Holbein Duo Aqua Water Soluble Oils - Indigo, 40 ml tube

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PBk7-Lamp Black

PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

PB27-Antwerp Blue

Pigment Name

PBk7-Lamp Black

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

carbon

Chemical Formula

C

Properties

Lamp black is a very opaque, heavily staining black pigment that does not have much covering or tinting power. It is typically the most opaque black in watercolor form. Though a very pure black, it tends to muddy slightly in mixtures. Natural sources may be brownish or bluish in tone because of impurities. When used in oil paints, it is one of the slowest drying pigments, and should not be used in underpainting or applied in layers underneath other colors.

Permanence

Lamp Black is very lightfast and absolutely permanent. It is used in all techniques in permanent painting.

Toxicity

<p>Carbon itself is not considered hazardous, however other combustion products that are hazardous are often present as impurities when Lamp Black is produced from natural materials. For this reason, commercial preparations of the pigment should be considered slightly toxic. Avoid skin contact and inhalation. Where such impurities are present, Lamp Black is a possible human carcinogen.</p>

History

Lamp Black is a carbon based black traditionally produced by collecting soot (known as lampblack) from oil lamps. It has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times. It is the black found in Egyptian murals and tomb decorations and was the most popular black for fresco painting until the development of Mars Black.

Pigment Name

PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulfur

Chemical Formula

Na8-10Al6Si6O24S2-4 or Na6-8Al6Si6O24S2-4

Properties

Ultramarine is the standard warm blue, a brilliant blue pigment that has the most purple and least green in its undertone. It has a moderate to high tinting strength and a beautiful transparency. Synthetic Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine. Ultramarine dries slowly in oil and tends to produce clean, though granular, washes in watercolor. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colors in oil and watercolor form to create a range of purples and violets. It can dull when mixed with white in acrylic form, but mixes well with other colors. The shade varies based on manufacturer. Considered a great color for glazes, it is not suitable for frescoing.

Permanence

Ultramarine has excellent permanence, although synthetic Ultramarine is not as permanent as natural Ultramarine. It may discolor if exposed to acid because of its sulfuric content.

Toxicity

Ultramarine has no significant hazards.

History

The name for this pigment comes from the Middle Latin ultra, meaning beyond, and mare, meaning sea, because it was imported from Asia to Europe by sea. It is a prominent component of lapis lazuli and was used on Asian temples starting in the 6th century. It was one of the most expensive pigments in 16th century Europe, worth twice its weight in gold, and so was used sparingly and when commissions were larger. Ultramarine is currently imitated by a process invented in France in 1826 by Jean Baptiste Guimet, making blue affordable to artists and extending the range of colors on their palettes.

Pigment Name

PB27-Antwerp Blue

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

ferric ammonium ferrocyanide

Chemical Formula

C18Fe7N18

Properties

Antwerp Blue is a slightly warm and less saturated blue with good transparency and undertone clarity. It is a pale variety of Prussian Blue with 75% inert pigment. It has similar properties to pure Prussian Blue, but its overall performance is inferior.

Permanence

Antwerp Blue can fluctuate, fading in the light and recovering in the dark. In watercolor form, it fades when mixed with white pigment or extender. Although it has reasonably good lightfastness and permanence, it is not considered ideal for permanent painting.

Toxicity

Antwerp Blue is mildly toxic by ingestion, but is considered safe for external use. In the United States, ferric ferrocyanide is permitted as a coloring ingredient for externally applied cosmetics, but not for lipsticks or internal use. If the pigment is

History

Antwerp Blue was developed through experimentation with Prussian Blue.