Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue Review: Granulation, Blossoms & Watercolor Test
Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue is a heavily granulating, low-staining blue watercolor known for beautiful blossoms, easy lifting, and atmospheric blue-green washes. Unlike traditional Phthalo Blue, it offers softer tinting strength, excellent texture, and outstanding performance in skies, oceans, clouds, and landscape painting.Winsor Newton’s Manganese Blue Hue is like a Snickers- it really satisfies.
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Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue Review
Winsor & Newton’s Manganese Blue Hue is like a Snickers.
It really satisfies.
Granulating?
Check.
Good at blossoms?
Check.
Pretty?
Check again.
Honestly, what more do you want from a watercolor paint?
Well… probably a little background.
Historically, genuine Manganese Blue was made from PB33, a pigment beloved by watercolor artists for its beautiful granulation, soft turquoise-blue color, and atmospheric effects. Unfortunately, manufacturing genuine PB33 became increasingly difficult and expensive, and environmental concerns eventually pushed it out of widespread production.
In other words, watercolor artists lost one of their favorite toys.
Fortunately, manufacturers started creating “Manganese Blue Hue” alternatives designed to mimic the look and behavior of the original pigment.
Winsor & Newton’s version succeeds surprisingly well.
The modern formulation is based primarily on Phthalo Blue (PB15) and other pigments designed to recreate the appearance of genuine Manganese Blue.
Now before anyone panics…
No, this does not behave like regular Phthalo Blue.
Traditional Phthalo Blue is one of watercolor’s most powerful pigments. It stains aggressively, refuses to leave the paper, and generally behaves like it owns the place.
Manganese Blue Hue is much friendlier.
This version lifts surprisingly easily. If you make a mistake, a thirsty brush can often remove much of the color. If things go truly sideways, a Magic Eraser usually has a fighting chance.
That’s not something I would normally say about Phthalo Blue.
Granulation?
Absolutely.
This is one of the biggest reasons artists love this color.
The pigment settles beautifully into the paper texture, creating atmospheric effects that work wonderfully in skies, oceans, lakes, and distant landscape passages.
It has enough texture to keep washes visually interesting without becoming overwhelming.
Blossoming abilities?
Also excellent.
Drop clean water into a damp wash and watch the pigment move. The blooms are soft, organic, and highly controllable if your timing is right.
Timing, of course, is where watercolor likes to remind us who is really in charge.
Unlike some pigments that immediately lock themselves into the paper, Manganese Blue Hue remains workable long enough to encourage experimentation.
That makes it one of my favorite colors for clouds.
Clouds, mist, atmospheric effects, reflections, distant mountains, ocean passages — all excellent uses for this color.
The color itself leans toward a soft greenish blue.
Not turquoise.
Not sky blue.
Something comfortably in between.
It has enough chroma to remain vibrant while still feeling natural.
If the color starts getting too intense, simply mix in a touch of red. Complementary colors quickly knock down the saturation and create beautiful muted grays and atmospheric shadow mixtures.
This is one of those paints that consistently earns its place on the palette.
And unlike eating a Snickers, it won’t affect your cholesterol.
Best Uses for Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue
Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue works especially well for:
- Cloud formations and atmospheric skies
- Ocean and lake scenes
- Reflections in water
- Distant landscape passages
- Mist and fog effects
- Watercolor blossoms and blooms
- Lifting techniques
- Travel paintings
- Soft shadow mixtures
- Landscape painting
Who Should Buy Manganese Blue Hue?
You should probably consider this paint if:
- You love granulation
- You enjoy watercolor blossoms and backruns
- You paint skies, oceans, lakes, or clouds
- You frequently lift paint and rework passages
- You prefer softer tinting strength over aggressive staining pigments
- You enjoy atmospheric watercolor effects
You may want to skip it if:
- You prefer highly staining pigments
- You want maximum color intensity
- You already own multiple granulating blue pigments that serve a similar purpose
- You dislike texture in your watercolor washes
- You want a powerful mixing blue like standard Phthalo Blue
How Does Winsor & Newton Manganese Blue Hue Compare?
Curious how Manganese Blue Hue compares to other watercolor paints? Compare it to:
- Holbein Marine Blue – stronger staining and dramatically better blossoming effects
- Holbein Cobalt Turquoise Light – much heavier granulation and more texture
- Daniel Smith Lunar Blue – darker, moodier granulation and texture
- Daniel Smith Sodalite Genuine – stronger mineral texture and separation
- Winsor & Newton Payne’s Gray – darker atmospheric skies and storm effects
- Daniel Smith Moonglow – dramatic separation and shadow mixtures
- Winsor & Newton Cobalt Turquoise – brighter turquoise effects with stronger opacity
- Daniel Smith Undersea Green – natural landscape textures and organic color variation
- Winsor & Newton Phthalo Blue – dramatically stronger staining and tinting strength
This is one of those colors that checks nearly every box.
Granulation.
Blossoms.
Liftability.
Beautiful color.
Like I said earlier:
It’s basically a Snickers for watercolor artists.
Purchase this paint ONLINE
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345