Frequently Asked Questions

About Traditional Pigment Making

What is traditional pigment making?

Traditional pigment making is the craft of producing artists' colours using pre-industrial methods and naturally sourced materials. It encompasses gathering and processing mineral-rich earths, calcining (heat-treating) metal compounds, extracting lake colours from organic dye sources, and preparing lead- and copper-based pigments through controlled chemical reactions. At The Colour Makers House in Appleby, these techniques are practised using methods unchanged since the medieval period. 

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What is the difference between a pigment and a paint?

A pigment is a finely ground coloured material — the colour itself. Paint is what you get when you mix a pigment with a binder: linseed oil for oil paint, gum arabic for watercolour, egg yolk for tempera, lime water for fresco. In traditional pigment-making, the two processes are distinct: first, the colour is produced from its raw materials, then it is prepared into a paint by grinding with the appropriate binder or, in essence, a glue.

 What is an earth pigment?

An earth pigment is a colour derived directly from mineral-rich soils or rock formations, requiring only physical processing (washing, settling, grinding, and sometimes calcining) rather than chemical transformation. The ochres — yellow, orange, and red iron-bearing clays — are the most familiar earth pigments. Raw sienna, burnt sienna, raw umber, and burnt umber are all earth pigments. They have been used by human beings since the Palaeolithic period and remain among the most lightfast and permanent colours available. 

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What is verditer, and how is it made?

Verditer is a traditional English blue-green pigment produced from basic copper carbonate. Historically, it was a by-product of silver refining: when argentiferous copper ores were treated with nitric acid (aqua fortis) to extract silver, the copper-rich waste liquor was poured over chalk or whiting, causing the vivid blue-green copper carbonate to precipitate. The connection between the silver refineries of north-east England — fed by ores from the North Pennines — and the production of English verditer is documented from the 17th century. At The Colour Makers House, verditer is produced using a closely related process, connecting the workshop directly to this industrial heritage.

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What is cochineal lake and where does cochineal come from?

Cochineal is a red dye extracted from the dried bodies of the scale insect Dactylopius coccus, which feeds on Opuntia cacti in Mexico and Peru. It was introduced to European trade networks by Spanish colonisers in the 16th century and quickly became the most important red dye in European painting and textiles. A lake pigment is made by fixing a dye onto a mineral substrate — in the case of cochineal, this is typically aluminium hydroxide (precipitated from alum) or tin compounds for the scarlet variety. Scarlet carmine, made with tin, produces a vivid orange-red; crimson lake, made with alum, produces a deeper, cooler red. Both are produced at The Colour Makers House.

What is Prussian blue and how is it different from other blues?

Prussian blue (iron(III) ferrocyanide) was the first synthetic colour pigment to be widely adopted in European painting, discovered accidentally in a Berlin workshop around 1704. It is produced by reacting iron salts with potassium ferrocyanide, yielding an extraordinarily intense, deep blue with excellent lightfastness. Unlike ultramarine (derived from lapis lazuli) or azurite (a natural copper mineral), Prussian blue is a fully synthetic compound — though it can be made using traditional workshop methods. 

At The Colour Makers House, it is produced as part of the Blues & Greens workshop experience.

What is blue bice?

Blue bice is a traditional English pigment related to verditer but with a deeper, slightly more violet-toned blue. Like verditer, it is a basic copper carbonate, but produced under different conditions that favour a different crystal form. Blue bice was widely used in English painting and decoration from the 16th to the 18th centuries. 

It is among the colours produced at The Colour Makers House and is closely connected to the North Pennines copper-mining heritage.

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Is lead white dangerous?

Lead white (basic lead carbonate) is a hazardous material. Lead compounds are toxic if ingested or inhaled, and the dust produced during dry grinding of lead white poses a significant inhalation risk. At The Colour Makers House, lead white is produced using the traditional stack process under strict safety protocols, with full risk assessment documentation and appropriate protective equipment. Workshop participants are briefed on safe handling before engaging with any lead-based materials. These hazards are fully acknowledged and managed; they are not a reason to avoid engaging with the material, but they require consistent respect and proper procedure.

What workshops are available at The Colour Makers House?

The Colour Makers House offers a range of experiences, from a single-session Daily Demonstration through a graduated series of half-day and full-day workshops (Natural Earths, Calcining, Blues & Greens, and the Alchemy Master experience), to multi-day immersive retreats. The Alchemists Weekend (3 days) and Painting with the Landscape (5 days) are designed for visitors who want an in-depth experience combining hands-on pigment-making with visits to heritage sites in the North Pennines and Lake District. A 7-day Master Alchemist's Journey is available for those seeking a comprehensive study of the entire British pigment tradition.

Who are the workshops suitable for?

The workshops are designed to be accessible to participants without prior knowledge of chemistry or art materials. A curiosity about how things are made, an interest in history and landscape, and a willingness to engage with hands-on processes are the only prerequisites. The experiences attract artists at all levels, conservators and heritage professionals, historians, and visitors interested in Cumbria's unique cultural and industrial heritage. International visitors — particularly from North America, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia — make up a significant proportion of workshop participants.

What is the Painting with the Landscape retreat?

Painting with the Landscape is a five-day premium retreat combining traditional pigment-making with plein-air painting in the landscapes between two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Lake District National Park and the region's Roman heritage corridor. Participants forage for raw pigment materials, process them into watercolour paints using traditional techniques, and then use those paints to work directly from the landscapes that produced them. The retreat is designed for participants who want both technical depth and direct engagement with Cumbria's exceptional natural and cultural heritage.

Can I book a private workshop for a group?

Yes. Private workshops and bespoke experiences can be arranged for groups, educational institutions, conservation professionals, and corporate retreats. Please contact The Colour Makers House directly to discuss your group's specific interests and requirements.

Where is Appleby-in-Westmorland?

Appleby-in-Westmorland is a historic market town in Cumbria, northern England, situated in the Eden Valley between the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Lake District National Park. It is the ancient county town of Westmorland and one of the best-preserved historic towns in the north of England, retaining its medieval street plan, Norman castle, and historic cloisters. The town is served by the Settle–Carlisle railway, one of England's most scenic rail routes.

What is the North Pennines Geopark?

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2003, in recognition of its exceptional geological heritage. The Geopark encompasses the Pennine Dales, with their ancient lead, zinc, copper, and iron ore workings, the dramatic geology of the Whin Sill, and the remains of one of England's most significant historic mining industries. It is this geological heritage — particularly the iron and copper mineralisation — that directly connects the North Pennines landscape to the pigment-making tradition practised at The Colour Makers House.

Is The Colour Makers House near the Lake District?

Yes. Appleby-in-Westmorland is approximately 25 miles east of the Lake District National Park, making it an excellent base for combining a pigment-making workshop with exploration of the Lake District's extraordinary landscapes and cultural heritage. The Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site is the western anchor of the Painting with the Landscape retreat itinerary.