Description
Terre Verte (No. 115)
Inorganic, Natural Earth
Colour Index | PG 23 |
Drying Speed | Average |
Opacity Covering and Tint Power | Semi-Transparent
Very Low Tint Power |
Lightfastness | Excellent |
Oil Content | Average, Linseed |
Toxic | No |
Conforms To | ASTM D-4236 |
Green Earth, a complex of Ferrous Silicates in Aluminium and Magnesium clays, is one of the few naturally occurring inorganic pigments still to be offered by colourmen.
It has a very soft texture with very low Tint Power, beloved of portraitists who use it as a glaze over Alizarin Crimson hues.
Some makers add other pigments in order to give it a spuriously enhanced Tint Power which depletes these qualities, I do not.
A popular trick is to use a little Terre Verte under the noses of portraits to get red coloured cheeks to play up as a complimentary colour!