Hue watercolor paints

What is a Hue? What is a Genuine paint? What does Hue or Permanent in a paint name mean? PB33 Hue Hue swatches

In color theory, hue is one of the appearance parameters of a color.
Hue is often represented quantitatively by its dominant wavelength or by a single number, often corresponding to an angular position around a neutral axis on a color wheel.

“Genuine” usually means the paint contains the actual, original pigment that the name refers to — not an imitation or a mixture designed to mimic it.

For example, if a label says Genuine Lapis Lazuli, it means the pigment was made from ground natural stone, not a synthetic or lookalike version. These paints are often more expensive and sometimes behave unpredictably.

It means the paint is a replacement or an imitation of another color.

Sometimes the original pigment isn’t available anymore. In other cases, it might be dangerous to work with, unsafe for the environment, or simply not lightfast enough. And yes, sometimes pigments get replaced because a manufacturer wants to cut costs.

Still, some color names are near and dear to our hearts. So manufacturers do their best to recreate the look of those beloved shades and put that familiar name on the label — with "Hue" added to show it’s not the original.

Sometimes the replacement isn’t perfect, but the color is so beautiful and iconic that it’s still worth having. Take PB33 Manganese Blue, for example — a gorgeous, granulating, bright blue pigment that has been discontinued. It’s no longer produced, but Daniel Smith makes a Manganese Blue Hue using Phthalo Blue (PB15), and it looks magical.

Its lightfastness is good, though not excellent. Still, despite that, the hue is absolutely worth it — it’s just so pretty.