Out of all of the pigments available to artists, the color yellow comprises the largest group. Although this many color choices often make decisions more difficult, the wide range of available yellows is good news for artists!

From the palest, coolest yellows that are reminiscent of a sunrise on snow to the richest, warmest yellows that are borderline orange or brown, Da Vinci offers artists more than 50 varieties of yellow in watercolors, oils, acrylics, or gouache. Below, we share tips for picking a palette yellow (or possibly a palette full of yellows!) so you're sure to find a yellow that you'll love.

Choosing a Palette Yellow

One of the easiest ways to sort through and choose palette yellows is to group each yellow into a common category. Some artists prefer a solo primary or neutral yellow in a palette, some prefer a split primary palette that consists of a cool and warm yellow, while other artists prefer a range of yellows from cool to warm to earthen.

If you’d like to explore yellows that Da Vinci Ambassador Artists use in their palettes, click the button below.

Examples below use Da Vinci watercolors but similar results can be achieved with Da Vinci acrylics, gouache, or oils, especially with the addition of white.

Cool Yellows for a Palette

Cool yellows typically have blue undertones which, when displayed through the color yellow, will often appear as a greenish tint in masstone. Cool yellows often mix the brightest and clearest colors like lime green and brilliant turquoise, although how a color reacts in mixes also depends upon other factors. To located yellows on the cooler end of the spectrum, as a general rule, look for Da Vinci yellows labeled pale, lemon, or light.

Warm Yellows for a Palette

Warm yellows have slight to moderate red undertones which can make the yellow appear to have a golden or orange tint in masstone. Warm yellows tend to mix more muted colors like rich oranges and natural greens, but warm yellows are often extremely flexible. Da Vinci's Soulshine, Cadmium Yellow Deep, and Gamboge are examples of sunny, warm yellows.

Neutral Yellows for a Palette

Neutral yellows are visually in the middle between cool and warm with little to no discernible red or blue undertones. A neutral yellow is a top pick for a palette primary, although cool or warm yellows may also be used. A great example of a neutral yellow is Da Vinci Yellow in watercolor or oil, or try Da Vinci Yellow Medium in gouache, Da Vinci Primary Yellow in heavy-body acrylics, or Hansa Yellow Medium in Da Vinci’s fluid acrylics.

Earth Yellows for a Palette

Earth yellows, the most ancient of yellows and used by artists since painting began, may be comprised of either a yellow or brown pigment. Visually these yellows are rich and muted, like Da Vinci’s vast selection of raw siennas or yellow ochres, and some may even be borderline brown like Da Vinci Goethite Genuine. Earth yellows can be difficult to mix from primary colors, so many artists keep at least one in a palette.

The Perfect Yellow for You

Since each artist sees color differently, there are no set rules with categorizing yellows. Some artists group many primary or neutral yellows into the "warm" category due to their absence of any greenish tint. Good news because this means that however you see and use a particular yellow, whether its warm, cool, earthen, or some other visual category, is up to you!

Click on the images below or shop our website to discover more Da Vinci yellows and compare these beautiful colors for yourself.

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