Search results for 'pigments'

PR101

Mars Violet is an artificial mineral pigment. Its pigment code, PR101, refers to a wide spectrum of synthetic iron oxide pigments including yellows, oranges, reds, violet-browns and green-browns, which replace many natural earth colours, to provide pigments without impurities and with great opacity. It has a good tinting strength, is lightfast and stable in all media, and has a medium drying time in oil. Although it is similar to Caput Mortuum and Indian Red, it is less transparent than the former and warmer than the latter.

Toxicity: B

Limeproof

PR101

Indian Red was imported into the UK during the nineteenth century, its present-day equivalent is a synthetic iron oxide. Its pigment code, PR101, refers to a wide spectrum of synthetic iron oxide pigments including yellows, oranges, reds, violet-browns and green-browns; Indian Red is a slightly cool, bluish shade of red. It is semi-opaque, stable in all media, lightfast, and possesses a good tinting strength 

Toxicity: B

Limeproof

PR83

Alizarin Crimson is a synthetic organic pigment that became available in 1868. It requires a wetting agent to disperse, and in oil it also absorbs a lot of liquid and dries very slowly to form a hard, brittle paint film. It is chemically identical to madder-root pigments and should be protected against UV light where possible as it can fade when applied onto a white ground, although it is less fugitive than its natural counterpart. Alizarin Crimson is a very transparent pigment, with a high tinting strength and slightly blue undertone.  

Toxicity: A/B

Larger quantities are available by request. 

PB28

Cobalt Blue is an artificial mineral pigment, produced by the calcination of cobalt oxide and aluminium oxide. It has been widely used since the early 1800s, following its discovery by the French chemist Thenard at the beginning of the century. The name Cobalt has its roots in the German word Kobold, meaning imp or evil spirit. German miners specifically used this name in the late-Middle Ages, as the presence of Cobalt ore in the mines made the extraction of silver very difficult. They were possibly aware of the toxic properties of the mineral frustrating their efforts.

Cobalt remains a very popular colour today, and is present in most ranges of paints, being a semi-transparent pigment that is stable in all media. As a watercolour, all cobalt pigments tend to granulate. As an oil paint, it requires less oil content than most other pigments, and dries quite quickly. Like Cerulean Blue, some artists may choose to bind it with poppy oil, to avoid any possible colour changes brought about by the yellowish cast of linseed oil and the pigment's weak tinting strength.

Limeproof

Toxicity: C

PY42

Mars Yellow is an artificial mineral pigment, a synthetic iron oxide. Mars colours in general replace many natural earth colours to provide pigments without impurities and with great opacity. It has a good tinting strength, is lightfast and stable in all media, and has a medium drying time in oil, creating a strong, flexible paint film.

Toxicity: B

Limeproof

PR101

Mars Red is an artificial mineral pigment. Its pigment code, PR101, refers to a wide spectrum of synthetic iron oxide pigments including yellows, oranges, reds, violet-browns and green-browns, which replace many natural earth colours to provide pigments without impurities and with great opacity. It has a good tinting strength, is lightfast and stable in all media, and has a medium drying time in oil.

Toxicity: B

Limeproof

PY43

Yellow Ochre is a natural earth pigment that has been in use since prehistoric times. It is derived from iron-rich clay deposits that are present all over the world; our Yellow Ochre comes from the hilly regions around Verona, Italy. As a pigment, it is semi-opaque, extremely lightfast, and stable in all media. It has a medium to slow drying rate in oil, creating a tough, flexible paint film. Yellow Ochre is similar in composition to Raw Sienna, but whereas Yellow Ochre contains a higher proportion of clay, Raw Sienna contains a higher proportion of silica. As a natural material, the exact colour and qualities of the resultant pigments can vary, but generally this compositional difference creates a paler, more opaque Yellow Ochre, and a darker, more transparent Raw Sienna. 

Toxicity B

PBr7

Raw Sienna is a natural earth pigment that dates back to antiquity. Our Raw Sienna comes from areas of Tuscany where the earth has been coloured by iron-rich minerals. It provides a good tinting strength, excellent lightfastness, and a fast to medium drying rate in oil. It is stable in all media but, like umber pigments, can be difficult to disperse in an acrylic binder. It is similar in composition to Yellow Ochre, but whereas Yellow Ochre contains a higher proportion of clay, Raw Sienna contains a higher proportion of silica. As a natural material, the exact colour and qualities of the resultant pigments can vary, but generally this difference creates a paler, more opaque Yellow Ochre, and a darker, more transparent Raw Sienna.

Toxicity: B

Viridian Green is a synthetic inorganic pigment, similar in composition to Chromium Oxide. However, unlike Chromium Oxide, Viridian contains water molecules within its crystal structure, imparting a greater degree of transparency. Sometimes referred to as Verte Eméraude, Viridian was discovered in France in 1838, patented in 1859, and made available in the UK in 1862. It is stable in all media, and offers excellent lightfastness and good tinting strength. It requires a high oil content, and dries slowly to form a hard, fairly flexible paint film.

