Artists Pigments - an Index of Resources

Minium

Minium Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: Red Lead

Noteworthy characteristics: Toxic, very bright orange/red pigment made by heating lead.

Personal Notes: This is a heavy jar of pigment with an extremely zingy, bright orange hue. The only other pigment in my collection that comes close in terms of brightness is cadmium orange.

Online Resources for this Pigment

Alizarin Crimson

Alizarin Crimson Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: Madder Lake

Noteworthy characteristics: transparent blue-ish red, traditionally made from madder root, but largely superseded by a synthetic version since the 19th century. There seems to be a lot of debate relating to the lightfastness of alizarin crimson.

Personal Notes: I am somewhat concerned about the reputed reaction that this pigment has to light, however I have found it to be a useful colour, being a beautiful deep red and transparent in nature. I have used tiny amounts of Alizarin in flesh tone mixes, in the darker areas of my lobster painting and as a glaze over an umber underpainting in the tablecloth of my 'still life with books' (see below).

Online Resources for this Pigment

Vermillion

Vermillion Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: cinnabar; mercuric sulphide

Noteworthy characteristics: Toxic, vivid red pigment derived from mercury, commonly used in flesh tones

Personal Notes: I find Vermillion to be a useful colour, though many people these days prefer cadmium red. Nothing else in my collection occupies quite the same middle ground between bright orange and pink. I have used Vermillion in flesh mixes and also quite prominently in the lighter areas of my lobster painting (see below).

Online Resources for this Pigment

Genuine Rose Madder

Genuine Rose Madder Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: (n/a)

Noteworthy characteristics: Fugitive, transparent deep rose pigment, largely replaced by alizarin crimson

Personal Notes: When ground in oil or water, this pale pink powder becomes a deep red. I first used rose madder with egg tempera to add the red details to my detail study of a Verocchio painting (see below)

Online Resources for this Pigment

Wikipedia

Genuine Naples Yellow

Genuine Naples Yellow Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: Lead antimonate

Noteworthy characteristics: Highly toxic, opaque sunny yellow pigment manufactured from lead

Personal Notes: I use this vibrant, opaque pigment in a variety of places. As well as mixing fresh greens for fruit and foliage, I've used it on the lemon peel of a still life and in the sky of landscapes (see examples below)

Online Resources for this Pigment

Lead Tin Yellow

Lead Tin Yellow Pigment	Close-up View

Also known as...: Lead-tin oxide

Noteworthy characteristics: Highly toxic, light opaque yellow manufactured from lead-tin oxide

Personal Notes: This opaque pigment has an unusually pale, bright yellow quality with strong coverage. I have used it in the light areas of flesh tones and also alongside naples yellow in the peel of a lemon in a still life (see below)

Online Resources for this Pigment