03/01/2024
Two of these colours are not like the others 👀
Looking at my vast collection of pigments I have yet to turn into paint and stumbled across these two bright beauties 🤩 You can easily see which two they are given by how different they are from everything else!
Here we have Madder Lake and a verdigris pigment. I made it very early on in my pigment exploration.
I made the pink pigment out of madder root using the laking process, which precipitates dye in a ‘bath’ into a solid pigment. This is then dried and ground and used however you wish.
During the Renaissance, madder became a popular natural pigment for artists, contributing to the rich colour palette of the era. The vivid reds derived from madder were used in iconic works of art and were often utilized as a glaze to strengthen the vibrancy of vermillion. You can see Madder Lake being used by Vermeer in ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring. (Swipe for close-ups)
However, in the 19th century, with the isolation of key compounds from madder, synthetic alternatives like Alizarin Crimson emerged, gradually replacing the traditional use of madder in the art world.
I made the Verdigris pigment using a bit of copper piping and um…chemistry. It was in my old uni bedroom and I honestly can't remember exactly how I did it. It might still be on my feed somewhere if you scroll long enough 😂
Verdigris Ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians and Greeks, used verdigris for various artistic purposes, such as colouring statues, jewellery, and illuminated manuscripts. In the medieval and Renaissance periods, artists, it was a popular choice for achieving green tones, often seen in foliage and landscapes.
Despite its aesthetic appeal, verdigris tends to corrode over time, which can impact the longevity of artworks. Over the centuries, artists and conservators have developed techniques to stabilize and preserve verdigris pigments, allowing its historical use to be appreciated in art conservation today. You can see the corroding effects in Vermeer's painting of ‘Maid and Mistress’. Analysis has shown the fading of the once-original green tablecloth with the verdigris glaze over ultramarine blue.
