Introducing…Schmincke’s YInMn Blue!

Schmincke just released a limited-edition YInMn Blue watercolor. The only drawback? A very hefty price tag. A 5ml tube will set you back $33 (or $23, if you are able to order from Jackson’s). In the US, there are seemingly only two retailers from which you can purchase: St. Louis Art Supply and Jackson’s. However, at the time I wrote this, Jackson’s was out of stock and only UK customers were permitted to reserve a tube.

This is a quick post to share my first impressions and compare it to the QoR version that was available in 2020 to early 2021. QoR has since run out of their limited supply but, according to their website, they will offer it again when they get more pigment from the manufacturer.

YInMn blue has been described as being in the middle of cobalt and ultramarine. Schmincke’s leans more toward cobalt. It’s granulating, but the pigment particles are smaller than QoR’s. In a pan, it dries a bit gummy and it’s not as easy to reactivate as other Schmincke watercolors.

Schmincke’s YInMn Blue swatched on Arches cold press.

QoR’s YInMn Blue leans more toward ultramarine than cobalt. It is heavily granulating and has a higher pigment load than the Schmincke version.

QoR’s YInMn Blue swatched on Arches cold press.

A side-by-side comparison highlights the differences between the two versions.

Wet-on-wet swatched on Arches cold press.

The difference in color is also apparent when dried in pans.

As a side note, YInMn Blue has been assigned a pigment number: PB86.

Stay tuned for a more detailed post. I’m planning to swatch this next to cobalts and ultramarines to see how it compares.

YInMn Blue: How Does it Compare to Other Blues?

In a previous post, I provided some background on this unique, limited-edition blue available from QoR Watercolors.

YInMn fills a gap between cobalt and ultramarine blue that I didn’t know existed. It is an ultra-granulating, transparent watercolor that runs the spectrum from a light blue-gray to a rich lapis blue. However, due to the semi-weak tinting strength, it doesn’t quite reach the level of saturation as a strong cobalt or ultramarine.

For the wheel below, I chose some ultramarines and cobalts that I thought would offer a good basis of comparison. I used Arches Rough watercolor paper to showcase the granulation of the paints used.

The colors I used are listed below. YInMn fills the center of the wheel.

QoR: Ultramarine — PB29
Daniel Smith: Ultramarine Blue — PB29
Daniel Smith: French Ultramarine — PB29
Winsor & Newton: French Ultramarine — PB29
Winsor & Newton: Ultramarine Green Shade — PB29
Mijello Mission White: Ultramarine Deep — PB29/PV15/PV3:2
Sennelier: Ultramarine Deep — PB29
Sennelier: Ultramarine Light — PB29
White Nights: Ultramarine — PB29
Daniel Smith: Cobalt Blue — PB28
M. Graham: Cobalt Blue — PB28
Winsor & Newton: Cobalt Blue Deep — PB74
Sennelier: Cobalt Deep — PB72
White Nights: Cobalt — PB28
Mijello Mission White: Cobalt — PB28

YInMn looks similar to the colors on this wheel but is different enough to create mixes I have not been able to achieve with any ultramarine or cobalt I’ve used. In a future post, I will be writing about mixing with YInMn. Stay tuned!

Introducing….YInMn Blue!

In September of last year, I was able to snag two tubes of QoR’s YInMn Blue. Several years ago, I learned about the fascinating history of the pigment and was hoping that I could get my hands on it someday. Thank you, QoR, for making my dreams come true.

The interesting story of this new blue pigment began in a lab at Oregon State University. It was discovered by accident by chemists who were working on an unrelated project. It took several years for companies to start producing artists’ paints because the materials (Yttrium, Indium and Manganese) are expensive to procure. An Artnet article explains the history in more detail if you are interested.

Fast forward to 2020 — QoR announces that they are producing a limited quantity of YInMn Blue watercolor, acrylic, and oil paints. As soon as the announcement was made, I called them to reserve 2 tubes. It took a couple months, but they finally showed up at my doorstep.

As far as I know, they are still producing the color in small batches. It is not available in stores, so if you are interested you have to contact QoR directly. You can call them at 800-959-6543 to try to order. The tubes are a little pricey ($14 for a 5ml tube), but they are worth it.

In future posts, I will share my thoughts on the paint but in the meantime, here is a swatch so you can see how beautiful it is.

My very first YInMn splat, fresh from the tube.

This is definitely one of the most granulating blues I own.

If you are going to try to get some from QoR, I wish you the best of luck! I heard the waiting list is long, but it’s worth it!