I **love** the fact that ocher is the oldest color of paint and "has been on the palettes of almost every artist in history." Thank you for sharing so much information and for the ideas on how to play with my paints...
Very nice. Loved the history of the color, seeing famous artist's works using a predominance of yellow ocher, and how well it blends with other watercolors. Thank you.
I always use yellow ochre as an underpainting for sunny blue skies. The natural is useful for skies as it does not produce green in your sky, going directly from the yellow to blue. I think that the synthetic does produce some green... something I don't want in my skies. When you paint blue sky over it, it contrasts with the yellow ochre and the blue just becomes radiant.
Hi Joe, I haven't painted in oils or acrylics in a long time, but I can just imagine how beautiful (& natural) it looks to see tiny hints of yellow ochre under a blue sky. I use it to taper into shadows on big cloudscapes too. Thanks for stopping in and sharing a great tip!
I watched your video because I realised that I rarely used the yellow ochre I got because I didn't know what for. After I watched your video I started to mix it with other colors of my palette to what I can get that way and I was really surprised! Especially the green hues I achieved surprised me. They looked in a way I tried to mix times before but never was able to. I never considered to mix my several blues with yellow ochre because I never considered yellow ochre as a real yellow hue. Thank you for the video. I learned so much from it!
Hi Jenna, I'm glad the video was informative, and you discovered your yellow ochre's super powers! Thanks for the feedback, and I wish you many hours of happy ochre experimentation!
I've used Yellow Ochre for quite a while but had no idea about it's history and how popular it's always been. Thank you for the information and really neat video.
P. J. Hunter thanks for the feedback! I felt the same way when I learned about the details... every time I dip my brush, I think of all the artists before me. They’re cheering for us on this artistic adventure! 🎉👏🏽😃
This was very interesting and I am eagerly waiting for more palette suggestions. Your blogs have been very important to my progress...thanks for sharing all of your information!
Hi there Judith! Thanks for the feedback. New video equipment and editing software is in the works for a series on pigments for watercolor soon. Filming & editing learning curve, etc. Thanks so much for your encouragement!
This was so cool to watch. I recognized all those artist names from my college days and taking 5 different art history classes! You are inspiring me to get out my paint and brushes again. Thank you!
Thank you for this wonderfully informative video. Personally, I removed yellow ochre from my palette over 30 yrs ago. If I must, I will use golden ochre.
Hi Saundra, Thanks for the feedback. Can I ask why you removed yellow ochre from your palette? I know others have done this too, so I'm just curious...
Certainly, 2 reasons: 1) Yellow Ochre becomes "muddy" faster than most other pigments (which makes sense when you consider that ochre, like umber & sienna ARE soil) and this all comes down to knowing your pigments and how to use them. 2) This is the primary reason & is purely personal-- yellow ochre resembles the soiled bandages from an infected wound and this is especially true when mixed with ANY 2nd color. I thought it was just me until I was painting at a show and an old VET/medic made a similar comment. p.s.-- my tube of golden ochre is 14-yrs old. I must add that this video shows the color and it's potential marvelously! I love your videos! And most important, THANK YOU for responding to my reply.
need to add that when I said, "..and how to use them." I have to admit that I dislike the color enough that instead of learning HOW to use it, I focused on how NOT to use it. Your video has me rethinking and I may buy a tube & work at this. Thanks for asking.
Hi Saundra - I love that - ochres get muddy because they're made of soil! Yes, indeed. I think the results vary depending on what you mix them with, and whether you're using synthetics vs organic compounds too. Same with opacity. Every manufacturer is different. And I respect tastes: some folks just don't use yellows, ochres and golds in their work because they don't like those colors, and that's a-okay by me. No need to invest in a tube of it if you've already tried it. I vote for sticking with what you know and enjoy. This was meant as an intro to the color with a little background on it's history. No pressure to use it. :)
Thank you. But you know, as well as I, that us seasoned artists can become too comfortable in our ruts. We owe it to our patrons and followers to re-try what we've cast aside and to test our limits with new products, styles and subject-matter. If we stand in one spot we will rot.
Fantastic information. When you were in France, did you see some fields of plants from which pastels are made? I am off to paint some mammoth and antelopes on my living room wall. :)
Hello Francoise, I did not see fields related to plants, but I did visit Roussillon, and my eyes took great pleasure at the color of ochre in the cliffs there. :) Have a great day making your art!
Hi Marco, I purchase my yellow ochre from pigment manufacturers like Daniel Smith, DaVinci, Winsor & Newton, Sennelier and Graham. There are many fine art pigment companies who sell organically produced yellow ochre. If you want to make your own, you can search online for a recipe, and experiment with ratios and additives, being careful to follow toxicity warnings (also online). Good luck!
Have you experienced Daniel Smith Verona Gold Ochre? I'm trying to decide if I shaould try it. Pros, it looks clear and yellow. Cons it looks very light. Thinking it would be a nice face highlight or background wash. Wondering if it dissapears in mixes due to its paleness.
