86 by Steve Sauer on 05/21/01 at 9:06 PM
Re: Oil Colours for old paint. tec.

In Reply to: Oil Colours for old paint. tec. posted by giovannni franciosi on 02/24/01 at 10:30 AM:

Flake White: Almost every major paint brand offers this. You might have to order it online, though. Some stores don't stock flake white because people can get lead poisoning from it if they are not careful. Just don't ingest it and you'll be fine. Most flake white is not pure lead carbonate but is a mixture of flake white and zinc white. If you want a 100% pure flake white, you'll have to mix it up yourself, which is dangerous. Working with dry pigments is much more risky than working with paint. I think Winsor & Newton may offer a nearly pure Flake White they call "Cremnitz" white. Adding zinc to flake white makes the color less warm and more neutral. Too much zinc will make the color weak and bluish. Cheap flake white is generally very weak and full of fillers like zinc white and barium sulfate.

Red ochre: This is an iron oxide pigment. Ochres are natural iron oxides from dirt. Mars colors are synthetic iron oxides. I suggest using a synthetic iron red instead of a natural one, because the color is more pure. If you want to make the color look more dirty, just add some black. Synthetic and natural iron colors go by a variety of names such as Light Red, Mars Red, Venetian Red, and so forth. Find the color you prefer.

Flake yellow: No such thing. This is probably Lead Chromate yellow (called Chrome yellow). Do not use lead chromate yellows unless you want your yellow to turn from yellow to a shade of brown over time. Lemon lead chromate turns a leathery greenish brown. The medium and deep shades turn a neutral yellowish brown. There are also orange shades which are mixtures of lead chromate (yellow) and lead molybdate (red). The orange also turns brown gradually and what originally was a bright pure orange from the tube will become a burnt orange on the canvas after some time.

Substitute one of the following:

#1. Cadmium yellows. Cadmium colors may not be permanent when mixed with Flake White. This question has been debated a lot.
#2. Bismuth yellows (sold by Kremer).
#3. Vanadium yellows (sold by Schmincke).
#4. Organic yellows (typically azo). Organic yellows typically are much different than inorganic yellows. They have their own virtues and flaws.

Chinese Vermillion: Holbein offers this color. It may not be the real mercuric sulfide pigment, but the color is similar. Instead of using Chinese Vermilion, I would suggest getting the more orangish French Vermilion genuine offered by Robert Doak. This is because Holbein's Vermilion when mixed with white looks greyish, while Doak's does not turn greyish. The colors are very different, though. Holbein's is less saturated and looks like a strawberry red. Doak's is more vivid and more scarlet.

www.geocities.com/doakart

Madder lake deep: This one is tough. No permanent substitute really replaces the exact color and working properties of natural madder. However, natural madder is not permanent. If you want the real thing, Robert Doak and Winsor & Newton offer it. Most people would suggest getting "Permanent Alizarin Crimson," which is one of several reasonably lightfast imitations of madder and alizarin. Watch out, though. Some "Permanent Alizarin Crimsons" look nothing like real alizarin or madder and are not transparent. You should look for a transparent permanent crimson.


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