[Scriptoris] Essential colors?

[Hillary Greenslade]

--- Aubree Pham <muirenn at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've had someone ask me what I would consider to be the essential color
> palate for a scribe.  They are looking to buy some of the high-end gouaches,
> and have a limited budget.  I confessed to not having given it much thought
> before, and would like to solicit opinions!  So, if you absolutely had to
> limit yourself to 10 colors or fewer, which would you choose?
> 
> My (quick) list thus far is:
> 
> Ultramarine
> Cadmium Red Deep
> Permanent Green Middle
> Medium Yellow
> Black (no real preference on which)
> Zinc White
> Permanent White
> Metallic Gold
> 
> -Kat

I thought I'd hold off to see what everyone else thought was good, but as no one has yet
responded, here goes.  This list is the color choices that was shared with me at the Stargate
Scribes Guild many years ago, and was referred to as the 'Ansteorran' standard, though I've since
found that there is not real 'Ansteorran' standard, just a list of colors highly recommended as
the correct historical or heraldic color choices.  Either way, your mileage may vary and scribes
are not restricted to this list.   

Windsor-Newton Designers Gouache: 
Golden Yellow (called 'Ansteorran Yellow', right tone for the bright yellow we tend to use)
Ivory Black
Mistletoe Green
Zinc white - for mixing with
Permanent White - for highlight and white lines
Burnt umber - brown
Spectrum Red
Ultramarine
Cobalt Blue 

I've used both Parma violet, spectrum violet, light purple, brilliant violet - none have great
permanence and none are a good true purple in my mind. 

For gold or silver, I buy from 'John Neal Books' or 'Pen and Ink' (don't really care for the
Windsor-Newton gold qouache): 
Holbein Designer Gouache - Pearl Gold
or Schmincke - Gold Pearl

Over time, I've added a few other colors for fleshtones, umbers and ochres - but don't use them
much.  

Hope that helps. Hillary