Spotlight on Colour: Winsor Blue
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 Fowey painted in Winsor Blue shade by Glyn Macey |
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Winsor Blue is made of an organic synthetic pigment: copper phthalocyanine. Alternative names are Phthalo Blue, Monastral and Intense Blue. It is a deep and intense blue which approaches black in mass tone and has either a red or green undertone leading to the variations of Winsor Blue (Red Shade) or Winsor Blue (Green Shade). It has great tinting abilities, is transparent and completely permanent. In water colour it has staining properties.
Winsor Blue was created in the mid 1930s, and was launched by Winsor & Newton in 1938 (Winsor Green followed a few years later). It comes from the phthalocyanine family of colours which were first chemically synthesized in the late 1920s. Many new synthetic organic pigments were being discovered around this time and in the 1950s Phthalocyanine Blue and Phthalocyanine Green were universally accepted for their artist quality.
Winsor Blue was created to replace the capricious, less reliable Prussian Blue. It has many of the same properties including its intense richness of pigment and therefore great tinting abilities. It mixes very well with other colours (though one must be careful not to let it overpower) and when thinned, can be used for glazing with great effect. It is stable, intense and insolvable except in sulphuric acids. A reliable colour, Winsor Blue or Phthalo Blue is present in most colour ranges and is a great asset to any painter.
Winsor Blue, Intense Blue or Phthalo Blue can be found in the following ranges: