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Rainbow Colors of the Impressionists

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Rainbow Colors of the Impressionists

 

In our previous article, Tricks of the Composition Trade, different techniques and tricks were featured that can help you create your own great composition. Don't miss out on the very useful tips we covered there before delving into the wonderful rainbow colour palette of the Impressionists. Having a great composition first and foremost will be instrumental to your choice of colors.

This painting "Boulevard Montmartre, Afternoon Sunlight" by Camille Pisarro, is one of a series of paintings of the view of the Boulevard Montmartre in Paris. He painted the view in the morning, in the afternoon sun, in the evening and night, and in the fog, mist, snow, and streaming sunlight. 

For a quick look or link at what's in store for you in this article, check out the table of contents below:

Oil colors- The Invention of the Metal Paint Tube

Modern Oil Colors

Rainbow Colors

Blues

Yellows

Reds

Greens

Red Lake

Whites

Other Important colors

Oil Colors- The Invention of the Metal Paint Tube

Paint bladders were used to store oil colour from the 17th century onwards. Later on, metal and glass syringes were the first to be used as an alternative to this, but the collapsible metal tube was the first truly practical portable container for oil paints. Invented in 1841 by John Goffe Rand, an American portrait painter living in Britain, it was first marketed by Thomas Brown, an artists' colourman operating from 163 High Holborn, London.

John Goffe Rand's illustration of his then newly invented method of packaging oil paint in flexible metal tubes in 1841. Unused oil paint can be stored for later use without fear of it drying out. During this time, rather than mixing it themselves, artists preferred to buy already mixed paints from specialist colourmen. John Goffe Rand papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Rand's patent was bought in 1842 by William Winsor of Winsor & Newton, who perfected the design by adding a screw cap. This simple invention was essential to the development of Impressionism. Not only did it give better portability and a neater working process, the tube also accelerated mass production as it could be quickly and easily filled by the manufacturer in sizable production runs using a piece of bench-mounted equipment.

Rainbow Colours of the Impressionists (1) - CMG

Modern Oil Colors

Modern oil color sare still produced in tubes, though now with the latest technological improvements, a more eco-friendly and less toxic aluminium compound material is used instead of a purely aluminium one, and the best part of it is - it's recyclable!

In theory, the best of today's oil colors should be similar, if not identical, to the oil paint used during the latter part of the 19th century by the Impressionists for their rainbow colour palettes. Those described as 'artists' oil colors ', or 'extra-fine artists' oil colors' are the ones most likely to be similar in quality to those familiarly used by the original Impressionists in the following regard - simplicity of manufacture, and purity and strength of colour. 

The Impressionist Palette from our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. Made of the finest non-toxic pigments which produce the best colour mixtures. Our paints have a high level of lightfastness; meaning they won't fade when exposed to light. Also seen above are the Filbert and Flat Oil Paint Brushes from our Renoir Collection.

Paint produced with this high quality standard from any reputable manufacturer should give great results when painting in the Impressionist style. However, brands do vary in how they formulate their own paints and there are a limited number of those that are capable of consistent excellent performance when used in a number of Impressionist techniques. The handling quality of oil colors is very important, so you may have to experiment with several different ranges before you find one that suits you and the techniques you wish to develop. 

If you are a beginner, fairly decent results can be achieved from the cheaper paint ranges meant for students and leisure painters, and you might feel more at ease practicing and experimenting when using them. But remember, you will always get better results from artists' quality colors. As your technique improves through time, there will come a point where you will start to see the importance of investing in higher quality oil paints. Thankfully, a typical Impressionist palette does not involve too many colors and the cost of buying good paint is returned tenfold by its superior performance and the pleasure you will derive from using it. You really do get what you pay for.

A colour palette sample of The Essential Palette from our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. These colors are considered by many artists to be the foundation that you need across all kinds of techniques and painting styles. Our oil paints are smooth, buttery, easy to mix, and dry to a vibrant satin finish. The thick consistency easily retains brush or palette knife marks and can also be thinned to the very finest glazes. Also seen above are our Filbert Paint Brushes for oils and acrylics and palette knife from our Renoir Collection.

 

Rainbow Colors

The Impressionists' rainbow palette gave birth to a new technique brought about by the newfound intense study of colour. They have observed the significant difference between the actual colour of the objects and how our eyes perceive them through different lighting and atmospheric conditions. For example: If you place two identical white spheres in two different lighting and atmospheric conditions, - one during sunset on a clear day and the other during a foggy and cloudy day - they both have the actual colour of white, but the perceived colors greatly differ. The sphere during sunset now appears warm with yellow and orange tones, while the other one appears cool with blue or green tones. The colour temperature will vary depending on many factors such as the position of the sun during the day, the clarity of the moon at night, artificial lighting conditions, the different seasons, the different weather conditions, and the quality of the atmosphere that the light will be passing through. All these will affect how we see the colors of the objects before us.

