Performance Characteristics Of Oil Painting Pigments

Coloring power
Coloring power refers to the ability of pigments to form colors on canvas. The coloring power of oil painting pigments mainly depends on the degree of absorption and reflection of light by the pigments themselves. Generally speaking, organic pigments have strong coloring power but poor stability; Inorganic pigments have good stability, but their coloring power is relatively weak. In practical use, artists need to choose the appropriate pigment combination according to their creative needs to achieve the best visual effect.
Light resistance
Lightfastness refers to the ability of pigments to maintain their original color under ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. The light resistance of oil painting pigments directly affects the shelf life and aesthetic effect of works. Inorganic pigments such as earthy yellow and earthy red usually have good light resistance; Organic pigments such as rose red and violet are relatively inferior. Therefore, when creating works that require long-term preservation, artists should prioritize using pigments with strong light resistance.
Covering power
Covering power refers to the ability of pigments to cover the underlying colors after forming a color layer on the canvas. The covering power of oil painting pigments is related to the refractive index of their pigments and the presence of the medium. Generally speaking, white, black, and iron containing pigments have strong covering power; However, some transparent pigments such as ultramarine and cobalt blue have weaker coverage. Artists can choose pigments with appropriate coverage strength as needed during the creative process to achieve the desired visual effect.
Transparency
Transparency refers to the ability of pigments to transmit the underlying color after forming a color layer on the canvas. The transparency of oil painting pigments is opposite to their coverage, and colors with good transparency will inevitably have weaker coverage. In creation, artists can use the transparency characteristics of pigments for techniques such as overlay dyeing or layering to enrich the color hierarchy and texture expression of the picture.
Oil absorption capacity
Oil absorption refers to the amount of oil required to gradually add dry oil to a certain amount of pigment powder and stir it until the pigments can wet and bond together. The significant difference in oil absorption between different pigments is of great significance for the production of oil-based pigments and the connection of pigment layers. Artists need to arrange the layers and thickness of pigments reasonably based on their oil absorption characteristics during the creative process to achieve the desired visual effect.