From Earth to Canvas: A Brief History of Dry Pigments in Oil and Acrylic Paint
The story of the colors we see in oil and acrylic paintings stretches back millennia, long before these mediums as we know them existed. Initially, all pigments were derived from the earth, minerals, and organic materials – finely ground into dry powders. These precious dusts were then mixed with a binder to create paint.
For oil painting, which saw its European rise in the 15th century (though its roots are older), the early palette relied on pigments like ochres (earthy yellows and reds), umber, lead white, charcoal black, and vibrant but sometimes fugitive colors from minerals like azurite (blue) and malachite (green). The Renaissance saw the prized ultramarine blue, ground from lapis lazuli, and the development of manufactured pigments like lead-tin yellow. Each color carried its own history, rarity, and challenges in terms of lightfastness and handling. Artists often ground their own pigments, a testament to the direct connection between the raw material and the artwork.
Acrylic paint, a much more recent invention emerging in the 20th century, also relies on dry pigments for its color. However, the history of its pigments is intertwined with advancements in chemistry. While early acrylics adopted some traditional earth and mineral pigments, the medium quickly embraced the vast array of synthetic organic and inorganic pigments developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries. These offered artists a broader, often more vibrant, and more lightfast spectrum of colors than historically available. The ease with which acrylic polymers could be combined with these modern pigments contributed to its rapid adoption by artists seeking new modes of expression.
Whether it’s the ochre that echoes prehistoric cave paintings in an oil landscape or a vibrant phthalocyanine blue in an acrylic abstraction, the dry pigment remains the foundational element of color. It’s a journey from grinding stones and earths to the precise chemical synthesis of hues, all in service of the artist’s vision.
Sources:
https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2019/11/05/the-story-of-ultramarine-blue-and-french-ultramarine/
https://www.fibreartstaketwo.com/courses/clairebenn
