The second version of Vantablack is the blackest material ever created by British scientists to date. The darkest shade known to mankind can literally create illustrations that resemble holes to another dimension.

Apparently, the first variant is neither paint nor pigment. According to Yahoo7, the experts described Vantablack as a "functionalized forest of millions upon millions of incredibly small tubes made of carbon." It can absorb 99.96 percent of either ultraviolet or infrared light. As stated by Surrey NanoSystem, the new model, which can eliminate laser, is believed to be made up of "non-nanotube coating."

On the other hand, a spray-on model called Vantablack S-VIS is more applicable to covering larger objects. Unfortunately, the scientists do not recommend the use of this product for normal art projects. Do note that Vantablack is meant for "high-performance infrared cameras, sensors, scientific instruments, and satellite-borne calibration sources." For one thing, the nanoparticles are very dangerous.

When touched, they can scatter in the air and irritate the eyes. The worst they can do is damage the organs. Nevertheless, educational institutions and museums in the United Kingdom are allowed to request a sample. Per Smithsonian, though, an artist named Anish Kapoor acquired exclusive rights to Vantablack 1.0.

This enraged other artists like Stuart Semple, who created the world's pinkest pink. Semple then banned Kapoor from using it. Now, Semple released another color named Black 2.0. It is not as dark as Vantablack but is really black in its own way. He claims that while Black 2.0 is not the blackest color, it is still better than Vantablack because artists could actually use it.

Well, artists actually have a long history of fighting for rights to use a certain color. For example, European artists argued for lapis lazuli, a very blue pigment made from a rare mineral found in Afghanistan. Also, during the 18th century, painters like Benjamin West and Joshua Reynolds shelled out huge amounts of money for "Titan's shade", another deep black pigment, which was labeled as the Renaissance painter's secret.