Cobalt Grey

Description

Cobalt Grey (PBk25) is a handmade single-pigment cobalt nickel gray composed of a cobalt–nickel composite oxide. It produces a cool, slightly blue leaning gray with a soft, stone-like character and a deep, muted masstone. Compared to carbon-based blacks, this pigment feels more mineral and atmospheric, offering a quieter chroma and a more natural, less inky appearance on the page.

In use, Cobalt Grey gives a controlled, elegant gray ideal for overcast skies, distant mountains, mist, metal, stone, and subtle shadow work in landscape and figure painting. It has moderate to strong tinting strength without the harshness or overpowering density of many modern blacks, making it easy to nudge mixtures cooler or darker without overwhelming other colors. It mixes beautifully with blues for stormy neutrals, with earths for sophisticated charcoal grays, and with reds and violets for complex, smoky mauves and shadow tones that stay refined rather than muddy.

This cobalt–nickel oxide pigment is calcined at high temperature, making it chemically inert, heat-resistant, and highly resistant to acids and alkalis. In artist’s colors it offers a restrained, mineral gray that can function as a primary neutral on the palette, an alternative to lamp or ivory black, or a quiet mixer for palettes that favor subtlety, atmosphere, and tonal control.

History

Modern cobalt nickel gray pigments emerged in the 20th century as part of a broader family of inorganic black and gray pigments designed for industrial coatings. By calcining cobalt and nickel oxides together at elevated temperatures, chemists created a stable composite oxide with a cool gray to black tone and excellent resistance to weathering, heat, and corrosion. These materials were used in protective barrier paints for metal structures, machinery, and architectural applications where durability, adhesion, and long-term color stability were critical.

As interest grew in inorganic pigments with unique handling and chromatic behavior, cobalt nickel gray (PBk25) gradually found its way into artist materials, particularly in specialty pigment lines and select watercolor ranges. Artists valued its quiet, cool gray hue and its ability to create nuanced neutrals without the stark, sooty look of carbon blacks. Today, Cobalt Grey remains an uncommon but appreciated pigment among painters who want a refined, mineral gray with a distinct personality and a long history of technical reliability.

Health and Safety

Precautions:

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume.

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.

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: Synthetic (Inorganic) cobalt–nickel composite oxide

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Lime / Fresco, Ceramic and cement applications

Lightfastness: Best

Opacity: Semi-opaque to opaque

Other Names: Cobalt Grey, Cobalt Nickel Gray, Cobalt Nickel Black (PBk25)

Color Index Code: PBk25