Studying Paint Labels

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Studying Paint Labels

January 10th, 2011 No Comments

In historic occasions artists manufactured their very own paints, so that they knew specifically what to anticipate from them. Since the paint market started to build with all the discovery of new pigments and artificial colours throughout the nineteenth century, this apply fell by the wayside. In recent times, however, artists have taken a significantly higher curiosity in their paints, partly since of a higher consciousness of your risks inherent in some pigments.
Simply because with the efforts of a lot of inside the market the American Society for Screening and Resources (ASTM) has established a set of voluntary criteria for paint production, which contains labeling with the goods to incorporate essential data for artists. I suggest that artists understand the which means from the phrases to the labels so that they can get their paints to go well with their wants.

The data will fluctuate relying to the medium and also the producer. Right here are some important numbers and symbols on my Winsor & Newton artists’ watercolors:

* Paint name, given in five languages, followed by manufacturer’s stock number
* Series number, designating the price level from 1-4 with 1 as lowest price
* Permanency rating AA, A, B, with AA highest and B lowest (moderately durable, 3 hues only in W&N) N/L means Not Listed–most of your newer hues haven’t as yet been rated by ASTM, although manufacturers claim they have been tested by ASTM specifications in the course of manufacture.
* Lightfastness, the ASTM rating shown on newer labels; I=excellent, II=very good, III=moderate, IV=poor
* Weight–given in milliliters and fluid ounces
* Health label–ACMI (Art and Craft Supplies Institute) rating for safety of use
* Pigment name and Color Index Number–an international classification designating the chemical composition and a code number for the pigments used from the paint, e.g. PB15:3=phthalocyanine blue green shade

All of this data is critical, but artists have different criteria for paint selection. One might be more interested in toxicity, another in lightfastness and another in size of tube and price level. Not all manufacturers have this significantly details on their tubes, but you can usually find what you want to know in their sales literature, by calling customer support or checking their web sites.

See my other paint articles and chapter three of Exploring Color pp. 32-45. Also, look at my paint FAQ.

I highly recomment David Pyle’s book, Paint & Hues: What Every Artist Desires to Know, comprehensive coverage from the history of pigments to the behavior of paints and safety issues.