Hi Elsa Grace, Thanks for stopping by. I've never used that shade of yellow, so I can't say, but if you give it a try, come back and tell us how you liked it. I believe it's categorized as PY43 in the pigment database, indicating it's made with natural ochre. With any pigment I think it's hard to know if you like it till you play with it a little. Maybe try a sample?
I love Holbein Yellow Ochre and use it in all my baby portraits but that's probably because the pigment inside the tube is not the true original Yellow Ochre. Most PY42 in other brands is listed as Raw Sienna, Mars Yellow, Transparent Yellow Oxide. Holbein's Raw Sienna is listed as PY43, which is the genuine yellow iron oxide. I was blown away when I 1st realized they had it backwards from Winser & Newton, M Graham and most other brands. . I think PY42 is a much nicer mixer than PY43 because its not as opaque as PY43 in most brands. But they are similar.
Hi +Pam H - yes raw sienna is similar in that it's one of a family of pigments called "earth colors", but when compared to yellow ochre side by side, its a bit darker (not as bright), a tiny bit warmer, and semi-opaque, so if you want transparency and a brightness, you'd be better off with yellow ochre. I hope that helps.
Hi Bunny, Sorry about that.... just in case; check that both your devise volume is up, AND the volume that appears when you hover your cursor over the video window. I hope that helps! :)
I had to turn my volume up so much for the middle part, and when she came back on at the end, It nearly blew out my ear drums.. you were not hallucinating.
I **love** the fact that ocher is the oldest color of paint and "has been on the palettes of almost every artist in history." Thank you for sharing so much information and for the ideas on how to play with my paints...
You're welcome, Suzy - I'm glad you're finding these videos useful. Happy playing in the art studio!
Very nice. Loved the history of the color, seeing famous artist's works using a predominance of yellow ocher, and how well it blends with other watercolors. Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback, Becky! I hope you enjoy a nice deep-dive into all the shades of ochre on your next painting adventure!
I always use yellow ochre as an underpainting for sunny blue skies. The natural is useful for skies as it does not produce green in your sky, going directly from the yellow to blue. I think that the synthetic does produce some green... something I don't want in my skies. When you paint blue sky over it, it contrasts with the yellow ochre and the blue just becomes radiant.
Hi Joe, I haven't painted in oils or acrylics in a long time, but I can just imagine how beautiful (& natural) it looks to see tiny hints of yellow ochre under a blue sky. I use it to taper into shadows on big cloudscapes too. Thanks for stopping in and sharing a great tip!
I watched your video because I realised that I rarely used the yellow ochre I got because I didn't know what for. After I watched your video I started to mix it with other colors of my palette to what I can get that way and I was really surprised! Especially the green hues I achieved surprised me. They looked in a way I tried to mix times before but never was able to. I never considered to mix my several blues with yellow ochre because I never considered yellow ochre as a real yellow hue.
Thank you for the video. I learned so much from it!
Hi Jenna, I'm glad the video was informative, and you discovered your yellow ochre's super powers! Thanks for the feedback, and I wish you many hours of happy ochre experimentation!
I've used Yellow Ochre for quite a while but had no idea about it's history and how popular it's always been. Thank you for the information and really neat video.
P. J. Hunter thanks for the feedback! I felt the same way when I learned about the details... every time I dip my brush, I think of all the artists before me. They’re cheering for us on this artistic adventure! 🎉👏🏽😃
Your full length demo was very helpful. Thank you for sharing. Your picture is lovely.
Hi Greta, Thanks for the great feedback. I'm glad you found the video helpful!
I really liked you showed example paintings of masters used yellow ochra.
Thank you, MRR! Happy Painting to you!
This was very interesting and I am eagerly waiting for more palette suggestions. Your blogs have been very important to my progress...thanks for sharing all of your information!
Hi there Judith! Thanks for the feedback. New video equipment and editing software is in the works for a series on pigments for watercolor soon. Filming & editing learning curve, etc. Thanks so much for your encouragement!
This was so cool to watch. I recognized all those artist names from my college days and taking 5 different art history classes! You are inspiring me to get out my paint and brushes again. Thank you!
Thanks for the nice boost, my friend! :) ❤
A very nice lesson Belinda, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Jelka! I'm glad it was useful to you. :)
Really like this. Please do more colors
Thanks for the encouragement, brillyintt!
You are awesome!
Jose, YOU are awesome! :)
Loved it!
Useful and interesting, hope you will do more of this :-)
+Li Ela Thanks for the feedback. There are more to come. :)
Very good and interesting video! I enjoyed learning the trivia associated with yellow ochre. Apparently I have PY43.
Hi +lalaithan - thanks for the feedback, and enjoy your real-deal yellow ochre! :)
I really enjoyed this video & the information!! Thank you
Thanks, Sue! I hope it was helpful!
What I didn't know! Thanks for the clue.
Hi Lorraine - I'm glad you found the video helpful! There are more in the works! :)
Wonderful vid, learned so very much =o)
Thank you for the feedback - gregorys mode! 🤓👍🏽
Thank you for this wonderfully informative video. Personally, I removed yellow ochre from my palette over 30 yrs ago. If I must, I will use golden ochre.
