Tuesday, December 8, 2020

YInMn Blue

YInMn Blue or Yin Min blue is a recently developed inorganic pigment, the first inorganic blue pigment discovered since cobalt blue was discovered in 1802. 


The pigment was accidentally discovered a decade ago by Professor M.A. Subramanian in Oregon. Composed of yttrium, indium, and manganese, it yields a blue pigment that is chemically stable, fade-proof, opaque and non-toxic. 

Because some of the ingredients are fairly rare, the patented pigment is still mostly inaccessible as an artist's color, but Gamblin has made a 164-tube limited run of the color for oil painters at a cost of $75 per tube. 

Professor Subramanian has experimented with other variations of the basic recipe, substituting some less expensive ingredients, and the result has been some additional colors, which also look promising.
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9 comments:

  1. Steve GilzowDecember 8, 2020 at 9:17 AM

    Gamblin also provides a "recipe" for approximating Yin MIn Blue: 20% Ultramarine Blue mixed with 80% Cobalt Blue.

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  2. Virginia FhinnDecember 8, 2020 at 9:26 AM

    As soon as I got the emaile from Gamblin I went to check it out- sold out! Probably sold out about 4 seconds after going on the market 😂 Did anyone get a tube?

    ReplyDelete
  3. LotheredoiseeDecember 8, 2020 at 10:59 AM

    What an interesting item to post. I remember being warned about flake white and anything cadmium, still trying to break the habit of not
    Using saliva to form brushes after washing a zillion years ago in art school.

    Thanks for posting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sandra StraitDecember 8, 2020 at 11:59 AM

    Golden Custom Labs also offered YlnMn Blue as a QoR watercolor. It had to be special ordered, so I'm not sure if it's still available. It was too expensive, but you can't really see what a color is like unless you see it in real life, so I had to buy a tube. I'm glad I did, but I doubt it will be a color I use often.

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  5. TerryDecember 8, 2020 at 7:17 PM

    Couldn't they name it something you could pronounce? But wow, it's gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownDecember 9, 2020 at 1:04 AM

    I found the book - Color: A natural history of the palette, by Victoria Finlay which tells the story of how colors for paints were developed,fascinating.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownDecember 9, 2020 at 12:12 PM

    Looks like a great blue to try. I don't really need it since I already have more paint in my cabinet than I will use in my lifetime. But its almost like collecting. I would love to see if this blue could become a staple on my palette.

    ReplyDelete

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