The three following paintings below by Camille Pissarro are great examples of this:

"Boulevard Montmartre on a Winter Morning" by Camille Pissarro. Here you can see the colors that he used are mostly cool shades of blues and greens, with just some dashes of warm colors here and there to add some contrast.
"Boulevard Montmartre, Afternoon Sunlight" by Camille Pissarro. Now, this one is painted with mostly warm colors, the blue of the sky offers a break from all the warmth and serves as the perfect complement. Cool colorswere used as well but only to darken the colors for the carriages, the tree trunks and branches, and the crowds.
"Boulevard Montmartre at Night" by Camille Pissarro. And finally, this painting is painted with more of the darker tones of the cool colors, and the warm lights from the lanterns and gaslights become more vivid against the dark of the night.

Understanding the Impressionist's colour theory is the first step. Now, let's get into the colors- both new and old - of their palette. Below is a selection of colors that could be used in modern versions of the Impressionists' rainbow palette. More than half of these were actually used by them, while the rest are present-day alternatives that have directly replaced some of the colors shown here that you might want to use. Basically, the Impressionist palette contains bright values of blue, yellow, red and green, plus the Red Lake and White.

Blues

French Ultramarine is a synthetic version of the traditional pigment called Ultramarine, which was made from grinding the semi-precious lapis lazuli stone into powder. It was considered to be top-notch and was the most expensive blue at the time. Artificial Ultramarine became widely available in France after 1828 when a prize was offered and was won for the discovery of a method to produce a less pricey pigment. French Ultramarine is a strong mid-blue and was used a great deal by the Impressionists.

From the left to right: Lapis Lazuli stone, natural ultramarine pigment, synthetic ultramarine pigment, Ultramarine oil paint tube from the The Impressionist Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. The high pigment load of our paints give you the level of coverage and clarity of colour you expect from a high-quality artist's oil paint.
"Summer's Day" by Berthe Morisot, where she used the ultramarine blue to highlight the subjects' coat, bonnet, and umbrella (Cobalt Blue and Cerulean Blue were mixed in as well), emphasizing them from the rest. It was also used to create muted shadows in the far-off background.

Cerulean Blue - a delicate greenish blue - was first used by Rowney in 1860 as a watercolour and can be seen as an oil colour in French Impressionist paintings from the 1870s onwards (particularly in the works of Monet, Morisot and Manet).

Cerulean Blue oil paint tube from the The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.
In this painting by Edouard Manet titled "Boating", Cerulean Blue was used for the dominant colour of the water as well as the band of ribbon on the man's hat.

Cobalt Blue was discovered in 1802 and was introduced soon afterwards. The Impressionists used it a great deal. It is also a rich mid-blue and has shade variants that come close to Ultramarine, but it often tends towards green and makes the most beautiful tints with White. Cobalt Blue dries quite well, a valuable property to have in oil paints. It should always be on your palette as much as possible, but make sure that you have the real Cobalt Blue and not merely an imitation of it.

On the left: Close up of a painting using primarily Cobalt Blue and Cerulean Blue from the The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. On the right: A Cobalt Blue pigment sample.
"The Seine at Asnieres" (The Skiff) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir uses Cobalt Blue for the varying shades of the water as well as the sky. Cobalt Blue was often used to paint the sky during the 19th century.

Yellows

Cadmium Yellow is a fine yellow that appears in lemon and deep yellow varieties. It also comes as a mid-yellow variant that is closely related to Cadmium Orange. The impressionists initially used the Chrome Yellows because they were cheaper and came in many shade variants. They were slow to adopt the Cadmiums, which became available in the 1840s, possibly because they were expensive and less popular with French colour-makers, but from the late 1870s and onwards, the Cadmiums replaced the Chromes.

Top left and bottom: Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Yellow Deep Hue from the The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. Top right: A pigment sample of Cadmium Yellow.
In this painting titled "The Harvest" by Camille Pissarro, Cadmium Yellow was used to paint the hay that the farmers are harvesting. The fine properties of the pigment wonderfully bring the colors of the hay to life.

