Da Vinci "Natural Pigment" line of oil paints

[artc]

Good info...Thank you...I'll have to give this brand a try
as I have never used them.
Thanks again.....Art

[JDWooldridge]

I just got a few of these in. I'm already loving the Hematite violet. I have a natural tendency to shy away from purples because they can be so wild and overpowering but this color is fairly easy going. I expect it to have a prominent place in my palette.

[Arissin]

I have to say, this is very good colors, its like you dont have to mix colors because you already have them.

if i had a palette like this, i would do like 5 times better.

[llawrence]

Originally Posted by JDWooldridge

I'm already loving the Hematite violet.

Fantastic paint, isn't it? Yum!

Originally Posted by Arissin

its like you dont have to mix colors because you already have them.

That's one thing I love about earth colors: many of them are already close to the colors I need to mix in portraiture. They do have their limitations, of course...

An update: The Magnetite Genuine, which at the time of the OP I wasn't using much, is now on my palette for nearly every painting. It is a near-perfect black for skin tones: very low tinting strength for a black, pretty much on a par with the other earth colors; and not as dark as other blacks (it's visibly a very dark gray, rather than black). Those who do a lot of portraiture or figure painting in oil might consider adding it (but not if you're using strong tinters - the MG will disappear, as I learned recently mixing it with vermilion).

I continue to use the Arizona Brown Ochre a lot, in fact it has become my go-to paint for underpaintings. I much prefer its low tinting strength and semi-opacity to the burnt umber I used to use. I don't use it in regular mixing much because I hate how quickly it dries. But it's perfect for underpaintings. Here's an example of an underpainting using the ABO and Kama Lead White:

[Gigalot]

Great portrait, llawrence! Your style, technique, composition and paints are perfect.
I love natural pigments soft tone and transparency! My natural Feodosian brown earth is translucent dark brown with low hiding power. Good for glazing and shading but not for underpainting. Also I found an interesting red colored stones, and after grinding, prepared a pigment powder. It looks like "Red Iron Stone" paint.

[llawrence]

Thank you Gigalot! We share the same interests.

[Gigalot]

Hi. Llawrence! I found an interesting natural paint :

"Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Genuine 37ml Tube, DANIEL SMITH Original Oil Color

Natural Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Genuine comes from the Sleeping Beauty Mountain in Arizona."
http://www.danielsmith.com/ItemImages/Large/p71592b.JPG

Sounds good!
Alex

[llawrence]

I have been meaning to try that one out! It does look very nice. I've also thought about buying some low-grade (soft) rough turquoise and try grinding it up myself. Ah, so much to try, so little time...

[Jeremy Bryant]

Thanks for posting this. I really learned a lot of things that I can actually use on my work. This is surely an upgrade to what I previously do.

Cool info!

[crafor]

My 3 tubes arrived a few days ago, and I immediately put the brown ochre to work. The eyebrows in a portrait were not working, and I'm still in Kindergarten, so didn't know how to lighten the umber I was using to get the right color. The Arizona Brown Ochre right from the tube--oil thinned to flow--works beautifully. I also got the hematite violet, on your say so from a differet thread ad because I didn't have any purples, and the magnetite genuine. After I got it, I looked at the other naturals, and wished I had also ordered the yellow ochre, the red, Brown Ochre Geothite, well, ALLthe others. I don't think I can justify their purchase right now, but may splurge. even though I promised myself NO MORE PAINT!
I plan to do the challenge using the earth pigments, and I may have to buy a few more for that.
Do you know anything of the reflectivity of the various pigments?-are they considered reflective?
Thanks for posting this information. $$$ I think...$$$
Crafor

[Gigalot]

When I got one, 1956 (!) year tube of natural Umber, depleted long ago and discontinued, I was shocked. It`s color is deep black but surprisingly bright and sienna looking in tints.
I think, some of modern "Umber" imitations are as far from original pigment as Cadmium red + Mars black mixture is far from Alizarin Crimson.

[Sarah Edgecumbe]

oooohhh so pretty.

Very nice indeed. I love the earthy tones. They all look so harmonious sitting on your palette.
I can't wait to get painting with some.

Thanks for sharing