Color Swatch created using full strength/50/50 and was applied on cold press Bristol board (2 ply) material.
This color contains the following pigments:
PBk6—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 power. It is typically the most opaque black in watercolor form. Though a very pure black, it tends to muddy slightly in mixtures, is one of the slowest drying pigments in oils, and should not be used under other colors.
Permanence
Lamp Black is very lightfast and absolutely permanent. It is used in all techniques in permanent painting.
Toxicity
Lamp Black is slightly toxic by skin contact and inhalation. It is a possible human carcinogen.
History
Lamp Black is a carbon based black traditionally produced by collecting soot (known as lampblack) from oil lamps. It is the black found in Egyptian murals and tomb decorations and was the most popular black for frescoing until the development of Mars Black.
Alternate Names
Carbon Black, Channel Black, Oil Black, Vegetable Black. Flame Black is an impure version of Lamp Black.
PB27—Prussian Blue
Pigment Type
inorganic
Chemical Name
ferric ferrocyanide/iron(III)-hexacyanoferrate(II)
Chemical Formula
Fe7(CN)18(H2O)x or C6FeN6H4N
Properties
Prussian Blue is a semi-transparent, deep cyan-blue with a greenish undertone and a very high tinting strength unequaled by most pigments. It is similar to Phthalo Blue unless mixed with white, when it gives up intensity and becomes smoky. It can behave erratically and less reliably in oil and watercolor form depending on its manufacture. For permanent painting Phthalo Blue is considered a more reliable choice.
Permanence
Prussian Blue is lightfast and permanent in all techniques except for fresco. When mixed with Zinc White in watercolor or tempera form, it fades upon exposure to light and completely regains its chromatic strength in the dark. Modern manufacturing techniques have made this tendency less of an issue in recent years
Toxicity
Prussian Blue is moderately toxic if ingested. It will emit toxic hydrogen cyanide gas if heated, exposed to ultraviolet radiation, or treated with acid.
History
"The first of the modern pigments," Prussian Blue is the first artificial pigment with a known history. It was discovered by accident in 1704 by the Berlin color maker Heinrich Diesbach, who was trying to create a pigment with a red hue by mixing iron sulfate and potash. The potash Diesbach purchased from a local laboratory had been contaminated by animal oil and blood during previous experimentation. The resulting mixture yielded a very pale red that changed to purple and then deep blue when he tried to concentrate it. Since previous blue pigments came from lapis lazuli, an expensive stone, Diesbach’s discovery was extremely important for artists of the time.
Alternate Names
Berlin Blue, Bronze Blue, Iron Blue, Paris Blue, Paste Blue. Celestial Blue, Monthier Blue and Soluble Blue are varieties of Prussian Blue. Blue Lake is a reduced or let-down variety of Prussian Blue. Chinese Blue, Milori Blue, and Steel Blue are the three highest grades of Prussian Blue.
