and I’m sure I’ll find myself reaching for it when I need to make a strong green.
I appreciate that Jackson’s dry pigments are available in small quantities so I can try them out before committing to a larger amount. I have far too many large containers of pigment that I may never get through. I also love the fact that the pigment index numbers are made really clear on both the pot and the website. Knowing which pigments I’m using is really important in choosing my palette. When I have an idea of the tinting strength, temperature, and texture of the pigment I can choose the colours accordingly. I’m also interested in the variety of natural earths in the range– earths are some of my favourite pigments to work with, and I look forward to enriching my collection.
About Evie Hatch
Evie lives and works in Brixton, South London. In 2016 she graduated from Camberwell College of Art with a degree in fine art drawing. Since then, her work has been an exploration of the physicality of paint, reimagining the mythological subjects of European painting and pushing their forms towards the boundary of abstraction. This year, Evie has been studying art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, a line of enquiry that informs her painting practice.
Rhiannon Piper uses Jackson’s Artist Pigments to make oil paint
My name is Rhiannon Piper, I’m an artist based in the UK. I enjoy making my own paints to use in my practice, mainly oil paints. Jackson’s Art Supplies kindly reached out to send me some of their own brand materials to review.
Products I will be testing:
- Jackson’s Refined Linseed Oil
- Jackson’s Extra Offset Crank Painting Knife No.8
- Jackson’s Empty Aluminium Paint Tube 14 ml
- Jackson’s Artist Pigments
Jackson’s Refined Linseed Oil
Jackson’s Refined Linseed Oil arrived in a metal canister. I will note that I did make a little bit of mess around the rim when initially trying to pour directly from the canister, I quickly swapped to using a pipette which worked perfectly. The product itself was very fluid, more so in comparison to other brands, with a slight yellow hue. I used this linseed oil as a binder for the pigments, the fluidity of the linseed oil overall allowed for less of the oil being required to reach a desired consistency.
I would recommend this Refined Linseed Oil for use as a binder, it is very fluid so it may run the risk of making your paint ‘muddy’ if you chose to use it as a medium. However, its transparency and minimal yellow hue will ensure your paints don’t alter in colour and a little goes a long way.
Jackson’s Painting Knife No.8
I selected Jackson’s Extra Offset Crank Painting Knife No.8 to use in the making of oil paints. This would really test the durability of the palette knife, as the initial stages of mixing require more pressure. I have personally had many cheaper palette knives break whilst making oil paint, and I’m very pleased to say that this palette knife didn’t.
The longer handle on this palette knife was very comfortable and its narrow head was ideal for the smaller aluminium tubes. I would highly recommend looking at their palette knives, very affordable and durable.
Jackson’s Aluminium Paint Tubes
I selected some of Jackson’s Empty Aluminium Paint Tubes in 14 ml. The aluminium is very easy to manipulate, which makes sealing the tubes easy enough with pliers.
I would highly recommend, regardless of if you make your own paint or not. These are useful for any extra paint. I personally would mix the remainder of paint left on my palette to create a neutral shade and store it in these smaller tubes for later use, ensuring no paint goes to waste.
Jackson’s Artist Pigments
My first impression when receiving Jackson’s Artists Pigments was in regards to the tubs they come in. I had gotten the 100 g worth containers of pigment, and the size enabled me to be able to use measuring spoons without having to transfer the pigment to an external vessel. I have previously used pigments that arrived in bag-like packaging, and in comparison, these containers are much more efficient.
I selected six of the Jackson’s Artist Pigments to test: Permanent Orange, Green Earth, Potter’s Pink, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Manganese Violet Deep and Ultramarine (Red Shade). I chose these specific pigments for a wide variety of both price and colour.
To test each of these Artist Pigments I will be using the same measured amount of pigment (1 Tbsp) and will be noting down the needed amount of Refined Linseed oil it takes to reach its desired consistency. I prefer a slightly stiffer consistency in my oil paints so the results will be with that in mind.
Following the making of all the oil paint I will then test to see how they apply to a surface as well as how they interact and mix with one another. This will be done through a quick painting.
