Naples Yellow
 

I'm getting frustrated with the Naples Yellow I use (Winsor Newton). It gets so stiff by the time I get to the end of the tube that I have a hard time getting it onto the brush and mixing it. I'm thinking of trying a different brand and wondered if anyone out there would be willing to tell me what they use and how it acts, especially at the end of the tube. A 37ml tube usually lasts me four or five months.
Thanks

Debra,

Look at the label. Most likely it is a mixture of a white plus some kind of yellow pigment. Most tubes marked Naples yellow are not the real thing.

The real thing is a beautiful lemony yellow, which used to be called, I believe, lead tin yellow and was used by Sargent among others. It is Lead Antimonate. Michael Harding (www.michaelharding.co.uk) makes a beautiful one called Genuine Naples Yellow Light, that is useful to the end of the tube. It handles and mixes beautifully. It can be found here at www.italianartstore.com.

It is pricey, a Genuine Naples Yellow always is.

Thanks Sharon, I'll give it a try.

Do they sell the brand Lefranc in your local store? It is quit expensive, but I use only some of their colors. The paint is very creamy and stays that way.

Good luck

Debra, also try going to www.shopvasaricolors.com. Vasari has a true Naples Yellow (and also a very good, somewhat similar cool, non-pervasive yellow named Dutch Yellow, which is not as expensive as the true Naples).

Thank you Bianca and Linda, I ended up getting some Michael Harding because we have it at our school store. I've only been using it for a week, so I'm still getting used to it. I plan to try some of the other brands eventually and will keep Vasari and Lefranc in mind.

Cennini Naples Yellow
 

Debra,

I have been using Cennini colors for some time now and the Naples Yellow is outstanding. The consistancy of these paints are perfect.

Over the years I've discovered that in addition to quality of paint the quality of the tube and cap system it comes in should be considered. Cennini has a good sturdy cap with a deep thread to keep the paints fresh.

These can be found at http://studioproducts.com

I still have some of the Micheal Harding left. I do Love it.

Is the Studio product lemony or warmer?

I have just ordered their optical white and his Alizarin replacement.

I just got reamed out by Rob on Cennini and my husband a materials scientist for not doing the necessary tests on my materials.

Studio Naples
 

Sharon,

It is warmer.

When I need to get close to Naples but more buttery, I use a Cad Yel Light and just a touch of his Orchre. This is transparent, adding another touch of white for opaque.

My daughter is a Molecular Toxicologist. I'm used to such reamings..... It's good to be informed, Cennini fits the model as Ryan would say.

Hi there,

I suggest you to avoid using Naples yellow because it is very toxic.

A large part of learning the nature of one's paints has less to do with readily apparent chromatic differences (color, undertone, tinting strength, etc.) than how different pigments can be used in the construction of a sound painting.

Rates of drying, oil absorptive qualities, handling characteristics and relative transparency and opacity then become issues of importance which refines the painter's choice of materials in terms of their technical qualities and a chosen method of procedure.

So a given pigment is toxic? Certainly it's necessary to know this, and handle it accordingly. Portraitists in particular engage in placing small strokes of paint with an accuracy within a few thousandths of an inch to render "likeness". Most adults are quite capable of sitting to a formal dinner without getting food on their hands, faces, clothing, or on the person next to them. To be "safe" at the easel, don't eat the paint, but apply the same sensibilities you use at table, and don't get it all over you.

If the requirements of one's environment prohibit the casual and careless proximity of materials harmful to small children and pets when no semblance of ordered use or restrictions of care are in place, this precludes using all materials and paints associated with oil painting. Ingesting or wallowing in any of them will certainly cause injury.

Thank-you Richard!

The only time a family member of mine came close to ingesting paint with abandon was when my very long haired calico cat jumped on my palette fully laden with lead white and cadmiums.

It grabbed her screaming and hissing and dunked her into the bathtub before she could lick herself clean.

If I need it I use it. I do not eat it.

Precisely the point. Once it's mulled into paint, you really have to be oblivious and incredibly careless for even the most toxic pigments to affect you. In the dry state, that's another problem entirely. Back to Naples yellow, yes, other pigments in combination can approximate the color, but there's more to lead antimonate and its variants as pigments than just color.

RE/ the cat, ha ha ha ha! Sharon, you deserve a purple heart for that one! We once had a cat who was completely resistant to bathing. She was small. She was sweet tempered. She had the power and the attitude of a Bengal tiger in the bathtub. I gave up!