Understanding Pigment Index: The Essential Guide for Artists

When it comes to creating vibrant and lasting artworks, understanding the pigments in your paints is crucial. The pigment index is a standardized system that provides a wealth of information about the pigments used in artist paints, enabling artists to make informed choices. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the pigment index, explore different types of pigments, and offer insights into how this knowledge can enhance your art practice.

What is the Pigment Index?

The pigment index is a system developed by the Colour Index International, jointly published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists (UK) and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (USA). It assigns a unique code to each pigment based on its chemical composition and color. This code consists of a letter indicating the color family (e.g., PY for yellow, PR for red) followed by a number that specifies the particular pigment.

The Significance of Pigment Index Codes

Understanding pigment index codes can help artists in several ways:

1. Color Consistency: Different brands may use various names for the same pigment, but the pigment index code ensures you’re getting the same color.
2. Lightfastness: Pigments vary in their resistance to fading when exposed to light. Knowing the pigment index allows you to research the lightfastness of your paints.
3. Transparency and Opacity: Pigments have different levels of transparency. Understanding the properties of each pigment helps in layering and glazing techniques.
4. Mixing Properties: Some pigments mix well with others, while some can create muddy colors. Knowing your pigments can improve your color mixing.

Exploring Different Pigments

Let’s look at some common pigments across various color families and their unique properties.

Yellow Pigments (PY)

• PY1: Hansa Yellow G – A bright, semi-transparent yellow with good lightfastness. Ideal for mixing and glazing.
• PY3: Hansa Yellow 10G – Bright yellow with high tinting strength and excellent lightfastness.
• PY35: Bismuth Vanadate Yellow – Opaque with excellent lightfastness. A good alternative to Cadmium Yellow for artists looking for non-toxic options.
• PY40: Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow) – Transparent and lightfast, often used in watercolors for its luminosity.
• PY42: Yellow Iron Oxide – Opaque with good lightfastness, providing earthy yellow tones.
• PY53: Nickel Titanate Yellow – Semi-opaque with good lightfastness, offering a cooler yellow shade.
• PY65: Arylide Yellow 5GX – Bright yellow with good lightfastness, often used for its high tinting strength.
• PY74: Arylide Yellow 5GX – Similar to PY65 with high tinting strength and good lightfastness.
• PY83: Diarylide Yellow HR – Bright and semi-transparent with excellent lightfastness.
• PY97: Azo Yellow – Transparent with good lightfastness, often used in watercolors.
• PY138: Benzimidazolone Yellow – Bright, transparent yellow with excellent lightfastness.
• PY139: Isoindoline Yellow – Opaque yellow with good lightfastness, offering a warm tone.
• PY150: Nickel Azo Yellow – Transparent yellow with high tinting strength and good lightfastness.
• PY151: Benzimidazolone Yellow H3G – Bright and lightfast, with good mixing properties.
• PY154: Benzimidazolone Yellow H4G – Similar to PY151 with excellent lightfastness.
• PY175: Benzimidazolone Yellow F3G-A – Transparent and lightfast, offering a vibrant yellow.
• PY184: Bismuth Vanadate Yellow – Opaque with excellent lightfastness, a good non-toxic alternative to cadmium pigments.
• PY216: Bismuth Yellow – Opaque yellow with good lightfastness.

Red Pigments (PR)

• PR4: Toluidine Red – Bright red with good tinting strength, often used in printmaking.
• PR9: Permanent Red FR – Opaque red with good lightfastness, offering vibrant hues.
• PR48: Permanent Red F2R – Semi-transparent with good lightfastness, used in various media.
• PR83: Alizarin Crimson – A historical pigment known for its rich, deep red. However, it is not very lightfast.
• PR101: Synthetic Iron Oxide – Versatile with excellent lightfastness, used for earthy reds and browns.
• PR122: Quinacridone Magenta – Bright, transparent magenta with excellent lightfastness.
• PR170: Naphthol Red – Bright, semi-transparent red with good lightfastness.
• PR177: Anthraquinone Red – Deep, transparent red with excellent lightfastness.
• PR179: Perylene Maroon – Dark, semi-transparent maroon with good lightfastness.
• PR188: Naphthol AS Red – Bright, semi-transparent red with good lightfastness.
• PR202: Quinacridone Red – Bright, transparent red with excellent lightfastness.
• PR206: Quinacridone Burnt Orange – Transparent with good lightfastness, offering a deep, warm tone.
• PR207: Anthraquinone Red – Similar to PR177 with excellent lightfastness.
• PR209: Quinacridone Scarlet – Bright, transparent red with excellent lightfastness.
• PR233: Pyrrole Red – Bright, opaque red with high lightfastness, suitable for vibrant primary red hues.
• PR254: Pyrrole Red – Bright, opaque red with high lightfastness, often used for its vibrancy.
• PR264: DPP Red (Diketopyrrolo-pyrrole) – Deep, opaque red with excellent lightfastness.

Blue Pigments (PB)

• PB15:0: Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) – Intense, staining blue with high tinting strength and excellent lightfastness.
• PB15:1: Phthalo Blue (Red Shade) – Similar to PB15:0 but with a warmer tone.
• PB15:3: Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) – A powerful, staining blue with high tinting strength and excellent lightfastness. Great for mixing.
• PB15:6: Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) – Another variant of Phthalo Blue with excellent lightfastness.
• PB16: Phthalo Cyanine Blue – Bright blue with high tinting strength and good lightfastness.
• PB28: Cobalt Blue – A staple in many palettes, known for its deep, vibrant blue. It is semi-transparent with excellent lightfastness.
• PB29: Ultramarine Blue – Deep, vibrant blue with good lightfastness and semi-transparency.
• PB33: Ultramarine Blue (Green Shade) – Similar to PB29 but with a cooler tone.
• PB35: Cobalt Chromite Blue – Bright, semi-transparent blue with good lightfastness.
• PB36: Cobalt Chromite Blue Green – Semi-transparent with good lightfastness, offering a slightly muted, cool blue.
• PB60: Indanthrone Blue – Deep, transparent blue with excellent lightfastness.
• PB66: Cobalt Blue Deep – Dark, rich blue with good lightfastness.
• PB74: Cobalt Blue Deep – Another variant of deep cobalt blue with excellent lightfastness.