Permanent Orange
Permanent Orange was a beautiful colour. Out of all 6 of the pigments that I will be reviewing today, this pigment was the easiest to mix with the binder. The pigment itself absorbed the linseed oil the fastest and was the smoothest when being mulled. I do really like this pigment; it was very easy to work with and took the least amount of time to reach its desired consistency.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 7 ml
Opacity: Opaque
Green Earth
This pigment is a lovely colour, however requires more attention to get to the desired consistency. It has a grittier texture compared to other earth pigments and does require more time to smooth out. I wouldn’t suggest this pigment for someone looking to start making their own paints however, it is the most affordable pigment out of those being reviewed. Being a transparent pigment, it could be brilliant for glazing. I have found that this pigment works better in other mediums such as watercolour.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 8 ml
Opacity: Transparent
Potter’s Pink
Potter’s Pink is a unique colour. It is also a very fine pigment, I believe this is why it required the least amount of linseed oil out of all six pigments to reach the desired consistency. It was similar in grittiness initially to Green Earth, however, it didn’t require as much time to smooth out. I would recommend this pigment. When diluted with Linseed oil it provides a very smooth and even colour that would be lovely when layering.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 5 ml
Opacity: Semi-Transparent
Cadmium Yellow Pale
Cadmium Yellow Pale was a beautiful colour, very vibrant. During the mixing process I noticed it was slightly stiffer than the others, being almost clay-like in consistency. This was ideal for my preferred stiffer consistency. The colour itself was very rich and uniform in application, it will definitely become a staple in my collection.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 9 ml
Opacity: Semi-Opaque
Manganese Violet Deep
Manganese Violet Deep is a lovely deep purple. The pigment itself was easy to get to the desired consistency despite needing the most linseed oil our of all six pigments. I would recommend this pigment as it was easy to work with and is a gorgeous shade, it took a little longer to mix but the final product is worth it. The only thing to keep in mind is the price of this pigment, it is the most expensive out of the ones being reviewed here which may be a limiting factor to some looking to start out making their own paint.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 10 ml
Opacity: Semi-Transparent
Ultramarine (Red Shade)
Ultramarine (Red Shade) is a very bold blue. The pigment mixed effortlessly with the binder and created a very smooth texture. The colour itself is very consistent, providing a uniform application to a surface. The price is affordable for such a rich pigment. It’s a Semi-transparent pigment so it would be perfect when layering, or mixed with a white for a saturated light blue.
Pigment amount used: 1 tbsp
Required amount of Refined Linseed Oil: 7 ml
Opacity: Semi-Transparent
To conclude I wanted to test how these oil paints would interact and mix with each other on a surface. I did a quick 20-minute painting using these pigments (As well as 2 paints made from Jackson’s Artist Pigments I already own: Titanium White Anatase and Mars Black).
Overall, I have really enjoyed using these materials. After testing all the oil paints on a quick painting, as seen above, I can say I didn’t run into any issue with the paints getting ‘muddy’ whilst using the refined linseed oil as a solvent. However, due to the high fluidity of the linseed oil, much less is needed and may require some getting used to.
You can see from the painting that the colours do maintain their saturation, the only pigment I was unable to use was ‘Green Earth’ which I could see working better as a glaze or when layering. As this was a quick painting (done alla prima), I was unable to fully test it. On the other hand, I was able to test how the pigments interacted with one another by using Ultramarine (Red Shade) and Cadmium Yellow Pale to make a green shade for the leaves.
The pigments make lovely oil paints, and they interact with each other as pre-made paint would. I would highly recommend not only exploring making your own paints but using these pigments to do so. I have used Jackson’s Artist Pigments for about a year now, and will continue to do so for the near future.
About Rhiannon Piper
Rhiannon Piper is an artist based in Leeds. She began her journey in art when she was growing up in China and has since gone on to study Fine Art at the University of Leeds. Her work explores deep, thoughtful, and sometimes darker themes using narrative, iconology, and symbolism. She started making her own oil paints in 2019 to become more involved in the creative process and has continued to do so since.
Rhiannon has recently exhibited in, and group curated a show in Leeds entitled “Humans?”, featuring 8 artists who explored and aimed to define what it means to be human. She has dedicated her time to sharing her work and processes on social media and her website, where she gets her global engagement.
Follow Rhiannon on Instagram
Visit Rhiannon’s website
Follow Rhiannon on TikTok
Further Reading
Jackson’s Pigment Colour Index Series
Making Handmade Watercolours with Jackson’s Artist Pigments
Shop Jackson’s Artist Pigments on jacksonsart.com
Shop pigments on jacksonsart.com
What a rewarding read… two painters considering their materials and tools as an integral part of their relationship with their subject matter. Beginning with unbound pigment means uncovering pigment properties that standardised tubes give us no access to. Thank you both.
Hi Frances, thanks for sharing your thoughts, we can’t agree more!
Very best, Clare
I too found these articles and experiments
so very interesting. I’ve always wondered
about the process an artist would
undertake to make their own paints. One
question for Evie – did you put the
remaining paint into pans for later use? I
guess you could do that if you have
enough left over/
Hi Angie! I’m so glad you found it interesting. Yes I put the remaining watercolour paint into some empty half pans (like these) so I can use them again later.
I have used the Jackson’s pigments to make
gouache. I use the Schminke gouache
binder as it’s affordable and I like the way it
handles (Schminke Horadam is my favourite
brand of gouache). I wanted to test the
colourfastness and so swatched paints I
made with Potter’s Pink, Cad Red Brownish,
Ultramarine Violet and Terra Ercolana. I
covered half the swatches and taped it to a
window that gets direct sunlight all day and
left it for 3 months (I live in Tasmania and
the sun is pretty harsh here, your skin can
burn even in the middle of winter if you’re
not careful). There was absolutely no fading
of any of the colours, none, zero. On that
basis I’m happy to accept the colourfastness
info that Jackson’s provides and use any of
their pigments with confidence (in gouache
binder, at least).
Hi Marta, sounds like you really put those colours to the test in the Australian sun! Thanks for sharing.