Colour in Context

Colour Making and Using Dyes and Pigments 

(Book : Colour Making and Using Dyes and Pigments : Thames & Hudson : 27/11/17)

Colour can be seen all around us in everyday life and is something most of us can take for granted. Although colours occur in most elements naturally they can also be manufactured in the form of hues, pigments and dyes. The manufacturing of colour also encourages the invention of new colours.

Where do colours come from? 

Most colours can be extracted from natural elements we see everyday, although not all colours such as the bright colours found on a peacock are natural. Colours are often also extracted from elements and can be made transferable and altered for other sources. 

Coloured minerals, earths and ochers have been used throughout human history. 

Colours before history: pigments 

Pigments can be defined as pure colours in powder form they have to be placed in a medium where they are insoluble for example oil, to make paint. The first known pigments date back to the early Palaeolithic period ( 350,000BC.) During this time it was common to decorate the body : tattoos decorated flesh of the living. 

Early Dying

Cloth is coloured with another family of materials, dyes. Dying is the colouring of textile fibres or the surface of a textile. They are soluble coloured compounds placed in a medium. Formed from organic compounds suspended in a medium. The use of dyes is as old as mineral pigments. 

Egypt : 3000 years of colour

Egypt is distinguished by it's wide use of colour. Colours in Egyptian paintings are split into two categories, those for naturalistic purposes such and landscapes and those for religious purposes their palette was strictly limited to six colours. Each colour had symbolism behind it and associated with precious metal such as gold or silver. To mix or blend the colours would render them meaningless this is why they were used in juxtaposition to each other. To the reds and yellows Egyptians added dark and light blues, greens, violet, white and gold. Ochers however remained the original foundation colours used in temple decoration. 

Rome 

Rome was famous for their colourful mural paintings the richness of the colour used was striking that it was thought the ancients possessed great secrets. 

Fabric Dying 

Some dyes use textile fibres from natural sources such as plants and animals. Dyes are extracted from their sources before being purged of waxes and resins which have to be removed without removing the dying agent. This is done through fermentation such as boiling although some dyes are ready to use as soon as impurities are removed. Others are rendered the precursor and are colourless and must be subjected to a chemical reaction 

Dying Purple 

Purple is probably the most famous colour used in dying. Roman emperors often wore clothing this colour as it was associated with supreme power in cultures from Israel to Persia. Purple was seen as remarkable for both it's costliness and it's beauty. 

Colour in the Middle Ages 

Brightly coloured fabrics were a luxury in the middle ages. Rich merchants often imported dyes and cloth. Whilst the palette of colours also broadened during this time period. Many new dyes and pigments were also created stimulating from the great international textile industry of medieval Europe. 

The Art of Dying 

Dying had always been greatly dependant on vegetable sources, most shades could be produced from natural sources such as plants oddly apart from green. 

Steps to enriching the palette

Despite improvements being made by local dye plants most dyes were still imported such as Indigo blue was one of the principle imported colourants. 

9th century palette

Obtained their colours from a variety of sources. 

15th century palette

Renaissance artist's manipulated colour to create a sense of volume depth, distance, light and shadow.