The Dilemma of "Bully" Colours in Watercolour Palettes

As I mapped my watercolour pigments onto a hexagon grid, seeking to merge colour systems from RGB and CMYk to the likes of Ostwald and Munsell, I noticed an interesting pattern. The warmer colours (yellows, oranges, reds) spread out more on the grid's edge, while cooler colours, blues and greens and even deeper reds and purples on the outer sections seemed to merge in tone and hue.I wondered if this was because I had picked the darker richly pigmented “bully” colours? Those strong staining colours that look so overwhelming straight out of the tube.  

This observation led me to two questions:

1. Do I have enough variety in my blues, deep reds, purples, and magentas?

2. Should I retain strong, staining "bully" colours in my basic palette?

To address the first question, I experimented with new colours during a trip to Queensland. I bought some extra colours shown here that I added to my normal palette using little half pans stuck in with bluetak. I was particularly chasing tropical colours and I also wanted at the same time to try out a couple of MaimeriBlu colours. My choices were  good. This exploration will be covered in a separate post.

The second question about "bully" colours like phthalo green and blue is more complex. These intense pigments can be powerful in mixes but require careful handling. 

They offer several benefits:

1. Desaturating complementary colours while maintaining harmony

2. Creating strong contrasts when used sparingly with analogous colours

3. Adding warmth (Quinacridones) or coolness (Phthalos) to mixes

4. Achieving split-tone effects, like warm highlights with cool shadows

Instead of discarding these pigments, I'm considering using them as mixing aids rather than relying on convenience colours like naple's yellow or sap green or any of those gorgeous pigments you may have impulse purchased but seldom used. This approach might help create a more nuanced and harmonious palette.