Edit: This post has been edited on June 7, 2025 to include more information about pans vs tubes and photos of student-grade Cotman substitutions.
I’m a member of Claire Giordano’s Adventure Art Academy, and I’m joining her Beginner/Foundations class starting June 12. Although a person who’s painted for four years and maintained a three-update-a-week watercolor blog for three of those years can probably not exactly be called a beginner, I still feel like a beginner in many ways – good and bad! When you’re chaotically self-taught, it’s always good to circle back to fundamentals, and my recent feelings of slump have had me yearning for structure and simplicity. I always learn a lot from Claire’s tips on water control, plein air shortcuts, and specific landscape elements, such as alpenglow.
The one aspect of painting where I don’t feel like a beginner is color mixing and pigment knowledge. Learning about pigments and paint options almost feels like a separate hobby, one where I’ve really dug in. I’d like to put that knowledge to work for my fellow students.
I’ve previously profiled Claire’s palette, but this time I will offer my substitution suggestions specifically for her beginner course paint recommendations. Hopefully, this may help my fellow students to successfully use paints they already have, or understand when it might be a good idea to get something new.
Claire’s Recommended Palette
Claire suggests one of two things: a Winsor Newton Cotman prepackaged pan set (student grade), or the following 8 a la carte Daniel Smith Extra Fine watercolors (professional grade).
- Hansa Yellow Medium
- Quinacridone Gold OR New Gamboge
- Perylene Red
- Quinacridone Rose
- Cobalt Blue
- Phthalo Blue Green Shade
- Indanthrone Blue
- Neutral Tint (Grey)
You could also think of this as: two versions of each primary color (yellow, red, blue), plus two dark colors.
Below, I offer my substitution suggestions, including which Cotman color to use in which situation.
Quick Terminology
Pigment Codes
Pigment Codes or Color Index Codes identify which chemical or natural pigments are used in the paint. These make it easier to compare the same color across brands. You can find them in the fine print on the product packaging.
I will provide the pigment code(s) for each paint below. If you find the same code(s) in another brand, you can generally substitute that color, with a few possible exceptions that I’ll note (there are two kinds of PV19 and two kinds of PB60!)
Pans or tubes?
Note: This section has been heavily edited to reflect more information after re-trying Cotman tubes.
Watercolor paint can be used wet (straight from the tube) or from dry pans (which are re-wet by adding a little water water).
- Pros of wet tube paint: Wet/straight-from-tube paint can be easier to get vibrant because it’s easier to use more of it at once.
- Pros of dry pans: Pan paint is more portable and convenient for travel and plein air. As an adventure artist, Claire usually works from pans.
If you want to work from wet straight-from-tube paint, you of course must buy tubes. But if you want to work from dry, you can actually buy either format. You can make your own pans by pouring tube paint into an empty pan and letting it dry. Claire does this DIY method because she uses ultra-portable Art Toolkit pans, which are not standard sizes, and come empty.
My personal recommendation is to get tubes which are the most flexible, but pans work too, and may be more convenient if you want portability and don’t want to mess around with pouring your own.
Want even more info about paint? See my post Watercolor Paint 101.
Paint List
Hansa Yellow Medium
Pigment Code: PY97
Pigment Codes That Are Very Similar: PY154, PY151, PY213
Color Slot/Substitution List: Middle Yellow
Cotman Equivalent: Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue is the closest to a middle yellow. (Similar color name warning: Cadmium Yellow Hue is more similar to New Gamboge, below.)
Other Brand Recommendations:
- Da Vinci: Da Vinci Yellow, Arylide Yellow FGL
- Holbein: Imidazolone Yellow, Aureolin, Permanent Yellow Light
- Schmincke: Pure Yellow, Aureolin Modern
- Winsor & Newton (Professional): Winsor Yellow, Cadmium-Free Yellow
- See a list of brands of mid yellows using one or more of my recommended yellow pigments at artistpigments.org
What about Lemon Yellow or Hansa Yellow Light? Lemon yellows (e.g. pigment codes PY175 or PY3) will generally substitute well, but are a bit cooler in temperature, meaning they mix bolder greens and less bold oranges. This also applies to Cotman Lemon Yellow Hue. You could mix a lemon yellow with a warmer yellow to make a middle yellow.