The Chrome Yellows are still available, but the Cadmium pigments are generally considered to be much better. The mid to deep yellow values of Cadmium Yellow that tend slightly towards orange are generally the most important ones to have on the palette. The Impressionists used an opaque Lemon Yellow with a greenish tinge, but the pigments used for this value are no longer available. The closest reasonable substitute is Hansa Yellow Pale and is found in most oil paint ranges, but is often marketed under a brand name.

This is a colour swatch sample of a middle shade of Chrome Yellow applied on canvas.
The "Corner of a Caf'e-Concert" by Edouard Manet uses Chrome Yellow as most of the yellow shades you can see in the painting - the beer tankards and the wooden board and door at the background.

Reds

Vermilion was originally made by grinding the mineral cinnabar into powder. It was the only useful and reliable bright red that was available at the time to the Impressionists and remained the primary red in their rainbow colour palette until the 20th century. It has since been replaced by Cadmium Red, a safer synthetic pigment with very similar properties. You should use one of the lighter, brighter values such as Cadmium Light Red, Cadmium Scarlet or Cadmium Vermilion for the most part. Nowadays, several modern organic pigments already offer possible alternatives to the bright reds, but the Cadmiums are found to be generally more reliable. 

Top left: A pigment sample of Vermilion. Top right and bottom: Vermilion from The Portrait Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. By Kardinal9 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Top left: A pigment sample of Cadmium Red. Top right and bottom: Cadmium Red Hue from The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.
In the "Woman Tying Her Shoe" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Vermillion was generously used to paint the carpet at the foreground of the painting.

Greens

Viridian is a transparent emerald green version of Oxide of Chromium and was featured on the original Impressionists' palettes. It is a dark shade of green that is between teal and green in the colour on the colour wheel. Chrome Green and a very vivid Emerald Green that the French called V'eron`ese Green were also used. The colour name still exists, but the original highly toxic pigment it is derived from is no longer in use. It can be mimicked by creating a mixture of Hansa Yellow Pale and Phthalocyanine Green. There are numerous other modern blended greens to choose from like the Permanent Bright Green. Mixed greens can be useful especially when speed painting but are not strictly necessary if you want to keep your palette with just the minimum colors ala Impressionist's rainbow palette.

Top left: A pigment sample of chromium (III) oxide. Top right and bottom: Viridian from The Impressionist Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.
In Edward Degas' "Ballet Dancers", Viridian was used in many parts of the painting. You can see the purest shade of the Viridian in the dark green window at the back, and everywhere else it is mixed with either zinc white, yellow ochre, and red ochre.

Phthalocyanine Green is a synthetic green pigment that is usually sold under a brand name, but it is worth having on the palette even though it is fairly close to Viridian. Both are transparent emerald greens, but Phthalocyanine Green is sharper, more intense and more transparent - such characteristics make it very useful when creating your mixtures.

On the left: Phthalocyanine Green pigment sample. On the right: Phthalocyanine Green swatch applied on canvas.

Red Lake

Red Lake, qualified as Deep or Rose, is used to refer to a group of colors that occupies a range of values roughly between red and purple which encompasses rich to transparent colors. The original pigments in this group were Rose Madder, Carmine and Indian Lake. They were extracted from organic matter such as plants or insects and could be produced in many shade variants - as many as 30 different Red Lakes were offered as oil colors by the French colourman Lefranc, alone, during the 1870s. 

From left to right: Rose Madder, Carmine, and Indian Lake colour swatches on canvas.

Around this time, synthetic dyes such as Alizarin also started to be used in Red Lake pigments. The different Red Lakes are not easily distinguishable from each other in paintings, and so it is difficult to dissect each Impressionist's preferences. But what matters most is the function they served and which of today's Red Lakes would be a suitable choice for your own works.

Georges Seurat's "A Vase of Flowers" contains mixtures of Carmine, Alizarin, and Vermilion.

The essential Red Lakes are the oil colors ranging from bright rose pink through crimson to a deep purple red. Dark shades of red violet or crimson tinged with brown may also work equally well. The rose pink to crimson varieties when mixed with White give beautiful tints which might be used for painting flowers, or to add a tinge of rosiness to the delicate complexions of young women, or children. Used in their pure forms, the deep Red Lakes provide a dark shadow tone for strongly lit landscapes, but the most important function of any Red Lake on the Impressionist palette is its vital contribution to colour mixtures.

Rose Madder shades from mid to light. The colors increasingly become lighter as more White is slowly added to each succeeding box.

