A Deep Dive On Paint Pigments
A friendly wander through what pigments are, where they come from, and why they make our watercolours so special.
Before we dive into the colours themselves, here’s the simple version: A pigment is the tiny coloured particle that gives a paint its colour. In watercolour, those pigments are held in a gentle, traditional binder – in our watercolour paints, that’s a mix of gum arabic, distilled water, glycerin, honey, and a touch of preservative – which keeps everything smooth, stable and ready to re-wet.
But here’s the interesting bit… pigments can come from the earth, from minerals recreated in a kiln, or from modern organic chemistry. Each behaves differently on paper. Some granulate like wild; some glow; some give razor-clean, modern colour.
We’ve chosen a thoughtful mix of earth pigments, synthetic mineral pigments, and synthetic organics because each family brings something gorgeous and useful to the palette. Some colours are at their best when they come straight from the ground; others only reach their full potential when engineered in a lab – so you never have to compromise on colour, character or performance.
And because we’ve been on quite the journey ourselves (down a surprisingly deep rabbit hole of geology, chemistry and colour science), we wanted to share what we’ve learned – so you can understand the materials in your hands just as well as we do.
In a nutshell
There’s no single “best” type of pigment – each family brings something different to the palette. Earth pigments offer natural warmth, gentle granulation and timeless character. Synthetic mineral pigments bring the beauty of historic colours but with modern consistency and reliability. And synthetic organic pigments deliver the cleanest brights, the punchiest mixes and exceptional lightfastness.
We’ve chosen a thoughtful balance of all three because a great palette isn’t about sticking to one type of pigment – it’s about choosing the pigments that behave beautifully on paper and give you the widest creative range. Some colours are at their best when they come straight from the earth; others have been perfected through modern chemistry. Using the right tool for each colour means you get the most expressive, mixable and dependable watercolours possible.
Earth Pigments
Natural, grounded, and full of history.
These are the oldest pigments on Earth – literally. They come straight from mineral-rich clays and soil, then are washed, sieved, milled and graded until you’re left with beautifully coloured particles.
Raw Sienna
Origin: Natural hydrated iron-oxide clay, traditionally mined in Tuscany.
How it’s made:
• Earth is dug from limonite-rich deposits
• Washed to remove impurities
• Fine pigment settles naturally
• Dried and milled
Why it’s special: Rich honey-gold warmth, subtle granulation, and that unmistakable “old masters” glow.
Burnt Umber
Origin: Natural iron- and manganese-rich earth, historically from Cyprus.
How it’s made:
• Raw umber earth is excavated
• Dried and calcined (heated) to “burn” it
• Firing deepens the brown and enhances transparency
• Milled into a smooth pigment
Why it’s special: Deep, cool-leaning browns thanks to high manganese content; a shadow colour staple.
Raw Umber
Origin: Umber deposits from Italy, Cyprus, or Central Europe.
How it’s made:
• Dug, washed and milled like Raw Sienna
• Not calcined, so the iron remains in its hydrated state
Why it’s special: Natural olive-brown with a greenish cast – perfect for natural shadows and earthy mixes.
Vagone Green Earth
Not a traditionally mined green earth, but a clever hybrid.
Pigments are dispersed onto a natural clay base, giving it the texture of a mineral pigment but with stronger saturation.
Why it’s special: That “earth pigment” granulation but with a brighter, more mixable green.
Synthetic Mineral Pigments
Colours born from chemistry rather than geology.
These pigments mimic historic minerals but are made through high-temperature chemical processes for superior consistency and lightfastness.
Ultramarine Blue
Old origin: Ground lapis lazuli from Afghanistan.
Modern origin: 100% synthetic.
How it’s made:
• Kaolin, sodium carbonate, sulphur and silica are blended
• Kiln-fired
• Sulphur bonds inside the alumino-silicate structure, creating that classic blue
Why it’s special: Beautiful granulation, timeless glow, consistent across grades from light to very dark.
Ultramarine Violet
A warm, reddish-violet cousin of Ultramarine Blue.
Same basic process as Ultramarine Blue, but with slight furnace chemistry tweaks.
Why it’s special: Ethereal, transparent violets that layer like a dream.
Zirconium Cerulean Blue
A modern alternative to traditional cobalt cerulean.
How it’s made:
• Zirconium oxide doped with cobalt
• Fired at very high temperatures
• Crystals develop a stable, sky-blue hue
Why it’s special: Lower toxicity, gorgeous granulation, calm sky tones.
Cobalt Green
How it’s made:
• Cobalt oxide and zinc oxide are calcined together
• High heat fuses them into a cobalt–zinc silicate
Why it’s special: Soft, cool greens that were once mined but are now made with reliable consistency.
Cobalt Yellow
How it’s made:
• Potassium nitrite reacts with cobalt salts
• Produces vivid cobalt potassium nitrite crystals
Why it’s special: Historic, glowing yellows – delicate, transparent, beautifully old-fashioned in the best way.
Synthetic Organic Pigments
High-performance modern colours, lab-grown for brilliance.
These pigments come from organic chemistry They aren’t mined – they’re built molecule by molecule for intense colour strength, purity and excellent lightfastness.
Phthalo Blue
How it’s made:
• Copper salts + phthalic anhydride + urea
• React to form copper-phthalocyanine crystals
Why it’s special: One of the strongest, most lightfast blues on the planet. Bold, clean, wildly mixable.
Phthalo Green
Made by chlorinating copper-phthalocyanine molecules.
Why it’s special: High tinting strength, clean mixes, and a lively yellow-leaning green.
Quinacridone Pink
How it’s made:
• Built from anthraquinone-based organic molecules
• Crystallised and milled to a transparent, intensely bright magenta
Why it’s special: Exceptional lightfastness for a pink; modern, vibrant, and endlessly useful.
Pyrrole Scarlet and Orange
Members of the DPP pigment family.
How they’re made:
• Created through controlled reactions forming stable diketopyrrolopyrrole crystals
Why they’re special: Cadmium-like saturation without the toxicity. Used in cars, plastics and fine art – they’re that tough.
Bismuth Vanadate Yellows
How they’re made:
• Bismuth oxide + vanadium pentoxide
• Fused at high temperatures
• Crystallised, milled and surface-treated to tune the shade
Why they’re special: Punchy, clean yellows with superb lightfastness – modern cadmium alternatives.
Payne’s Grey
A characterful mix of three pigments:
• Prussian Blue – modern iron-cyanide chemistry (safe industrial version)
• Carbon Black – from incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
• Red Iron Oxide – synthetic version of natural red earth
Why it’s special: The perfect shadow mix – inky yet lively.