R&F Encaustic Paint Block - Ultramarine Blue Pale, 40 ml

Reducing the opulent violet-like undertone of Ultramarine Blue with white produces a tint that shuttles between violet, blue, and grey, depending on its neighbouring colour—the mix of Ultramarine Blue and Titanium-Zinc White.

• Pigment Composition: PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]; PW6-Titanium White; PW7-Zinc Sulphide White
• Paint Lines: Encaustic, Pigment Stick
• Opacity: Opaque
• Pigment Stick Drying Rate: Medium
• Classification: Mixed
• Chemical Composition: Ultramarine Blue + Titanium White + Zinc White
• Safety Information: Conforms to ASTM D-4236

Pigment Name: PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

Classification: Synthetic Inorganic

Chemical Composition: 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 cannot be very interesting when mixed with white in acrylic form, but it 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 less permanent than natural Ultramarine. Because of its sulfuric content, it may discolour if exposed to acid.

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.

Pigment Name: PW6-Titanium White

Classification: Synthetic 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: PW7-Zinc Sulphide White

Classification: Synthetic Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Zinc sulfide

Properties

Zinc Sulphide White is a semi-transparent yellowish-white pigment. Zinc sulphide and zinc oxide (PW4) are often combined to create a more natural white colour. Transparency increases as particle size decreases. When slight impurities are added, zinc sulphide has phosphorescent 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.

Toxicity

Zinc Sulphide is non-toxic, but ore deposits often contain lead. Traces of lead and other impurities may be present in pigment powders. Ingestion is not recommended.

History

Zinc sulphide, when combined with slight impurities, has phosphorescent properties. It is often used for invisible ink that glows with ultraviolet light and is also used in the manufacture of fluorescent paints.