Cobalt Pale Violet
PV49
Alternate Names
Cobalt Violet Light Brilliant
Cobalt Ammonium Phosphate
Pigment Description
Our favorite violet in oils for its sheer electricity. This radiant violet looses a bit of its zip once dried (and seems to yellow less in safflower oil). This paint was recently discontinued and were so sad to see it go. There is nothing like it, and it is perhaps not really possible to even imitate it sufficiently with a hue, at least not with lightfast pigments. It's exceedingly difficult to find red-violets like this at all, especially single-pigment ones.
Williamsburg Cobalt Violet oil paint, made with PV49. Unfortunately this magnificent color is no longer available
It has a toxicity rating of "B" so as with all pigments, handle it with caution. It is a toxic pigment. However it is not nearly as toxic as the antique cobalt arsenate violet, which is different. In general with cobalt violets, be very careful with vintage tubes of Cobalt Violet just in case.
Williamsburg Cobalt Violet oil paint, PV49
Like other cobalt violets this is an extremely gentle tinter.
Cobalt Violet Light has low tinting strength
Some have mentioned opacity in watercolor, but in oil this color is not exactly opaque.
Resources
PV49 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com
Information about PV49 from Bruce MacEvoy, Handprint Guide to Watercolors, General information about this class of pigments from Handprint,
Stats
Lightfastness
Excellent
It’s hard to retain the electric purple that this color displays when fresh out of the tube. Traditionally it has been included as one of the very few lightfast violets, however it does yellow a bit when dried, so it may be a color that could be used sparingly with other binding oils. Tests reported in the 1980s NPIRI gave it solid marks in both indoor and outdoor exposures in masstone and tints. Golden recently tested this color with various mixing whites. When the linseed oil version was tinted, it was an ASTM II for change in just about every mixing white that they listed. It also displayed sensitivity to the Florida testing environment (high humidity/moisture) and in artificial simulation environments such as QUV. In general with mixing whites, tints performed at around ASTM II.
Transparency
Semi-Opaque, Semi-Transparent, Transparent
Toxicity
Hazard, Use more caution, contains cobalt
Treat all pigments and paints with studio safety protocols.
Tinting
Low
Dry Time
2-7 days
Oil Content
Sources Vary
Some sources list this as high by oil volume, however, Williamsburg lists it as low by oil volume in their line. We wish more brands would list their colors by oil volume.
Particle Size
Very Fine to Fine
Chemical Name
Cobalt ammonium phosphate
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