Toxicity B

PR233

Potter's Pink is an artificial mineral pigment produced by roasting tin oxide with various other oxides. It was first discovered in the pottery region of Staffordshire in the late-1700s, and in the following century Winsor & Newton introduced Potter's Pink into their watercolour range under the name "pink colour". It went on to become a popular addition to watercolour palettes, offering an opaque, lightfast colour with a weak tinting strength and a medium level of oil absorption.

Toxicity A

Verdigris is an artificial pigment that dates from antiquity. Originally, it was produced by exposing copper to vinegar; nowadays acetic acid is used. It is acidic, so can contribute to the deterioration of paper supports. For this reason, it is more suited to oil or tempera painting than it is to watercolour. In tempera painting, it should be bound in animal glue or isinglass glue rather than egg york. When used in oil painting it should be held in a resin oil or balsam such as Venice Turpentine, as it can turn brown when ground directly into linseed oil. It is a fast-drying, transparent pigment, with a visible crystalline structure. 

Larger quantities are available by request.

PB35

Cerulean Blue is an artificial mineral pigment that is prepared by heating a mixture of Cobalt Chloride and Potassium Stannate. It was first synthesised in the early nineteenth century, becoming more widely used from 1870, when Rowney introduced Coeruleum Blue into their range. It produces a very bright, clear, and unusually opaque blue, hence its name, which is derived from the Latin for "sky-blue", or perhaps "heaven-blue". It has a very low tinting strength meaning that, although it is stable in all media, some artists may choose to bind it in poppy rather than linseed oil, so that the colour isn't affected by the colour of the binder. It creates a fairly flexible paint film, and is a fast-to-medium drying pigment.

Limeproof

Toxicity: B

Cadmium Green is an artificial mineral pigment, a mixture of Cobalt and Cadmium Yellow. It is an opaque, lightfast, slow-drying pigment with a high tinting strength.

Toxicity C

Synthetic Inorganic pigment. Opaque. Good tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness. Low oil absorption with slow drying rate. Suitable for all media. Good acid and alkali resist. Exterior application not advised as discoloration occurs. Used since 19th Century. Toxicity B/C

PBk8

Vine Black is derived from charred vines, forming an organic pigment of pure carbon. It has been in use since antiquity, providing a cold black with bluish undertones, which creates a blue-grey when mixed with white. It is a very lightfast, slow-drying colour with a medium tinting strength. It requires a wetting agent to disperse properly, and is not suitable for use in fresco, mortar or cement, as the water-soluble impurities within the pigment can create efflorescence. 

Toxicity: A

PB29

Ultramarine Blue Light is an artificial mineral pigment that is produced by heating clay, soda, sulphur and coal to high temperatures. Its name comes from outremer, or over-the-sea, as a reference to the highly-prized Lapis Lazuli pigment which had been imported into Europe from Afghanistan since the Middle Ages. First manufactured in France and Germany in 1828, synthetic Ultramarine provided a brilliant and affordable blue to artists, and it remains one of the most popular blues on artists' palettes today. 

It is a transparent pigment, with a high tinting strength and excellent lightfastness. It reacts to alkali, therefore it is not suitable for use in lime-fresco; we do offer a Limeproof Ultramarine Blue for this purpose. It is stable in all other media, although it can be tricky to grind in oil. Instead of creating a thick, buttery paste, it can remain stringy and deteriorate when stored in a tube. To correct this, many commercial paint manufacturers include additives and waxes in their recipes; if you intend on grinding your own paint, you could try replacing 10-15% of your Linseed Oil with Poppy Oil to improve the consistency. Ultramine Blue provides a slow-drying, fairly hard paint film, which can tend towards brittleness.

Toxicity B

Venetian Red Pigment (PR101). Iron oxide and chalk. Semi-transparent and very lightfast. Stable in all media.

Limeproof

Toxicity: B

PR108

Cadmium Brown is a shade of Cadmium Red, a synthetic organic pigment that has been in use since the 1920s. It is formed by heating cadmium sulphide and selenium, the hue is determined by the level of calcination and proportion of selenium. It is very opaque, and lightfast, with a high tinting strength. It absorbs a small amount of oil, and dries very slowly to form a hard, flexible paint film.

Larger quantities are available by request.  

Limeproof

Toxicity: C

Terre Verte, sometimes known as Green Earth, is a natural earth pigment derived from clay coloured by iron silicate. As with other natural pigments, impurities can prevent it from fully dispersing in an acrylic binder, although it is a popular pigment in all other mediums. It has been in use since antiquity, providing excellent lightfastness and great transparency, with a low tinting strength. It requires a high volume of oil, and dries slowly to create a soft, flexible paint film. When calcined, Terre Verte becomes Burnt Green Earth.
Toxicity B Learn More

PV16

Manganese Violet is a synthetic organic pigment, discovered in Germany in 1868 and formed by combining manganese chloride, phosphoric acid and ammonium carbonate. It is very lightfast, but sensitive to alkalis and oils. It is semi-opaque and fast-drying, with a low tinting strength and low absorption of oil. 

Toxicity: C

** While stocks last ** Blue Verditer, sometimes referred to as Bremen Blue, is a synthetic form of Azurite, or copper-calcium carbonate. It has a weak tinting strength and is sligtly transparent. It works best in water-based binders, as the acidity of linseed oil can cause discolouration. 

Larger sizes available on request