DANIEL SMITH Ultramarine Blue Extra Fine Watercolour 15ml — Transparent, Lightfast

DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolour 15ml in Ultramarine Blue is a professional-grade, highly lightfast ultramarine pigment in a concentrated tube for rich washes, granulation, and reliable mixing.

Made in Seattle and formulated to meet rigorous artist standards, this 15ml tube delivers the cool, slightly bluer version of ultramarine that artists reach for when they want crisp, transparent blues with dependable permanence. The paint is ground to an optimal particle size and bound with pure gum arabic, giving a high pigment load without fillers. ASTM-conforming and tested per batch, it’s designed for consistent performance across washes, glazes, and layered techniques.

How does Ultramarine Blue behave on paper and when glazing?

Ultramarine Blue from DANIEL SMITH is transparent and shows moderate granulation in more concentrated strokes while remaining smooth in dilute washes. It reactivates predictably, making it excellent for layered glazing and lifting underbrush techniques without muddying adjacent colours.

• Transparent with medium staining properties for layered depth
• Granulates slightly in thicker applications for textured skies and rock surfaces
• Re-wets cleanly for blending and glazing
• Stable colour in thin glazes, keeping undertones visible

What mixing and colour relationships work best with this tube?

This Ultramarine Blue mixes well with warm and cool yellows to create clean greens, and with cool reds to form muted, effective neutrals. Because it leans slightly cooler and bluer than French Ultramarine, it can produce clearer mixtures and crisper shadows when paired with transparent warm reds.

• Pairs with warm yellows to yield vivid, clear greens
• Combines with cool reds for deep, neutralized tones useful in shadows
• Mixes cleanly with cadmium-hue alternatives for bright, lightfast options
• Works with PrimaTek and Luminescent paints for special-effect accents

What technical qualities should artists expect from this 15ml tube?

The tube contains PB29 pigment formulated for excellent lightfastness and consistent transparency. DANIEL SMITH grinds each pigment to emphasize the best visual effect of the pigment—maximizing pigment load while minimizing binder—so you get vivid colour that performs across techniques.

• Contains PB29 pigment with excellent lightfastness and permanence
• Medium staining and mostly transparent for glazing and washes
• Fine particle grind optimised for maximum colour strength
• Conforms to ASTM D4236 and D5067 safety and performance standards

Who is this for? This 15ml Ultramarine Blue is aimed at professional and serious hobby watercolourists who want a dependable, richly pigmented blue that integrates seamlessly into a large palette. It’s also useful for students building a high-quality set who need a reliable, lightfast blue for studies, layered landscape work, urban sketches, and mixed-media pieces that call for transparent colour and subtle granulation. If you appreciate paint made with thoughtful pigment sourcing, rigorous testing, and no fillers, this tube fits into an artist’s core colours and pairs well with DANIEL SMITH’s wider range of unique PrimaTek and Luminescent paints.