D098 Navy Blue/Bleu Marine - Ultramarine [Blue] PB29 (inorganic, complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulphur), PG7 Phthalo Green (Organic, Polychlorinated copper (II) phthalocyanine)
Series: A
Lightfast: ***
Pigment 1: PG7 Phthalo Green
This bright blue-green was developed in 1935 and has been in use since 1938.
Pigment name: PG7 Phthalo Green
Pigment Type: Organic
Chemical Name: Polychlorinated copper (II) phthalocyanine
Properties: Phthalo Green is a transparent, cool, bright, high-intensity colour 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 excellent base colour for mixing a range of bright greens. Phthalo Green is considered a perfect alternative to Viridian because it is intense and mixes well, and can emphasize mineral colours in various tints. However, its tinting strength is very high so that it can overpower other colours. 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.
Toxicity: Phthalo Green has no significant hazards, but it contained PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) until 1982.
Alternate Names: Bocour Green, Cyan Green, Intense Green, Monastral Green, Phthalocyanine Green, Rembrandt Green, Thalo Green, Winsor Green.
Pigment 2: PB29 Ultramarine [Blue]
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.
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 tends to produce clean, though granular, washes in watercolour. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colours in oil and watercolour 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.
Alternate Names: Artificial Ultramarine, French Blue, French Ultramarine, Gmelin's Blue, Guimet's Blue, Permanent Blue, Royal Blue, Synthetic Ultramarine. New Blue describes particular shades of Ultramarine. Armenian Blue and Lazuline Blue are names for genuine Lapiz Ultramarine. Sky Blue is a pale tone of Ultramarine.
