Sennelier Watercolour S1 Royal Blue (322)

Royal Blue (322) Phthalo Blue PB15:6 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more yellowish tones. Titanium White is the most brilliant of the white pigments. Its masstone is neither warm nor cool, semi-opaque in watercolour form. 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, 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.

Pigment Name: Phthalo Blue PB15:6 

Phthalo Blue is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more yellowish tones. Chemical Name: epsilon copper phthalocyanine

Permanence: Phthalo Blues are completely 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.

Alternate Names: n/a

Pigment Name: PW6—Titanium White

Titanium White is the most brilliant of the white pigments. It is considered an all-purpose oil colour useful in all techniques and the best all-around white. Its masstone is neither warm nor cool, placing it somewhere 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. If inhaled in large amounts over the course of several years, Titanium White may cause a benign pneumoconiosis that is visible on x-rays. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers fine titanium dioxide particles, if inhaled, to be human carcinogens. Artists' primary concern is avoiding exposure to fine particulate dust from raw pigments.

History: Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. However, mineral deposits that are economical to mine are less common. 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 the Greek word tito, meaning day or sun.

Alternate Names: None.

Pigment Name: PB29—Ultramarine [Blue]

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. Chemical Name: complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulphur.

Permanence: Ultramarine has excellent permanence, although synthetic Ultramarine is not as permanent as 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 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.

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 named for genuine Lapiz Ultramarine. Sky Blue is a pale tone of Ultramarine.