Here is the latest iteration of my basic palette tucked in a Winsor & Newton metal box.

These are tube paints squirted into full sized pans from Daniel Smith. Indian Yellow and Scarlet Lake are from Winsor & Newton. Hansa Yellow Medium, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Turquoise, Green Gold, Sap Green, Perylene Green, and Shadow Violet are from Daniel Smith. Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Alizarin Crimson, and Ultramarine Blue are American Journey colors from Cheap Joe’s.
The green paints seldom get used, but I like to have them handy. It may be more satisfying to mix yellow and blue to make a color that is harmonious with the basic triad (yellow, red, blue) of a painting. However, Daniel Smith Green Gold is so beautiful that I make an exception for it. Sometimes I like a green that pops off the paper and Sap Green does that well. Perylene Green is subtle, has a huge range and is useful for landscape subjects like trees, mountains, and greenery. Sometimes I just want to paint rather than fiddle with color. These three paints make that easy.
Ultramarine Turquoise is uncommon in a basic palette, but it is very good for mixing and can produce a lovely pale teal. So it earns a spot in most of my kits.
Shadow Violet is at the experimental stage. It might get swapped for Neutral Tint or Payne’s Gray or it might not. For now, I am undecided.
A few favorites did not make the cut. Daniel Smith Transparent Pyrrol Orange and Quinacridone Rose plus AJ Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet would have been included, but there is only so much room in a 14-pan palette. Maybe next time.

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