White Nights, also known as St Petersburg, has been one of the many generous sponsors of the Urban Sketchers Symposium for the last few years now. They have been expanding their range, moving from just full pans to the addition of 10ml tubes for many colours, and expanding their range with 9 extra colours in 2017 and another 9 new colours in 2019. They have also added 7 metallics. I am grateful that they have given me samples to try to keep up, though somehow Venetian Red slipped through the cracks.
The colours that were added increased the range to 75 colours and the new colours are mostly lightfast and largely single pigment additions. I've updated my previous post but decided to create a new post of the full range here, this time with most colours scanned rather than photographed, where possible.
These are very reasonably priced watercolours that perform well. Setting up with full pans is simple and gives easy brush access so they suit beginners, though of course many professional artist use them as well. They are made with genuine pigments though some feel to have some sort of filler? And some of the pigments are not lightfast, such as PY1, PV3, PR2, PR4, PO13, PG8 and others. As far as I know the colours with less lightfast ratings have remained in the range so do check pigment numbers if you are working on paintings for sale or exhibition. In a sketchbook, watercolours are protected from light.
I'll add the full 2019 range below.
March 2021 update - many more colours were added, and some changes so the full range now consists of 108 colours, including 18 pastel shades and 7 metallic. Many of the previous colours have been updated with more lightfast pigments, which is fantastic. With the addition of new colours to close the gaps and better pigments for greater light-fastness, this range has really improved dramatically over the last few years. While I haven't painted the new colours or the new versions, I'll update the information for each colour. Eventually I'll do a new blog post if I get new samples.
November 2022 update - The range is now 120 colours so I am a long way out of date. You can see the latest Colour Chart here. There are 80 'classic' colours, 59 of which are single pigment; 18 pastel colours, 7 metallic colours and a new range of 15 granulating colours that can be seen in action here.
As always, yellows, oranges and reds are difficult to represent accurately. I've scanned all the swatches but I needed to use a couple of photos for better accuracy for the oranges. As I haven't yet found an updated colour chart, I've used my own system to arrange the colour swatches.
The new Aureolin gives an even better primary yellow option. 211 - Yellow (PY154) and has been added to the range, possibly replacing the fugitive 215 Hansa Yellow (PY1) which isn't on the new colour chart, but is still shown here.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Zinc White, Lemon, Cadmium Lemon, Aureolin (new 2019), Hansa Yellow. |
PY216 used in the new Naples Yellow Light and Naples Orange is also known as Turner's Yellow. I haven't seen the orange version before. Both are more opaque colours. I like the Indian Gold as a warm yellow option as it will mix interesting greens. Indian yellow is a very transparent mid yellow option. 206 - Ochre Light (PY43) has been added but is not shown here.
It is difficult to capture the true colour of oranges and yellow-oranges.
Geranium Red is interesting as it looks like a warm red but has a rose undertone in a wash so I suspect it might mix purples too - I'll check that out.
368 Neon Pink (PR122, PV10) has been added but is not shown here.
368 - Neon Pink (PR122& BV10) has been added but is not shown here. 627 - Perylene Violet (PV29) has also been added but is not shown here.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Indian Yellow (new 2017), Cadmium Yellow Medium, Naples Yellow Light (new 2019), Indian Gold (new 2017), Naples Orange (new 2019). |
It is difficult to capture the true colour of oranges and yellow-oranges.
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| White Nights Watercolour -Golden, Golden Deep, Cadmium Orange, Orange Lake, Orange (new 2019) |
Geranium Red is interesting as it looks like a warm red but has a rose undertone in a wash so I suspect it might mix purples too - I'll check that out.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Titan Red, Cadmium Red Light, Vermilion (Hue) (Old version - now made with PR188 & PY154), Geranium Red (new 2019), Scarlet (Old version - now called Scarlet Light and made with PR 188). |
368 Neon Pink (PR122, PV10) has been added but is not shown here.
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| White Nights Watercolour -Ruby, Madder Lake Red Light, Venice Purple (new 2019), Claret, Carmine (Old version - now made with PV19, though this is referred to as PR19). |
368 - Neon Pink (PR122& BV10) has been added but is not shown here. 627 - Perylene Violet (PV29) has also been added but is not shown here.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Quinacridone Red (new 2017), Quinacridone Violet Rose (new 2017), Quinacridone Rose, Rose, Quinacridone Lilac. |
There are still some of the lovely but fugitive pigments in the range - PV2, PV3, PB1 seen here. Use with caution.
