It’s all a hue now. Here’s great information from WN. “ Colour Story: Manganese Blue
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The name manganese comes from the Latin word magnesia – also the name of a region in Thessaly, Greece. This is where the ancient Magnetes tribe lived and where the mineral pyrolusite, the main ore of manganese dioxide, is naturally found. Although manganese dioxide is naturally occurring and used in early prehistoric paintings, it is a dark earth tone bearing no resemblance to the colour we now know.
Manganese itself is not found as a free element in nature, and in 1774, the Swedish chemist Johan Gottlieb Gahn was the first to reduce a sample of manganese dioxide to manganese metal. Manganese blue itself is a modern, inorganic synthetic pigment invented in 1907 and patented in 1935. It is produced by heating sodium sulphate, potassium permanganate and barium nitrate at 750-800 degrees Celsius to create barium manganate. This is a clear and punchy azure blue.
Like many modern pigments, manganese blue was first employed in commercial industry, where it was widely used to tint cement for swimming pools. It then became popular as an artist’s colour and this continued until production of barium manganate was phased out worldwide in the 1970s. Although production of manganese blue paint from pigment stocks continued in Germany until the 1990s, this soon became unfeasible due to the cost, and changes in environmental and safety regulations.
Today Winsor & Newton expertly formulates a Manganese Blue Hue made from the pigment PB15, belonging to the phthalocyanine family. This is a clear, greenish azure blue based on the original manganese blue, offering a safe and sustainable alternative.”
Awesome segment Marc. Thank you. Painted my first canvas yesterday with focus on sky. Fun and challenging. “Whites of clouds warm further into the distance…”. Wow, I think I heard that right. Does that go as well with a snowy landscape? I’m so glad I just joined with subscription! Looking forward to more and more👍
Hi Marc. You mentioned Manganese Blue as a slightly warmer blue beneficial in skies. I see that many sites sell Manganese Blue Hue. Is that a suitable substitute or should I persist in my search for the real McCoy?
Thank you Marc. The knowledge you are sharing is making a positive difference. The painting is so subtle that I’ve re-watched 6 times. I pick up something each time. The depth you are creating using linear and atmospheric perspective is astounding. Linear perspective with size and scale and overlap. Atmospheric with the temperatures of the light described using the physical properties of light. I recall your color mixing talk from your workshop. It is very helpful to hear your audio commentary applied to the particular piece as you make decisions on which yellow or blue and why.
Skies are also one of my favourite subjects to paint. Do you find fast drying acrylics help you more with the layering than oils would? Also did you end up painting in that lovely spot of pink I noted in the photo?
It’s all a hue now. Here’s great information from WN. “ Colour Story: Manganese Blue
Like
Share
Favorite this
This article has been liked 14 times
Colours
The name manganese comes from the Latin word magnesia – also the name of a region in Thessaly, Greece. This is where the ancient Magnetes tribe lived and where the mineral pyrolusite, the main ore of manganese dioxide, is naturally found. Although manganese dioxide is naturally occurring and used in early prehistoric paintings, it is a dark earth tone bearing no resemblance to the colour we now know.
Manganese itself is not found as a free element in nature, and in 1774, the Swedish chemist Johan Gottlieb Gahn was the first to reduce a sample of manganese dioxide to manganese metal. Manganese blue itself is a modern, inorganic synthetic pigment invented in 1907 and patented in 1935. It is produced by heating sodium sulphate, potassium permanganate and barium nitrate at 750-800 degrees Celsius to create barium manganate. This is a clear and punchy azure blue.
Like many modern pigments, manganese blue was first employed in commercial industry, where it was widely used to tint cement for swimming pools. It then became popular as an artist’s colour and this continued until production of barium manganate was phased out worldwide in the 1970s. Although production of manganese blue paint from pigment stocks continued in Germany until the 1990s, this soon became unfeasible due to the cost, and changes in environmental and safety regulations.
Today Winsor & Newton expertly formulates a Manganese Blue Hue made from the pigment PB15, belonging to the phthalocyanine family. This is a clear, greenish azure blue based on the original manganese blue, offering a safe and sustainable alternative.”
Awesome segment Marc. Thank you. Painted my first canvas yesterday with focus on sky. Fun and challenging. “Whites of clouds warm further into the distance…”. Wow, I think I heard that right. Does that go as well with a snowy landscape? I’m so glad I just joined with subscription! Looking forward to more and more👍
Hi Marc. You mentioned Manganese Blue as a slightly warmer blue beneficial in skies. I see that many sites sell Manganese Blue Hue. Is that a suitable substitute or should I persist in my search for the real McCoy?
Thanks
Thank you Marc. The knowledge you are sharing is making a positive difference. The painting is so subtle that I’ve re-watched 6 times. I pick up something each time. The depth you are creating using linear and atmospheric perspective is astounding. Linear perspective with size and scale and overlap. Atmospheric with the temperatures of the light described using the physical properties of light. I recall your color mixing talk from your workshop. It is very helpful to hear your audio commentary applied to the particular piece as you make decisions on which yellow or blue and why.
Stay safe and well -
Learning a great deal from the videos you’ve sent thus far. Looking forward to seeing and listening to more of your thoughtful narrative.
Skies are also one of my favourite subjects to paint. Do you find fast drying acrylics help you more with the layering than oils would? Also did you end up painting in that lovely spot of pink I noted in the photo?
I’ll definitely come back to this one again, lots of good color info and palette work to digest and try out.
That’s an interesting idea and one that I would seriously consider taking advantage of. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more on this 😊.
Have you ever considered a live Zoom class where the participants can ask questions in real time? Just a thought..,