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Quinacridone Violet / Rose (this pigment can be violet or magenta)
Blockx Magenta is a light and smooth PV19 of the violet variety. This color is a decent tinter, about as strong as Old Holland’s Scheveningen Violet. The paint has a loose consistency with softer or melting edges when applied with a palette knife. This color was the most gem-like in masstone when wet, however it was similar to Williamsburg in glazes when dried. There is a semi-transparency to the paint, which carries through even when mixed with white. This color is very buttery in tints with Williamsburg Titanium White, and retains warmth in tints, similar to many other forms of PV19 violet. This color, while bound in poppyseed oil, is similar in glazes to Williamsburg Quinacridone Violet (visually similar assesses 1 month after drying). There seems to be a very slight advantage in chroma in tints, similar to M Graham, Winsor and Newton, and other paints which are not bound in linseed oil.
A general note on binding oils: some of the paints in Blockx’s range are bound in linseed oil and some are bound in poppyseed oil. An artist should educate themselves on the benefits and drawbacks of both oils. In general, linseed oil tends to form strong paint films, and poppyseed oil is not known for this. Linseed oil tends to yellow, and one of the main draws to poppyseed oil is that it resists yellowing to an amazing degree. However in some cases there are reports of problems with drying that are associated with poppyseed oil. Please research both oils so that you know what is right for your art practice. Blockx’s range is a gorgeously chromatic and unique addition to the world of oil paints, and we especially love their non-yellowing formulations in blues and purples.
