Description
This is an unusual pigment, more often found in watercolour paint. The pigment PY216 is a complex of tin, antimony, zinc and titanium oxides, it is lightfast and opaque.
The original Turners yellow was made with a lead based pigment and was fugitive, i.e. not lightfast. This modern version provides a similar hue but has excellent lightfastness and none of the toxicity. Turner was a master of yellow, using many varieties including gamboge and the deadly orpiment (based on arsenic).
In masstone (straight from the tube) the paint is a slightly muted mid-value yellow. It is solidly opaque and none of the ground shows through.
In tints with white, it is of average tint power and provides a range of soft yellow hues, with an air of Naples yellow in there.
For me, its strength is in the muted feel to the colour, many yellows excluding earths are very high chroma and this is an exception to that.
Technical Overview
Pigment - PY216
Vehicle - Linseed Oil
Opacity - Opaque
Tint Power - Medium
Munsell - Hue 10 YR - Value 8 - Chroma 12
Michael Harding Oil Paint
