Historically, yellow paint was made using a variety of pigments derived from natural sources like minerals and plants. The specific methods and materials varied across different time periods and regions.
Here's a breakdown of some common historical methods:
Early Pigments: Yellow Ochre
- What it is: Yellow ochre is one of the oldest known pigments, a naturally occurring earth pigment containing hydrated iron oxide (limonite).
- How it was made: It was simply mined from the earth, ground into a fine powder, and then mixed with a binder such as water, oil, or egg yolk.
- Characteristics: Yellow ochre produces a relatively muted, earthy yellow. It was widely available and inexpensive, making it a common choice for early artists.
Egyptians and Orpiment
- What it is: Orpiment is a bright yellow mineral containing arsenic sulfide (As2S3).
- How it was made: Like ochre, orpiment was mined, ground into a powder, and mixed with a binder.
- Characteristics: Orpiment offered a more vibrant yellow than ochre, but its high toxicity was a significant drawback.
Lead-Tin Yellow (Medieval and Renaissance)
- What it is: Lead-tin yellow is a synthetic pigment comprised of lead and tin oxides.
- How it was made: This pigment was created by heating a mixture of lead and tin oxides. The specific ratios and heating processes affected the hue.
- Characteristics: Lead-tin yellow was valued for its brilliance, opacity, and good drying properties in oil paint. Different variants existed, including a cooler, more greenish yellow, and a warmer, more orange-yellow.
Other Yellow Pigments
Besides the major pigments, other sources for yellow paint included:
- Saffron: This spice could be used to create a dye, though it was more commonly used for textiles and was not very lightfast as a pigment.
- Weld (Reseda luteola): This plant provided a yellow dye which could be made into a pigment, but it also lacked good lightfastness.
In summary, early yellow paint production involved identifying sources of yellow color (minerals, plants), processing these sources (grinding, heating), and combining the resulting pigment with a suitable binder to create paint. Different pigments offered varying degrees of vibrancy, durability, and safety.