Red Lake mixed with Blue makes Purple. When added to Green, darkens and dulls the colour, capable of producing an approximation to Black. But if White or Yellow are present, gives broken Greens with muted values. Mixing a large amount of White, Red Lake plus Blue or Green, or both, in varying proportions, creates coloured Greys. The greying effect of such combinations also helps to produce impure colors for use as intermediate values. So Yellow and Red Lake might give an Orange that when mixed with White and a tiny amount of Blue becomes more like a Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna. Adding Green instead of, or as well as, Blue, produces a different version of this shade.

Red Lake is almost always the red for mixing on the Impressionists' rainbow colour palette because of its translucent nature. A brighter and more opaque red, such as Cadmium Red, produces dull, flat and often muddied-looking mixtures and is generally used only as a pure red, or in a pink mixture. There are, however, two things to keep in mind: firstly, you must use Red Lake wisely or you can end up with very dirty colors just like that, and secondly, with one exception, Red Lakes become less and less permanent the further that they are reduced in mixtures. 

Six modern Red Lake colors are alternately based on Alizarin and Quinacridone pigments. Alizarin is a synthetic version of one of the components of Madder, an important traditional source of Red Lake. Alizarin pigments probably occur in the original Impressionists' paintings and are still widely used these days. They are cheap and commonly employed, but remember, at the low levels used in this type of colour mixing - where a small addition is used to 'break' another colour - they are not permanent. A more permanent version of Alizarin Crimson has recently been introduced and might also prove suitable or might even be an alternative depending on your preference.  

Top left: A pigment sample of Alizarin. Top right and bottom: Alizarin Crimson from The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.

The more recently introduced Quinacridone pigments are more expensive but are deemed to be a better choice. Quinacridones usually appear under brand names or are more familiarly referred to as Permanent Rose or Permanent Magenta. 

Left to right: Quinacridone Red, Permanent Rose, and Permanent Magenta colour swatches on canvas.

Whites

Lead White or Flake White was a colour long used by artists even before the Impressionism art movement. This pigment is a compound of lead and therefore accelerates the drying time of oil. White Lead either on its own, or with any colour mixed with it, will be nearly dry in two days even in thick applications. In the heat of summer, chances are it will be dry by the third day. 

Lead White or Flake White oil colour swatch on canvas with a tan frame.

Rapid drying is certainly very valuable in Impressionist painting, especially when using heavy impasto effects - thickly applied paint, usually with deeply scored brush-marks - that quickly dry and create a coarse surface texture that can be built upon in a relatively short amount of time. Allowing for a short interval between painting sessions will allow you to work on your next layer over a dry lower layer, which gives a completely different painting experience in comparison to attempting to add colour onto thickly applied paint that is still quite wet. There is the danger of unintentionally muddying the colors of the different layers of your painting together. Painting on a previous layer that is dry or semi-dry is more practical.

This property of Flake White makes it very ideal for Impressionist painting styles in oil. A slower drying White can be substituted only where the paint is applied once and not to be touched again, or when a considerable amount of time has passed between painting sessions. Though the Impressionists had access to the less opaque Zinc White, they did not use it very much. They may have inadvertently used it as an ingredient in some of their premixed pale colors, like Pissarro who actively sought these colors to which he may have become familiar with in Britain. 

Zinc White colour swatch on canvas with a tan frame.

These days, Titanium White is another White that is also regularly used. It is more opaque and is a brighter white than Lead White. It takes longer to dry than Flake White in oil, but much less time than the slower drying Zinc White, making it very useful for extending wet-in-wet working times. Titanium White is a better pigment than Flake White and can even replace it in Impressionist technique at times. For example, when painting a portrait in oil, Titanium White or Zinc White can be used for achieving various pale flesh tones. Since Titanium White has great opacity, it can quickly lighten the colour that is mixed with it. While Zinc White is more transparent and is great for keeping the vibrancy of the colors mixed with it, most especially when mixing with similarly transparent colors. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, your choice of White makes a big difference. It's best to test out your different Whites mixed with a variety of colors so you can see the different effects and choose accordingly.

Titanium White colour swatch on canvas with a tan frame.
Titanium White, Zinc-Titanium White, and Naples Yellow colour swatches from our Box Of Whites Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes that will soon be available.

The Impressionists would have most probably used the best Lead White paints available at the time in their rainbow colour palette('Blanc d'Argent' and 'Blanc de Krems' or 'Blanc de Cremnitz'). Several versions of Lead White are still being sold nowadays by some modern manufacturers, even though it is considered an old-fashioned pigment, and is sometimes avoided because of its toxicity when ingested through the mouth, the skin or by breathing the particles in. But this is easily remedied by wearing gloves and making sure it doesn't go anywhere near your mouth when in use. Lead Whites today are significantly different from each other and may even vary from tube to tube. Finding one that is heavy, but has an easily workable consistency is best. 

