Da Vinci Artists' Permanent Watercolor - Manganese Blue Mixture, 37 ml tube

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PB15-Phthalo Blue

PB33-Manganese Blue

Pigment Name

PB15-Phthalo Blue

Pigment Type

organic

Chemical Name

copper phthalocyanine

Chemical Formula

C32H16CuN8

Properties

Phthalo Blues are pure and clean primary blues with superior covering power. They have a very high tinting strength and tend to overwhelm other pigments, but if color strength can be controlled, they make predictable mixed colors. In oil form, blues are very deep and slow drying. When mixed with other colors or if chlorine is added, Phthalo Blue quickly tends towards green. When using alone, mix with some white, as Phthalo Blue can be semi-transparent and almost black on its own. It is among the most compatible of modern colors with mineral colors and is considered more reliable than Prussian Blue, while sharing the same physical and color properties. Phthalo Blue is a good color for glazing.

Permanence

Phthalo Blues are completely lightfast and stable and are permanent for all paint uses. They are currently used in inks, coatings, and many plastics due to their stability and are considered a standard pigment in printing ink and the packaging industry.

Toxicity

Phthalo Blues have no significant hazards, although those made before 1982 contained some PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

History

Developed by chemists using the trade name Monastral Blue, the organic blue dyestuff now known as Phthalo Blue was presented as a pigment in November 1935 in London. Its discovery was accidental. The dark color was observed in a kettle where a dye was being made from a British dyestuff plant. The demand for such a pigment came from commercial printers who wanted a cyan to replace Prussian Blue.

Pigment Name

PB33-Manganese Blue

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

barium manganate + barium sulfate

Chemical Formula

BaMnO4 + BaSO4

Properties

Manganese Blue is a brilliant, clear, semi-opaque to transparent blue pigment with a greenish undertone. Its saturation and texture varies across manufacturers.

Permanence

Manganese Blue has excellent lightfastness in watercolor form.

Toxicity

Manganese Blue can be highly toxic if inhaled or ingested, causing nervous system disorder.

History

Manganese compounds have been in use as pigments for more than 17,000 years. The Egyptians and Romans commonly used them in glass-making. The synthetic variation was officially patented in 1935, but neither the original nor the synthetic is commonly produced today, as Manganese Blue has been replaced on the artist’s palette by more intense blues. Most brands offer a Manganese Blue made from Phthalocyanine Blue. Appropriate substitutes in watercolor form are the rare Peacock Blue, Phthalocyanine Blue (Green), or Phthalocyanine Blue lightened by Zinc White.