Search results for 'pigments'

PY46

Litharge is lead monoxide, also known as Massicot. It is an opaque pigment, with a weak tinting strength. Its toxicity and fugitive nature means that it is rarely used as a pigment. Instead, its fast drying time means that it has been used as a siccative in oil mediums. The colour tends to darken in all media, and it is also unstable in its dry form, as the powder can lighten when exposed to air. Toxicity D. 

Larger quantities are available by request.

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

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PB32

Smalt is a kind of cobalt blue glass or frit, and its use as a pigment dates from the 1600s in the glass-making regions of Saxony. We offer two shades, light and dark, which are determined by the particle size of the pigment; the more finely ground the powder, the paler the colour. Before the introduction of Ultramarine Blue, Smalt was available in a wide variety of grades. It is a very transparent pigment, which is easily overwhelmed in mixtures due to its weak tinting strength. It works best in water based media. When ground in oil, it can become almost invisible in dried oil-paint films because its refractive index is so close to that of linseed oil.

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Fine abrasive powder used historically for polishing daguerreotype plates. Can be used to age wooden frames and object's d'art. Learn More

Shellac is a natural resin that is deposited by the female lac insect on the branches of trees in India and Thailand. It is soluble with alcohol, but not with mineral spirits or turpentine. It forms a tough yet flexible film, with many applications. It is suitable as a top coat for gilding when applied thinly, a sealant for porous surfaces, an isolating layer for tempera paintings, a base for pigmented inks, a protective layer for collograph plates, and a warm varnish for wooden floors and furniture. As it is prone to darkening with age, it is not recommended as a varnish for oils, and its solubility can reduce over time. There are various grades of shellac. When mixed with alcohol, it may initially form a cloudy mixture, due to traces of wax in the shellac, but this should become clear once it has dried. The highest grades of shellac are Clear Dewaxed Shellac, which has been de-coloured using the carbon filtering method, Lemon Shellac, and Orange Shellac, which are pale in colour. Button Shellac is less refined and therefore produces a reddish varnish. It was, in fact, widely used as a red dye before synthetic dyes became available. Learn More

Cadmium Yellow Deep 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

PBk11

Mars Black is an artificial mineral pigment composed of hydrated ferric oxides. Like other Mars colours, it provides a very opaque, permanent colour, which is stable in all media. It has an average drying time in oil, forming a hard, fairly flexible film, making it more suitable for impasto application than carbon-based black pigments, which tend to be brittle. It also wets more easily than other black pigments, and possesses a warm, brownish undertone.

Toxicity: B

Limeproof

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PY39

Orpiment, also called King's Yellow, is a mineral pigment containing naturally occurring sulphide of arsenic. Its high toxicity, and the prevalence of cadmium pigments, means that it is largely obsolete outside the field of restoration. It works best bound in oil or egg tempera, but it is not reliably permanent. Toxicity D.

Larger quantities are available by request.

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

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Malachite is a naturally occurring copper carbonate, closely related to Azurite. It has a weak tinting strength, is quite opaque, and works best in aqueous media. Larger sizes available on request. Learn More

Quinacridone Magenta Pigment (PR122). Organic pigment. Very transparent. High tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness. High oil absorption with slow drying rate. Requires wetting agent. Suitable for all media. Developed in the 1950's. Toxicity A/B. Learn More

Imparts textue when added to acrylic mediums and primers. Used in lime mortar. Meets paint pigment specificitions in its fine form. Mesh size: Course (Irregular granules), Medium (16) and Fine (100). Learn More

Yellow Ochre Light pigment Learn More

Gum Tragacanth is a natural tree gum with pigment-binding properties. It can be used to make a very matte watercolour, but is most commonly used in the production of soft pastels.

Please see the Formulas & Recipes section on our homepage for a recipe to make your own pastels using Gum Tragacanth (currently under construction). 

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Translucent Red Oxide (PR101). Artificial mineral pigment, hydrated ferric oxides. Transparent and very lightfast. Stable in all media, medium drying rate in oil. Toxicity B. Learn More

Pearl Glue is a traditional animal-based wood glue made from bone, used for veneering, joinery and antique restoration. 170-200 bloom. Learn More

Schmincke Mussini Limited Edition Ruby Red 15 ml Learn More

Lemon Yellow Pigment (PY31). Synthetic Inorganic pigment (Barium Chromate). Opaque but transparent in a glaze. Low tinting strength. Excellent Lightfastness. Low oil absorption with medium drying rate. Recommended for oils but can turn slightly greenish when mixed with binder. Used since beginning of the 19th Century. Toxicity D

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

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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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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

English Red Light Pigment 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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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. 

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Gesso di Bologna is a bright white Calcium Sulphate, or gypsum, from Italy, which can be used as a substitute for whiting in the preparation of gesso. It is ground to a particularly fine powder, which makes it a suitable ground for gilding, as the small size of the particles allows for greater compression when burnishing. Learn More

Shellac is a natural resin that is deposited by the female lac insect on the branches of trees in India and Thailand. It is soluble with alcohol, but not with mineral spirits or turpentine. It forms a tough yet flexible film, with many applications. It is suitable as a top coat for gilding when applied thinly, a sealant for porous surfaces, an isolating layer for tempera paintings, a base for pigmented inks, a protective layer for collograph plates, and a warm varnish for wooden floors and furniture. As it is prone to darkening with age, it is not recommended as a varnish for oils, and its solubility can reduce over time. There are various grades of shellac. When mixed with alcohol, it may initially form a cloudy mixture, due to traces of wax in the shellac, but this should become clear once it has dried. The highest grades of shellac are Clear Dewaxed Shellac, which has been de-coloured using the carbon filtering method, Lemon Shellac, and Orange Shellac, which are pale in colour. Button Shellac is less refined and therefore produces a reddish varnish. It was, in fact, widely used as a red dye before synthetic dyes became available. Learn More

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

Limeproof

Toxicity: B

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Cadmium Yellow Light 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

Phthalo Turquoise Pigment (PB15.3, PG7, PW21). Mixture of Phthalo Green, Phthalo Blue and Blanc Fixe. Transparent. Excellent Lightfastness. Requires wetting agent. Toxicity B Learn More

Ivory Black is a natural pigment of impure carbon, derived from charred animal bones. It is semi-transparent, very lightfast, and offers good tinting strength. It is a particularly slow-drying pigment, which forms a soft, rather brittle paint film in oil.

Compared to other blacks, such as Vine Black, Ivory Black possesses warmer, brownish undertones. It should not be used at full-strength in an underpainting, as subsequent layers are likely to crack. Otherwise, it is a very useful all-purpose black for many types of paint, excluding mortar, fresco or cement.

Toxicity: B

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Pigment collected from erosion of modern red brick stock. Learn More

Titanium White, or Titanium Doixide, is an artificial mineral pigment introduced in the 1920s. It is valued for its opacity, good lightfastness, and stability in all media. Its high tinting strength can render it a dominant colour in mixtures. It is very slow drying in oil, and creates a somewhat brittle paint film, though more flexible than Zinc White. Its brightness makes it a popular addition to gesso.

Toxicity: B

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