ONE THAT COMES IN A PACKAGING THAT IS INNOVATIVE, ELEGANT, HANDY AND FEELS RIGHT.

Ultramarine is naturally a deep blue pigment colour derived initially from lapis lazuli. The name comes from the Latin ultramarines, literally "beyond the sea, "because Italian traders imported the expensive pigment into Europe from mines in Afghanistan during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The modern Synthetic affordable Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine; the complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulphur is a warm, brilliant blue pigment with the most purple and least green in its undertone. Considered a great colour for glazes, it is not suitable for frescoing.

COMPOSITION AND PERMANENCE

Pigment Combination: PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

PIGMENT NAME: PB29-ULTRAMARINE [BLUE]

Pigment Type: Inorganic

Chemical Name: Complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulphur

Properties

Ultramarine is the standard warm blue, a brilliant blue pigment with the most purple and least green in its undertone. It has a moderate to high tinting strength and beautiful transparency. Synthetic Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine. Ultramarine dries slowly in oil and produces clean, though granular, washes in watercolour. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colours in oil and watercolour form to create a range of purples and violets. It can dull when mixed with white in acrylic form but mixes well with other colours. The shade varies based on the manufacturer. Considered a great colour 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 discolour 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 colours on their palettes.