Understanding Artists' Pigments

Understanding artists' pigments will help improve your ability to choose the right type for your particular project. Each pigment may have its own characteristics that will affect the color of the final product. Your art medium may also act differently with the various types of pigment, making it even more important to understand artists' pigments and how they work together.

Understanding artists' pigments: The basic characteristics

Paint is made from a mixture of pigments to develop their color. There are seven main categories of these artists' pigments, mostly sold in colored powder form. These categories are comprised of opposing pairs of characteristics. Transparent pigment vs. opaque, light color vs. dark, gray vs. bright, impermanent vs. long-lasting, cold vs. warm, modern vs. antique, and natural vs. organic are the seven distinguishing factors. Knowing the characteristics of a desired color will help the artist know which pigments to use to produce the right shade.

Understanding artists' pigments: Lightness and color spectrum

The lightness of the pigment's color is known as its value, from light to dark. This darkness value can vary depending on the type of medium it will be used with. A light color may be far darker when used in an oil painting than in a lighter colored art such as a pastel. The hue, or coolness, of the pigment is also a key characteristic that must be considered when mixing your artists' paints. Colors that are yellow, orange, or reddish in nature are generally considered warm. The blue, green, and greenish-yellow colors are on the cool end of the pigment spectrum.

Understanding artists' pigments: Intensity of the color

Brightness is sometimes called intensity when referring to artist's pigments. Like the color value, this factor can also depend on the medium the artist chooses. Even bright colors such as red or blue can be found in a lower intensity pigment, where some of the brightness has been grayed out. The metallic colors are similar to lead, gold, metal, or mercury, and some of the deeper blue shades.

Understanding artists' pigments: Transparent or opaque

Knowing whether you want a transparent or opaque artists' pigment will also help you choose the appropriate colors for your paint. Transparent pigments can be seen through, while opaque pigments cannot. Artists' pigments can fall anywhere between these two extremes, usually being partially transparent, but not quite all the way. The type of medium you use will also change the level of opacity of your pigments, no matter what color you choose. Artists' pigments generally fade over time if they are exposed to light, so choose a more permanent type of pigment if you are concerned about the color changing.