Paint Nite with a Good Friend (acrylic on canvas)
The first synthetic pigments were made by ancient Egyptian artisans. Around the third millennium BC, they perfected a synthetic blue pigment, a double silicate of copper and calcium, and made up for the lack of natural blue pigments. The Romans imported it and dubbed it Alexandrian blue. The Egyptians invented papyrus and ink as well.
Prussian blue is the first modern synthetic pigment, discovered in 1704. It can also be used for medicinal purposes, as an antidote for certain kinds of heavy metal poisoning and is on the WHO list of essential medicines. By the early 20th century, organic chemistry added Phthalo Blue. Continued innovation allow for production of richer and safer, non-toxic colors. Manufacturing and Industrial standards have allowed for production of consistent batches of color, and discoveries of new colors created new industries and drove fashion and taste.
Today, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops technical standards for the manufacture of pigments and dyes. And many manufacturers have adopted the Color Index International (CII) as a standard for identifying pigments in particular colors.
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