Hi Saundra, Thanks for the feedback. Can I ask why you removed yellow ochre from your palette? I know others have done this too, so I'm just curious...
Certainly, 2 reasons: 1) Yellow Ochre becomes "muddy" faster than most other pigments (which makes sense when you consider that ochre, like umber & sienna ARE soil) and this all comes down to knowing your pigments and how to use them. 2) This is the primary reason & is purely personal-- yellow ochre resembles the soiled bandages from an infected wound and this is especially true when mixed with ANY 2nd color. I thought it was just me until I was painting at a show and an old VET/medic made a similar comment. p.s.-- my tube of golden ochre is 14-yrs old.
I must add that this video shows the color and it's potential marvelously! I love your videos! And most important, THANK YOU for responding to my reply.
need to add that when I said, "..and how to use them." I have to admit that I dislike the color enough that instead of learning HOW to use it, I focused on how NOT to use it. Your video has me rethinking and I may buy a tube & work at this. Thanks for asking.
Hi Saundra - I love that - ochres get muddy because they're made of soil! Yes, indeed. I think the results vary depending on what you mix them with, and whether you're using synthetics vs organic compounds too. Same with opacity. Every manufacturer is different. And I respect tastes: some folks just don't use yellows, ochres and golds in their work because they don't like those colors, and that's a-okay by me. No need to invest in a tube of it if you've already tried it. I vote for sticking with what you know and enjoy. This was meant as an intro to the color with a little background on it's history. No pressure to use it. :)
Thank you. But you know, as well as I, that us seasoned artists can become too comfortable in our ruts. We owe it to our patrons and followers to re-try what we've cast aside and to test our limits with new products, styles and subject-matter. If we stand in one spot we will rot.
subscribed, you explain things very clearly
Thanks, and welcome, +Mateusz Borodziuk !
Love it!
Fantastic information. When you were in France, did you see some fields of plants from which pastels are made?
I am off to paint some mammoth and antelopes on my living room wall. :)
Hello Francoise, I did not see fields related to plants, but I did visit Roussillon, and my eyes took great pleasure at the color of ochre in the cliffs there. :) Have a great day making your art!
Very interesting! Thank you
Thanks, Janet!
can you make a video of how to make yellow ochre please?
Hi Marco, I purchase my yellow ochre from pigment manufacturers like Daniel Smith, DaVinci, Winsor & Newton, Sennelier and Graham. There are many fine art pigment companies who sell organically produced yellow ochre. If you want to make your own, you can search online for a recipe, and experiment with ratios and additives, being careful to follow toxicity warnings (also online). Good luck!
Have you experienced Daniel Smith Verona Gold Ochre? I'm trying to decide if I shaould try it. Pros, it looks clear and yellow. Cons it looks very light. Thinking it would be a nice face highlight or background wash. Wondering if it dissapears in mixes due to its paleness.
Hi Elsa Grace, Thanks for stopping by. I've never used that shade of yellow, so I can't say, but if you give it a try, come back and tell us how you liked it. I believe it's categorized as PY43 in the pigment database, indicating it's made with natural ochre. With any pigment I think it's hard to know if you like it till you play with it a little. Maybe try a sample?
very interesting
Thanks for the feedback, +lura garcia !
FYI Belinda, the pigment index numbers for yellow ochre are PY42 and PY43. A simple mistake :)
Thanks, +Anonymously Innocuous !!! All fixed! I appreciate you're taking the time to let me know. :)
I love Holbein Yellow Ochre and use it in all my baby portraits but that's probably because the pigment inside the tube is not the true original Yellow Ochre. Most PY42 in other brands is listed as Raw Sienna, Mars Yellow, Transparent Yellow Oxide. Holbein's Raw Sienna is listed as PY43, which is the genuine yellow iron oxide. I was blown away when I 1st realized they had it backwards from Winser & Newton, M Graham and most other brands. . I think PY42 is a much nicer mixer than PY43 because its not as opaque as PY43 in most brands. But they are similar.
Renee Moles-Marks agree beautiful profile pic
Is yellow ochre similar to raw sienna?
Hi +Pam H - yes raw sienna is similar in that it's one of a family of pigments called "earth colors", but when compared to yellow ochre side by side, its a bit darker (not as bright), a tiny bit warmer, and semi-opaque, so if you want transparency and a brightness, you'd be better off with yellow ochre. I hope that helps.
Thank you.
Volume editing issues.. hurt my ears at the end.
Oh Randi, I'm so sorry. I'm learning about cameras, lighting, audio and editing as I go. Very different from painting. I'm really sorry.
Oh no. Your voice got so quiet. Straining to hear.
Hi Bunny, Sorry about that.... just in case; check that both your devise volume is up, AND the volume that appears when you hover your cursor over the video window. I hope that helps! :)
I had to turn my volume up so much for the middle part, and when she came back on at the end, It nearly blew out my ear drums.. you were not hallucinating.