What about Cadmium Yellow? Cadmium Yellow (PY35) would also work, but be aware that it’s toxic. It also comes in various shades (from cooler, more lemony yellows to warmer, more orangey yellows), so try to get a medium or middle shade. If you find something called “Cadmium Yellow Hue,” it is a faux cadmium which looks similar, and will likely work very well.
Quinacridone Gold
Pigment Codes: PY150 + PO48 (see Color Spotlights for: Quin Gold, PY150, PO48)
Color Slot/Substitution List: Gold
Cotman Equivalent: Gamboge Hue (PY150, PR209)
Other Brand Recommendations:
- Da Vinci – New Gold
- Many brands have a “Quinacridone Gold” which will be reasonably close, though most don’t use PO48 anymore (Daniel Smith is the only brand that still has this pigment)
Quin Gold or New Gamboge? Claire suggests getting Quinacridone Gold or New Gamboge, but they are different enough from each other that I like to have both! If you only have the budget for one, you can substitute them often, as they serve similar roles of creating warm, sunlit, golden-hour appearances and naturalistic green mixes. Quinacridone Gold is more muted but still has an intense, glowy quality; it varies from browner to yellower depending on how strong the paint is. New Gamboge is a more straightforward orangey-yellow.
Mix your own: Quin Gold is a mix of Nickel Azo Yellow and Quin Burnt Orange, so you can mix your own if you have those colors. The most crucial component is Nickel Azo Yellow; the Quin Burnt Orange can be substituted for another earth orange.
New Gamboge
Pigment Codes: PY97 + PY110 (see Color Spotlights for: New Gamboge, PY97, PY110)
Color Slot/Substitution List: Orange Yellow
Cotman Equivalent: Cadmium Yellow Hue (similar name warning: not Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue)
Other Similar Daniel Smith Colors:
- Hansa Yellow Deep
- Permanent Yellow Deep
Other Brand Recommendations:
- Da Vinci – Hansa Yellow Deep, Arylide Yellow Deep
- Holbein – Isoindolinone Yellow Deep, Permanent Yellow Deep
- Winsor & Newton – Winsor Yellow Deep
- Schmincke – Indian Yellow
- Van Gogh – Indian Yellow
- See list of warm yellows using PY110 or PY65 at artistpigments.org
See note under Quin Gold above regarding the choice between Quin Gold or New Gamboge?
Mix your own: Get a similar hue by mixing a middle yellow and an orange, if you have one.
Perylene Red
Pigment Code: PR178
Color Slot/Substitution List: Middle Red or Crimson
Other Brand Equivalents: PR178 is not as widely offered as many other reds, and I have not tried any others. See other brands of PR178 at artistpigments.org.
Cotman Equivalents: Alizarin Crimson Hue, which in Cotman is is made from PR179 (Perylene Maroon) is the closest. Actually I think Cotman Alizarin Crimson Hue is closer to Perylene Red than it is to genuine Alizarin Crimson. In most professional brands, Alizarin Crimson, or similar hues will dilute much pinker, and mix similarly to Quin Rose.
Similar Pigments: My favorite subsitution is Pyrrol Crimson (PR264), which can work as a middle red but also has some depth to it. This is the red pick in Jane Blundell’s Ultimate Mixing Palette.
- Daniel Smith – Pyrrol Crimson
- Holbein – Pyrrole Rubin (my favorite!)
- Schmincke – Ruby Red Deep
- Winsor Newton – Winsor Red Deep
- See other brands of PR264 at artistpigments.org
If you prefer a bright, fire engine red, consider Pyrrol Red (PR254).
- Daniel Smith, Holbein – Pyrrol Red
- Da Vinci – Da Vinci Red
- Holbein – Pyrrole Red (my favorite!)
- Winsor Newton – Winsor Red
- See other brands of PR254 at artistpigments.org
If you’re into Cadmiums, Cadmium Red Deep would work here.
Mix your own: With some trial and error, a middle red can be mixed from your Quinacridone Rose (see next entry) and a scarlet, orange, or orange-yellow (such as your New Gamboge.)
