Mars Yellow
PY42
The Mars pigments are a group of synthetic iron oxide colours. They are named after the Roman god of war, who was associated with iron. Read on to learn more and shop for colours.
Mars Yellow was the first of the synthetic iron oxide pigments. Natural yellow iron oxides occur naturally in the earth’s crust and have been used as pigments for thousands of years.
In the 18th century a process was developed for making yellow iron oxide colours synthetically by combining iron sulphate, alum, and potash. Today, many Yellow Ochre paints are made using synthetic iron oxide pigments rather than their natural counterparts.
Mars Yellow paints are often opaque, but the pigment can be formulated to make transparent pigments as well. They share the same earthy density as natural earth colours, but they generally have a higher tinting strength because of their smaller, more even, pigment particles.