R&F Encaustic Paint Block - Phthalo Green Pale, 40 ml

The overpowering saturation of phthalates would make you think their tints would pop next to other colours. But this very pale shade can be pulled toward yellow, green, or blue—the mix of Phthalo Green and Titanium-Zinc White.

• Pigment Composition: PG7-Phthalo Green; PW6-Titanium White; PW4-Zinc White
• Paint Lines: Encaustic Pigment Stick
• Opacity: Opaque
• Pigment Stick Drying Rate: Slow
• Classification: Mixed
• Chemical Composition: Phthalo Green + Titanium White + Zinc White
• Safety Information: Conforms to ASTM D-4236

Pigment Name: PG7-Phthalo Green

Classification: Synthetic Organic

Chemical Composition: 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 pigment properties and permanence similar to Phthalo Blue. It is slow drying and an excellent base colour for mixing a range of bright greens. Phthalo Green is considered a very good alternative to Viridian because it is intense, mixes well, and can be used to 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. Due to their stability, they are currently used in inks, coatings, and many plastics and are considered a standard pigment in printing ink and the packaging industry.

Toxicity

Phthalo Green has no significant hazards but contained PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) until 1982.

History

This bright blue-green was developed in 1935 and has been used since 1938.

Pigment Name: PW6-Titanium White

Classification: Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Titanium dioxide

Properties

Titanium White is the most brilliant of the white pigments. It is considered an all-purpose oil colour that is useful in all techniques and the best all around white. Its masstone is neither warm nor cool, placing it between Lead White and Zinc White. It is less prone to cracking and yellowing than Lead White, but it still yellows easily. Titanium White dries slowly in oil form, more slowly than Lead White but more quickly than Zinc White. It is opaque in oil and acrylic forms and semi-opaque in watercolour form. This pigment has good chemical stability, and its tinting strength is superior to both Lead White and Zinc White.

Permanence

Titanium White has excellent permanence and lightfastness.

Toxicity

Titanium dioxide is highly stable and is regarded as completely non-toxic. Animal studies do not indicate that it is absorbed biologically, even after long periods of exposure. The primary safety concern is the inhalation of fine pigment dust particles.

History

Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. However, mineral deposits that are economical to mine are rare. Titanium dioxide was first discovered in 1821, although it could not be mass produced until 1919. Widespread use of the pigment began in the 1940s. Since that time, it has become the most commonly used white pigment. The name comes from the Latin word Titan, the name for the elder brother of Kronos and ancestor of the Titans, and from the Greek word tito, meaning day or sun.

Pigment Name: PW4-Zinc White

Classification: Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Zinc (II)-oxide

Properties

Zinc White is the coolest white, and it has a cold, clean masstone and a slightly bluish tint. It has less hiding power and is more transparent than other whites. It dries slowly and is suitable for painting wet into wet, glazing, and scumbling. Zinc White is neither as opaque nor as heavy as Lead White; its covering power is not as good, and it takes much longer to dry. However, it does not blacken when exposed to sulphur in the air as Lead White does. It is very valuable for making tints with other colours. Unmixed Zinc White dries to a brittle and dry paint film that may crack over the years, so it is unsuitable for frescoing. It is more transparent in acrylic form than Titanium White and is the most commonly used white with gouache. Chinese White is a version of Zinc White appropriate for opaque watercolour techniques.

Permanence

Zinc White has excellent permanence and lightfastness.

Toxicity

Zinc White is moderately toxic if ingested and slightly toxic if inhaled.

History

Though historians are divided on who first isolated the element zinc, they agree that it was first suggested as a white pigment in 1782. Zinc White was accepted as a watercolour in 1834 and was called Chinese White due to the popularity of oriental porcelain in Europe at the time. Ten years later, a suitable oil form was produced. By the early 20th century, it had improved to the point where it was an acceptable alternative to Flake White.