Quinacridone Rose
Pigment Code: PV19
Color Slot/Substitution List: Magenta, Pink, or Rose
Cotman Equivalent: Permanent Rose
Other Similar Daniel Smith Colors: Quinacridone Red
Other Brand Equivalents:
- Permanent Rose (many brands)
- Da Vinci – Red Rose Deep
- Holbein – Quinacridone Red
- See list of PV19 rose or PV19 red paints at artistpigments.org
Similar Pigments:
- The most similar pigment is PR122, which is a bit more violet but tends to work very well. This is called Quinacridone Magenta in Holbein and Da Vinci, or Quinacridone Lilac in Daniel Smith.
- Another good one is PV42, which is known as Quinacridone Pink in Daniel Smith or Magenta in the Schmincke line.
- Alizarin Crimson, or Alizarin Crimson hues (including Cotman’s), are deeper reds that dilute to pinky/rosy colors and will tend to mix similarly, if a bit darker/more muted.
Warning: Another color also uses the pigment code PV19: Quinacridone Violet (also known, confusingly, as Quinacridone Magenta in the Winsor professional line, or Purple Lake in Cotman). The violet form of PV19 is much darker and more purpley than the rose form, and really doesn’t mix the same way. You won’t be able to get bright, clean, rosy, pinky, reddish mixes from the purple form of PV19 that you do from the rose form.
Cobalt Blue
Pigment Code: PB28
Color Slot/Substitution List: Middle Blue
Cotman Equivalent: Reasonable substitutions include Cobalt Blue Hue and Ultramarine, both of which are made from Ultramarine Blue pigment (PB29).
2. Cotman Ultramarine (PB29);
3. Da Vinci Cobalt Blue (PB28);
4. Da Vinci Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
Other Brand Equivalents: Easy to substitute across professional brands; it’s called Cobalt Blue in pretty much every brand. See a list of PB28 Cobalt Blue paints at artistpigments.org.
Warning: Genuine Cobalt Blue (PB28) is not available in any student grade line; it is a moderately toxic and somewhat expensive pigment. Other substitutions won’t really work the same way, including faux cobalt blue colors labeled as “Cobalt Blue Hue.” If it’s important to you to get the same results that Claire does, you will want a real Cobalt Blue. If you are a bit more open to experimentation and/or it’s important to you to avoid toxic pigments, you may want to choose one or more of these alternatives:
- Ultramarine Blue, especially “Light” or “Green Shade” variants, have a similar hue and granulation. Ultramarine Blues in general are more violet-toned than bright, middle Cobalt Blue. Avoid “Deep” or “French” Ultramarine variants, which are more distinct from Cobalt Blue.
- Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) also has a middle blue color, but its handling properties are quite different from Cobalt Blue: it is smooth and transparent, not granulating like Cobalt Blue.
- Mixing Ultramarine Blue and Phthalo Blue (either shade) can give you a best-of-both-worlds middle blue.
Phthalo Blue (Green Shade)
Pigment Code: PB15:3
Color Slot/Substitution List: Cyan
Cotman Equivalents/Substitutions: Either Turquoise or Intense Blue (Phthalo Blue) are both good. Turquoise is slightly greener-toned; both are pretty close to Phthalo Blue Green Shade.
Prussian Blue could be used as a primary cyan in a pinch, but I find it too dark/dull for bright scenes and skies.
I would not recommend substituting Cotman Cerulean Blue Hue, even though they claim it only contains PB15, as I’m convinced it’s a mix with white. It is much too weak, light-colored, and opaque.
Other Brand Equivalents: Almost every brand offers Phthalo Blue. Here’s a list of green shade and red shade Phthalo Blue paints on artistpigments.org.
Green Shade vs. Red Shade: See my post What’s the difference between Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) and Phthalo Blue (Red Shade)?. Green Shade is easier to find; if your brand or tube doesn’t specify (e.g. if the color is just called ‘Phthalo Blue’), assume it’s Green Shade.
