Pigments are the building blocks of artist colours; they are chemical compounds that impart colour to paint by changing how it interacts with light. In this Guide to Pigments, we explore how pigments are made and what they are used for, some of the unique characteristics that affect the way that paint behaves, and why the Pigment Colour Index can help you get the most from your artist colours.
A Guide to Pigments
Contents:
0:18 What is a Pigment?
1:13 The History of Pigments
4:26 The Difference Between Pigments and Dyes
7:17 Transparency and Opacity
10:57 Tinting Strength
13:57 Drying Time
15:21 Granulation
17:00 Lightfastness and Fugitive Pigments
19:06 Permanence
20:26 What is the Pigment Index?
26:00 Genuine Pigments vs. Hues
29:40 What is a Single Pigment Colour?
33:41 Credits
Further Reading
Jackson’s Artist Pigments: Colour Information and History
What is the Pigment Colour Index?
Introducing Jackson’s Artist Pigment Sets
32 thoughts on “Film: A Guide to Pigments”
Thank you for this fascinating film with
such a wealth of information. I have
always been fascinated by colour and
pigments. I will have to watch it again
and take notes!
Excellent presentation linking the
synthetic and physical chemical aspects
of pigments to their artistic
performance.
Great doc about the insides about the
ingredients of paint and how the
characteristic might change.
Thank you Willem
Excellent presentation! Thank you for all the
research that must have gone into making
this video.
Thanks Anne, we enjoyed making it!
A masterclass packed with fascinating
insights. A lot to assimilate and well worth
another watch
It’s a lot of information to take in! Thank you Robin, I’m glad you find it helpful
What an interesting and informative video. I found the definition of
hues as opposed to non hues very good. I will now look at the
pigment list to learn and, hopefully, absorb more.
Thank you.
Enjoy your pigment journey Wendy!
Really excellent film, may need to watch
again! Keen to see if there is one comparing
different white pigments as that always
causes me confusion…if you’ve not already
done so, then please consider covering this!
Great suggestion, thanks Rachel. In the mean time there’s a summary of the 7 white pigments used in artist paints here (however the vast majority of paints are made with Zinc White, Titanium White, or a mixture of the two). We also have various articles about white pigments, including a comparison of the drying times of Titanium White oil paints, a comparison of Lead White alternatives, and an article about the different white paints in Gamblin’s oil range. Hopefully some of those will be helpful!
Hi. Fascinating and informative. Re the
“pure” naples yellow which you
demonstrated.. I’m trying to source the pure
powder to mix my own. I seem to only be
able find a P.Y.41 listed as Naples yellow..
can I get it in powder form ?
It is possible to get PY41 as a dry pigment from specialist pigment suppliers, although I believe there are some restrictions on its sale because of its lead content
This supports us artists to seek out our
own relationship with our materials: to
get to know them as individual
personalities. Relationship is
fundamentally what this whole thing is
about for me. And the more informed I
am, then the better positioned I am to
make decisions. So thank you for
organising information so coherently.
Thank you Frances, making the right decisions is what it’s all about!
Excellent presentation! Clear, detailed and
very informative. Congratulations!
Thanks Clarissa!
Wonderful comprehensive summary of
pigment “behaviors”! I learned how
helpful preparing undertone/ mass-tone
samples of every paint i use reveals
which other colors the pigment may
‘lean’ towards& its opacity- and will use
zinc white for this now also. Thank you!
Zinc White is definitely a ‘friendlier’ mixing pigment than Titanium White
When I began painting with watercolor, I had
access and financial constraints that forced
me to do a lot of research before buying. I
quickly became a pigment nerd! Thank you,
Evie! I so enjoy your posts about pigments
and their histories. You warm my nerdy
heart!
Thank you Rose! Learning about these things early on serves you well in the long run!
Thank you so much for this.
I really enjoyed the enthusiasm and
animated way you talk about pigment,as well
as the actual information,which was useful .
Thanks Vivi, I’m so glad you found it useful
What a fascinating and informative
video given by Evie. Thanks so much, I
shall definitely watch again & research
this further.
Thank you Ruth, enjoy your research!
Thank you so much Evie. As a beginner in
watercolour, I have learned so much about
pigment characteristics from your
comprehensive explanation and this will help
me make more informed choices in future.
That’s so good to know, thanks Emel!
Thankyou for the presentation. I have
followed your posts since taking up
watercolour again in my retirement. It
kept me sane during the pandemic. They
stimulated my own research into pigment
characteristics.
Your spellbinding delivery was a delight,
encapsulating the essentials in a clear and
concise manner, and will undoubtedly spur
on others to mine this enthralling subject.
Thank you Paul!
Wish that I had this beautiful little video at
hand when I was teaching painting and
colour theory. Evie explains pigment
in such a clear and pleasant way. A
treasure trove of information-packed
sections’ rendered in a lyrical accent with
musical clarity. Almost a poetry reading
that teaches. Things such as this video
are one of the reasons that life as an artist
is still wonderful. Thank you very much
Evie.
Thanks James, I’m so glad you found it informative!
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