Written by Da Vinci Paint Company now carries the Joyce Hicks Signature Da Vinci Watercolor Palette, based on the artist’s favorite colors.
It includes 18 colors with a mix of six full-size pans and twelve half-size pans.
The colors are all transparent and semi-transparent.
I won’t spend a lot of time on the tray, because I’ve been informed it will be changing in the near future. It sounds like the main change will be a lighter gray color.
Joyce Hicks Signature Da Vinci Palette – The Color Characteristics
The set comes with a great color chart. It doesn’t include the pigment index and characteristic information, but that can be found at the Da Vinci website, and I’ve included it below.
Pigment Information Key
Both the tubes and the pans have the commonly listed paint characteristics using a Pigment Information Color Key:
- P=Pigment
- Y = Yellow; O = Orange; R = Red; V = Violet; B = Blue; G = Green; Br = Brown; Bk = Black; W = White; M = Metal
Information codes:
- LightFastness (LF)
- LF I-Excellent
- LF II-Very good fade-resistance
- TR = transparent color
- Semi-TR = semi- transparent color
- ST= staining
- G=granulating
The numbers, in combination with the P and Color Code are the unique index number for that color, based on their appearance in the Color Index International pigment list.
There are no opaque colors in this palette.
- Joyce’s Mother Green (full pan) PG7/PBr7/PY42 LF I, ST 2.
- Joyce’s Mother Violet (full pan) PB33/PB15/PV19 LF II, G 3.
- Alizarin Crimson (full pan) PV19, TR, LF II, ST, G 4.
- Permanent Rose (full pan) PV19, TR, LF II, ST, G 5.
- Permanent Magenta (full pan) PV19/PB29, TR, LF II, ST, G 6.
- Vermilion Hue (full pan) PR188/PO62, Semi-Tr, LF II 7.
- Benzimida Orange (half pan) PO62, Semi-Tr, LF I
- Hansa Yellow Light (half pan) PY3, Semi-Tr, LF II, ST
- Hansa Yellow Deep (half pan) PY65, TR, LF II, ST
- Raw Sienna (half pan) PBr7, Semi-Tr, LF I, G
- Quinacridone Gold (half pan) PY150/PR206, TR, LF II, ST
- Burnt Sienna (half pan) PBr7, TR, LF I, ST, G
- Manganese Blue Mixture (half pan) PB33/PB15, TR, LFII, G
- Cobalt Blue (half pan) PB28, TR, LFI, G
- Ultramarine Blue (half pan) PB29, TR, LFI, G
- Sap Green (half pan) PG7/PY42, Semi-Tr, LFI, G
- Viridian Green (half pan) PG18, TR, LFI, G
- Prussian Blue (half pan) PB27, TR, LFI, ST, G
The colors are curated by Texas-based Joyce Hicks, Signature Member and three time award winner of the prestigious American Watercolor Society. She’s the author of ‘Painting Beautiful Watercolor Landscapes: Transform Ordinary Places into Extraordinary Scenes’. She’s noted for using soft and bold colors to create peaceful, sun-filled scenes. You can find her tutorials on YouTube.
Da Vinci Paint also carries two other eleven-color palette sets filled with her colors, one featuring the Mother Violet and the other featuring the Mother Green. The Signature set that I’m reviewing here, contains all of the colors in those sets with the addition of Permanent Magenta and Sap Green.
Twelve of the eighteen colors in this Signature set are granulating, giving you that lovely pebbly look when used with lots of water. Like most granulating colors, using a thicker mix gives you a more solid look.
Joyce Hicks Signature Da Vinci Palette – Painting Examples
I’m not one for mixing charts. I much prefer to just play around so I did a couple of backgrounds just letting the colors flow and do what they would.
I used a lot of the Mother Violet. I love the way the color separates into glints of blues and reds. The rough paper I used really showed this.
I used most of the darker colors in this one, though there really aren’t any colors in this palette that I would call dark. The colors are strong and glowing, and very transparent.
After this dried, I added details and it became this fawn in fantasy land. The transparency of the colors was very apparent, adding layers of complexity to the finished painting. The mix of high and low key provide strong contrast.
I used mostly the brighter colors for my second painting. I did use the Mother Green, since it’s an earthy color that offers great contrast to the higher key colors.
