Blue Spirulina

Description

Blue Spirulina is a handmade natural colorant derived from the blue pigment phycocyanin, extracted from Spirulina (a cyanobacteria/microalga). It produces a vivid, electric cyan–turquoise blue with a clear, cool undertone and a transparent to semi-transparent masstone. Unlike mineral blues, Blue Spirulina has a soft, dye-like character in washes, flowing easily and staining the paper with a luminous, almost neon glow.

In use, Blue Spirulina gives a bright, expressive blue ideal for sketchbooks, illustration, mixed media, eco-focused art, and experimental work where permanence is not the primary concern. It has moderate tinting strength, is strongly staining on paper, and disperses smoothly with little granulation, making it beautiful for fluid washes, ink-like lines, and layered veils of color. It mixes cleanly with yellows to create fresh, spring greens, and with reds, magentas, and violets for vibrant teals, blue-violets, and unusual purples, but all such mixtures share the fugitive nature of the base color. Because this is a natural protein-based colorant, it is sensitive to light, heat, and pH and is not recommended for archival or display work in strong light.

Blue Spirulina is best treated as an artisanal, experimental color: ideal for manuscripts that are stored closed, artworks intended to be scanned or photographed and then archived digitally, or projects where organic change and impermanence are part of the aesthetic.

History

Spirulina has been used as a food source for centuries, most famously harvested from lakes by Indigenous peoples in Central Africa and by the Aztecs, who dried it into cakes. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, refined extracts of Spirulina became popular as natural colorants in foods and beverages, with the blue protein phycocyanin offering a rare plant-derived alternative to synthetic blues.

As interest in natural and low-impact color sources grew among artists and designers, Blue Spirulina began to appear in inks, handmade paints, calligraphy supplies, and experimental dye work. Its intense, tropical cyan and eco-associated origin made it particularly attractive for contemporary illustration, children’s books, and concept work meant to be digitized rather than preserved strictly as physical originals. While it lacks the lightfastness of traditional mineral and synthetic artist pigments, Blue Spirulina occupies a unique niche as a vivid, plant-derived blue for exploratory, process-focused, and ephemeral art.

Health and Safety

Precautions:

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume. This product is offered as an art material, not as food or a dietary supplement.

Not for cosmetic or food usage.

Do not spray apply.

For further health information contact a poison control center.

Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.

Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments.

Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments.

Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment if dust may be generated.

Wash hands immediately after use or handling.

If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.

This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Organic) phycocyanin-based colorant from Spirulina

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Gouache, Ink, Tempera

Lightfastness: Poor

Opacity: Transparent to semi-transparent

Other Names: Blue Spirulina, Phycocyanin Blue, Spirulina Blue

Color Index Code: NA