Holbein Acrylic Gouache – Ash Green, 40 ml tube

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PBk7-Lamp Black

PY42-Mars Orange

PG7-Phthalo Green

PW7-Zinc Sulphide White

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.

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

PY42-Mars Orange

Pigment Type

inorganic, earth

Chemical Name

iron oxide

Chemical Formula

Fe2O2 or Fe2O3 • H2O

Properties

Mars Orange is a bright, extremely light red and appears almost pinkish in contrast with darker colors. It has incredible tinting strength and opacity. The synthetic form of Mars Orange is made from iron oxides and is cleaner, brighter, and denser than its ochre-based counterparts.

Permanence

Mars Orange has excellent permanence and lightfastness.

History

The word Mars refers to the Roman god of iron and war. Mars Orange has been manufactured as a pigment since the 17th century.

Pigment Name

PG7-Phthalo Green

Pigment Type

organic

Chemical Name

polychlorinated copper(II) phthalocyanine

Chemical Formula

C32H3Cl13CuN8 to C32HCl15CuN8 or C32H16CuN8Cl15 (PG7) or C32Br6Cl10CuN8 (PG36)

Properties

Phthalo Green is a transparent, cool, bright, high intensity color used in oil and acrylics. It comes from a Phthalocyanine Blue pigment where most of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced with chlorine, forming highly stable molecules. It has similar pigment properties and permanence to Phthalo Blue. It is slow drying and an excellent base color for mixing a range of bright greens. Phthalo Green is considered a very good alternative to Viridian because it is intense and mixes well and can be used to emphasize mineral colors in various tints. However, its tinting strength is very high, so it can overpower other colors. This pigment most closely resembles the discontinued and toxic Verdigris.

Permanence

Phthalo Greens are completely lightfast and resistant to alkali, acids, solvents, heat, and ultraviolet radiation. 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.

Pigment Name

PW7-Zinc Sulphide White

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

zinc sulfide

Chemical Formula

ZnS

Properties

Zinc Sulphide White is a semi-transparent yellowish white pigment. Zinc sulfide and zinc oxide (PW4) are often combined to create a more natural white color. Transparency increases as particle size decreases. When slight impurities are added, zinc sulphide has phospherescent and electroluminescent properties. It is often used to manufacture fluorescent or glow-in-the-dark paints.

Permanence

Zinc Sulphide White has excellent permanence and lightfastness.

History

Zinc sulfide, when combined with slight impurites, has phospherescent properties. It is often used for "invisible ink" that glows with exposure to ultraviolet light. Zinc sulfide is used in the manufacture of fluorescent paints.