Indigo (PB60 PBk6) Indigo
Since early Egyptian times, Indigo has been an essential colour in fabrics and art materials. Natural Indigo is a deep blue colourant named anil. It is obtained from the sprigs of the Indigofera plant. In the late 1600s, the primary source of Indigo was the French West Indies, where large crops were grown and harvested just before the plant bloomed. Once picked, the plant was processed in vats, where it was water-filtered and dried into cakes for export.
Daniel Smith's Indigo formula mixes Indanthrone Blue with Lamp Black for an extremely lightfast, intense dark that closely matches true Indigo. Transparent yet high in tinting strength, this Indigo leaves a gentle, faded blue denim stain when blotted from a damp state of paint. Blueberries, blackberries, and plums are a few subjects to play with using this technique. Use Indigo wherever dusty purples are desired.
Indigo evokes a feeling of atmospheric depth, which is useful for expressive, moody skies. Try flowing short strokes of Indigo into the water, adding touches of Sepia and Quinacridone Burnt Orange to create branches and birch trees. For a special treat, try this with Indigo and Cote d'Azur Violet.
- Pigment names: Indanthrone Blue - Bleu d'Indanthrène PB60, Lamp Black - Noir de Fimée PBk6
- ASTM Lightfastness Rating: 1 Excellent - Not yet rated by ASTM - Rating based on Daniel Smith's independent testing.
- Transparency: Transparent
- Granulating: No
- Staining: Medium
- Series: 1
DANIEL SMITH is the worldwide leader in watercolours for artists, with the most beautiful colours of any manufacturer. Many traditional colours are relied upon by all artists, and many "truly unique" colours, made only by DANIEL SMITH, have become essential to watercolour artists.
PrimaTek Watercolours are made from minerals, often semi-precious minerals, that have been ground into pigments, mixed with gum arabic (the binder), and milled into Them. The first was Lapis Lazuli Genuine in 1998; since then, many more have been added, including Amethyst Genuine, Piemontite Genuine, and Serpentine Genuine. Most of these colours have excellent granulating effects that some artists have called "magical."
Luminescent watercolours have special optical effects perfect for subjects with a sparkle, sheen, or reflective glow, such as the iridescence of hummingbird feathers or the sheen of metals.
Cadmium Hues, DANIEL SMITH has developed safe and vibrant Cadmium Hues with the density and richness of cadmium colours without the cadmium pigment. Virtually identical in colour to their namesakes, they are cleaner in mixtures and much more robust in tints. The functional properties—staining power, semi-transparency, and excellent lightfastness—are nearly identical to those of the low-soluble cadmium colours that DANIEL SMITH previously manufactured.
Other Unique Watercolours are created using pigments that DANIEL SMITH has sourced, often from particular locations. These include Burgundy Yellow Ochre, Monte Amiata Natural Sienna, and Roasted French Ochre. Some are created exclusively by DANIEL SMITH, such as Cascade Green, Deep Sap Green, and Green Gold.
DANIEL SMITH also finds unusual pigments to create colours like Anthraquinoid Scarlet, Lunar Blue, and Environmentally Friendly Red Iron Oxide, providing artists with more options.
