What is it?
Receiving new pigments can be exciting, but it can also be frustrating and confusing if you aren’t sure of its undertones and/or mass tone. Performing a drawdown with your new pigment set allows you - the artist - to properly identify its undertones and test its mass tone.
The undertone is the pigment’s true color and it can be seen when it's diluted and smeared out.
The mass tone is the color you immediately see when looking at the pigment within its bottle. Undiluted and highly concentrated.
Identifying whether your pigments have warm, neutral or cool undertones, allows you to make a conscious decision when selecting pigments for your clients.
How to perform a drawdown?
What you’ll need:
- Two of Microbeau’s free printable Drawdown chart, or white printer paper.
- Palette Knife, or a plastic card works too.
- Your choice of pigments.
- Cotton swabs
- Cup of water
Steps to find your pigment’s Mass Tone:
Step 1: Shake your pigments very well.
Step 2: Open the bottle, and place a couple of drops onto the top of your paper.
Step 3: Take your Palette Knife (or plastic card), and in one motion, push and pull downward on the drops of pigments allowing the ink to spread from opaque to transparent.
Steps to find your pigment’s Undertone:
Step 1: Take a cotton swab and dip it into the glass of water, allowing it to soak.
Step 2: Dip the swab - lightly - on your second drawdown print out so the pigment can transfer to the swab.
Step 3: In one motion, place the swab next to the mass tone and move down in short waves to reveal your pigment’s Undertone.
Sale
Perform your own drawdown this Valentine’s Day and take advantage of our 15% OFF discount on Perma Blend and Evenflo Colours single pigments. Treat yourself and your clients, starting February 8th to the 14th.
