How to Find Natural Earth Pigments
Finding and collecting natural earth pigments is a gift. It hones your senses to the environment around you, connecting you to the landscape in new ways. Finding natural earth pigments is about being aware and building heightened awareness for the natural world.
Finding Natural Earth Pigments
The first time you look for natural earth pigments, it’s important to not get overwhelmed in knowing what to look for or identifying the materials you are collecting. Using your senses will help guide you to earth colors and begin to teach you about the characteristics of minerals, soils, and rocks. Approaching pigments in this way will build a strong sense for the tactile quality of natural earth color, providing you with a strong foundation to work from.
When you begin to forage for natural earth pigments, start in locations that expose the raw earth. Seek out spaces that lack grass and moss coverage. Often, these are areas near water banks, quarries, road cuts, or forests. Also, consider searching for natural earth pigments in places like corners, ridges, and edges that may exist in your local community.
Natural earth pigments are often found in the form of rocks. Despite common assumptions about rocks, these minerals come in all shapes, sizes, and even colors. Once you locate a space that lacks greenery, begin to focus your eyes on the color around you. Seek out the earth that appears to be any shade of color—this part of the process is about open curiosity and experiencing the earth through touch. When you find a pigment sample that appears to be color, conduct a scratch test to determine if you have found a natural earth pigment.
