Phthal green (PG7 – PG36)

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There is nothing in nature that is as green as phthalo green. What is the use of such a color? It is almost ridiculously pure and green.

When a new student comes to my courses who already have paint and have painted before, they usually have an unused pan of phthalo green in their box. They have tested the paint once, a long time ago, and found that it can’t be used.

Still, the color is important in a palette intended for mixing, if you want to be able to mix ALL color shades, phthalo green is a must.

There are two variants of the pigment, One cold, (blue shade – PG7) and one warm (Yellow Shade – PG36). Because the yellow shade is the complementary color to quinacridone rose, it is the best of them to use for mixing. It is very good from a mixing point of view to have a complementary color available.

The manufacturers’ range of green colors is impressive considering that there are only a few green pigments available. This is because most are mixed colors, they consist of several pigments. Virtually all green ready-mixed colors have phthalo green as the main ingredient. The explanation for this is simple: From a blending point of view, phthalo green is superior to all other greens. The color is very important for the paint manufacturers, maybe it can be important for you too.

The most common pigments to mix phthalo green with are yellow and red. The yellow is used to make the color less aggressive, more natural and a complementary red to make it a little softer.

In other words, it is not a color to be used unmixed, it is far too unnaturally pure for this. But the color is very good as a green base for different mixtures. If you do not want to mix color yourself, but rely on the manufacturers’ ready-mixed varieties, phthalo green is not for you, but if you like to mix yourself, it is the best starting point for green color mixes. A must in the color mixer’s arsenal.

Information

Color index: PG7 | PG36
Phthalogreen is is developed from phthalo blue, chlorinated copper phthalocyanine. The yellow tone is brominated copper phthalocyanine. Both colors are completely non-toxic.
Lightfastness: Very good
Transparency: Very high
Staining: Extremely much, dries with beautiful edges,
Granulates: Not at all