Art Spectrum Artists' Soft Pastel - Phthalo Blue 530N

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PBk11-Mars Black

PB15:3-Phthalo Blue

Pigment Name

PBk11-Mars Black

Pigment Type

earth

Chemical Name

iron oxides

Chemical Formula

FeO or Fe2O3

Properties

Mars Black is an opaque black with a strong and cool masstone, a slightly warm tint, and a warm brown undertone. It is not as black as Ivory Black, but it dries more quickly and has three times the tinting strength. Mars Black is normally the only black available in acrylic form and that is safe to over paint. It can be used in all media without reservation and is widely used as an alternative to Lamp Black and Ivory Black.

Permanence

Mars Black is very lightfast with excellent permanence.

Toxicity

Mars Black has no significant hazards and is the only major black pigment considered non-toxic.

History

The word Mars refers to the Roman god of iron and war. Mars Black was developed in the early 20th century from inorganic, synthetic iron oxide.

Pigment Name

PB15:3-Phthalo Blue

Pigment Type

organic

Chemical Name

beta copper phthalocyanine

Chemical Formula

C32H16CuN8

Properties

Phthalo Blue PB15:3 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more greenish 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.