With a little coaxing and some added layers of color, that background became this fierce dragon, blasting his fire into the skies. I don’t plan these paintings ahead of time — just let the color flow and then look to see what’s there. Mother Green isn’t just a good color for foliage, it’s great for fantasy creatures, too!
Based on these paintings and others that I’ve done since, I’ve found that the colors in this palette really like each other. The individual colors are gorgeous, and even though some are convenience mixes, blending them wildly creates beautiful neutrals, not mud.
I’m especially taken with the way the Manganese Blue Mixture and Quinacridone Gold enhance each other – both blending into beautiful greens and just making each other stand out. The Mother Violet combines with the burnt sienna, as well as the reds and blues to create vibrant browns.
This palette is rich enough that I’m sure I’ll be discovering new mixes and combinations for a long time to come!
Joyce Hicks paints lovely glowing scenes with a light hand. After several paintings with this palette, though, I’ve found it is even great for paintings that are overworked, …
… for painting colorful florals …
… or for painting animals of any kind!
I’ve been using these colors for many of my daily paintings, and I haven’t found a subject they don’t suit. This would be a great palette for a beginner or for a more advanced artist looking for a palette of colors designed to work well together.
The Apron
I also received a beautiful apron with my palette. It’s a thick fabric, sturdy and well-made. It’s obviously designed for heavy-duty, not just a pretty adornment.
This apron is sometimes included free in promotions but will be sold separately in the near future.
The best way to learn about promotions is to sign up for the Da Vinci newsletter.
Tools
- Joyce Hicks Signature Da Vinci Watercolor Palette
- Hahnemühle Collection Watercolor 300 Pad Cold Pressed 9×12 Inches 300gsm
- Princeton Neptune Quill, Size 4 Watercolor Paint Brush
Disclaimer
I received one Joyce Hicks Signature Watercolor Palette and a cool apron from Da Vinci Paint Co., for the purposes of this review. I received no other considerations, though this post may contain affiliate links which help support Doodlewash. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
The Mother Violet sounds intriguing. Another great bunch of toys. Thanks for sharing that and your wonderful work.
Thank you so much! I really like the Mother Violet. The Mother Green is fantastic, too, but violet … I’m a sucker for violets!
Me to , every form.
I adore this palette and Joyce’s paintings! The Mother Violet really is a stand-out color that is fantastic in granulation. Your paintings really make me want to explore these colors further. Thank you for the wonderful review!
Thank you, Tonya!
Beautiful Sandra! I’m always inspired by your amazing imagination. Those colors are gorgeous. Thank you for your review.
Thank you so much, Sally!
Hello Ms. Sandra,
Thank you for another informative review. 🙂 The Mother Violet seems magical and I adore the fawn in fantasyland! Thanks again!
Love,
Mugdha
Thank you so much, Mugdha!
Wonderful review, Sandra! Those colors are amazing!!!
Thank you, Mary!
Love this review, DaVinci is The paint of my basic pallette! Your work really showed it’s vibrancy and versatility! Charlie has a signature trio and of course Denise Soden also has an extensive eco-friendly pallette. DaVinci has so many great opportunities to enjoy an amazing product (and at a reasonable price.) The huge plus is the family business, and the amazing service! PS-love my apron!
Thank you, Nellie! DaVinci paint really is the best bang for your buck!
Very nice review! I do enjoy many DaVinci watercolors and love Joyce Hicks’ Mother Violet and Mother Green.
Thank you, De! Those two colors alone are worth the price!
Thank you Sandra, your reviews are always so helpful
Thank you so much, Brenda!
Your review is so thorough and your paintings are beautiful!
Thank you so much, Karen!
I am no expert and how much these cist?
If you follow the link under Tools, it will take you to this palette on the website and give you the most current price.
Your review opened my mind to the creative possibilities of watercolor pans. Of coarse, your example paintings are gorgeous. Thank you, Sandra, for another fine, detailed review.
Beautiful piece of paintings.. amazing imagination ❤️😊
Hi Sandra, thank you for your awesome review of my new 18-color Da Vinci Watercolor Palette. I am in love with all of their beautiful paints and, especially enjoyed seeing your lovely art work.