In Alfred Sisley's "The Watering Place at Marly-le-Roi", Lead White was used (mixed with other colors respectively) in almost all parts of the painting - from the grounds, to the walls and trees, to the great swatches of the sky.

Alkyd White is a modern fast-drying formulation made with an oil-modified alkyd resin in place of oil. It can be used on its own or mixed with ordinary oil colors to help speed up the drying process. The main attraction of alkyd based oil paint is the speed in which it dries, as fast as touch-dry in 24 hours when painted in a normal thin layer, this is certainly useful if you want to apply several layers of oil glazes. Just remember that the pigment loading of alkyds is lower than that of good oil colors.

Whichever White you use, you might need to alter its handling qualities according to the style or technique that you decide to use it for. It is said that the Impressionists removed excess oil from their colors by standing them on blotting paper before using them. But, a too tacky and immobile White can be worse than an overly oily one. The Impressionists' Whites were mostly ground in poppy oil, which yellows less than linseed as years go by, but in the long term can be prone to cracking. It also gives paint a soft, buttery consistency, so the Impressionists' Whites were probably thick, but easily spreadable. 

 

Other Important Colors

A colour palette sample of The Portrait Palette from our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes. Also seen above are our Filbert Paint Brushes perfect for oil paints and palette knife from our Renoir Collection.

The other rainbow colors you may also want to use are the Cobalt and Manganese Violets which were available to the original Impressionists having been used by Monet and Renoir, and are still both in use these days. Dioxazine Violet, a modern colour that's sold under different brand names, is also another alternative.

From left to right: Cobalt Violet and Manganese Violet colour swatches on canvas.
In Claude Monet's "Irises", the reddish mauve flowers you see are painted using mainly cobalt violet and lead white, with a tiny bit of artificial ultramarine mixed in.
Top left: A colour swatch of Dioxazine Purple on canvas. Top right and bottom: Dioxazine Purple from The Impressionist Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.

Contrary to popular opinion, the earth colors and the Blacks actually do feature on the Impressionists' palette. They used Ivory Black oftentimes, the least potent and the most transparent of the Blacks, it was originally obtained from charred ivory that's been ground into powder. They would generally use it with other colors mixed in to add depth to the colour. Nowadays, its pigment is similar to Bone Black which is sourced from charred animal bones. Another Black alternative is Lampblack, a pigment made from soot produced by burning oil in lamps, and the burning of other fuels like gas, fats, asphalt, paraffin, and resins.

On the left: A colour swatch of Ivory Black on canvas. On the right: Ivory Black from The Essential Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.
In Edouard Manet's "Music in the Tuileries Gardens", Ivory Black was primarily  used in the black and grey clothing of the crowd (mixed in with Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Ochre, and Orange-Brown Ochre), as well as the thick foliage in the upper section of the painting (mixed in with Emerald Green and Yellow Ochre).
A colour swatch of Lampblack on canvas.

Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna are likely to be used more than the Umbers in an Impressionist's rainbow palette. But it's still wise to have them on hand for those instances where you're looking for natural and dark brown colors for your painting.

From left to right: Yellow Ochre pigment, Hematite (reddish variety of iron oxide) -  the main ingredient of red ochre, Limonite - clay that gives the sienna colour to pigments, Burnt Sienna pigment. Yellow Ochre pigment By Marco Almbauer - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 Hematite image By DanielCD~commonswiki - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
From top to bottom: Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna from The Portrait Palette of our ZenART Infinity Series Oil Palettes.
Clockwise from top left: Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, Raw Sienna, and Burnt Sienna colour swatches on canvas. A good selection of natural and dark browns to have in your palette.

I'm hoping you found this as interesting as I did when I first encountered the rainbow colors of the Impressionists. Thanks to historians and scientists, we can create an approximation of their colour palettes and make modern Impressionist paintings of our own. You can start by copying an Impressionist master's painting style as an inspiration, then as you become more comfortable with the different techniques, make one in your own original style. It's important to enjoy the process, so keep yourself from overthinking and have a great time exploring! 

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If you're curious to know more about colors and their meanings, have a look at these following articles that dive into the different histories, symbolisms, and their uses in art - What Does The Colour Blue Mean?, What Does The Color Red Mean?, and What Does The Colour Yellow Mean? 

What are the colors you normally have in your palette? Do you have a colour palette similar to the Impressionists? Which new colors are you planning to add to your palette? What future content would you like to see from us? Let us know what you think, we'd love to hear back from you. Feel free to leave a comment, and we'll be happy to answer any queries you have. 