What about Phthalo Turquoise? Phthalo Turquoise may refer to the pigment PB16 or a mix of Phthalo Blue and Phthalo Green (e.g. PB15 + PG7). As the name implies, it tends to be more green-toned than Phthalo Blue. It can often be substituted, especially if you are mixing up greens, but may not look as realistic in skies.
Indanthrone Blue
Pigment Code: PB60
Color Slot/Substitution List: Dark Blue
Cotman Equivalent: There isn’t one, but I was able to mix a pretty close hue with Dioxazine Violet + Prussian Blue.
Other Brand Equivalents: A little-known fact about Indanthrone Blue is that there are two different versions, a more violet one and a more green one; DS uses the violet one. The more violet and more green versions both use the same pigment code, and often people struggle to understand why, for example, Winsor Indanthrene Blue and Daniel Smith Indanthrone Blue don’t mix the same. Now you know. The only other brand I know of that uses the violet one is Schmincke in their Delft Blue (NOT Dark Blue).
Neutral Tint
Pigment Code: PBk6, PB15, PV19 (see Color Spotlight for: Neutral Tint)
Color Slot/Substitution List: Black or Gray
Cotman Equivalent: Payne’s Gray. You could also use diluted black (e.g. Lamp Black).
Other Brand Equivalents:
- Neutral Tint – almost any brand
- Holbein – Payne’s Gray (sometimes Payne’s Gray is nearly blue, but this one is very neutral, as is Cotman)
- Rembrandt – Spinel Grey
Mix Your Own: Check out my list of ways to mix black and gray. One of my favorites is Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Sienna.
What else would I add?
You have more slots in your palette and want to buy more colors?? My personal core 6 colors contain 4 of the 8 above (Hansa Yellow Medium, Quin Rose, Phthalo Blue, Indanthrone Blue), plus two earth colors:
- Transparent Red Oxide, or another earth orange or earth red. Though not quite the same, my favorite Cotman earth red is Light Red.
- Monte Amiata Natural Sienna, or another earth yellow. Cotman suggestion: Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna
Many people also like to have secondary colors, like purple, orange, and green. These can be mixed from primary colors, but having them in your palette can be convenient. This is especially true of green for landscapes. Phthalo Green (Viridian Hue in Cotman) is a very bright green that can mix more naturalistic greens using orange, yellow-orange, or gold; or you can use pre-mixed Sap Green or Hooker’s Green.
As I mentioned when discussing reds above, a maroon or earth red can be useful for darkening and neutralizing blues and greens. I also like the idea of building a “dark primary triad” by adding a dark red to Quin Gold and Indanthrone Blue.
My Course Palette
I use an Art Toolkit Pocket Palette which has room for 14 small pans, so I usually build 14-color palettes. This gave me room to include all 9 of Claire’s choices (I included both Quin Gold and New Gamboge), plus 5 more. I used my extra room to add darker, more muted versions of the colors, which makes it easier for me to work up dark values.
In the map above, all the starred colors are supposed to be from Claire’s list (but I accidentally starred Ultramarine Blue instead of Payne’s Gray). The colors I added are: Ultramarine Blue (Da Vinci), Monte Amiata Natural Sienna (Daniel Smith), Transparent Red Oxide (Daniel Smith), Perylene Violet (Da Vinci), and Phthalo Green (Da Vinci).
Appendix: Complete Suggested Cotman Palette
For your convenience, here’s all the Cotman colors I recommended above:
- Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue
Alt: Lemon Yellow Hue - Gamboge Hue
Alt: Cadmium Yellow Hue - Alizarin Crimson Hue
Alt: Cadmium Red Deep Hue - Permanent Rose
- Cobalt Blue Hue
Alt: Ultramarine - Intense Blue or Turquoise
- Dioxazine Violet
- Prussian Blue
- Payne’s Gray
Alt: Lamp Black
Cotman tends to be much cheaper in sets, but it can be hard to find a set with the right combinations of colors. You can find at least one option in each category in the Cotman 20×5 Tube Set (affiliate link), but I struggled to find a reasonably-sized Cotman pan set that contained any cyan at all.
Before you buy an enormously large set or resort to more-expensive-per-unit open stock colors, make sure you also check the price of the professional colors. Sometimes the total price ends up being pretty similar, and in that case, go for professional!