PY40 Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow)
Potassium cobaltinitrite.
7 tubes from 7 of 24 paint lines contain PY40. 7 are made from PY40 alone, which is the closest match when you're switching brands.
- Toxicity
- Handle with care Contains cobalt. Avoid breathing in the dust or getting the paint in your mouth, and don't sand or spray it.
- Drying
- Fast Cobalt speeds drying.
- Opacity
- Single-pigment tubes are mostly transparent.
About PY40
History
Aureolin (cobalt yellow) was introduced in the mid-19th century.
In mixes
A transparent, clean yellow. Its reputation in oil is mixed, so check the maker's lightfastness rating.
Genuine or hue?
Cobalt pigments are costly, mix to clean, slightly cool tints and shouldn't be breathed in as dust. Hues cost much less and usually tint more strongly, but their mixes rarely look quite the same.
Drying speed is typical for linseed oil; tubes ground in safflower or poppy oil, or with driers added, will differ. These are general notes on the pigment, not on any one brand.
Purest PY40, by brand
The best single-pigment PY40 tube from each line, ranked: artists' grade first, then lightfastness, then how firmly the pigment listing is confirmed. Ties are listed alphabetically.
- Blockx AureolinSeries 6 · LF I · Transparent
- Michael Harding AureolinSeries 5 · LF I · Transparent
- Old Holland Cobalt (Aureolin) Yellow LakeSeries E · LF I · Transparent
- Holbein AureolinSeries E · LF I · Semi-transparent
- Art Spectrum AureolinSeries 5 · LF II · Transparent
- Grumbacher AureolinSeries 6 · LF II · Transparent
- Maimeri Puro Cobalt YellowLF not rated
Not sold here by: W&N Artists', Williamsburg, M. Graham, Gamblin, Rembrandt, Schmincke Mussini, W&N Winton, Georgian, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Cobra, Art Creation, Lukas 1862, W&N Griffin, Langridge, Vasari, W&N Artisan.
Made from PY40 alone
Brands: Art Spectrum, Blockx, Grumbacher, Holbein, Michael Harding, Maimeri Puro, Old Holland.