A History of Pigments

Pigments are the basis of all paint, formed originally by using different colours of ground clay, earth and rocks. They were made into a paint medium by mixing with animal fat or human saliva.

For such an interesting and fertile subject, there is only time in this article to discuss some of the basic pigments which would be found in an artist’s pallet.

Ochre and red oxides are some of the oldest pigments used by human kind. Evidence of ochre has been found in ancient burial sites such as Lake Mungo in Australia, where bones dated to around 65,000 years ago were found to be painted in ochre earth pigments. Ochre is usually a yellow or brown colour, and pigments can extend into purple