I assembled these color charts because i refer to them when ever I'm about to buy a new paint and it's nice to have them all in one spot. The only really useful charts are the ones that include the color index international pigment names. The color index names and numbers are maintained by the AATCC, SDC, and the ASTM. In the brands that have the color index names on a separate sheet, I have just included a link to the technical specifications with color index names, as that is the main purpose of this page.
Many manufacturer's colors are convenience mixtures or have misleading color names, and these specifications help to sort them out. It is essential to know what colors are mixtures and which ones are single pigments or comprised of lightfast pigments. I feel single pigments paints are necessary to get clean mixes when mixing your own paint Some companies mix as many as 5-7 colors to get a "hue" substitute to the real color, if you attempt to further mix with a pre-mix like that, you'll end up with mud. I can't see any reason a company needs to use 7 colors to get a Naples Yellow Hue.
Using artist paints directly from the tube for art, especially alla prima and expressionism, is great, but it is still useful to know what pigments are in the mixtures. I have seen many mixes with fugitive or marginal light fast pigments included in the paint formula, but claiming high light fastness because there are other more light fast pigments in the paint mix.
Knowing the specific pigments in a artists paint and the chemical makeup are also helpful for those who have concerns about toxic ingredients, health and allergies.
Color Index Names are the only sure way to know exactly what pigments make up the paint, but some paint manufacturer's do not list their pigment content on the tube or even a separate sheet. Although legitimate companies may have a concern about guarding trade secrets, they also might be just hiding inferior or toxic ingredients. One should be wary of any paints that that do not conform to the voluntary ASTM specs and list the color index pigment names. Generally artist paints that do not indicate color index names are, with a few exceptions, low grade paints.
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Oil Pigments | Pastel Pigments | Watercolour Pigments | Gouache Pigments
MSDS Sheets
Extra-fine Artists' Oils | Aquarelles Watercolor | Pastels | Pigments (takes you to web site)
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Oil Paints I Reds I Yellow-Orange I Blue-Voilets I Greens I Browns-Earths I Black-Whites I Historic Colors
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available..
C.A.S. AlkydPro, Color Chart PDF
: These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available, click on color swatch.
Classic Oil Paint
Extra Fine Oils
Archival Oils | Archival A4 Acrylic Paints | Atelier Interactive | Absolute Matte | Acrylics, Background & Iridescent|
MSDS Sheets
It seems that they now only have a limited amount of pigment info available on their site. You can request their free catalog where they have all the CI pigments names for their paints listed.
Acrylics | Dry Pigments | Oil Colors | Watercolors |
Watercolor MSDS Sheet
Oils MSDS Sheet
Acrylic MSDS Sheet
Pigment list all colors on one list
MSDS Sheets
Professional Oils XLS MSDS | Professional Acrylic MSDS | Professional Leonardo Oil with Alkyd (old), New | Professional Watercolor XLS MSDS | Professional Gouache XLS | Scuola Semi-Professional Oils XLS| Scuola Semi-Professional Acrylic | Scuola Semi-Professional Watercolor XLS
Blick Artists' Arylic | Blick Artists’ Oil Color | Artists Watercolor
No CI numbers availiable. Does not conform to
ASTM specification D 4302-05.
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Pigments by color
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Artist Grade Oil Colors | Gamblin Conservation Colors |
Heavy Body Acrylics | Fluid Acrylics | Open Acrylics | Conservation: MSA Colors, PVA Colors| Custom: High Load, Paste |
Updated color charts at the website where CI names are availiable
Old charts: Pre-Tested Oils Color Chart, Spec Sheet | Max | Acadamy Oil | Acadamy Acrylic | Acadamy Watercolor
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Dry Pigments | Dispersions |
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Tech Specs of All Color Lines
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are availableby hovering over the color.