For our next one, learn how to use the colour wheel to your advantage in Creating Fabulous colors With Oils. Until then, enjoy your creative journey!

- MEET THE AUTHOR-
Ardak Kassenova, ZenART Supplies co-founder, @ardak_zenart

Ardak Kassenova is a London based contemporary artist, co-founder and creative director of ZenART Supplies. Her visual style-contemporary impressionism-share similar aesthetic qualities with those by the French Impressionists. After 20 years of a successful corporate career, becoming a mother to two wonderful girls, and with the continuous development of her practice by taking private lessons from the best artists she could find; Ardak decided it's time to align her life with her true passion, Art. Driven by this passion and her corporate leadership background, she co-founded ZenART.

"My heart and soul were always with Art, and since my childhood as long as I remember myself, I was dreaming to be an artist. I was painting after work, when I had time, and teaching myself through the books, videos, visiting art galleries and museums. I've been very curious about different techniques and styles, and therefore accumulated knowledge and experience on a variety of mediums." 

Read more about Ardak Kassenova in this feature. Say hello to @ardak_zenart on Instagram!

Source: Paint with the Impressionists: A step-by-step guide to their methods and materials for today's artists, by Jonathan Stephenson, 1995

 

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2. EARNING ZEN COINS

  • General Members can earn zen coins on the purchase of qualifying online products at zenartsupplies.co. To receive zen coins for your Online purchases, you must be signed into your account. You may check at any time to see if you are signed in to the Site by looking in the upper right-hand corner of the site. Gift cards do not qualify for zen coins. Other products that do not qualify for zen coins are noted on the Site.
  • Earning Rate. Members earn 5 sen coins for every $1.00 spent on qualifying purchases (in other words, one (5) zen coins for every one dollar ($1) spent). Zen coins are based on your order subtotal, after any discounts, only. Zen coins are rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, if you spend $9.99, you will receive 9 zen coins. The calculation is as follows: $9.99 x 1 zen coins per dollar = 9.99 zen coins, which is rounded down to 9 zen coins. This program started on August 17, 2020, and initial levels were set on the 2020 amount spent on ordering products. Note: Shipping and Taxes are not taken into consideration. If an item is return and/or price adjusted that will also be removed from your rewards calculations.
  • Gift Cards. Gift card purchases are not eligible to receive zen coins. However, once a gift card is redeemed, zen coins will be awarded to the recipient for the subtotal after any gift card values, provided s/he is logged into the account, as outlined in these Terms and Conditions.
  • Addition of Zen Coins to Accounts. Zen Coins will be added to your Account under the following conditions, and will generally show up immediately. You will receive zen coins:
    • At the time of account registration
    • During the purchase of qualifying products
    • For other activities outlined on the Site that may show up from time to time. Note that for these other activities, including “bonus zen coins” accumulations and other zen coin promotions, zen coins may show as “pending,” depending upon the activity.
    • Joining the Birthday Club. Birthdate must be entered 30 days before your Birthday to qualify.
    • For Liking the ZenART Supplies Facebook page and sharing the ZenART Supplies Facebook page with your following. This is good one time only.
    • Following ZenART Supplies on Instagram. This is good one time only.
    • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Your account will be automatically awarded the discount only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying purchase. Discount will automatically be applied to account if stipulations are met.
  • Exclusions. Members earn zen coins only on the purchase price of: (i) qualifying online products. Calculation of zen coins excludes payment by the Member for shipping charges and all taxes, including without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes or use taxes. Zen Coins will not be earned on any discounts or other credits offered in connection with a product or service. For example, if a product that is normally $50 is on sale for $25, a Member will only earn zen coins on the purchase price of $25. Purchases of gift cards, redemption of vouchers, and any type of price adjustments, including merchandise returns, are not eligible for zen coins. All purchases made: (i) by a Member prior to such member joining the Program, (ii) Online without a Member being logged onto the Website with the Member's Account number linked to the Member's Online account, are not eligible for Reward & Referral Program credit. The purchase of ZenART Supplies products outside the Zenartsupplies.co website are not eligible for the Reward & Referral Program.
  • Returns/Order Cancellations. Zen Coins earned for a purchase that is then the subject of a return, cancellation, refund, declined credit card or gift card, or other credit will be deducted from your account in an amount equal to the zen coins earned for the original transaction, including any bonus zen coins that may be applicable. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return. Zen Coins redeemed on an order will not be reapplied back to your rewards account for any reason on a returned order. If a return/cancellation will cause your account to have a negative zen coin balance, you will not begin earning zen coins again until your zen coins balance is returned to zero (0), by making purchases, or engaging in other promotional activities offered from time to time. If an item is exchanged (different product) any redeemed rewards on the initial purchase may be transferred to the exchange one (1) time only. Rewards used on an order that is canceled cannot be reapplied as they are good for just one use.
  • Bonus Zen Coins Promotions. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may run certain bonus zen coin promotions. Under bonus zen coin promotions, Members can earn additional or "bonus zen coins" in connection with the purchase of certain online products. When you purchase these specially marked products or make the purchase during a bonus zen coins time period, you will earn bonus zen coins on each product, as specified in the offer. Bonus zen coin promotions are subject to the terms and conditions of the offer and may be offered at any time in ZenART Supplies sole discretion. Bonus zen coin offers cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • Limitations on Bonus Zen Coins and Zen Coins, Generally. These terms apply to zen coins and bonus zen coins accruals. If you purchase a product during a promotion and the product comes with an additional, free product, zen coins will not be issued on the retail value of the free product. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product and pay a portion of the retail price after the zen coin's redemption, you will receive zen coins only on the leftover retail amount you pay, and not on any value attributed to the zen coin you used. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product in an amount equal to the full price of the product, you will not earn any zen coins.
  • Non-purchase Options for Earning Zen Coins. You may also earn additional zen coins on non-purchase activities. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may offer you the chance to win various prizes, and earn zen coins, for entering into promotions. For sweepstakes promotions, there is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PLAY OR TO WIN. Rules and restrictions will apply to such promotions and may be found on the entry page of any promotion.
  • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Email a friend an $8 off coupon on $50 order by clicking “ Earn Zen Coins” then “ Refer a Friend”. Enter the email address of a friend who has not purchased with ZenART Supplies before (if your referral has shopped with us before the referral link will be automatically voided by the system). A referral link will be sent to your friend with an $8 off coupon on a $50 order. $8 off coupon on $50 order will automatically be rewarded to your account only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying first-time purchase with ZenART Supplies. Your Referral friend will receive an $8 off coupon on $50 order, 200 zen coins for signing up, and zen coins from their first purchase made while signed into their new ZenART Supplies account.

