How Big Business kills Artist's Expression
The world of business regulates the lives of artists. Yes, the mythical colour of Daniel Smith, the Quinacridone Gold, is reformulated. Not because of the components, but only because the pigment is no longer available.
The biggest consumers and innovators of pigment is the automotive industry. And the PO49 was used in this issue. Daniel Smith bought all the stock of this pigment when the manufacturer stopped using it. A few years later, Daniel Smith runs out of stock. At Daniel Smith they had already formulated a Quinacridone Gold deep with pigments PO48 and PY150. They decided to use this combination to create the new "Quinacridone Gold".
Daniel Smith announces that the new one will be equivalent to the old one ... But the colour is no longer mono pigmented ... We will see what this gives because at the moment the new formula is not yet available for sale in Europe. Jackson's Art announces it for mid October.
Despite having 6 tubes in stock, I was interested to make a comparison with other brands that advertise the same colour, but not at all the same composition.
Here is the list of brands that I have a nuance in my studio;
• Daniel Smith pigment: PO49
• Winsor & Newton pigment PR206 - PV19 - PY150 (The quinacridone in the name must come from PV19 & PR206 and PY150 is a Monoazo nickel complex)
• Schmincke pigments: PY150 and PR101 no quinacridone in this formula PR101 is a synthetic iron oxide
• Sennelier pigments: PR101 PY150 PR206 than scarlet quinacridone burned in and last, therefore the least present of the 3 pigments.
So the question arises, that when using the old DS (in the rest of the article I replace Daniel Smith by DS) as a hot yellow primer, how will the mixtures of the other Quinacridone Gold and the new DS Quinacridone Gold react. I made a comparison table, mixes of Blockx PB15: 3 (Phtalo blue green version) and Blockx Pyrrolo Red (PR255). The differences are quite striking. Observe yourself. The mixtures are much less graduated and the Blockx colours take over on all the Quinacridones except on the old DS PO49.
The other question I ask when seeing this first approach, how will react the mixes, because when I mixed the Quin. Gold with 2 Blockx I quickly get more dull and muddy colours with the Winsor & Newton than with the Schmincke. The Sennelier produces the purest but duller mixture than the original DS.
I will show you the 2 samples that I painted of the DS Quinacridone Gold PO49 and DS Quinacridone Deep Gold (PO48 - PY150), I will add the new version as soon as I have it.
Conclusion:
We artists must undergo the law of the market and bargaining, redemptions, regrouping of any kind. Arches is a part of a multi national swedish group, Winsor & Newton are directed by a foreign (Swedish group), the Canson group is today Italian ... It is only business that directs the world of art. You can’t do anything about it, but you have to live with it. Reason that if you like, stock up when you can afford it.
Limit your pallets and fill them with hues composed with durable pigments, otherwise you will be put before the evidence that if the manufacturer finds cheaper and easier machining, it will change its formula ... The same for paper and brushes ...
Come on, let's stop whining, I go back to my easel waiting to see how the new DS Quinacridone Gold will behave.
See here how Daniel Smith announced the end of PO49 Quinacridone Gold... I find that the mixes with the new Quinacridone Gold are les vibrant, more uniform and duller, but wait and see, i'll swatches them our and compaire in depht when i'll have the nue formula in my studio.
