Life Drawing #9
Posts
On Paint and Pigments
Well my paint finally arrived on the back of a pony… 😝 but I do wish that oil paint makers would clearly state the pigments used! Whilst painting these recent outside landscapes I found myself using W&N Sap Green. I used a whole tube and so I ordered 3 more tubes, however a different brand - on sale and slightly cheaper. It’s a completely different colour! Sap Green originally was made as a lake from buckthorn berries. A lake just means that it is basicly a dye, and to make a pigment out of it you have to add a mordant like alum. Anyway, it was highly fugitive and so now it is made as a “ hue” using other pigments. The problem is that every manufacturer has a different recipe, so you never know what you are getting! I much prefer the actual pigment name to be used, then I know exactly what it is! And YES, it does make a difference! I’m a fussy bugger. Sure you can match the colour but you can never match the specific pigments physical and optical properties . It’s becom...
