White Nights 2019 full range, with 2020 and 2021 updates

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November 2022 update - The range is now 120 colours so I am a long way out of date.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

White Nights Watercolour -Azure Blue, Cobalt Turquoise (new 2019),
Turquoise Blue, Green Light, Emerald Green.

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).

White Nights Watercolour - Chromium Oxide, Green (Russian), May Green (new 2019),
Yellow Ochre (old version - now made with PY43 & PY154), Naples Yellow.

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.

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)

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...

White Nights Watercolour - Silver Light, Inca Gold, Bronze, Aztec Gold. 

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 :-)

QoR Watercolours full range

I explored some of the QoR colours some years back when they were first released, and wrote about them here. Rather than update that post, I'll show the full range, organised the same as the colour chart, here. I'd like to express my thanks to Golden for sending me samples to be able to test out and show the full range.

QoR are very different from traditional watercolours and feel different to paint with. They need to be used more liquid and will often explode on a damp paper as they must have a lot of oxgall or other dispersing medium. They can be hard to control. On the other hand, they have a very little to no drying shift so remain very bright, and are largely very finely ground pigments so even the cadmiums are less granulating than the same pigments in other ranges. My initial reaction to them was somewhat critical as they didn't work the way I like watercolours to work, but using them again and fresh from the tubes, watching the colours explode onto the wet wash and seeing what they could do if you want to play with them, I think they add another dimension to the watercolour world. I think it is good that all watercolours are not produced the same way. We are then able to pick and choose those that work the way we each wish to.

I really feel that these are best used fresh from the tube. They don't rewet well enough to work as a travel watercolour as far as I have explored, which makes them less portable. But this is true of M.Graham and Sennelier tube colours too and suits the way some watercolour artists work in the studio.


These yellows are similar in hue, apart from Nickel Yellow which is always a very weak pigment. the cadmiums are really finely ground and are very beautiful.

QoR Watercolours - Nickel Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Primrose, Hansa Yellow Light, Bismuth Vandate Yellow,
 Cadmium Yellow Light.

These are the mid to warm yellows. Indian Yellow has the look of some of the Quinacridone Gold hues and is slightly brighter than QoR Quinacridone Gold.

QoR Watercolours - Benzimidazolone Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Aureolin Modern,
Nickel Azo Yellow, Indian Yellow.

This is an unusual pigment for Quinacridone Burnt Orange - it's usually called Brown Madder or Quin burnt scarlet. Quin burnt orange is usually more orange - once again it is important to know the pigments when reading a paint name to have a better idea what to expect.

QoR Watercolours - Permanent Gamboge, Quinacridone Gold, Quinacridone Gold Deep,
Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Cadmium Yellow Deep.

Transparent Pyrrol Orange is gorgeous - though different from the Daniel Smith paint of the same name. Pyrrole Red Light is a lovely pigment for a warm red in a classic split primary palette.

QoR Watercolours - Diarylide Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Transparent Pyrrole Orange, Cadmium Red Light,
Pyrrole Red Light (previously made with PR207).

Pyrrole Red Deep is my favourite pigment for a crimson red. I tend to use PR255 as warm, and have PV19 and PR264 as my cool reds.

QoR Watercolours - Quinacridone Red Light, Pyrrole Red Medium, Cadmium Red Light,
Cadmium Red Deep, Pyrrole Red Deep.

Quinacridone Red makes a great primary red, though I also use it as one of two cool reds in a palette.

QoR Watercolours - Permanent Scarlet, Quinacridone Red, Permanent Alizarin Crimson,
Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Magenta.

The violets pigments PV15 and PV49 are always weak, but the Ultramarine Violet PV15 is a nice version of this colour.

QoR Watercolours - Ultramarine Pink, Quinacridone Violet, Cobalt Violet, Ultramarine Violet, Dioxazine Purple.

QoR Watercolours - Indigo, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Blue Violet, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue Chromium.

These blues all painted out nicely.

QoR Watercolours - Indanthrone Blue, Prussian Blue, PHthalo Blue (Green Shade),
French Cerulean Blue, Manganese Blue.

 Viridian is often a weak pigment but is quite strong in the QoR range.

QoR Watercolours - Cobalt Teal, Phthalo Turquoise, Cobalt Turquoise,
Phthalo Green (Blue Shade), Viridian Green.

The Cobalt Green is made from a lovely PG26 pigment rather than the PG50 - deep and granulating usually. I found it a little hard to get a smooth wash. Terre Verte is always a weak pigment but perhaps would be stronger fresh from the tube? These versions of Sap And Hooker's Green are very usable as convenience colours though I'd prefer two-pigment rather than three-pigment mixes if possible.

QoR Watercolours - Permanent Green Light, Cobalt Green (not shown),
Hookers Green Sap Green, Terre Verte.

These convenience greens are also interesting, though have many pigments. Buff Titanium is one of my favourite Daniel Smith colours and QoR is the only other source available commercially. However, this version has little granulation though is a lovely creamy ecru colour.

QoR Watercolours - Chromium Gren Oxide, Olive Green, Bohemian Green Earth, Green Gold, Titan Buff.

Many of these were painted from dry samples which look weaker. I really think QoR colours need to be used fresh. Raw Sienna is ideally made from PBr7 rather than PY43, which is yellow ochre.

QoR Watercolours - Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre (Natural), Transparent Yellow Oxide,
Raw Sienna (Natural), Transparent Red Oxide.

Lots of single pigment earth colours. Transparent Brown Oxide was tested from a small dry sample so may be stronger fresh from the tube. You can really see the difference.

QoR Watercolours - Mars Orange Deep, Venetian Red, Burnt Sienna (Natural),
Transparent Brown Oxide, Burnt Umber (Natural).

I like the use of natural earth pigments - they are not mixed with anything else, and the siennas and umbers are nearly all made with the appropriate PBr7 pigment. Raw Umber Natural is especially dark and rich. Van Dyke Brown is far warmer than usual.

QoR Watercolours - Raw Umber (Natural), Sepia, Van Dyke Brown, Carbon Black, Ivory Black.

I am always delighted to see a mixed grey made without the deadening effect of a black pigment. Neutral Tint contains a yellow (yellow oxide), a magenta (quin magenta) and a blue (phthalo blue) pigment. I think this would be an interesting watercolour for some tonal studies. I last tried Ardoise Gray from a very small sample dot but it is a very gentle colour from the tube too.

QoR Watercolours - Payne's Gray, Neutral Tine, Ardoise Gray, Chinese White, Titanium White.

Update - And here are the three Iridescent colours. They are difficult to show but since I have them it gives an idea. They are not particularly strongly tinting.

QoR Watercolours - Iridescent Pearl Fine, Iridescent Silver (fine) and Iridescent Gold (fine)

2018 update

QoR are now available in a 12 colour palette of standard 1/2 pans. See the website here. The colours include Cadmium Yellow Primrose, Nickel Azo Yellow, Transparent Pyrrole Orange, Pyrrole Red Medium, Quinacridone Magenta, Dioxazine Purple, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue (Green Shade), Sap Green, Transparent Brown Oxide, Burnt Umber (Natural) and Payne’s Gray. The website claims that they are easier to re-wet, which would be a great step.

QoR Mini 1/2 pan palette, from the website www.qorcolors.com