Articles

Lamp Black’s rich history involves ancient oil lamps, Chinese monochromatic painting and even the Gutenberg printing press. Find out more about these connections in this article.

The roots of Indian ink stretch back thousands of years. Find out how this artists’ staple was first used, and why it’s still so popular today.

Bright and opaque, cerulean blue is invaluable to artists. Find out why painters including Monet and Signac prized this beautiful sky blue.

Commonly used in camouflage paint, chromium oxide green is relied on by artists to make a wide range of greens when mixed with other colours.

Indian Yellow is a luminous golden pigment with excellent transparency and glazing qualities. It is widely admired for its depth, body and radiance in oil and watercolour painting.

Sienna was one of the first pigments used for painting. Learn why it took off in the Renaissance and remains a staple in artists’ palettes.

Discover the story behind the colour raw umber, an artists' go-to for under-painting, monochromatic works and the rendering of shadows.

Discover the troubled history of emerald green, and learn about Winsor & Newton’s non-toxic, brilliant blue-green replacement, Winsor Emerald.

Trace the development of Indian red, an essential colour for watercolorists and oil painters alike with a history spanning thousands of years.