The Quest for a Great Cerulean

True confessions. I have been on a sort of quest for the world’s best genuine Cerulean blues. It’s not exactly clear how this love for Cerulean (PB35) happened— it probably started with an Old Holland tube I purchased somewhere along the way, maybe when painting during my student days at RISD, maybe after that, I’m not quite sure. Cerulean crept in unnoticed and found a place on my palette, but it all happened so quietly, happened before I knew it. Some people like fine wines, and I like fine inorganic pigments 😂

This color isn’t one I’d exactly recommend for a limited palette for a couple of reasons. I think of Cerulean as sort of an advanced painter’s pigment. In fact, PB35 is kindof a semi-rarity, and not every paint brand offers one.

Many painters don’t check the binding oil as not everyone thinks about that or needs to think about that, but if a person paints in layers it’s more important.

Some Ceruleans are in linseed oil, some— like this one— are not.

That to say, this is a lovely non-linseed version from Maimeri Puro.