Two Hookers
Posted: April 17, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized 13 CommentsMy timing for testing paint colours couldn’t have been better because there’s still no sign of spring in Montreal. Instead of looking for bits of green outdoors, I rummaged through my paint drawer to find a tube of green paint ā this time Hooker’s Green, by M.Graham. It’s a dull but beautiful green, made from a combination of Prussian Blue and Gamboge, two colours I already have on my palette.
Many thanks to everyone who wrote to me about similar problems they were having with the Pentalic Aqua Journals. I did receive a response and an apology from Pentalic Customer Service, and I’ll be receiving a replacement book soon. Apparently there were some problems in manufacturing, but since they are sending me a different size book, I have a feeling the main problem is that the small square books are simply glued and not stitched at the spine. For those of you who have had the same problem it is worth writing to them to ask for a replacement as well. Today I sketched in another Pentalic book that I purchased at the same time (10″ x 7″) and I will be continuing the project in this book (which is stitched!). As for where the name of the colour comes from, it may not be what you think. Here is the info I found on this.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
I really enjoyed your blog and your lessons on Craftsy. I am an oil painter but I am wanting to color my sketches with watercolor. I really like it. I live in Rancho Palos Verdes a suburb of Los Angeles. I was born in Quebec and I have a real fondness for everything Canadian. I spend three months in Montreal every summer. I would love to meet you and possibly take a workshop if available. Your art of Pointe Claire really touches me. The scenes so much like my youth. Thank you.
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HI Ghislaine. Thanks so much for writing. I always love to hear from former Montrealers. It’s too bad you are not in town now because there’s a show of my Pointe Claire paintings on now until the end of the month.
It’s great to hear that you still come back to Montreal in the summers. Unfortunately I am not giving any workshops locally this year because I’ll be teaching in Europe. If you are ok with it, I will add your email to my workshop mailing list. You never know, something may change and if I do a workshop here, you’ll receive a notification.
Regards,
Shari
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I always thought Irma LaDouce was paying homage to the paint colour – who knew? š
Many thanks for clarity. I am enjoying all the new information and your colour choices in this series.
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I did too Chris. That’s why I had to look this up. I especially like the mystery of the two painters both with the same name.
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Thanks for the great posting on your continuing pursuit of color testing. Hookers Green is one of my favorites…the shoes as subject, wear it well. Nice study, as always.
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Thanks Bernadette. For some reason the boots painted in this green make them seem even older than they are.
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Iāve always enjoyed your shoe/boot paintings. You always reveal their inner character.
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I think these do have a lot of character. The owner of these shoes keeps his footwear for a long time.
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The title of this post made me giggle. I figured it was a reference to Hooker’s green, but I had no idea there were two Hookers! Great link, as I love vintage botanical drawings. Your green “hooker shoes” are also fabulous. One thing from my childhood that I regret not keeping is a pencil drawing of a wrinkled old cowboy boot that I did in 8th grade. Footwear makes a great subject!
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Fascinating information on the Hookers. thank you for sharing your research.
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Hi Shari! I came here from your post of April 23, 2022, regarding Hookers green, and wanted to let you know that the link in this post was broken for the article about the two Hookers so I searched the Kew site and found the new link to that article (assuming it’s the same article): https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/william-hooker-and-a-case-of-mistaken-identity
It’s amazing how many different Hookers greens are available from different makers. Like Sap, each company seems to have its own formula. Jane Blundell says the original formula was Prussian and Gamboge (which is fugitive) so the M. Graham is probably pretty close (and more permanent)!
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Just to add, for the pigment geeks (like myself)–M Graham currently lists their Hookers pigments as PG 7 (phthalo green) and PY 110 (isoindolinone yellow). Don’t know if it’s always been that. Some companies use three or even four pigments to make their Hookers formula. A couple of them use PG 8 as a single pigment which is very beautiful but fugitive. š
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Kathryn, thank you for this! It was the correct article so I re-linked it, thanks to you!
Yes, so many different Hooker’s Greens. The original I was using was much darker and this new one I bought is much more of an emerald green, but also beautiful. And like you, when in doubt, I go to Jane Blundell to check things out. The old tube I had was probably 30 yrs old, so maybe fugitive as well! The one I used this week was Holbein: PG7, PY110 and 150, in case you are interested.
Thanks for being a pigment geek. You must know I am not but I do appreciate when others are more scientific and thorough than me: )
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