Search results for 'pigments'

Pearl Lustre Pigments 1 kg. Colour swatch on the left indicates colour on a White Background and Colour on a Black Background on the right. Learn More

Pearl Lustre Pigments 7g. Colour swatch on the left indicates colour on a White Background and Colour on a Black Background on the right. Learn More

Pearl Lustre Pigments 100g. Colour swatch on the left indicates colour on a White Background and Colour on a Black Background on the right. Learn More

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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. 

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PBk9

Genuine Ivory Black is produced by burning reclaimed ivory, such as piano keys. These are antique, mainly Victorian pieces, using ivory with started out as hippo or walrus teeth, and offers a higher carbon content and greater tinting strength than modern-day equivalents, which are usually derived from animal bones. It is a particularly slow-drying pigment.

Larger quantities are available by request. While stocks last.

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Gamboge is a natural tree resin, generally extracted by tapping of Garcinia trees, available as a powder and in the solid "pipe" form. One of the unique features of Pipe Gamboge is that it does not require a binding agent to be used as a paint. Instead, colour can be lifted with a wet brush, as from a watercolour pan. When used as a water colour, it gives a bright transparent golden yellow colour. It is highly transparent, fugitive to light, with a weak tinting strength. The powder can be dissolved in alcohol to colour resin-based varnishes. Gamboge was used from ancient times to dye the clothes and also to make a transparent yellow varnish for the colouring of wood, metals and leather.

Pipe Gamboge is available while stocks last. Larger quantities are available by request.

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Cobalt Violet Dark Pigment (PV14). Synthetic inorganic pigment. Semi-transparent. High tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness. Low oil absorption with fast drying rate. All media including ceramics. Used since late 19th Century.

Limeproof

Toxicity: C

Please note, unfortunately we are not able to send this product outside the UK.

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PB27

Prussian Blue is a synthetic organic pigment that was discovered by the paint maker Diesbach, apparently by accident, in Germany in the early eighteenth century. For many years, it was used not only as a colour in its own right, but also as a component of the original Hooker's Green. The other ingredient, gamboge, is highly fugitive, which is why many watercolours painted with Hooker's green have taken on a bluish tone with with age.  

It is a very transparent and heavily staining colour. It dries quite quickly in oil, and can therefore wrinkly if applied too quickly. It is suitable for use in oils, watercolour, and egg tempera. However, it shouldn't be used in conjunction with alkali substances, such as Lead White or Calcium Carbonate as it can turn brown, so it isn't suitable for fresco. For the same reason, it isn't used with acrylic resin binders due to their alkaline nature, so most paint manufacturers will replace Prussian Blue with a mixture of Phthalo Blue and black in their acrylic ranges. It requires a wetting agent to fully disperse into a binder.

Toxicity: B

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Cadmium Yellow Middle Pigment (PY37). 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. Learn More

PB29

Ultramarine Blue 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/C

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Green Earth Light Pigment Learn More

PBk10

Graphite powder is an allotropic form of pure carbon, ground to 200 mesh. It is transparent and lightfast, with a slight sheen. It can be applied directly onto a paper support.

Larger quantities are available by request. This variety of graphite is a naturally occurring material sourced from Sri Lanka.

Toxicity: A/B

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PG19

Cobalt Green is a synthetic pigment that consists of compounds of cobalt and zinc oxides. It is sometimes referred to as Rinman's Green, after the Swedish chemist who discovered it in the late-18th century. It is a permanent, opaque colour, with a weak tinting strength. It dries quite quickly in oil, requiring a high oil content and  forming a hard, fairly fleixible paint film. Cobalt Green is available in light and dark shades; the colour is determined by the amount of zinc oxide present.

Toxicity: B

Please note, unfortunately we are not able to send this product outside the UK.

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Vermilion Imitation Pigment (PR4, PY1, PW21). Organic pigment. Mixture of Studio Red, Hansa Yellow (Azo) and Blanc Fixe. Semi-transparent. Good tinting strength. Good Lightfastness, but prone to fading when mixed strongly with white . Slow drying rate. Requires wetting agent. Suitable for all media. Used since early 20th Century. Toxicity A. Learn More

Zinc White, or Zinc Oxide, is an artificial mineral pigment that was first produced in France in the late 18th century. Its use in commercial watercolours as Chinese White pre-dates its inclusion in oil painting. It is a semi-opaque, lightfast pigment, which dries very slowly in oil. Of all white pigments, it produces the most brittle paint film, so is not recommended in large quantities for impasto techniques. However, it is a good addition to a palette which requires a less overwhelming white than Titanium White.

Toxicity: B

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Egyptian Blue is stable in all media, highly transparent, with a weak tinting strength. A synthetically produced calcium copper silicate, it is considered to be the earliest artificial pigment, dating from antiquity and widely used in ancient Egypt. Larger sizes available on request Learn More

Gamboge is a natural tree resin, generally extracted by tapping of Garcinia trees, available as a powder and in the solid "pipe" form. One of the unique features of Pipe Gamboge is that it does not require a binding agent to be used as a paint. Instead, colour can be lifted with a wet brush, as from a watercolour pan. When used as a water colour, it gives a bright transparent golden yellow colour. It is highly transparent, fugitive to light, with a weak tinting strength. The powder can be dissolved in alcohol to colour resin-based varnishes. Gamboge was used from ancient times to dye the clothes and also to make a transparent yellow varnish for the colouring of wood, metals and leather.

Pipe Gamboge is available while stocks last. Larger quantities are available by request.

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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

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Oriental Blue Pigment (PB29). Inorganic pigment consisting kaolin, soda ash, sulfides and coal. Semi-transparent. High tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness. Medium to slow drying rate. Suitable in all media except Lime-fresco. Used since early 19th Century. Toxicity B Learn More

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

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PBr7

Burnt Sienna is a natural earth pigment that has been in use since antiquity. Our Burnt Sienna comes from Tuscany, and is produced by calcining Raw Sienna to temperatures of about 450 degrees Celsius. This process creates a rich warm colour and increases transparency. It also offers 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, may be difficult to disperse in acrylic binders. 

Toxicity B

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Azure Blue Pigment (PB28). Inorganic pigment made from various aluminium, zinc and cobalt compounds. Semi-opaque. Weak tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness.

Toxicity: C

Limeproof

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