{"id":13970,"date":"2021-03-24T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T08:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artconservation.me\/?p=13970"},"modified":"2021-03-24T08:35:42","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T08:35:42","slug":"about-pigments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artconservation.me\/nl\/about-pigments\/","title":{"rendered":"About pigments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pigments are an integral part of the work of the restorer of works of art:<\/a> they are one of the main constituents, together with the binder, of the pictorial films stretched by artists to give life to their works, whether they are painted on canvas, polychrome wood sculpture, sculpture in polychrome stone, fresco or dry wall paintings.<\/a> The pigments are also used for particular techniques such as the Italian technique of scagliola<\/em>. In this technique, the pigments are mixed with chalk and animal glue to produce pastes that are used to make fake marbles. Pigments are also very important to produce one of the main tools in the restorer’s work: retouching colors (watercolors and varnish colors), see my article on retouching colors.<\/a><\/p>\n

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But what are pigments?<\/h2>\n

They are colored solid powders, insoluble in the binder in which they are dispersed and inert both chemically and physically in the binder itself.<\/p>\n

There are also dyes, transparent substances which are used for coloring, after being absorbed by inert and colorless powders or gels, sometimes translucent. In this way, the dye is converted into pigment.<\/p>\n

Pigments, from a chemical point of view, are divided into organic pigments and inorganic pigments:
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\nORGANIC<\/strong> carbon (C) + hydrogen (H) pigments are generally colorants and are of both animal and vegetable origin.<\/p>\n

Some examples:<\/p>\n