Granulating Color Facts
Granulating earth based colors like ochers are ancient and were used in cave paintings.
Many granulating colors now can be produced synthetically, but they are still chemically similar to the original colors and still have granulating properties.
They doesn’t dissolve in water and can be pushed around like tiny pebbles.They tend to be very dense. Granulating pigments are also known as sedimentary colors, because they settle on whatever surface they are applied to. They show off textured paper by settling in any dips in the paper.
Blobs of dried granulating paint tend to look matte and may crumble and even fall off the palette.
More likely to wash out of clothes
Names of Granulating colors are often named after where they were mined. Sienna is a town in Italy. Ultramarine which is mined in Afghanistan means beyond the sea. An exception is cobalt, which is named after the heavy metal.
Granulating colors are generally more neutral and natural looking, and many are blue or brownish.
Staining
Most colors were created in labs in the 20th century. And are used as colorants in general manufacturing, printing and lab work.
They behave like a dye, dissolve in water and covers surfaces evenly. They provide smooth even coverage over the whole surface.
Blobs of staining paint are more likely to remain shiny and sticky forever and get on everything
Colors are brilliant, very intense and are commonly found in nature. They also will stain clothes, hands and plastic palettes.
Staining colors are often named after their chemical structure, and can be difficult to pronounce.. Dioxazine. Phthalocyanine. Quinacridone (note that quinacridone gold is intense brownish yellow, but is still a staining color)