Silver Point is that perfect middle gray to mix with a cool transparent dark, like a Phthalo, to show its true coloration and undertone.
Silver Point mixed into Phthalo Blue (green shade) brings forward the greenish undertone of this transparent blue.
Because it is cool mixing and so neutral, Silver Point only slightly softens the Phthalo Green or Phthalo Blue and keeps it fairly dark even though it adds a lot of opacity to the mixture.
Try it also with Dioxazine Purple, Prussian Blue or even our Ruby Violet to make the mass tone of all these colors more readable while keeping their gemlike richness.
Silver Point mixed into our Ruby Violet reflects this cool violet’s bluer undertone; it’s now more visible.
By contrast, the Ship Rock is a light warm gray so the value changes will be more pronounced as it complements the coolness of a Phthalo and imparts a lot of neutralizing warmth.
Silver Point mixed into Phthalo Green, on the left, for a deep turquoise mixture. Ship Rock mixed into the same Phthalo Green, on the right, tames the bright green as it tints it for a more natural effect.
What’s so amazing is how Ship Rock softly tones down these cool darks while adding a real sense of light and space into the mixture. Ship Rock will appear to “push back” warm colors too, without any dulling, and make them more atmospheric yet still visually exciting.
Ship Rock mixed into our very warm Permanent Bright Red for a more subtle mixture to imply distance.
Mixed from bright complements, Silver Point and Ship Rock are great colors on their own or can be your go-to colors for adding either subtle bluing or a hazy distant warmth. Tell us how you use them.
These ideas you share about mixing colors are very helpful. The way you talk about the paints is also quite educational. Please continue to share this type of information via blog and video. Thank you
Hello Wendy,
Thank you for your kind appreciation and support of our colors. Have just posted a new discussion of our Blacks and we will soon have two new videos to share. Thank you again for your positive feedback and encouragement!
-Gail
I love your color mixing examples, these and the video clips. Thanks for doing them. I only wish I had all the colors to experiment with. Some day…..
Hello Annie,
Thanks so much for your feedback on the post, we appreciate it!
More to come.
-Gail
I have ,over the years ,collected many of the Vasari paints . Being a student of David Kassan and Sharon Sprung I have used both their Vasari sets ,along with the grey and impressionist sets .
You can feel the love of the craft put into the paint upon using them .Being from Canada , I appreciate the care also put into the packaging ,knowing they will arrive safe .One is greeted by a lovely box, that upon opening it the colours sparkle like a diamond necklace ,nestled on black foam ,each in individual compartments .Ones creative energy begins to flow , wanting to immediately pick up the brush to see the magic of the colours unfold .
I love ,when in New York ,to drop by their Chelsea store and listen to Gail as she squirts out some colour from a tube explaining the various relevant ways to use it as she spreads it with a knife on a glass top so you to see and learn through demonstration by a master of colour go to work .I have often, when back in Canada , tell the tale of the myth , suggesting any artist would come out a better one upon leaving a discussion with Gail ,or listening to her on video .Truly and heart fully i recommend the experience .!
Hello Wayne,
Wow, thank you for your kind and beautiful appreciation of our colors! We truly appreciate your generous support over the years and have looked forward to your visits all the way here to our showroom. There’s really no better way to talk about paint and understand color than to see it, smell it, touch it. I’m so glad you have enjoyed the demonstrations and benefited from their discoveries.
Thank you again for your feedback on this post. Understanding these grays was like opening a window for me. You see, I keep learning from the paint, too!
All the best,
Gail