3. REDEEMING ZEN COINS

  • How To Use Your Zen Coins. Zen Coins must be used in increments outlined in these Terms and Conditions. The maximum number of zen coins that may be used in a single transaction is 10,000 zen coins. Zen Coins may only be used Online at the ZenART Supplies website. Zen Coins towards Products: Members can use their zen coins to reduce the purchase price of a product or to receive a product for free based on the following scale:
    • 500 zen coins = $5.00 off
    • 1,000 zen coins = $10.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 1,500 zen coins = $15.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 2,500 zen coins = $25.00 off your at least $50 order

    Zen Coins can only be redeemed in any combination of the zen coin and increment amounts set forth above. Redemption of zen coins towards purchases of products is subject to product availability. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return.

  • Gift cards. Once available, zen coins cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards. Gift card redemption, however, is eligible for zen coins. Zen Coins accrued pursuant to the use of a gift card will benefit the gift card user, provided the user has an account in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
  • To Redeem your Zen Coins. Before you begin shopping with us, sign in to your Shop account on our site. Select “Redeem Zen Coins” from the red tab housed in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and select the amount of zen coins you would like to redeem. You will be issued a custom code that you can copy and paste into the discount bar during check out (Please note - only one code can be used). Your total payment amount will be discounted by the amount of zen coins you allocate to the purchase. Note that zen coins may only be redeemed for the purchase price of the product. Sales tax, shipping, and other handling charges assessed in addition to the price of the product are your responsibility and zen coins may not be used to discount these additional charges.
  • Exclusions. Only one account per natural person. Only one discount code can be redeemed per transaction. Rewards redemption codes may not be combined with any other discount codes. Zen Coins may not be transferred or gifted at this time. Zen Coins cannot be used on past purchases. Zen Coins accumulated on different accounts by different members may not be combined or aggregated to make purchases of products or for any other reason. Zen Coins earned in a transaction cannot be redeemed in the same transaction. Redeemed zen coins cannot be retroactively applied to any past order or receive a price adjustment on any order where redeemed zen coins were not applied. Zen Coins have no cash value outside of the ZenART Supplies website and are available only to members in good standing.
  • Zen Coins Expiration and Time Lapses. All zen coins acquired, whether standard zen coins or bonus zen coins, shall expire 180 days from the date the zen coins are added to your account. Zen Coins expire 180 days from the date in which they were assigned to your account. Specific onsite activities in which zen coins will be awarded are set to accrue zen coins based on a time-lapse at the discretion of ZenART Supplies.
    • Sign up: zen coins are added to your account instantly
    • Order: zen coins are added to your account when your order is placed.
  • Once zen coins are redeemed, a discount code will be assigned and we are unable to cancel the discount code and reapply the zen coins to your Reward & Referral account. Discount codes generated by redeeming zen coins do not expire until used. They are a one-time use code, so once it is used it is gone. If an order is returned zen coins will not be reinstated.

