Safflower: This thistle-like plant was used on Egyptian textiles to create a yellow and red dye extracted from the petals. It is still used today. Natural pigments continued to be the base for oil paints until the 19th century when synthetic and petroleum-based pigments were introduced. Many artists working today use natural materials as they’re environmentally-friendly and surprisingly easier to manipulate. Natural pigments are also used in printmaking, spun into paper threads for weaving and stitching, used to produce oil and wax crayons, and are even used in silk painting in Asian art. Below, we explore the possibilities of natural dyes in art, how some of the most famous painters used them in their body of work, and how you can use natural pigments to create your own designs today. What is a Natural Pigment? It is always necessary to do a test, because the dosage depends on the color of the pigments (+/- heavy)

Carmine: The blood from Kermes insects produces Carmine red, which today refers to a broad range of red hues that are slightly purple, but closer to red than crimson. In 1704, German chemist Johann Jacob Diesbach created Prussian Blue by accident, making it the first chemically synthesized color. As synthetic pigments became more prominent in the 19th century, many gradually switched to this medium to produce art. Types of Natural Pigments Acrylic paints are typically made with pigments and acrylic polymer emulsion. When wet, they become water-resistant which makes them perfect for surfaces that need protection. Can you use acrylic paint on a leather item? Azurite: Azurite is found in many parts of the world in the upper oxidized portions of copper ore deposits. This was one of the most important blue pigments used in Renaissance art.

Blues

Yes, you can use acrylic paints on leather. You'll find acrylic paint is a far better option for painting leather than fabric paint. To seal acrylic paint, use an acrylic finisher, which protects leather from scrapes. Where does fabric paint work best? The overall effect of using fabric paint is very different from using acrylic paint, and you should consider acrylic based paints when painting leather. Before the Industrial Revolution, color options were limited. Pigments were often referred to by the location in which they were produced. For example, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna came from Siena, Italy, Egyptian Blue from Egypt, French ultramarine from France, and so on. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, new inventions and methods of extracting pigments continued to change the range of available colors. In 1841, American painter John Rand invented the collapsible tin paint tube, which allowed for pre-mixed colors to be portable and more convenient to use outside the studio. Pigments like titanium white and others made with new binders began to appear. When you use leather paint, you can choose any colour you wish. As the paint sits on top of the leather, you can cover it in any shade. However, leather dyes aren’t as vibrant or as compelling.

Woad: Woad was another common plant-derived pigment that was used to create blues. The color came from the leaves that were also dried and ground like madder. They were then made into a paste. Cobalt: Discovered in 1802, this pure blue pigment was used by artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir in the 19th century. Tyrian purple: Murex, a predatory sea snail, is used to create Tyrian purple, which was popular in Ancient Rome. The process involved extracting the dye from thousands of snails and a significant amount of labor, so it was highly valued and even referred to as “royal purple” for this reason. To create the paint: from 5 to 15% in transparent acrylicor polyurethane binder, or gloss topcoat to create lacquers.Universally compatible concentrated pigments to use in all water-based paints (acrylic, polyurethane) There are fewer examples of dyes obtained from animals than those retrieved from plants and minerals. However, many colors were extracted from insects throughout history. A few of the most prominent examples include: Sienna: This is another common mineral-based pigment. It is a form of limonite clay that is derived from ferric oxides to produce a rich, earthy red. It produces darker shades from creams to browns. Ochre: Ochre is one of the most common mineral pigments. Widely used in Aboriginal art, ochre is usually a red or yellow that is obtained from ore of iron or ferruginous clay.

Ultramarine: Ultramarine was obtained from lapis lazuli and commonly used in Europe for jewelry and paint. The expensive blue pigment was artificially manufactured beginning in the 19th century. Spinels: These hard, crystalline minerals generate colors by exchanging certain ions that heat and combine with other minerals. They’re available in yellow, orange, turquoise, and blue. A natural pigment is one that is found in nature that is ground, sifted, washed, and in rarer cases, heated to create a desired hue. Since their inception, natural pigments served many artistic purposes for ancient cultures around the world. The first paintings, from prehistoric times, were cave paintings applied by brushing, smearing, dabbing, and even spraying techniques. Artists used whatever pigment was available to them through natural resources. This included earth pigments such as red and yellow ochre, charcoal, and white from ground calcite. A Brief History of Natural Pigments You cannot dye leather items a dyed lighter color, so you should consider leather paint if that is your goal. Stain or seal paint with a basic process Pigments were produced on a larger scale by ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures. The Egyptians were credited with many pigment advances through 1300 BC. They discovered that washing pigments would strengthen and purify the color. They also produced new materials and introduced the process of lake mining, which involves fixing dyes onto a transparent white powder base to produce pigments like madder lake and carmine lake. Ancient Egyptian art often features pigments such as azurite, a blue copper mineral, and realgar, an arsenic sulfide mineral. Chemical tests found traces of alizarin, a pigment extracted from madder plants, in the tomb of King Tutankhamun in Egypt.Cochineal: This red dye comes from Cochineal insects who live on cactus plants. Pre-Columbian Indians would dry them out in the sun, grind their bodies, and mix with water to produce a red powder. Cochineal is still used in the Canary Islands. Artists choose natural pigments over their synthetic counterparts for a variety of reasons. Aside from the environmentally-friendly characteristics of organic matter, a natural pigment is also one of the purest forms of color and its ability to generate a vibrant hue is unparalleled. From Egyptian antiquities, to iconic Renaissance paintings, to examples in modern art, cultures around the world utilize the capabilities of natural pigments. Draw inspiration from each genre to inspire your own future projects using natural materials.

Semi-aniline leathers have a light, clear finish, which offers little protection against spills and stains. These leathers accept color exceptionally well too. Fabric paint from a craft store doesn't work on synthetic fibers such as leather, it works best on materials like silk. Even standard acrylic paints are suitable, but not as good as specific leather paints.

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You can also use vinyl paint or chalk paint for leather coloring, with chalk paint a durable option. Natural dyes can be sorted into three categories: natural pigments obtained from plants, natural pigments obtained from animals, and natural pigments obtained from minerals. Many dyes require a mordant, an element that combines with a dye and the fiber so that the dye is absorbed. These dyes are referred to as “adjective dyes.” Those that don’t require mordants are called “substantive dyes.” Common mordants include iron and tin. Natural Dyes Obtained From Plants Madder: Historically, madder, obtained from the roots of a madder plant, was widely used throughout the 19th century to create ruby reds. These plants were dug up, washed, dried, and ground into powder. Most fabrics during this time had been dyed with madder. Natural pigments were used to create some of the most iconic paintings of art history. Azurite, a carbon mineral, was used in Italian Renaissance painter Raphael’s Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints. Cadmium red, a mineral pigment, was used to create Henri Matisse’s The Red Studio. Today, you can draw inspiration from the greats, and use natural pigments for a wide variety of art projects. Once you start to master your skill, experiment with more complex use of the colors. Water-based paint colouring possibilities have always been rather limited. Today, with the introduction of stricter standards to reduce the VOC emission and the development of automotive and industrial water-based paints, the Stardust GAMA range offers a complete range of compatible concentrated dyes.