521 - Ultramarine Deep (PB29) has been added but is not shown.
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| White Nights Watercolour -Violet-Rose, Quinacridone Violet (new 2017), Ultramarine Violet (new 2017), Violet, Blue Lake. |
521 - Ultramarine Deep (PB29) has been added but is not shown.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Indanthrone Blue, Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Azure, Blue (New 2017). |
PB36 used in Cobalt Azure Blue is my favourite choice for a cerulean pigment. A good addition to the range.
Cobalt Turquoise is an incredibly popular watercolour. 533- Cobalt Chrome Turquoise (PB36) has been added - often known as cobalt turquoise or cobalt turquoise deep.
I love yellow ochre as a colour but shy away from this mix with PY1. 257 Irgazin Yellow (PY129) has been added but is not shown here, along with 206 Ochre Light (PY43).
604 Caput Mortuum (PR101) has been added, but is not shown here. 401 Van Dyck Brown (PR102&PBk8) has also been added.
Two new blacks are 801 Lamp Black (PBk7) and Ivory Black (Hue) P(R102 & PBk7)
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| White Nights Watercolour - Bright Blue (Brilliant), Indigo (Old version - now made with PBk7, PB15 & PV23), Prussian Blue, Ceruleum Blue, Cobalt Azure Blue (new 2019). |
Cobalt Turquoise is an incredibly popular watercolour. 533- Cobalt Chrome Turquoise (PB36) has been added - often known as cobalt turquoise or cobalt turquoise deep.
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| White Nights Watercolour -Azure Blue, Cobalt Turquoise (new 2019), Turquoise Blue, Green Light, Emerald Green. |
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| White Nights Watercolour - Green Original, Yellowish Green, Sap Green (new 2017), Green Earth, Olive Green. |
I love yellow ochre as a colour but shy away from this mix with PY1. 257 Irgazin Yellow (PY129) has been added but is not shown here, along with 206 Ochre Light (PY43).
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| White Nights Watercolour - Chromium Oxide, Green (Russian), May Green (new 2019), Yellow Ochre (old version - now made with PY43 & PY154), Naples Yellow. |
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| White Nights Watercolour - Raw Sienna (Old version - now made with PY43) , Red Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Shakhnazarskaya Red, English Red. |
604 Caput Mortuum (PR101) has been added, but is not shown here. 401 Van Dyck Brown (PR102&PBk8) has also been added.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Venetian Red (New 2017, not shown), Burnt Umber, Mars Red, Umber, Sepia. |
Two new blacks are 801 Lamp Black (PBk7) and Ivory Black (Hue) P(R102 & PBk7)
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| White Nights Watercolour - Voronezhkaya Black (old version - now made with PBk8), Payne's Grey (Old version - now made til PBk7, PB15 & PV55) Neutral Black. |
The 7 new metallic colours...
I haven't tried any of the 18 new pastel colours.
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| White Nights Watercolour - Silver Light, Inca Gold, Bronze, Aztec Gold. |
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| White Nights Watercolour - Antique Gold, Silver Deep, Copper. |
I haven't tried any of the 18 new pastel colours.
With all these new colours, my suggestions for a White Nights 12-colour plein air sketching palette has changed.
I'd look at Aureolin, Indian yellow, the new Scarlet Light or Geranium Red (I need to test that in mixes), Quinacridone Red, Ultramarine or the new French Ultramarine, Cobalt Azure Blue, Emerald Green (for mixing only), Sap Green, Raw Sienna or perhaps the new Ochre light, Burnt Sienna, English Red (or possibly Venetian Red - I haven't tried that one) and Payne's Grey. That would now be a lightfast set :-)
To match my Ultimate Mixing Set, the closest options are Aureolin, Indian Yellow, the new Scarlet Light, the new Carmine (not a perfect match), Quinacridone Red, Ultramarine, Cobalt Azure Blue, Bright Blue, Emerald Green, Raw Sienna (not a perfect match), Burnt Sienna, English Red (or possibly Venetian Red - not perfect matches), Umber (not very strong) and Paynes Grey (also not a perfect match)
If you would like to send samples of any of the missing colours, please get in touch :-)
Happy painting :-)
