Maya Blue Oil Paint

Description

Maya Blue is our exquisitely hand crafted oil paint made with an extremely concentrated, high quality single source pigment. Every tube is meticulously hand mulled, filled, and labeled, using pure cold pressed walnut oil (linseed oil available upon request), less than 1% fumed silica as a stabilizer, and food grade lecithin as a natural wetting agent. Every paint is single pigment with maximum concentration and no fillers or extenders.

Maya Blue is one of the most extraordinary pigments of the ancient world, created by combining the deep blue dye extracted from Indigofera suffruticosa (añil, a native Central American indigo plant) with the fibrous clay mineral palygorskite. The dye molecules bond at high heat with the channels of the clay, creating a pigment of unmatched brilliance, permanence, and cultural significance.

The resulting powder is a luminous sky blue with subtle turquoise undertones. In painting, Maya Blue is semi-transparent, lightly granulating, and produces radiant, ethereal washes in watercolor and tempera. Its stability surpasses nearly all other natural organic mineral pigments, retaining vibrancy for centuries even in tropical climates.

Key Features

Single Source Pigment: Each product features one pure pigment.

Handmade Artisanal Process: Crafted in small batches, our oil paints are hand mulled on a stone slab and hand filled in aluminum tubes to preserve the integrity of the pigment.

Maximum Pigment Load: Designed to provide maximum color saturation, our formula contains no fillers or extenders.

Recommended Use: Use straight from the tube or thin with oil mediums, solvents, waxes, or oils for different textures, levels of fluidity, finishes, and handling properties.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Organic Inorganic Hybrid Pigment
Components: Indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa) + Palygorskite (fibrous magnesium aluminum silicate clay)
Origin: Mexico (natural)
Lightfastness: Exceptional (virtually permanent)
Opacity: Semi-transparent
Other Names: Añil Maya Blue, Indigo Palygorskite Blue
Color Index Code: Natural (no CI designation; indigo CI = NB1 when unbound)
Image: "The Immaculate Conception" by Baltasar de Echave Ibia from the Museo Nacional de Arte de Mexico.

Production Process

Our oil paints are carefully hand mulled and mixed with pure cold pressed walnut oil, ensuring an exceptionally concentrated and vibrant product. The entire process is carried out by hand, from mixing and mulling to filling and labeling, so you can be confident in the artisanal quality of every tube through our historic processes.

Usage & Care

Please store in a secure area away from children and pets, and dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly manner in accordance with all local, state, and national regulations.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Health and Safety

• For art use only. Not for cosmetic, food or children's use.
• Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not eat, drink or smoke while working.
• Avoid skin contact and wash hands after use. Wipe brushes and palettes clean before rinsing, and never pour paint waste down drains. Do not spray apply, sand dried paint or burn.
• If swallowed or if you feel unwell, contact a poison control center (U.S. 1-800-222-1222) or a doctor.
• Safety Data Sheet available on request.

Caution: May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated inhalation of dust. Avoid breathing dust.