My First Look at the 6 New Daniel Smith Colours
I was lucky enough to receive the six newest Daniel Smith watercolors for 2025 from my supplier, Prime Art, and have been putting them to the test in my downtime. Today’s blog post is a first glance—a soft introduction to the palette—with a planned botanical illustration and underwater ocean composition in the works. Whether you’re considering adding these to your collection or just curious, I hope this gives you some honest insight.
The Gentle Trio: Jaune Brilliant No. 1, Jaune Brilliant No. 2 & Coral Reef
These three are what I’d call the delicate detailers and gentle washers. They're semi-transparent, non-granulating, and non-staining—which means they flow effortlessly, layer beautifully, and won’t overwhelm your work with heavy pigment.
Jaune Brilliant No. 1
- Pigments: PY65 + PW6
- Character: Semi-transparent, non-staining, non-granulating
- Lightfastness: Excellent
- I like to think of this as sunlight in a tube. A gentle, creamy yellow perfect for florals, skies, and highlight work. I see it shining in cream-coloured peonies and subtle botanical petal washes.
Jaune Brilliant No. 2
- Pigments: PO62 + PW6
- Character: Semi-transparent, non-staining, non-granulating
- Lightfastness: Excellent
- If ever there was Summer glow in a tube, Jaune Brilliant No. 2 would be it with it's warm light peach colour that leans into a soft orange. Think soft rose petals or sunset wash layers.
Coral Reef
- Pigments: PO73 + PW6
- Character: Semi-transparent, non-staining, non-granulating
- Lightfastness: Excellent
- This one has my heart. It’s a pastel version of Pyrrole Orange (PO73), which is one of my favourite pigments, only lightened with Titanium White. This is a joyful colour that closely resembles those pinky flamingo hues. I must be honest - I cannot wait to use this one in a lovely light coral peony study.
The Textured Trio: Earthy Light Red, Cobalt Green Deep & Manganese Violet
These three paints bring granulation and subtle texture into the mix. They’re all semi-transparent, low-staining, and single pigment colours with excellent lightfastness, which makes them all practical and expressive.
Earthy Light Red
- Pigment: PR290
- Character: Semi-transparent, low-staining, granulating
This is a warm earth tone with a hint of orange. It takes me to the arid red desert dand of Botswana - definitely reminiscent of sun-soaked rocky outcrops as you would see at Blyde River Canyon... I am also favourable to this colour being useful in capturing those rusty floral moments.
Cobalt Green Deep
- Pigment: PG26
- Character: Semi-transparent, low-staining, granulating
This is a beautifully muted, granulating green. I think the suggestion by Daniel Smith to use it for woodland scenes quite apt - and I am favourable to try capture a moody ocean in this beautiful colour too. The texture is just what you need to convey the movement of ripples and waves.
Manganese Violet
- Pigment: PV16
- Character: Semi-transparent, low-staining, granulating
I find the Manganese Violet quite muted, but with her granulating composition she offers much in the way of layering for depth. Fun fact: this was a staple on Monet’s palette—and it’s not hard to see why.
