The foundations of technology and culture built by ancient people have been passed down to our modern life.

The Mayan civilization which inhabited Central America is said to have lasted for about two millennia before B.C. and has achieved a high level of development over its long history.

The Mayan people created a pigment called "Mayan Blue," primarily made by mixing indigo dyes that derive from the leaves of anil (also known as wild indigo), which is also familiar in Japanese culture as Ai, with natural clay. They also developed color adjustment techniques, and red, green, and yellow pigments were all made from indigo.

Therefore, in this article, I would like to introduce pigments and paints that are inspired by the Mayan Blue.

These pigments are DERIVAN's Matisse Structure Formula, the "Mayan Color"*Sorry, this item is no longer available..

【Art Materials Used】

Paints: Matisse’s Structure Formula Mayan Color

Substrate: Bamboo Washi for Watercolor Art Pad

DERIVAN is an Australian art materials manufacturer established in 1964.

Matisse Structure Formulas are high viscosity acrylic paints made from the highest quality pigments and primary materials. These are impasto paints with excellent lightfastness, flexibility, and preservability.

Mayan Color is part of this series that focuses on pigments from around the world, with a total of six colors.

Furthermore, with the spirit of exploring new colors based on study of the past, DERIVAN creates colors that are unique and come with high transparency.

By using acrylic emulsion as a binder, the colors can be used not only on paper but also on a variety of substrates such as wood, acrylic board, metal, etc.

All colors are highly saturated, and the deep colors with high extension performance will allow you to enjoy the rich colors that only DERIVAN can offer.

For those who want to try a few colors at a time, Mayan Color is also available in a set with a smaller amount.

This is a set of five colors with a capacity of 12ml each which includes yellow, red, blue, violet and green.

However, since the set has some slight color changes from the single ones, it is best to choose the one that suits your art style and preference.

These are the pigments used in the Maya Color series.

【Art Materials Used】

Paints: Maya Pigments

Medium: Gum Arabic Medium

Substrate: Bamboo Washi for Watercolor Art Pad

*Mayan pigments...Sorry, this item is no longer available.

Compared to natural dyes, pigments that contain superior durability and lightfastness have been highly valued since ancient times due to their rarity.

These Mayan pigments inherited from ancient formulas and manufactured using modern technology, create the beauty that only natural pigments can offer.

Although the color samples shown above have a matte texture and subdued colors, by changing the medium, substrate, or painting technique, various expressions can be created. We hope that you will bring out the full potential of each Mayan color.

By unraveling a page of history and encountering newly-born-colors in our time, this expands our imagination and spirit of exploring.

May these timeless hues could lead us to a more colorful world that is full of creativity!

Resources

DERIVAN - Matisse Structure Formula

https://www.matisse.com.au/ja/matisse-structure-formula

(*The above link may lead you to an external site.)

Translated by Nelson Hor Ee Herng

PIGMENT TOKYO Art Materials Expert