Earth color

Description

Paint pigments prepared by grinding native iron containing minerals. Earth colors generally contain a mixture of oxide iron oxides and other materials such as clay, chalk, and silica. The colors vary over the range from yellow, orange, red, brown, and black with each deposit having a unique color, composition, and working characteristics. Names for these colors include ocher, sienna, and umber. Earth colors have been used since prehistoric times and are permanent in all techniques. Synthetic iron oxides, called colors Mars colors, have been produced since the late 18th century.

Synonyms and Related Terms

earth colors; earth pigments; earth colour (Br.); colores de tierras (Esp.); pigmentos de tierras (Esp.); terre colore (Fr.); cor terra (Port.)

Authority

• R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966

• Reed Kay, Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983

• Ralph Mayer, Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996