What's That \Quin\" Color?"

On the phones, we might hear that question a time or two a day. “What’s that quin color?” “How do you say that?” “What are they good for?” We all smile, knowing we had the same questions and trouble pronouncing it the first time we heard it, too. However…

This presents a problem if you are around long enough to watch your lovely depicted red rose become a grayish plum color after all the work that you put in it. They are called fugitive colors, these fleeting beauties because they are not as lightfast or lasting. Colors like the original Alizarin Crimson pigment have a particularly bad reputation, even though it is a commonly used color. Paint companies are continually working to find more and more ways to improve the quality and longevity of these fading pigments and making progress every year. The quinacridone pigment, however, may be a solution.

Quinacridones are synthetically created pigments that were accidentally discovered during early chemical research in 1896. But was not first introduced as a paint until 1955 when W. Struve, of the DuPont Company, recognized its extremely high resistance to weathering and fading, which made it ideal for the auto industry. The basic quinacridone pigment is typically a pale yellow to orange color, however, during processing, the particles may be manipulated by heat or have salt added to produce an array of bright, lightfast and exciting pink and red hues. “Quins” are nontoxic, transparent, and moderately staining pigments. This amazing collection of non-fading pigments include quin gold (PO49), quin magenta (PR122), quin burnt scarlet (PR206), quin orange (PO48), quin rose (PV19), and quin red (PR209). American Journey offers a great set of Quinacridone colors that are wonderful to include with your basic color palette. This set is comparable to the more expensive earth tone pigments and can enhance an otherwise boring palette.

These quinacridone pigments are especially important to the auto industry for producing longer lasting bright colors for cars. It is because of their desire for new car colors that we ultimately enjoy all of these great exciting additions as well. Unfortunately, as with Quin Gold, the auto industry often discontinues a color when it becomes unpopular or when the pigment is too expensive to mine and produce. When the available pigment supply is depleted, we, the art industry, lose that beloved pigment, as well, leaving us in a quandary as to how to reproduce the color. The solution is usually to combine two or more similar pigments to represent the unavailable pigment. These substitutes are called hues and sometimes, for marketing purposes, the paint manufacturers will give them alternate names such as “New”, “Nova”, or “Modern”, so as to not confuse them with student grade paints. So don’t be surprised if in the future the quinacridone pigments are replaced with substitutes or mixes.

The art industry is continually changing, bringing in new products and discoveries and of course, retiring old ones. We, as artists, have to learn to be flexible and adapt to these changes. You really can’t be afraid to try something new or give the unfamiliar a chance, because what is here today may be gone tomorrow. This is a life lesson as well, venture beyond your comfortable place and seek out the new and exciting possibilities, and especially, enjoy what is here today. Happy Quinacridone Day!