Van Dyke Brown Hue

Pigment History: Also known as Cassel or Cologne earth, the use of Van Dyke Brown dates back to the 17th century. Originally obtained from the Cologne and Kassel regions of Germany, and later obtained elsewhere, the pigment from each locality can vary slightly in color and composition, leading to confusion in the precise qualities of this color. Van Dyke Brown was the most difficult color for GOLDEN to match because of its variability. It took intense study of multiple historic samples to arrive at a hue that could adequately represent this elusive pigment. Avoiding the common blends called Van Dyke Brown, that are simply an easy mix of Burnt Umber and a black, GOLDEN captures the rich vegetal undertone of peat, by using Transparent Red Iron Oxide as the base and carefully adding just enough Carbon Black to create a clean sepia tone.
Pigment Classification: Mixture
Chemical Description: Synthetic Iron Oxide / Nearly Pure Amorphous Carbon
Opacity/Transparency: 3
Lightfastness Rating: I
Permanency: Excellent
Colour Index Name: PR 101/ PBk7
Colour Index Number: 77491 / 77266
Munsell Notation Listing:
Hue: 5.0 GY
Value: 2.7
Chroma: 0.7
Spectrophotometer Readings: N/A
Viscosity Range: 14000-20000 CPS
PH Range: 8.7-9.0
Gloss Average: 99.81
CIE L*a*b* Values: L*27.12 a*0.30 b*0.21
Tint Strength: 74.68

The Lightfastness Ratings included in this chart are provided by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in the standard for “Artists’ Acrylic Emulsion Paints”. (ASTM D 5098, Annual Book of Standards, Volume 6.02). Colors with a Lightfastness Rating of I are considered Excellent (“Exc.”) and those with a Lightfastness Rating of II are Very Good (“V.G.”). Where Lightfastness Ratings have not been obtained according to ASTM test protocol, “NA” is indicated in the table. In these cases, data from pigment manufacturers and our own test facilities have been used and an appropriate description assigned under Permanency.

**The identified colors are sensitive to a combination of moisture and UV radiation and are not recommended for outdoor use.

For Opacity/Transparency, we have determined that an eight-point scale is most appropriate for describing the properties of our colors. We have assigned each color in the chart a number from 1 (most opaque) to 8 (most transparent) to indicate the relative opacity/transparency of that color.

The C.I. (Colour Index) Name is an internationally recognized code assigned to a particular “colorant.” The C.I. Name consists of the category (type of dye or pigment), general hue and serial number assigned, based on its chemical constitution. For example, PB 60, Anthraquinone Blue, indicates a specific Pigment Blue. The C.I. Number is a five-digit reference number assigned in the Colour Index based on the chemical structure of a colorant, regardless of usage class.

Notes:
1) The Golden C.P. designation indicates concentrated cadmium pigments (CC).

2) Information about Iridescent and Interference products apply for both Fine and Coarse grades.