Pigment Information
This color contains the following pigments:
PBk7-Lamp Black
PB15:1-Phthalo Blue
PV19-Quinacridone Violet
Pigment Name
PBk7-Lamp Black
Pigment Type
inorganic
Chemical Name
carbon
Chemical Formula
C
Properties
Lamp black is a very opaque, heavily staining black pigment that does not have much covering or tinting power. It is typically the most opaque black in watercolor form. Though a very pure black, it tends to muddy slightly in mixtures. Natural sources may be brownish or bluish in tone because of impurities. When used in oil paints, it is one of the slowest drying pigments, and should not be used in underpainting or applied in layers underneath other colors.
Permanence
Lamp Black is very lightfast and absolutely permanent. It is used in all techniques in permanent painting.
Toxicity
Carbon itself is not considered hazardous, however other combustion products that are hazardous are often present as impurities when Lamp Black is produced from natural materials. For this reason, commercial preparations of the pigment should be considere
History
Lamp Black is a carbon based black traditionally produced by collecting soot (known as lampblack) from oil lamps. It has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times. It is the black found in Egyptian murals and tomb decorations and was the most popular black for fresco painting until the development of Mars Black.
Pigment Name
PB15:1-Phthalo Blue
Pigment Type
organic
Chemical Name
alpha copper phthalocyanine
Chemical Formula
C32H16CuN8
Properties
Phthalo Blue PB15:1 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more reddish tones.
Permanence
Phthalo Blues are completely lightfast and stable and are permanent for all paint uses. 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 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 color was observed in a kettle where a dye was being 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
PV19-Quinacridone Violet
Pigment Type
organic synthetic, quinacridone
Chemical Formula
C20H12N2O2
Properties
Quinacridone Red is a high performance, transparent pigment with an average drying time and uneven dispersal. It is another name for Quinacridone Violet (PV19) and Quinacridone Red (PR192). Quinacridone pigments have relatively low tinting strength in general. For this reason, quinacridone colors are often expensive, because more pigment is required in the formulation.
Permanence
Quinacridone Violet has excellent lightfastness and is considered the most lightfast organic pigment in this shade range.
Toxicity
Quinacridone Violet has no known acute hazards. Overexposure to quinacridone pigments may cause skin irritation. Quinicridone pigments contain a compound found to be a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.
History
Although quinacridone compounds became known in the late 19th century, methods of manufacturing so as to make them practical for use as commercial pigments did not begin until the 1950s. Quinacridone pigments were first developed as coatings for the automotive industry, but were quickly adopted by artists.
