PAYNE'S GREY

A mixture of Ultramarine blue, raw sienna, black and white. Does however come from manufacturer's pre-mixed under this name.

PERMALBA

A titnaium pigment, manufactured by F. Weber Co. of Philadelphia in 1921. Was at one time, the best known white pigment used by artists. It was 78% pigment with 22% oil, (which must have prevented it from yellowing.) It's hiding power was greater than that of flake white, and had no chemical reactions to other pigments. It was completely permanent and worked in all techniques. Today it is not nearly so well-known: it would be interesting to find out why.

PERMANENT BLUE

Artificial ultramarine blue.

PERMANENT GREEN

A minor sort of chromium oxide brilliant which has been strongly adulterated with barite and in mixtures is naturally less high in coloring strength. Also a name that often applies to mixtures of Viridian with a yellow pigment such as cadmium yellow or zinc yellow. It may also contain zinc oxide.

PERMANENT GREEN LIGHT

A much used mixture of chromium oxide brilliant with cadmium, lemon or light, and in this case is absolutely reliable. But here as with all mixtures, the composition often differs.

PHTHALOCYANINE BLUE

Also known as monastral blue, phthalo blue or copper phthalocyanine, is an organic blue dyestuff that was developed by chemists under the trade name, "monastral blue" and presented as a pigment in London, November 1935, claiming that it was the most important blue discovery since Prussian blue in 1704, and artificial ultramarine, in 1824, and was a superior pigment to both. It is prepared by fusing together phthalic anhydride and urea to copper chloride, first washing it in dilute caustic soda and then in dilute hydrochloric acid. It then becomes copper phthalocyanine, but is not conditioned as a pigment until it is dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid and carefully washed in excess water and filtered, the resulting paste being used thus directly in the preparation of lakes by adsorption on aluminum hydrate, or dried for incorporation into non-aqueous mediums. It is a highly complex organic synthesis. Pure copper phthaliocyanine in crystalline form is a deep blue with a strong bronze reflection, but when dry in pigment form is bright blue without any bronziness. They' re lightfast, and an ideal pure blue for it absorbs light almost completely except for the green and blue bands. There are other phthalocyanine colors as well, which are equally lightfast. However when photographed, this line of colors tends to turn brown in the camera lens, being logically attributed to the fact that though it absorbs all other colors of light, there must be some refractive or reflective bounce of the initial bronze tone of the mineral in crystal that is not evident to the eye. There is evidence of this in the work of Brice Marden, who uses Phthalo colors, all of which photograph brownish in all variety of light and film stocks.

PRUSSIAN BROWN

Prepared by heating Prussian blue. This color when well washed and dried is permanent.

PRUSSIAN, PARIS OR BERLIN BLUE

The pre pigment is called Paris blue, has a coppery reddish sheen, and is a compound of iron and cyanogen. Antwerp blue and Milori blue are adulterated products which, because of their intense chromatic power, are often met with. Paris blue is non-poisonous, uncommonly strong in coloring power and very permanent in all techniques except fresco, where it loses intensity and leaves rust colored spots. It can also in very light mixtures be known to bleach out. It is instantly discolored by potassium hydroxide, and is sensitive to all alkalis, therefore useless in fresco, where indanthrene blue is a better substitute. Paris blue dries well but takes up 80% oil, of which poppy or nut oil is preferable, as linseed becomes granular. Paris blue in paintings is splendid when used with oxide of chromium brilliant or in shadows when mixed with madder lake; being sparing in its use, because as an oil color, it tends to give the picture a darker, heavier character than cobalt blue or ultramarine. It can be used in tempera and watercolors, where when mixed with zinc white, it has the peculiar characteristic of fading when exposed to light, but completely regaining its chromatic strength in the dark.

PURPLE MADDER

Same as Purple Lake: is permanent to diffused indoor light, but not to ultra-violet light. Never use on work that will be exposed to direct sunlight.