Winsor & Newton x FLYK

My journey with Winsor & Newton began nearly 30 years ago. I first encountered their watercolours in a magazine called The Art of Drawing & Painting. I started with the Cotman range, learning to understand the medium and its delicacies. Today I use the Professional range, known for its clarity, transparency and luminous quality.

This affinity with Winsor & Newton has stayed with me over the years, and I am honoured to now introduce my first curated box set. It features a selection of colours that have become staples in my palette. The addition of Cinnabar Green brings a fresh mixing experience, opening up new nuances of tone within the landscape.

With this set, thoughtfully assembled, I hope you will find endless possibilities in exploring the subtle changes of light, atmosphere and hue in your own landscapes.

Discovering
Cinnabar Green

Historically, Cinnabar referred to the vivid red mineral form of mercury sulfide — the source of Vermilion. There was never a natural “Cinnabar Green” in mineral form.

The name appeared in the 18th century when paint manufacturers began experimenting with mixed pigments to create new greens. Early versions were often blends containing copper compounds such as copper tartrate or copper arsenic — somewhat risky due to the toxic content.

By the mid-20th century, advances in synthetic pigments made it possible to recreate similar hues without toxicity. Winsor & Newton now use the name in honour of that heritage, but the modern Cinnabar Green is formulated with safe, stable and lightfast ingredients.

A New Green,
A Familiar Calm

There was something exciting about it, slightly zesty. It reminded me of a cilantro leaf, fresh and grounded. I rarely use green straight from the tube; I prefer to mute it slightly, and Cinnabar Green responds beautifully. It does not compete, nor does it disappear. It simply belongs.

Green can always be mixed from blue and yellow, but I often prefer to work with efficiency. Having a green that is ready to use is genuinely helpful. When I need to warm it, I add a touch of Burnt Sienna or Transparent Yellow. To cool it, a hint of Ultramarine works well.

Cinnabar Green may be new to Winsor & Newton’s palette, but it feels timeless to me. It bridges emotion and observation, echoing the stillness I often seek in my work, where nature becomes a reflection of calm and the act of painting becomes a quiet conversation with the world.

Transparent Yellow

Many yellow pigments tend to be opaque. Transparent Yellow, as the name suggests, is a warm and transparent yellow. When applied in greater concentration it resembles ochre, yet when diluted it shifts towards a cooler, clearer tone.

I was once very fond of Quinacridone Gold, especially in the earlier years of my practice. I still reach for it occasionally when adjusting greens, but these days I prefer a gentler approach. Transparent Yellow is Nickel Azo Yellow (PG150), which is one of the key components in the modern Quinacridone Gold hue. The genuine Quinacridone Gold pigment is no longer produced.

Including Transparent Yellow in the palette offers greater flexibility and cleaner colour mixing, as it is a single-pigment paint rather than a mixture. It adapts quietly to other colours and allows subtle transitions to emerge with ease.