Artist Grade Pigments

Historic pigments refer to colourants that were traditionally used by artists and artisans throughout history, in particular, pigments prior to the 18th Century. These pigments were derived from natural sources, such as minerals, plants, and animals.

The availability, cost, and characteristics of these pigments played a significant role in shaping the colour palettes and artistic styles of cultures and periods.

Langridge genuine metallic pigments provide a reflective, lustrous effect.

• Particle Size: Plays a crucial role in determining the visual characteristics of the pigment. Smaller particles result in a more reflective surface.
• Composition: Metallic pigments can be composed of a variety of materials, such as aluminium, copper, nickel or alloys.
• Texture and Finish: Metallic pigments can contribute to various textures and finishes, ranging from smooth and polished to highly textured.

Iridescent and Interference pigments create a play of colours that varies with the angle of observation or illumination. This effect occurs due to the interference, diffraction, or scattering of light as it interacts with the microscopic structure of the pigment.

• Thin-Film Interference: Thin layers of transparent mica or silica, are coated onto a substrate. The thickness of these layers corresponds to the wavelength of visible light, causing constructive and destructive interference to produce various colours.
• Angle Dependence: A distinctive characteristic of colours produced by iridescent and interference pigments is they change when viewed from different angles. Iridescent pigments are often described as “pearlescent”, whilst interference pigments exhibit a “flip” colour effect.
• Lightfastness: Iridescent and Interference pigments are durable and resistant to fading over time.

Unlike regular pigments that simply reflect light, fluorescent and phosphorescent pigments have the ability to absorb and then emit light.

• Absorption and Emission: Fluorescent pigments absorb light in the ultraviolet (UV) or short-wavelength part of the spectrum. After absorption, they re-emit light at a longer wavelength, typically in the visible spectrum, to produce vibrant colours.
• Black Light Reactivity: Can be used in conjunction with black lights (UV lamps) to enhance their visibility, exhibiting a more intense and vivid fluorescence.
• Lightfastness: Fluorescent pigments degrade over time relative to the amount of light that strikes them. They should be considered as fugitive colours.

It is worth noting that the terms “fluorescent” and “phosphorescent” refer to different phenomena. Fluorescence involves the rapid emission of light upon absorption, while phosphorescence involves a delayed emission, where light is emitted even after the removal of the excitation source.

Aqueous pigment dispersions (Langridge Liquid Pigments) are pigments finely dispersed in water.

• Application: Specifically created for the colouring of waterborne binders, especially acrylics, where the incorporation of dry pigment via milling is prohibitive. Aqueous dispersions can be easily added and stirred through the waterborne binding base.
• Pigment: The pigment particles are finely dispersed in the water phase, creating a stable suspension to achieve uniform distribution of pigments for consistent performance.
• Stabilisers: To prevent pigment agglomeration a polyol stabiliser is incorporated to maintain stability of the dispersion over time.

Langridge now offers a range of natural plant-based materials sourced from around the world for the dyeing of textiles or manufacture of lake pigments.
We also supply a selection of alcohol dissolved basic dyes for the staining of timbers and alcohol-based varnishes such as shellac finishes including French Polishing for wooden furniture.

Natural Dyes

Prior to the invention of synthetic dyes in the mid-nineteenth century all textile colourants came from dyes drawn out of plants and animals. This industry was almost completely replaced by the synthetic replication of the building blocks of natural dye materials from coal-tar based chemical components.

Recently, however, there has been a recent re-examination of petrochemical based dyes regarding associated issues of toxicity and environmental degradation. As a consequence, natural dyes are being embraced as a more environmentally friendly dye-source for fabrics.

Many of these dyes also have a distinguished history for the making of ‘lake’ pigments. This is the conversion of soluble dyes into insoluble pigments by their chemical binding to metallic salts. Langridge offers many of these adjunct chemicals for home manufacture of traditional ‘lake’ pigments.

Spirit-based dyes

Also referred to as alcohol-based dyes, they are used for the colouring of timber in various woodworking and finishing applications.

• Solvent Base: Spirit-based dyes are formulated to be soluble in methylated spirits, allowing for quick drying and efficient penetration into the wood fibres.
• Colour: Langridge spirit-based dyes can create various colours of natural wood tones. Can be mixed to achieve unique or specific shades
• Transparent Finish: Spirit-based dyes provide a transparent finish, allowing the natural grain and character of the wood to show through.

• Langridge offers a range of supplies for the home manufacture of artist’s paints including mullers and slabs for correct and efficient milling of paints.
• We also supply empty paint tubes and glass jars for securely storing your paint.

Langridge pigment sets for the home manufacture of artist’s paints. Each set has been developed to allow artists to work with multiple colours built around a particular colour range. They offer a broad selection within a specific chemical class, historical period or chromatic range.

• Excellent introduction to working with pure pigment colour.
• Pigments are supplied in 30ml quantity offering an economic option for trialling multiple colours.