Since prehistoric times the naturally occurring colors of ochre, sienna, & umber have been brightening up the world around us, and caveman paintings done in sienna still survive today. Ochres occur in various shades and colors, generally ranging from yellow to red to brown.
Ochre deposits near the village of Roussillon. Photo by elbisreverri.
The history of Ocher in Provence began 110 million years ago when the area was covered by a sea, which deposited a mix of gray clay and sea sand full of minerals. These minerals included Glauconite, the distant ancestor of Goethite which gives Ocher its color range from yellow, the iron oxide limonite, to orange, to red or iron oxide hematite. Man or pre-humans’ use of Ocher began with body painting, burial and fertility rites as found in both Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon archeological sites. But the most dramatic prehistoric use of Ocher can be found in the nearby caves of Lascaux and Chauvet where some of the most beautiful examples of early human art have survived for over 30,000 years. – Ochre: Colors of Provence
Natural Pigments
North American vs. French Quarries
The set of colors below are all natural pigments with variations in shade between the ‘colonial’ North American quarries and the French Quarries.
 Colonial Yellow Ochre |
Natural Yellow |
 Colonial Raw Sienna |
 Light Sienna |
 Colonial Burnt Sienna |
Burnt Sienna |
Colonial Raw Umber |
Natural Umber |
Colonial Burnt Umber |
Burnt Umber |
Colonial Red |
Natural Red |
More Natural Pigments
Light Yellow Ochre |
Dark Yellow Ochre |
Havana Ochre |
Brown Ochre |
 Red Ochre |
 Natural Sienna |
 Nicosia Green |
Natural Black |
Slate |
Venetian Red |
Verona Green Earth |
 Colonial Violet |
Man-made Pigments
Minerals
Colors enhanced by mineral based pigments.
Curry Yellow |
Apricot |
Clay Brown |
Pistachio Green |
Turquoise Green |
Pewter Grey |
Sky Blue |
Lavender Blue |
Rose Wood |
Plum |
Red Brick |
Blackcurrant Red |
Oxides
Colors of organic and mineral oxides.
Titanium White |
Lemon Yellow |
Yellow 920 |
Orange 960 |
Environox Terra Cotta |
Brown 610 |
Environox Dark Brown |
Black 318 |
Cinnabar Red |
Red 140 |
Environox Falun Red |
S.O.F Green |
Viridian |
Green MC |
S.O.F Blue |
Charron Blue |
Blue MC |
Ultramarine Blue |
Images and information are from The Earth Pigments Company Located in Tucson, Arizona. You can read about the quarries of The Société des Ocres de France here.