4. Subscribe & Save Plan

  • Re-occurring purchase. Purchase is necessary in order to participate in this plan. The plan is worth $6.95 and will be charged to your account on the same date of the month that you purchased the plan, i.e. if you purchased the plan on 19th of January, you will be charged for the plan on the 19th of each month you are a Subscribe & Save Plan member.
  • 15% re-occurring discount. As a member of the subscribe & Save Plan, you are eligible for a 15% discount every time you put an order in place. You are qualified for the discount as soon as you purchase the plan.
  • Cancellation. After a purchase made with a Subscribe & Save Plan, you are not able to get a refund for the plan for the month the purchase was valid for but you can cancel for the following months.
  • Free samples & accessories. These are included for members of Subscribe & Save Plan only. These are not included in each order but the member will be informed when they will receive "extras" in their order.
  • Access to exclusive content. Exclusive access to tutorials, guides, tips & tricks in video, pdf, or audio format will be part of the membership program. Not all exclusive content is available but what is and will be available is up to ZenART Supplies sole discretion.

5. GENERAL

  • By registering with Zenartsupplies.co and joining the Reward & Referral Program, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in these Terms and Conditions, as well as any other terms that may be associated with the Reward & Referral Program. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to cancel, modify, suspend or restrict the Reward & Referral Program, your account, the redemption of zen coins, or any aspect of the Program, including, without limitation, the zen coin conversion ratio and the zen coin expiration policy at any time. Any changes can be made without advance notice. ZenART Supplies may make these changes even though such changes may affect your ability to use zen coins already accumulated. You are responsible for remaining knowledgeable about the Program Terms and Conditions. A Member's zen coins balance, as reflected in ZenART Supplies records, shall be deemed correct. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to determine the amount of zen coins in any Member's account based on ZenART Supplies' internal records related to such Member's account. In the event of an inconsistency between the amount accrued in a Member's account as stated on any Member's receipt and ZenART Supplies internal records, ZenART Supplies internal records will control. ZenART Supplies assumes no responsibility for errors caused by incorrect Member information. Your right to transfer zen coins earned or granted under the Program is strictly limited. The sale of zen coins is prohibited and may result in the confiscation or cancellation of your zen coins as well as suspension or termination of your membership, which in each case shall be final and conclusive. All transactions involving zen coins and all Member accounts are subject to review and verification by ZenART Supplies. The zen coins balance in a Member's account may be unavailable for use when an account or transaction is under review. ZenART Supplies may revoke any Member's membership in the Reward & Referral Program at any time if such Member engages in abuse of the Reward & Referral Program or fails to follow the terms and conditions of the Program. Fraud or abuse relating to the accrual of zen coins or redemption of rewards may result in revocation of membership in the Program and may affect a Member's eligibility for participation in any other ZenART Supplies program, present or future. Zen Coins are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. The interpretation and application of the Program's Terms and Conditions are at the sole discretion and determination of ZenART Supplies. For more information or other questions, click on Contact Us.
  • The Terms and Conditions of the loyalty program are subject to change at ZenART Supplies’ sole discretion at any time and without notice to customers. Upon customer’s at-will termination of their Zenartsupplies.com registered account, or if a customer is termination for violation of these Terms and Conditions or other activities in violation of the intent and good faith intended use of this Site, all zen coins will immediately be forfeited and will no longer be redeemable. ZenART Supplies will make reasonable efforts to award zen coins as outlined above to all 1. registered and 2. qualifying Zenartsupplies.co customers but is not responsible for any technical or unforeseen errors that may occur.
  • Zen Coins are nontransferable, nonredeemable for cash, are nonrefundable and are not valid outside of Zenartsupplies.co. Purchases made outside Zenartsupplies.co are not valid for zen coin accrual (this includes, but is not limited to Facebook resell groups, Ebay, and Amazon).
  • Employees of ZenART Supplies are not eligible to participate in the Reward & Referral Program.