If you’re a watercolor artist who loves the unpredictable beauty of granulating pigments, you’ll find endless inspiration in mixing greens from the DANIEL SMITH Ultimate Mixing Set. This set of 15 hand-poured watercolors in half pans offers a versatile range of colors that, when combined, create stunning granulating greens perfect for landscapes, botanicals, and expressive abstract work.

The colors included in the plastic travel case are:

“Whether your aim is to paint botanicals, landscapes, urban scenes, animals, portraits…you can mix all the colours you need with this set. This palette showcases the many characteristics of watercolour – some are transparent, some are opaque, some semi-transparent, some staining and some granulating. Some have two or even three of these characteristics. They are also largely single-pigments – they are carefully chosen to intermix to create a world of colors. Importantly, they are all reliable pigments with a lightfast rating of I or II.” – Jane Blundell

Why Granulating Greens?

Granulation occurs when pigment particles settle into the texture of your paper, creating a beautiful mottled effect. This is especially effective in greens, as it mimics the natural variation found in foliage, moss, and water reflections. Instead of flat, uniform color, granulating greens provide depth, texture, and visual interest. Jane Blundell, who curated this set of colors, wrote in detail about granulation HERE.

Key Granulating Pigments in the Ultimate Mixing Set 

The DANIEL SMITH Ultimate Mixing Set includes several colors known for their granulating properties, including:

• Ultramarine Blue – A rich blue with strong granulation
• Burnt Sienna – A warm, earthy brown with granulating texture
• Cerulean Blue, Chromium – A slightly greenish blue that granulates beautifully
• Goethite (Brown Ochre) – A natural, subtle yellow-brown
• Jane’s Grey – The perfect mix of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna
• Indian Red – Rich, earthy, deep red with strong granulation and excellent opacity, ideal for creating textured washes and muted mixes.
• Raw Umber – A deep cool brown great for shadow areas on a figure or in a landscape.
• Buff Titanium – a semi-transparent creamy color

By mixing these with different yellows, blues, and neutrals in the set, you can achieve a variety of complex granulating greens.

Mixing Recipes for Granulating Greens 

1. Deep forest green (Moody and Textured)

• Ultramarine Blue + Quinacridone Gold This mix creates a deep, earthy green with strong granulation. Adjust the ratio to shift between warm olive and cooler forest tones.

2. Mossy Green (Muted and Natural) 

• Cerulean Blue, Chromium + Goethite (Brown Ochre) This combination produces a soft, mossy green with delicate granulation, ideal for misty landscapes or subtle foliage.

3. Shadowy Woodland Green (Dark and Granulated) 

• Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Sienna + Hansa Yellow Medium The addition of Burnt Sienna deepens the mix, giving it an earthy, shadowy quality perfect for dense forests.

4. Vibrant Granulating Green (Lively and Expressive)

• Cerulean Blue, Chromium + Hansa Yellow Medium This bright, slightly granulating green mimics fresh spring leaves, ideal for botanicals and sunlit foliage.

• Cerulean Blue, Chromium + Quinacridone Gold creates a beautifully granulating, earthy green with soft texture, subtle separation of pigments, and a natural, mossy tone perfect for landscapes and foliage. The Quinacridone Gold peeks through and creates glowing edges!

Tips for Using Granulating Greens 

• Use Rough or Cold-Pressed Paper: The texture of these papers enhances the granulation effect.

• Experiment with Water Levels: More water allows pigments to settle into the paper texture, amplifying granulation.
• Layering for Depth: Letting one layer dry before adding another creates rich, complex greens with more texture.
• Try Wet-in-Wet Techniques: Dropping pigment into wet washes allows granulating particles to spread and separate naturally.

Final Thoughts 

The Daniel Smith Ultimate Mixing Set is an excellent tool for exploring granulating greens, offering a wide range of mixing possibilities. By understanding how to combine its pigments, you can create natural, complex greens that bring depth and beauty to your paintings! Look for this and other DANIEL SMITH half-pan sets at your favorite retailer. Click HERE to find a store near you!