Sepia is a black brown colour. Originally made in the 18th century from the ink sacks of cuttlefish, it is now made from a mixture of carbon and umber. It is a highly permanent colour.
Indigo is a deep blue pigment that can range from dark black to pale blue. Originally extracted from plants similar to blue woad used by the ancient Britons, it was synthesised in 1878 in Germany. It...
A rich dark brown pigment, Burnt Umber is made from natural brown clays found in earth. It was named after Umbria, a region in Italy where it was mined. Burning the raw pigment intensifies its colour.
Chinese White is a zinc based opaque white colour. Winsor & Newton were the first to sell Chinese White in England in 1834. It was named after the popular Chinese porcelain imported at the time.
A heavy opaque pigment, Mars Black is a dense black colour with a brown undertone. It is made from mineral iron oxide and was therefore named after the alchemical name for iron: Mars.
Antwerp blue is a rich transparent blue colour. It is a softer version of Prussian Blue which was the first synthetic blue pigment. It was made by German chemist Diesbach around 1704.
