They were the first colors used by the first artists and they remain among the most important and permanent colours on the palette. If I had to choose between the natural Earths and all other colours available I would accept these humble colours as being the ones I could not do without. Yellows like Yellow Ochre and Raw Sienna form the basis for making skin colours and mixed with blue for natural greens. Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber and Burnt Umber are indispensible for making harmonious neutrals that describe the subtle beauty’s of this world. Produced in vast quantities industrially in a myriad of shades, they are all very cheap, even the most beautiful ones, so it is not worth trying to save by buying hardware store packs, the European art materials manufacturers have centuries of experience in finding the most beautiful sources, and are the places to look.

For a full list of pigments, see: Artists Pigments.