Color Spotlight: Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow)

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“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” – Pablo Picasso

The cool, transparent, non-staining properties of Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow) can warm up darker hues without affecting their transparency. Landscape artists rely on Aureolin to glaze their watercolors or use as a light wash in underpainting to add the appearance of sunshine. This pigment’s quality, along with its ability to lift and create soft edges, makes Aureolin especially valuable to portrait and floral painters as well.

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“I use Aureolin for its ability to be mixed with other colors without high gaps. Its transparency allows a glaze to be very gradual and precise. This is the first yellow in the range that starts the line towards orange, with deep yellow following. It doesn’t granulate, so I can obtain a compact and fine wash. I have used the Aureolin together with Quinacridone Gold in several of my paintings, including this still life of an Amaretto di Saronno glass bottle, titled Sweet.” —Giovanni Balzarani

“I often work in triads, so yellows must be in my palette – my brightest is Aureolin, I may use it for underpainting, mixing greens, or a final glazing. I like Aureolin because of its transparency, clarity and brightness. I consider it to be the best choice for a true primary yellow. By mixing it with Quinacridone Rose and Cobalt Blue, I can achieve the brightest spring hues in my landscapes. Also by adding Aureolin to muted mixes I can give an acidic glow to the whole painting.” —Raffaele Ciccaleni

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