Unique Color: Cobalt Turquoise

UNIQUE COLOR: COBALT TURQUOISE

Notes on the R&F Paint Making Process

Cobalt Turquoise

Cobalt Turquoise is hands down one of the most underrated colors in the R&F color line. A semi-transparent gem of a blue that can conjure ideas of the sea - think Mediterranean - bluish and greenish, old and wise. So underappreciated, so misunderstood, it frequently finds itself on the dreaded ‘bottom seller list’ year after year. Oof. How’s that for transparent?

Why is this so? How can such a complex and beautiful color get overlooked by so many, for so long? Well, we ask ourselves this question each and every time we make it. Let’s take a closer look at its story.

First introduced into the R&F color line in 1992 as an encaustic paint, later as a Pigment Stick in the summer of 1993, it originally contained three pigments: Cobalt Green Light (no longer available), Cobalt Blue and Viridian. In our retail display case it has the unfortunate fate of landing in-between two of the most well-known, time tested, go to colors in the history of all artist colors – Cobalt Blue and Ultramarine Blue. Talk about a tough crowd.

Could it simply suffer from being overlooked, out-shined by its more famous neighbors? Perhaps. Or maybe if we’re being honest it might have to do with its price tag - a Series 6 in the Pigment Stick line - a result of its densely packed, Cobalt, Viridian formulation. These are just a few of the facts of its long, storied history. Maybe there are other reasons, maybe we should have called it “Mediterranean Blue” and solidified its wistful, romantic nature.

Anyway, we hope someday you’ll give it a try and let us know what you think. Available in both Pigment Stick and encaustic color lines. Keep Painting.