Whether you're a seasoned artist or just stepping into the colourful world of painting, understanding our opacity rating, pigment code, and lightfastness scale categories is essential. You may have noticed little symbols on your paint tubes – stars for lightfastness, moons for opacity, and pigment codes – but what do they mean? In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know about Mont Marte’s various paint scales so you can make the most out of our paints!
Opacity rating: unveiling the mysteries of the moons
Let's start with opacity. Have you ever wondered why some paints seem thick and solid, while others appear translucent and delicate? That's where paint transparency and opacity comes into play. Picture the moon phases: from the full moon, shining brightly in the night sky, to the new moon, barely visible against the darkness. Now, apply this analogy to your paints.
At Mont Marte, the full moon symbol signifies fully opaque paint – the colours are dense and cover underlying layers completely. Next is the half moon, which sits right in the middle and is classed as ‘semi-opaque’. These colours can be layered to build opacity but have some transparency with one coat. Lastly, the new moon represents transparent or translucent paint, so the colours are great for dimensional layering as underlying colours will peek through. Our moon rating system is designed to make choosing the right transparent, semi-opaque, and opaque paint simple.
Mixing pigments for paint: how colours are made!
Ever wondered what gives your paint its vibrant hue? That's where pigments come in. Each colour in your palette is made up of specific pigments, which are carefully blended to achieve the right shade. But how do you know which pigments are used in your paint?
The answer is pigment codes! Most Mont Marte paint tubes come with a pigment code on either the front or back of the packaging so you can see which pigments were used to create each colour. The code is a valuable tool for artists, so they know which pigments they are mixing when creating custom colour palettes. It also gives you better control over the temperature and tone of your paints.
Lightfastness rating: shedding light on paint longevity
Imagine spending hours perfecting a masterpiece, only for it to fade over time due to exposure to light. That's where lightfastness comes into play. This rating indicates how resistant a paint colour is to fading when exposed to light, so you can make sure your artwork is made with paints that stand the test of time.
Our lightfastness rating system, represented by star symbols, ranges from one to three, with three stars indicating excellent lightfastness. This helps artists to make informed decisions about the longevity of their work and the preservation of their creations for years to come.
1 star = Good
2 stars = Very good
3 stars = Excellent
Mixing paints: putting it all together
Now we've covered the basics of paint ratings, let's discuss the power this knowledge gives you when mixing paints. Whether you're blending colours to create a project-specific palette or experimenting with different opacities for added depth, understanding paint properties is key to unlocking a world of possibilities on your canvas.
We made our rating systems and symbols to help make mixing as simple and effective as possible. Give yourself better control over your creation by paying attention to this info next time you pick your paints. If you want to make a cool-toned, icy landscape, check that the colours you’re mixing are made from cool pigments. If you want to neutralise the tone of your colours a little, mix a warm and cool pigment together! Broaden your palette and colour depth by mixing transparent paints with opaque paints for a range of semi-opaque effects. And lastly, be wary that combining mediums with different lightfastness ratings may affect how the paints last overtime and how you should display them!
Next time you pick a paint colour, remember to have a look at the tube and see what opacity, lightfastness, and pigments you are dealing with. If it helps you create with confidence, tag us on Instagram or Facebook @montmarteart or use #montmarteart to show us what you make!
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