Jan 18, 2021 13:30:00

How are artists accepting the new blue 'YInMn Blue' that was discovered for the first time in 200 years?

In 2017,

Crayola , a long-established crayon maker, announced that it would sell 'a new blue discovered for the first time in 200 years' as a crayon, which became a big topic. In the world of art, there used to be a painter who went bankrupt because he was particular about pigments, but this blue called ' YInMn Blue ' has also been reported to have soaring prices and the formation of a black market.

The First Blue Pigment Discovered in 200 Years Is Finally Commercially Available. Here's Why It Already Has a Loyal Following
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/yinmn-blue-comes-market-1921665

In 2009, a 'new blue' was accidentally discovered by a team of Professor Mas Sabramanan of the University of Oregon. The new blue color discovered for the first time in 200 years is called 'YInMn Blue' after the three elements 'yttrium (Y)', 'indium (In)' and 'manganese (Mn)'.

How did the new blue 'YInMn Blue' for the first time in 200 years come from the laboratory? And can you find a new 'red'? --GIGAZINE

The discovery of YInMn Blue spread quickly among art-related people, and many manufacturers that manufacture and sell paints and paints sought commercialization. Kremer Pigmente in Germany and Golden Artist Colors in the United States are one of them, but he said he had to wait several years before getting the material. During that time, there was an inquiry from an art person, 'Is there any YInMn blue paint?'

Things changed a lot when the Shepherd Color Company in Ohio, USA, obtained a commercial license to sell YInMn Blue in 2016. This makes it possible to produce YInMn Blue, which was produced in the laboratory in units of several grams, in units of hundreds of kilograms at a time.

And in 2017, when Crayola, a long-established crayon maker, introduced the YInMn Blue crayon, YInMn Blue will be in the limelight worldwide.

The new 'blue' born in the laboratory will appear as a new color of a long-established crayon maker, and we are looking for a name --GIGAZINE

One of the reasons why YInMn Blue attracted attention is its high opacity. High opacity means that the color develops well without the need for a large amount of paint or recoating when coating. Another feature is that the material is kept air-cooled because it reflects most of the infrared rays. On the contrary, the pigment ' Ultramarine ', which has historically been very useful because it is more expensive than gold, is known for its extremely high transparency.

YInMn Blue is expected to be effectively used as a paint for buildings, and it is expected to have great potential for the Shepherd Color Company, which manufactures industrial paints.

In addition, YInMn Blue is more vivid than cobalt blue and Prussian blue, and has great advantages as a pigment in terms of durability and stability. There are various 'blue' pigments, from cobalt blue to ultramarine, but YInMn blue is also said to be the 'blue' that fills the gaps. In addition, YInMn Blue, which has high purity even when mixed, has the advantage of not producing a muddy color.

However, there are hurdles to selling YInMn Blue as a commercially available pigment. One of these processes is regulatory approval, and YInMn Blue has long been unapproved for use as an art material, even after it was approved for use in industrial and plastic processing in the United States. While industrial use is relatively easy to approve, consumer use requires more rigorous testing. As of 2021, it meets the test requirements of the Hazardous Substances Control Law, but it is not commercialized as a powder, but is sold only as a paint.

Under such circumstances, the value of YInMn Blue has increased, and it has become possible to trade in the black pigment market. In 2019, artist Michael Rothman got a YInMn blue pigment made by Kremer Pigmente, crushed it himself and mixed it with acrylic resin to make an original paint. Rothman used this paint to imagine a bird 47 million years ago.

However, according to Gale Fishback, who runs an art supply store, YInMn Blue paints that are actually on the market cost $ 179.40 (about 19,000 yen) for 40 ml, and at Fishback's shop. It costs 6 times as much as the most expensive acrylic paint, so sales are not very good. Fishback says that many buyers are curious or buy YInMn Blue paints to show off to others.

Also, many people think that the popularity of 'blue for the first time in 200 years' will not last long, and some Japanese companies have decided not to introduce it to the product line after testing YInMn Blue. YInMn Blue is an intriguing color that artists who want to try new things want to get, but the problem of 'the cost is too high compared to the benefits for the painter' seems to be a big barrier.