Limited Palettes in Watercolor

 

 

The Standard Triad 

Saturation:  Very vivid in saturation strength. This is the most vivid of all the limited palettes.

Pigment personalities: Not well matched Yellow is New Gamboge a transparent characteristic.

Red is Cadmium Red Medium which is a very opaque characteristic.

Blue is Ultramarine Blue which has a Semi Transparent and Granulating characteristic.

...

The Delicate Triad

Saturation: Vivid. Values: High Key or Light on the value scale. 

Pigment Personalities: Pigments are all transparent. Yellow is Aureolin.

Red is Quinacridone Rose, which is slightly staining. A better match is Rose Madder Genuine.

Blue is Cobalt, which is granulating and very transparent depending on the company you buy it from.

This is a cool undertone Triad. Compare this Triad to the warm Standard Triad. 

Note also the difference in the mixture of violet to the Standard Triad.
...

Intense  Triad  (Stains)

The tinting strength of this Triad is very powerful. 

Meaning simply that a little dab goes a long way especially the Phthalo Blue. 

This Triad is especially useful for creating dark's. 

Each pigment is very transparent and highly staining. 

Some of my students use Azo Yellow in place of Winsor Yellow. Azo Yellow is not as staining and has a haze of opacity to it. 

Pigments used are: 

Winsor Yellow or Azo Yellow 

Alizarin Crimson

and 

Phthalo Blue.  

...

The Bright Unsaturated Triad

A rich color harmony of the Earth

Saturation: Saturation can be explained in terms of Vivid Range, Mid Range and Dull Range. 

The Bright Unsaturated Triad is in the Mid or Intermediate range of Saturation strength.

Pigment Personalities: Pigments are all transparent.

...

  

Opaque or Desert Triad

These wonderful pigments are Earth tone pigments. 

This Triad is very opaque in quality and personality.

Pigments are: 

Yellow Ochre (how ever I switch it out with Raw Sienna on many occasions).

Indian Red which is very dense and heavy 

and 

Cerulean Blue

Old Master Triad

This limited palette has a very low range of saturation, using earthy pigments. 

This palette has a mixture of opaque and transparent pigments.

Pigments used: 

Yellow Ochre  which is very opaque. 

Burnt Sienna, transparent and

Payne's Gray very opaque. This pigment is a blend

 of pigments made by the manufacturer and put in a tube for your convenience.

You may also use Black in its place.