Purple
Considered a luxurious shade, purple has both warm and cool properties which uplift and calm the mind. Depending on the shade, it can be exciting and energizing, or mysterious and mystical. Purple is also calming to the mind and nerves while encouraging creativity. Tyrian purple, hematite manganese, and caput mortuum are a few examples of this hue one can see in nature.
Black
A neutral, yet dramatic counterpoint to any colour, black is an authoritative, elegant, and classic shade that conveys sophistication. In all cultures, black has established itself as the quintessential colour of luxury and power. Examples of black pigments found in nature include vine black, bone black, and vantablack.
Brown
Known as the colour of earth, brown is a relaxed neutral that is easy to live and work around. It evokes feelings of wholesomeness, reliability, and naturalness, and can be used anywhere. Umber, mommia, and sepia are examples of brown pigments found in nature.
White
Symbolizing freshness, purity, and cleanliness, white is the sum of all colours. It typifies pure thoughts, encourages de-cluttering, aids in mental clarity, and enables fresh beginnings. Examples of white pigments found in nature include kaolinite, zinc, and titanium white.
Brushing up on paint basics
Paint covers some of the largest areas in buildings, so it is crucial to understand how to specify the right paint for the job and why not all paint is created equal. There are four primary components of paint and each serves an important role in colour and performance. The raw ingredients and formulations can vary widely, with different choices resulting in different outcomes for each project.
Solvents
Solvents are liquids used to dissolve or disperse a polymer and reduce the viscosity in paint. A solvent provides no real added durability benefits and is simply the carrier that allows the painter to get the paint from the can to the surface.
Additives
Additives are extra ingredients to give the paint specific performance characteristics. For example, mildewcides and rheology modifiers improve the viscosity and application of the coating.
Binders
Binders affect everything from stain resistance and gloss to adhesion and crack resistance. Higher quality binders, found in higher quality paints, adhere to surfaces better and provide enhanced film integrity and longer lasting performance. Latex paints may contain multiple types of acrylic binders while oil-based contain linseed oil, soya oil, or alkyds.
Pigments
There are two different types of pigments: prime and extender. Prime pigments provide colour and hide. Titanium dioxide is an example of a prime pigment and it provides excellent light-scattering properties in applications requiring white opacity and brightness. Extender pigments can be lower in cost and add bulk to the coating but have little value when it comes to colour. These pigments may improve other paint characteristics, including clay, silica and silicates, and calcium carbonate.
The final colour of the product results from a colour formula combining a base paint with colourants, which contain primary colour pigments compounded and dispersed into a liquid. Most colourants are added at the point of sale in accordance with a manufacturer’s colour formula for a specific coating.
To create a high-performing coating without sacrificing colour requires human and technical expertise to manage colour accuracy and consistency at every stage from product design, quality manufacturing, colour formula management, and final tinting. This is necessary to reduce the possibility of colour issues on the jobsite. Specifiers should look for coatings, colours, and colour formulas specifically designed to work as an integrated system. For example, colour formulas should be programmed to flex subtly and precisely depending on the product and finish combination specified, ensuring the most accurate colour results in the finished product. One way to ensure this is by working with a paint manufacturer with the capability to manage its own manufacturing and quality, as this will positively affect the colourants used to tint the paint.
Paint has been identified as one of the least sustainable and most pollutant of all aspects of construction in a building – how is sustainability being addressed by current manufacturers?