Genuine Manganese Blue

Our genuine Manganese Blue is the authentic single pigment, PB 33 – Barium Manganate. Smooth and transparent, this heavenly blue mineral pigment is delicate but not weak!

Because our Manganese Blue is not a hue and is not a mixture containing Phthalocyanine (Phthalo) Blue, the consistency and color strength is superior.

Intensely bright, our genuine Manganese Blue is creamy and brushable right from the tube and remains bright in mixtures.

No longer produced, genuine Manganese Blue is uniquely intense, icy in tone yet very natural in mixing and tinting.

Genuine Manganese Blue, at left, with our Cerulean Blue, right, each tinted with Titanium White

Comparing it to another mineral pigment, our Cerulean Blue, dramatically shows how airy and rich the Manganese Blue is right out of the tube. Cerulean Blue, instead, is very opaque and dense, and its tint with the white is also deeper and more muted. The tint of the Manganese Blue, while brighter is also subtle and natural in appearance. The Manganese Blue adds dimension to the tint with the Titanium, breaking into its opacity and suggesting both light and air in the mixture.

Genuine Manganese Blue at left and Phthalo Blue, green shade, at right. Each mixed with a Cadmium Yellow Light and tinted with Titanium White at bottom

A comparison of our Manganese Blue with our Phthalo Blue, green shade, again shows the softness of the Manganese Blue tint: although still bright it is also more delicate than the tint mixed from Phthalo Blue. Likewise, mixing a Cadmium Yellow Light with both of these cool blues shows the greater transparency and quieter mixing characteristic of the genuine Manganese Blue vs. the Phthalo Blue, green shade.

Mixing our Genuine Manganese Blue with our Cadmium Yellow Light in another close-up view. Controlling the amount of the opaque Cadmium can result in either a more transparent mixed green or one that is more opaque. Both are lively yet natural mixtures based on the brightness of this amazing icy blue!

Genuine Manganese Blue on its own and then used to bring shadow to a flesh tint of our Italian Venetian Red and Flake White

Our genuine Manganese Blue could also bring delicate shadow to a flesh tint. Shown with our Italian Venetian Red lightened with our Flake White, the Manganese Blue maintains the transparency of the mixture as it complements both color and tone.

Our Alizarin Crimson beside our Genuine Manganese Blue. Manganese Blue is first used to deepen the Alizarin into a purple, at bottom, and that mixture is then tinted with Titanium White

Manganese Blue deepens and brightens the Alizarin Crimson without changing its transparency or exaggerating its color, even when tinted. Shown here are both colors out of the tube and combined for a transparent mixture. The intense beauty of a genuine Manganese Blue carries through in this mixture to create a rich purple. Adding Titanium White reveals how natural Manganese Blue mixes yet is strong enough to effect a change in both color and value.

Genuine Manganese Blue

Introduced in the mid 1930’s, this Barium Manganate pigment was manufactured from the mined ore for only about 50 years. Even so, true Manganese Blue gained a devoted following among painters, and continues to be highly prized for its intense beauty, transparency and brightness.

Visit our website here to discover our Genuine Manganese Blue. Limited availability.