Color Spotlight: Yellow Sophie (PY93)

I’ve only ever seen the pigment PY93 in this one brand: Sennelier’s Yellow Sophie. It’s a bold, middle yellow suitable for use as a primary yellow. Because this is a Sennelier color with a luxurious honey binder, it’s boldly pigmented and easy to rewet.

Pigment Stats for PY93

Lightfastness: I have not done my own tests, but ArtisCreation gives this Excellent (I, BWS 8:8).

Toxicity: Nontoxic.

My Observations of Sennelier – Yellow Sophie

Sennelier – Yellow Sophie (PY93)

Color Family: Middle Yellow

Hue: A bold middle yellow. It’s significantly warmer than lemon (Winsor Lemon PY175 is shown on the bottom left), and slightly less warm than a typical middle yellow (Imidazolone Yellow PY154 middle yellow is also shown). Between the two, it’s closer to the middle yellow.

Gradient: Very smooth.

Opacity: Transparent.

Color Mixes: Bold and intense, typical of a middle yellow. The neon mix with Phthalo Green looks as bold as the mix with a lemon, but I think it mixes with oranges more nicely than lemon. This is a true versatile bright primary yellow.

Conclusion

This is a great option for a middle yellow. If I were building a Sennelier palette, I would definitely choose this one. I am not really a big fan of Sennelier because I don’t like the feeling of a sticky paint, but a lot of people are really into their honey-based binder because it rewets easily. If you’re a Sennelier fan, I truly recommend this bright, versatile yellow.

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Sennelier French Artists' Watercolor - Yellow Sophie, 10 ml Tube

Sennelier French Artists’ Watercolor – Yellow Sophie, 10 ml Tube: Blick | Utrecht

1 thought on “Color Spotlight: Yellow Sophie (PY93)”

  1. I have this, but have sidelined it because Kim Crick saw it fade a bit in a lightfastness test (and also because I don’t love the texture — I am happy with many honey-based brands but Sennelier is too far in the sticky direction for me).

    Reply

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