Elvis had his Blue Christmas. Picasso had his Blue Period. And thanks to a freak discovery in a laboratory, the world now has a brand new
Blue Pigment. This is news about hues, and the close ties between science and art.
"Basically, this was an accidental discovery," said Mas Subramanian, a materials scientist at Oregon State University. “Our work had nothing to do with looking for a pigment.” The researchers were attempting to make chemical compounds with novel electronic properties.
Eureka-time came when a mix of manganese oxide, which is black, and other chemicals were heated to around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The superheated manganese was transformed into a crystal structure that reflected only blue light, while completely absorbing the red and green wavelengths.
“I was shocked, actually,” Dr. Subramanian said. "I realized immediately that something amazing had happened." The new planet-friendly pigment is a truer, bluer blue than anyone has ever known or seen.
People for millennia sought ways to paint things blue, often with limited success. The early Egyptians developed some of the first blue pigments, as did Mayan cultures, the Han dynasty in China, and others. It took until the 20th century to resolve the durability, safety and cost issues associated with blue pigments and blue paints.
Today's artists have several dependable and heavenly blues to choose:
ultramarine,
cobalt,
magnesium,
prussian,
cerulean,
indigo,
phthalo,
indanthrone and more.
The blue discovered in Oregon has proven safe and durable, and could eventually find uses in everything from inkjet printers to automobiles, textiles to house paint, as well as fine art paints, according to findings in published by the
American Chemical Society.
At present, we can only guess when this new blue color it will become available at your friendly BINDERS art supply store. Nor can we say how it will perform when squeezed out of a paint tube.
What will be the name of this new blue? The discoverers have not yet decided what to call it. If you’d like to suggest a name, send it to us for posting. For now, BINDERS BLUE sounds like a pretty good name to us.
Visit the BINDERS website at
www.bindersart.com!
And, as our gift to you, BINDERS slashes 20% off select gift cards -- now $50 Gift Cards are just $40 and $100 Gift Cards are just $80 when purchased in store til December 31, 2009. These little gems, available year-round both online and in store in values of $25, $50, $75, $100, $250 and $500, make terrific gifts because recipients get to buy whatever they please. Whatever they choose, they have only you to thank. To give or to receive, everybody loves BINDERS Gift Cards.
Just as sweet, BINDERS enables you to create your very own Wish List for Holiday Art Supplies. Simply shop BINDERS website to find the items you most want and click “Add to Wish List.” Then just click “Tell a Friend” and we will send a tasteful email to each of your listed friends and family to tell them exactly what art supplies you really want from BINDERS. Subtle yet effective, it surely beats writing to the North Pole.