Green Pigments (PG)

• PG7: Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) – Intense and versatile, this green has excellent lightfastness and is perfect for mixing vibrant greens.
• PG8: Phthalo Green (Yellow Shade) – Bright, yellow-green with high tinting strength and good lightfastness.
• PG10: Chromic Oxide Green – Opaque green with good lightfastness, used for muted greens.
• PG17: Chromium Oxide Green – Opaque and lightfast, used for more muted, earthy greens.
• PG18: Chrome Oxide Green – Opaque and lightfast, providing deep green tones.
• PG19: Cobalt Green Deep – Dark green with good lightfastness.
• PG26: Cobalt Chromite Green – Bright, semi-transparent green with good lightfastness.
• PG36: Phthalo Green (Yellow Shade) – Intense green with excellent lightfastness, often used in mixes.
• PG50: Cobalt Green – A beautiful, semi-transparent green with good lightfastness, often used in fine art for its unique hue.
• PG80: Cobalt Green – Another variant of cobalt green with excellent lightfastness.

White Pigments (PW)

• PW4: Zinc White – Less opaque than Titanium White, often used for glazing and mixing to maintain transparency.
• PW5: Lithopone – Historical white pigment, less common today.
• PW6: Titanium White – The most common white pigment, known for its opacity and excellent lightfastness. Essential for mixing and highlights.
• PW18: Lithopone – Another variant of Lithopone, used historically.
• PW20: Barium Sulfate – Used as a filler or extender in paints.
• PW21: Antimony White – Historical white pigment, less common today.
• PW24: Lead White – Historical white pigment known for its warmth and opacity, but toxic.

Black Pigments (PBk)

• PBk1: Aniline Black – Deep, intense black with good lightfastness.
• PBk6: Carbon Black – Deep, intense black with high tinting strength. Commonly used in all painting mediums.
• PBk7: Lamp Black – Deep black with good tinting strength and excellent lightfastness.
• PBk8: Vine Black – Made from charred grape vines, with a warmer undertone.
• PBk9: Bone Black – Made from charred animal bones, it has a slightly warmer undertone compared to Carbon Black.
• PBk10: Graphite – Used for its metallic sheen and good lightfastness.
• PBk11: Mars Black – An opaque black with excellent lightfastness, often used as a non-toxic alternative to other black pigments.
• PBk19: Chromium Iron Oxide Black – Deep black with excellent lightfastness.

Orange Pigments (PO)

• PO13: Benzimidazolone Orange – Bright orange with good lightfastness.
• PO16: Cadmium Orange – Opaque and bright with excellent lightfastness.
• PO20: Cadmium Orange – Another variant of cadmium orange with good opacity and lightfastness.
• PO34: Benzimidazolone Orange – Bright and lightfast, used in various media.
• PO36: Pyrrole Orange – Bright, opaque orange with excellent lightfastness.
• PO43: Transparent Pyrrole Orange – Semi-transparent with good lightfastness.
• PO48: Quinacridone Orange – Transparent with good lightfastness, offering a deep, warm tone.
• PO62: Arylide Orange – Bright, semi-transparent orange with good lightfastness.
• PO64: Benzimidazolone Orange – Bright and lightfast, used in various media.

Violet Pigments (PV)

• PV14: Cobalt Violet – Bright, semi-transparent violet with good lightfastness.
• PV15: Ultramarine Violet – Deep, transparent violet with good lightfastness.
• PV19: Quinacridone Violet – Bright, transparent violet with excellent lightfastness.
• PV23: Dioxazine Violet – Deep, intense violet with high tinting strength and excellent lightfastness.
• PV29: Ultramarine Violet – Similar to PV15 with a cooler tone.
• PV37: Permanent Violet – Bright, semi-transparent violet with good lightfastness.
• PV42: Manganese Violet – Semi-transparent violet with good lightfastness.

Brown Pigments (PBr)

• PBr6: Raw Umber – Earthy brown with good lightfastness and opacity.
• PBr7: Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna – Earthy browns with good lightfastness and opacity.
• PBr24: Zinc Iron Chromite Brown – Dark brown with good lightfastness.
• PBr25: Benzimidazolone Brown – Deep, transparent brown with excellent lightfastness.
• PBr33: Transparent Iron Oxide Brown – Transparent brown with good lightfastness.
• PBr41: Chromium Iron Oxide Brown – Deep brown with good lightfastness.

Practical Tips for Artists

1. Label Your Paints: Always note the pigment index on your paint tubes or palettes. This helps in maintaining consistency across your artworks.
2. Create a Swatch Chart: Test each pigment on your preferred painting surface to understand its properties—opacity, transparency, tinting strength, and how it mixes with other colors.
3. Research Lightfastness: Use the pigment index to look up lightfastness ratings. This ensures your artworks remain vibrant over time.
4. Experiment: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pigments. Each has its unique characteristics that can bring new dimensions to your work.

Conclusion

Understanding the pigment index is an invaluable tool for artists. It provides clarity and control over the materials, enabling you to make informed decisions about your paint choices. By familiarizing yourself with the various pigments and their properties, you can enhance your technique, ensure the longevity of your artwork, and achieve the desired effects in your paintings. So next time you pick up a tube of paint, take a moment to check the pigment index and let it guide your creative process.