Blog

Where do our pigments originate from? Our pigments originate from all around the world! Here are the stories of three of our natural Earth & Mineral Pigments, Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre, and Terre Verte. Venetian RedVenetian Red has been in use since prehistoric times and is found and used around the world. It's a natural earthen clay that is tinted by iron oxide and is composed of a naturally calcined form of the mineral hematite -...

Earth pigments have been used around the world from the earliest cultures of India, Africa and Australia all the way up to the present day. The oldest human artworks we’ve discovered were made with earth pigments 250,000 years ago and the same materials have been used by every culture and on every continent since then. A recent discovery of an earth pigment paint making factory in a South African cave was dated at 100,000 years old.Call...

Through this year's Pigments Revealed Symposium, we had the wonderful opportunity to connect with earth artists around the world. Kristen Moffitt, Materials Analyst at Colonial Williamsburg, is an art conservator who studies the paints and pigments used for architectural coatings at Williamsburg.During her talk at the symposium, she shared her research on the natural ingredients used in Colonial Williamsburg. We're sharing some of her f...

Natural Earth Pigments were among the earliest recorded materials used by our ancestors to make paint, and their use pre-dates recorded history. Starting at least 100,000 years ago, ancient people from all over the world, including Prehistoric People, Egyptians, Native Americans, ancient Buddhists, Medieval monks, and Renaissance masters used earthen pigments to make their paints. Humans on almost every continent ground up earthen clays and...

For over 2,500 years, Buddhists have spread their message of enlightenment to every corner of the globe. Today, with an estimated 488 million practicing Buddhists worldwide, followers of this ancient religion continue to make significant contributions to philosophy, literature, and art. This entry into Natural Paint Through the Ages will explore how Buddhists have used natural paint and dyes throughout the centuries to advan...

It’s a well guarded secret by the Aborigines in Australia and it’s forbidden for them to talk about it, but there are many guesses as to why earth paint is considered sacred.  It was a general belief among Aboriginal cultures that the geographical features of the land were created by a mythical snake as it journeyed over it. The colored ochre seams were believed to be the "tracks" left by the snake through the earth, and therefore...

A common misperception around natural materials and ingredients is that they’re not very archival, luminous or of a professional quality. Since 2011, Natural Earth Paint has been on a mission to dispel that myth and spread the surprising truth that non-toxic and natural ingredients are actually far more archival, radiant, stable and professional quality than their synthetic counterparts. The proof is in the cave paintings, the Rena...

Before the world had ready-made paints and art supplies stores, we had Colormen! These professionals were the “traders” of the paint world starting in the late 17th century and sold artists prepared pigments, pre-mixed oil paints, watercolors, dyes, made brushes, prepped canvases, gums, resins, and more. Before Colormen, the painter would buy course, raw pigments from apothecaries’ shops (or source them directly from quarries) a...

The influence that Egypt has had on countless cultures is profound. Can you believe that the ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for more than 3000 years? They were not only astounding innovators, but they discovered and advanced most of the arts and sciences that we have the privilege of knowing today. Art was incredibly important throughout their culture, and to this day we can still marvel at the preserved tombs, statuary, sc...

Natural Earth pigments were the earliest recorded materials used by our ancient ancestors to make paint and various mediums. We can see artistic practices dating as far back as 500,000 years ago by Homo Erectus, our ancient ancestors.The oldest cave painting known today is from El Castillo, in Northern Spain and stands as a symbol of our human evolution and the beginning of the natural art movement. Most people don’t realize the scal...

In 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first oil-producing well in Pennsylvania, and the world was changed forever. In addition to being used for fuel, oil was scientifically studied, and the many chemicals composing petroleum were gradually isolated. New substances that didn’t previously exist in nature were made, like plastics and modern paints. A 100,000 year old tradition for making natural earth paints began to slip away.Prod...