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

Casein is a protein derived from dried milk, which has been used in painting since ancient times. It can be combined with Ammonium Carbonate to form an emulsion, which acts as a durable, non-resoluble binder for pigments, producing a matte, fast-drying paint, similar in appearance to egg tempera. We use casein as a binder for our L. Cornelissen & Son Pigment Colour Charts, as it is a medium that clearly showcases the characteristics and behaviour of each pigment in its pure form. Casein paints can be applied in thin layers to watercolour paper, but would require a more rigid support, such as a gesso panel, to be applied thickly, as the comparative inflexibility of the paint layer means that it can be prone to cracking. Subsequent layers of paint should be more diluted to aid adhesion, and impasto effects are not recommended. It is possible to varnish casein paintings using an acrylic or damar varnish to obtain a glossy surface if desired, although this is not a necessary step. Casein can also be used as an ingredient in gesso, and is a suitable binder for fresco secco techniques.

Some pigments may require a wetting agent in order to fully disperse within the binder, in which case alcohol may be used.

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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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The perfect introduction to working with pigment, this selection of thirty pigments provides a wide range of colours for the production of paint. Each colour is supplied in a 15ml plastic jar, and the set includes both natural and synthetic colours. Recipes can be found on our homepage, with instructions for making different paints, including watercolour, egg tempera and oil paint. Learn More

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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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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Beeswax is derived from melted honeycomb, and is available in two grades. Bleached Beeswax Pellets are white, having been bleached by the sun, and are an appropriate choice for using with pale colours, although they may revert to yellow over time. Natural Beeswax Pellets are yellow in colour, and offer a more flexible structure with a higher resin content. Beeswax has a melting point of 63-66°c, and may turn brown if over-heated. It is the most widely used wax in artists' materials, having a wide range of applications. Please see below for more details.

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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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Ammonium Carbonate is a highly Alkaline substance that reacts with the lactic acid present in casein to form a robust binder for tempera paints. It should only be used in a well-ventilated area, please see below for the Material Safety Data Sheet. Learn More

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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Beeswax is derived from melted honeycomb, and is available in two grades. Bleached Beeswax Pellets are white, having been bleached by the sun, and are an appropriate choice for using with pale colours, although they may revert to yellow over time. Natural Beeswax Pellets are yellow in colour, and offer a more flexible structure with a higher resin content. Beeswax has a melting point of 63-66°c, and may turn brown if over-heated. It is the most widely used wax in artists' materials, having a wide range of applications. Please see below for more details.

 

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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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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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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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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

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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

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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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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For moulding when mixed with the same volume of water. Sets quickly and will not shrink. 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

A pure form of glue from animal tissue. Used for sizing paper. Used in gliding and for weak sizes in isolating layers in tempera painting. Learn More

15 ml pots of pure pigment Learn More

Caput Mortuum is a transparent, lightfast pigment that is stable in all media. Colours described as Caput Mortuum can vary greatly; our pigment is a soft purple-brown, made from a mixture of natural iron oxides. It is believed that Caput Mortuum has its roots in ancient Egypt, when colour was derived from remains that had been embalmed in asphaltum.

Toxicity B

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PBr7

Raw Umber is a natural earth pigment composed of iron oxide, manganese, and aluminium silicate. It has its roots in the Umbria region of Italy, and was historically a popular colour for underpaintings, as it dries very quickly. It is semi-opaque, very lightfast, and stable in all media but may be difficult to disperse in acrylic. It requires a large amount of liquid when mixed with oil.

Toxicity: B

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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

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PBk 6

Lamp Black is an inorganic, synthetic, pure carbon pigment. Originally made from soot collected from oil lamps and fireplaces, its modern equivalent is derived from partly combusted mineral and vegetable oil. It is a cool, transparent, bluish black, with a good tinting strength, and stable in all media. It requires a wetting agent, and in oil it has a very high absorption drying very slowly.

Larger quantities are available by request. 

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