R&F Pigment Stick - Azure Blue, 38 ml
Bright, slightly greenish light blue. It can act like a high-keyed Cerulean.
- Pigment Composition: PW6-Titanium White; PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]; PB15:3-Phthalo Blue; PW7-Zinc Sulphide White
- Dimension: 38 ml. stick measuring 5" x 3/4" diameter
- Paint Lines: Encaustic, Pigment Stick
- Opacity: Opaque
- Pigment Stick Drying Rate: Slow
- Classification: Mixed
- Chemical Composition: Phthalo blue, Ultramarine blue, Zinc-titanium White
- Safety Information: Conforms to ASTM D-4236
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 with 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 the ancestor of the Titans, and the Greek word tito, meaning day or sun.
Pigment Name: PB29 Ultramarine [Blue]
Classification: 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 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 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. Modern Ultramarine is 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: PB15:3 Phthalo Blue
Classification: Organic
Chemical Composition: Beta copper phthalocyanine
Properties
Phthalo Blue PB15:3 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more greenish tones.
Permanence
Phthalo Blues are lightfast, stable, and permanent for all paint uses. 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 Blues have no significant hazards, although those made before 1982 contained some PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
History
Developed by chemists using the trade name Monastral Blue, the organic blue dyestuff, now known as Phthalo Blue, was presented as a pigment in November 1935 in London. Its discovery was accidental. The dark colour was observed in a kettle where a dye was made from a British dyestuff plant. The demand for such a pigment came from commercial printers who wanted a cyan to replace Prussian Blue.
Pigment Name: PW7 Zinc Sulphide White
Classification: Inorganic
Chemical Composition: Zinc sulphide
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 to manufacture invisible ink that glows with ultraviolet light and fluorescent paints.
