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Created in 1925, the Colour Index International is a database of pigments and dyes published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. Colourants are given many different proprietary and generic names, but the Colour Index International provides a standardised system used by manufacturers and consumers all over the world that can be a hugely informative tool for artists.
What is a Pigment?
Pigments are fine coloured powders that can be mixed with a binder – such as linseed oil, gum arabic, or acrylic polymer – to make artist paints. While dyes are soluble and dissolve in the binding medium (enabling them to chemically bind with a material – ideal for colouring textiles), pigments are insoluble and are suspended within the binding medium. The manufacture of artist paints consumes a tiny fraction of the pigment industry – the vast majority of pigments are used in larger industries, like in the production of cars and plastics.
How Does the Colour Index Work?
Unlike other colour systems, like Pantone or the Munsell System, the Colour Index International groups dyes and pigments according to their chemical composition rather than the exact hue, value, and chroma of the colour they produce.
Each pigment entry has two identifying codes – the Colour Index Constitution Number, and the Colour Index Generic Name Code. For example, Ultramarine Blue is categorised under CI 77007 (the Colour Index Constitution Number) and PB 29 (the Colour Index Generic Name Code). The Colour Index Generic Name Code is most recognisable to artists, and it’s common to find one or more of these codes listed as part of the colour description before you choose it, and on the tube or bottle of paint:
The letters classify the colour group, e.g. PB= Pigment Blue, PW= Pigment White, PV= Pigment Violet, etc. The number classifies the chemical composition – so PB 29 can be read as ‘Pigment Blue 29’ – identifying it as sodium-aluminium-sulpho-silicate, or Ultramarine Blue (like on the Williamsburg tube above, some manufacturers add the chemical formula alongside the Colour Index Name Code, but not all do). The number is not related directly to any part of the actual chemical structure, rather they are assigned chronologically in order of when the pigment was added to the index (not when the pigment was discovered).
Paint manufacturers are not obliged to disclose what pigments are in their paints. Some pigment mixtures, like Winsor & Newton’s Cadmium-free colours, are proprietary and the Colour Index Codes aren’t given. Most paint ranges, particularly professional ones, do include them on the label.
Why is the Pigment Colour Index Useful for Artists?
Here are some of the reasons why it can be so useful to become familiar with the Pigment Colour Index:
MEGAN SEITER: CREATING ATMOSPHERE WITH LIGHT
Megan Seiter won the Still life/Botanical Award in the this year with their work Revival. Megan’s work celebrates the colour and texture of natural forms, presented in compositions that are both understated and monumental. In this interview Megan shares her thoughts on the importance of lighting and the best materials to use for achieving results that are sensitive to the subjects that she portrays.
Megan: I was fortunate to be exposed to a breadth and variety of art forms at an early age. My mother was an artist, and our family was surrounded by an eclectic community of calligraphers, stone carvers, letterpress printers, and illustrators. I was invited to participate in art classes and exhibits. I became acquainted with many different forms of art, but I was most excited about drawing. In fact, the course of my education was shaped by my eagerness to learn to draw. In high school I attended a pre-college art program at Rhode Island School of Design where I learned technical art skills. In college, I studied art and Italian language for a semester at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in Rome, Italy, and I was able to copy Old Masters’ work from life. In 2009 I received my BFA in General Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art, and moved to California to pursue a career as an artist.
Megan: Building a composition is the first and most critical element in my process. I try to create a captivating image by arranging my subject with natural light. I use reference photos so that I can work steadily and methodically. When I begin the drawing, I lay down the darkest shadow so that I can establish a full range of value from black to white. I learned (the hard way) that if I don’t start with shadows my values tend to stay somewhere in the middle, which makes for a lacklustre drawing. As I develop the drawing I’ll often step back from my drafting table to examine the composition as a whole. This helps me determine if I’ve become overly-focused on a single section of the drawing in a way that will disrupt the overall look of the piece. I also turn my drawing sideways and upside-down as I draw, shifting my perspective to reveal mistakes I’ve made or details I’ve missed.
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