An Experts Guide to Natural Earth Pigments
Natural Earth Pigments are lush, they hold color in a unique way, not like any other. They are textural and reflect fragments of light, revealing the true beauty of iron. They are deep, full of secret beauty. They hide in earth crevices emitting energy waiting for discovery.
An Experts Guide to Natural Earth Pigments
A handful of years ago, I decided that I wanted to capture the essence of the earth in my landscape artwork. I wanted to create not only something about the landscape but something from the landscape. I surrounded myself with readings and teachings that I hoped I could piece together to bring light to this beautiful process. Now, I share those learnings with you.
What is a Pigment?
As defined by the sciences, there are two different kinds of pigments—inorganic pigments and organic pigments. Note, organic and inorganic pigments are defined by their chemical makeup [ie. organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry]. Organic pigments come from living organisms like bugs, plants, fruit, while inorganic pigments come from geological matter.
Organic Pigments
Vegetable (indigo, madder)
Animal (cochineal)
Synthetic Organic Pigment (chemical, human-made)
Inorganic Pigments
Native Earth (ochre, raw umber)
Calcined Native Earth (burnt umbers, burnt sienna)
Artificially prepared mineral color (human-made, cadmium yellow, zinc oxide)
A common misunderstanding is that earth pigments and natural dyes are the same. They differ from one another because natural dyes are colored pigments that can dissolve in a liquid and adhere to a surface by chemically bonding with it. Earth pigments are insoluble in water and adhere to a surface through the use of a binder.
What are Natural Earth Pigments?
Natural Earth Pigments have several names — native Earth pigments, earth colors, earth ochres, iron oxide pigments, or any variation of those words.
By definition, earth pigments are insoluble in water and are physically and chemically unaffected by the mediums they mix with. Earth pigments come from naturally occurring minerals, typically iron oxide or manganese oxide. Through the process of grinding, geological material can become a pigment powder.
Ochre
Ochre has two definitions—one defines the materiality of something and the other is a color name. In the material sense, ochre is a subset of earth pigments containing primarily iron and oxygen.
Sienna and umber
There are two other common earth colors—sienna and umber. Sienna contains iron oxide and manganese oxide. Raw sienna appears yellow-brown, and when heated (calcinated) it transforms into a burnt sienna appearing reddish-brown.
Umber also contains iron oxide and manganese oxide but is much darker than ochre and sienna. It typically appears brown or reddish-brown. When heated (calcinated), umber becomes much darker in hue and can sometimes have a green tone.
Where to Buy Natural Earth Pigments and Supplies
Natural earth pigments offer artists the opportunity to detoxify their studio and bring synthetic-free, natural art materials into their studio practice. While I like to source my earth pigments, Natural Earth Paint offers me the ability to buy studio supplies like glass mullers and natural binders.
Natural Earth Paint is a company out of Ashland, Oregon that purchases natural paint pigments and minerals from small quarries around the US, France & Italy. They are committed to a truly eco-friendly business model as reflected by their prestigious Gold certification from Green America - the highest rank for green business.
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