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Some of the most joyful watercolour pigments you will find are in the family of pinks and reds - but alas the one you like best is described as ‘fugitive’.
And let me guess… you just had one of those fervent know-it-alls condemn the use of a colour like opera pink because of this particular characteristic. 😲
So let's first clarify what a fugitive paint is and then figure out how much we should care about that in our watercolour adventures.
What is a Fugitive Colour?
A fugitive colour is one that is not lightfast or permanent, meaning that over time it will degrade if exposed to light. The usual culprits are the reds and pinks. That means your stunning pink flower painting that hangs in a sunlit room might soon become a pale pink and perhaps even eventually whitish/invisible flower painting.
I know. It does sound dramatic. But remember these things take time.
No, I can’t give you an exact number of months or years because it is going to depend on the particular pigment, the way it is framed, where it is hanging or stored and how much UV light is reaching it each day.
Are All Pinks and Reds Fugitive Watercolours?
Fortunately not! The best way to figure it out is to check the labels on the tube or packaging (preferably before purchase, if this is something that you will worry about).
Each manufacturer usually has some system for indicating the degree to which each colour can be expected to be fugitive. Sometimes it is called permanence, sometimes it is called lightfastness.
Sometimes this is indicated in the name eg Permanent Rose is usually and unsurprisingly, permanent.
A paint that hints at being fluorescent or neon is probably going to be fugitive.
The best way to be sure though is to check the classification symbols and ratings.
All the important characteristics you need to know about your watercolour paint will likely be printed on the label of the tube. However it will be in symbols of some sort so not particularly helpful unless you happen to have seen the classification key from the manufacturer. It would be nice if it was standard across brands, but like brush sizes, it is not.
Here are a couple of examples to show you what I mean:
Daniel Smith have a lightfastness rating from I Excellent to IV Fugitive (and if you are very unlucky an NR for not rated).
Schmincke have a star rating from 5 stars for Extremely Lightfast all the way down to - (no stars) for Not Lightfast.
If the colour you love turns out to have a low lightfast rating you will usually be able to find something similar that does. This is because it depends on the particular pigments used in the formula for each paint colour.
Just like you can make macaroni cheese with either delicious full fat cheese or low fat cheese (apparently) you can make pinks and reds with different kinds of pink and red pigments. If you get really into this technical stuff you can usually actually find the specific pigments named on the side of the tube. (By the way, I say name but it will look more like a code eg PR83.)
It's a bridge too far for me, but that’s just me, of course.
Which brings me to the next important question:
Should a Watercolour Painter Avoid Fugitive (Non-Lightfast) Pigments?
Now this is a question I really can't answer without asking another question first.
What is your painting purpose?
Are you :
painting to sell your artwork?
working in a sketchbook that will usually remain closed when it is stored?
planning to hang your painting somewhere bright and sunny? (Or chuck it in the finished paintings tub like me?)
Of course, if you are intending to sell your painting, you can’t in good conscience sell a painting made with fugitive paint as it is essentially a disappearing painting.
If you are a professional painter (you probably didn't read this because you know the answer) you are best to avoid these colours. Over time you get to know which are the offending colours in your palette if you have any, and avoid them when you are doing a special painting for sale.
But most of us are not doing that, let’s be honest. I don’t know about you, but I paint for the joy of the actual painting - the fun splashing colour about part - not the finished product.
I paint because it makes my heart so happy when my hands are busy and my eyes are feasting on the spectacular ribbons of colour streaming from my brush, pooling and mingling on that unctuous textured paper.
For me it is an easy answer. I really don't care about how fugitive Opera Pink is. Or that my Brilliant Red Violet is unrated. It's glorious. And the similar colours are indeed similar… but just not the same.
But the benefit of enjoying watching that delightful colour on the page for me is far too great to miss out on. (Want to paint something in pink and red now?)
I’m okay with that because I will usually photograph the artwork capturing some of its glory and not sell it. I keep my finished paintings in a storage box most of the time. I also work in sketchbooks which means fugitive colour will last quite well in there as they are not stored in the light.
What do you do with your paintings?
That will give you your answer on this question of fugitive colour.
On top of that, over the years I have watched manufacturers gradually improve their formulas by adding or substituting pigments to improve the colourful life of the paint. Personally, I am happy to boldly choose colours that speak to me in the art store with only a passing nod to their lightfastness classification.
How to conduct your own lightfastness test
If you have the patience you can conduct your own lightfast test on your paint colours. Paint a little swatch on your watercolour paper and put it in a light spot. Near a sunny windowsill, say. Take a photo of it now and then every week or month so that you can compare with the original photo to check for any fading of the colour.
Or just forget about all that and enjoy doing some actual painting.
You decide.
So I’m afraid I can't give you a definitive answer to the question of whether it is okay to paint with fugitive colours.
But hopefully now you know how to identify fugitive colours and how to decide whether they are right for you or not.
Happy painting!
By the way, if you are feeling inspired to paint something with those lovely pinks and reds click here!
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