Shiva Oils | Quiller Acrylics, Quiller Watercolors | Daniel Green | Tri-Art: High Viscosty Acrylic, Liquid Acrylic, Inks, Airbrush |
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Mir Oil Colours | Mir Water-colours | Mir Acrylic Colours
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Dry Pigments | Kama’s professional artist oil colors (outdated? PDF), Kama’s professional artist oil colors | Aqua-dispersions
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
| Mineral Pigments | Historic Pigments | Organic Pigments | Pigments made from Plants and Animals | Fillers, Sands, Chalks, Mortar | Studio Pigments | Fluorescent / Phosphorescent | Chemicals, Additives |
Lascaux Artist Acrylics | Studio Acrylics | Lascaux Aquacryl | Lascaux Gouache | Lascaux Resonance Gouache |
LEFRANC artists oil* | Fine oil colors | FINE Acrylic colours | FLASHE vinylic | Fine Gouache | FINE watercolours*
* No pigment color index names
Heavey Body Acrylics | Soft Body Acrylics | Super Heavy Body | Acrylic inks | BASICS | BASICS MATT
1862 Oil | Studio Oil | Berlin WS Oil | Terzia | Aquarell 1862 | Aquarell Studio | Cryl Pastos | Cryl Studio | Gouache
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available by clicking on the color patches.
Puro oil paint | Artisti oil paint | Classico oil paint | Classico Acqua water-soluble oil colours | Brera Acrylics | Polycolor acrylic colours | Start acrylic colours | Blu watercolours | Venezia watercolours | Maimeri Gouache | Metallic powder colours | Tempera Fine gouache colours | Restauro varnish colours | Restauro ketonic resin colours | Pure artists’ pigments | Artisti soft pastels | Classico oil pastels
p.1 - All Mattsse Artist Acrylics Color Chart | p.2-All Matisse Artist Acrylics Pigments names & technical specs
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available. *has info on all their paints on a single page.
M. Grahm Paints*; Download PDF
No Color Index names available.
Handmade oil paints
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available. These are pure historical colors many have no index names.
Rublev Colours Artists' Oils | Historical Pigments
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Oil Paints I Acrylic | Watercolor | Pigments | Ancient**
** No pigment color index names, but I would assume these are pure traditional pigments.
:
Huile d'Art super fine oil | Fragonard extra fine Oil Paints | Studio Fine XL Oils | Extra fine acrylic | Studio Acrylic | Fragonard Aquarelle extra fine watercolour | Fine watercolours | T7 extra fine Gouache | Studio Gouache | Pigments |
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Pigment Sticks | Encaustic Paints
RGH Oil Paints | Pigments
Rembrandt Oil Paint | Van Gogh Oil Paints | Amsterdam Oil Paints | H2O Water Soluble Oils | Rembrandt Acrylic Paint | Van Gogh Acrylic Paint | Amsterdam Acrylic Paints | ArtCreation | Rembrandt Water Colors | Van Gogh Watercolors | Gouache extra fine | Rembrandt Soft Pastels | Van Gogh Oil Pastels
Mussini Oil Colors | Norma® Professional Oil Colors | AKADEMIE® Öl Color | PRIMAcryl | AKADEMIE® Acryl color | College® acrylics | AQUARELL | AKADEMIE® Aquarell | Series 17 Pastels | HORADAM® GOUACHE | HKS® Designers' Gouache | AKADEMIE® Gouache
Sennelier Oil Colors | Etudes Oil Colors | Oil Sticks | Pigments | Soft Pastels | Oil Pastels | Watercolours | Gouache | Tempera
May recieve a warning of invalid securty certificate from your browser. The site is ok and doesn't have any issues to worry about. However, there are no C.I. names available.
Artists Oil Color MSDS | Premium Water Color MSDS | Artist' Acrylic Color MSDS
Pigments |
: These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available by
clicking on the color link.
Professional Oil Paint | Acrylic Paints | Watercolor
MSDS Sheets
No CI names availiable.
Does not conform to
ASTM specification D 4302-05.
These links take you to their web site where C.I. names are available.
Oil Paints | Pigments
Artist Oil Colours I Winton Oil Colours I Artist's Oil Bar | Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colors | Griffin Alkyd | Artists' Acrylic Colour | Galeria Acrylic Colour | Artists' Water Colour | Cotman Water Colour | Designers' Gouache | Artists' Soft Pastels
MSDS Sheets