Build a professional versatile palette for unique color mixing. A list of lightfast pigments that I highly recommend for watercolor painting. These colors are what I use most often in my palette.

Aug 19, 2025 · Most of us don’t have laboratories, rating systems, or special tools like spectrometers. I wanted to know what really happens in a simple, real-world setting: direct sunlight on a window.

Nov 9, 2025 · Discover pigments with the highest lightfastness for your artwork. Learn to choose lasting colors and create archival-quality art.

Even within professional art supplies, certain colors like alizarin crimson are known to be less lightfast than their modern synthetic alternatives. Knowing which pigments are fugitive allows artists to make …

Nov 13, 2023 · Nearly eight months ago, I started a lightfastness test for a set of jelly gouache, a set of watercolor markers, and three watercolor paint palettes, including this Mei Liang "Pretty Excellent" …

Jan 16, 2026 · Discover the most lightfast paint types to ensure your artworks stand the test of time. Learn which paints resist fading for lasting vibrancy.

Dec 20, 2022 · Today, I’m looking at her list of recommended lightfast colors. How this normally works is I list the colors an artists uses, and I suggest alternative colors that might also work in the same …

Oct 13, 2022 · As you add colors to your palette you should first consider the quality of the paint you are choosing. Most artists will agree that the three key factors to choosing good quality paint are …

Watercolors, inks, pastels, and colored pencils are particularly susceptible to fading over time, so choosing lightfast pigments is especially important in these media.

Feb 28, 2025 · Below is my generalized ranking of pigment lightfastness. Referencing the test results below will give the best information. Anthocyanins (berries, hollyhock, scabiosa, purple cabbage, …