Name: Natalie Boyle

Date:11/10/14

Chemistry of Art: Pigment Research

Please follow the instructions in the Chemistry of Art: Pigment Research document and type
your responses into the sections below.

Objective
Answer the question: How does art depend on chemistry?

Time Periods
Prehistory
People in this time period used substances from the earth to make the pigment. To get
a paint, they would take dirt or charcoal and mix it with animal fat or spit. Because these
elements were completely natural and directly from the earth, they did not change with the
conditions of the environment. Once the cave walls were painted, the images would remain
there. They did not wipe away. Some of the paints they made were carbon black, red ochre,
umber, and lime white, all made from simple materials such as charcoal, bones, calcite and
more.

Antiquity
In this time era, painters primarily used black, red, yellow, brown, blue and green
pigment. They mixed the pigments with a thicker medium, usually made out of wax or eggs in
Egypt and Ancient Greece. Egyptians used the pigment mixture to paint in the tombs and it
had to bind well so it will last and stick.

Medieval Age
During the Medieval times they used the egg tempera painting technique which was
when the pigment was mixed with water and egg before application. When the water
evaporated the pigment was left which bounded it to the surface. Mineral pigments (red
ochre, yellow ochre, umber, lime white) were still commonly used throughout the Middle
Ages.

Renaissance & Baroque

In the Renaissance egg was replaced by walnut or linseed oil. It was much more
versatile and allowed artists to use more colors. This was also the main start for realistic
paintings which was due to the new mixture.

Modern Age
In this time, watercolors became more common. Wealthy people liked to paint as a
hobby and used watercolors. Honey was starting to be used to prevent watercolor cakes from
cracking.

Industrialization
They continued to use linseed oil but pigments become less relevant with the invention
of the paint tube so artists could buy pre-mixed paints and not have to grind the pigment
themselves.
Contemporary Age
The contemporary age introduced the acrylic paint. It was first used in the 50s for
interior house paint but then artists started to use it. They are water based and water soluble.

Pigments
Pigment #1: Charmine Lake
This is a deep red color. It is used to glaze over paintings and is often mixed to be an oil like
substance. The pigment comes from the cochineal beetle, native to the New World which was
used by the aztecs for dyeing. Cochineal lake comes from the Cochineal insect, a small scale
insect that feeds on cacti. It is made up from a glucose molecule and hydrogen atom.
Pigment #2: Emerald Green
This is rich shade of green. It is a poisonous copper-acetoarsenite. If exposed to dampness it
decomposed into arsine, a toxic gas. It darkens when exposed to air. Cannot be mixed with
certain colors because it will turn too dark

Pigment #3: Indigo

Indigo is a deep, dark blueish purple pigment. It was very common in European paintings and
in the Middle Ages. It fades very easily with sunlight. It should be kept behind protective, UV
blocking glass. You can identify indigo by visible imaging.

Look Closer: Scientific Techniques

Technique #1:Xray
Xrays can reveal a lot about a painting. X rays expose certain colors and pigments. Some
absorb the rays and others reflect them. X rays can be used to detect if there is a painting
under the top layer like if someone reused a canvas. It can also show if the canvas has been
cut, ripped, or torn then put back together. Using X rays to scan over paintings also reduces
forged paintings.

Technique #2: Infrared lighting

Infrared is used because specific colors act and respond in specific ways. Infrared light
is just outside the visible spectrum. IRCCDR can expose the underdrawing of a painting. Some
pigments, such as white lead become transparent with infrared. False color infrared
composites are generated by showing the green parts of the image as blue, the red parts as
green, and the near infrared information as red.

Technique #3: 3D Modeling

3D modeling is used to record and survey land, spaces, and art. 3D modeling allows the
preservation of historic artifacts like prehistoric caves by scanning the space and recording it
so it doesnt get more damaged by humans. 3D modeling also allows the study of
brushstrokes. It can scan and measure the height of the paint brush and the texture.

Conclusion
In a minimum half page of writing, using the information you just researched, respond to the
question: How does art depend on chemistry?
Art has been around since prehistoric times and is greatly influenced by time but no
matter when or where, art depends on chemistry. Chemistry allows us to create paintings,
pottery, and every form of art. Without chemistry we would not be able to paint because we
wouldnt have pigments. We would be painting with just water. Even when science and
technology was not very advanced, cavemen were using chemistry when they were decorating
their homes. Many people think chemistry is just crazy lab experiments and trying to find a
solution to global warming but in reality, it affects so many things. The arts and sciences are
usually not thought of together but actually, they are very closely related. Art depends on
chemistry to advance and create new mediums to use. As time progressed, the paint pigments
and binding agents changed drastically and the same will continue to happen. More paints,
textures, and tools will be formed as our knowledge of chemistry expands. Chemistry is also
used for modern day techniques on painting. There have been specific cameras built to
photograph art with using unique lighting to expose different elements of the piece. IDCCRD
and xray allow us to see an entirely new art piece that was hidden by the one on top of it.
Chemistry allows us to grow in art and in life.