Green Pigments

Including green earth, pthalocyanine green, and viridian

Topic List

General Comments

To be developed in the near future.

chromium-oxide-green

Chromium Green Oxide

Pigment Number: PG17

Virgil’s assessment: Chromium oxide green is opaque and fairly lean, with higher tinting strength than terre verte. It works particularly well for verdaccio underpainting in mixtures with lead white.  Useful in portraits and landscapes. [Included in his portrait palette.]

Technical Link: The Color of Art Pigment Database, Green Pigments

Opacity Rating:Opaque
Lightfastness Rating: I - Excellent
Oil-To-Pigment Ratios: Relatively Lean
Toxicity: Low Hazard
Drying Rates: Average
Vasari_Viridian

Viridian

Pigment Number: PG18

Virgil’s Assessment

Natural Pigments has added Viridian to their Rublev line of oil paints, and since they use no stabilizers, I have retired my tube of Vasari Viridian in favor of Rublev Viridian.

This color is considered brighter and more transparent than PG-17 (Chromium Oxide Green), but weaker in tinting strength.

Technical Links

The Color of Art Pigment Database, Green Pigments

A note about the original Viridian (PG18). According to Gamblin’s Just Paint article on historical pigments and their replacements: Viridian Green was discovered in 1797 by Vauquelin, but wasn’t developed into the modern color until 1838 in Paris. It immediately replaced a fugitive color known as Emerald Green, but was called Emerald Green, Vert Emeraude, Celedon Green, Pannetier’s Green, Guignet’s Green, and even Transparent Oxide of Chromium until it became widely known as Viridian. Hydrated Chromium Hydroxide is a difficult pigment to formulate in acrylic emulsions, and although GOLDEN has made many attempts to do so, it appears unlikely that true Viridian will remain part of our palette.

Other links:
How it is made

Opacity Rating:Semi-Opaque
Lightfastness Rating: I - Excellent
Oil-To-Pigment Ratios: Very High in Oil Content
Tinting Strength: High
Toxicity: Low Hazard
Drying Rates: Average
Vasari_TerreEarth

Green Earth

Pigment Number: PG23

Virgil’s Assessment

Also known as Terre Verte or Verona Green.

Terre vert is a natural earth color, transparent and low in tinting strength, high in oil content. Unfortunately, many paint companies are calling various mixtures of other colors by that name, which just creates confusion. Real terre vert is not a mixture of any other pigments.

Virgil uses Rublev’s Verona Green Earth.

Technical Links

The Color of Art Pigment Database, Green Pigments

A note about Terre Verte (PG23). According to Gamblin’s Just Paint article on historical pigments and their replacements: Green Earth is known by an assortment of names such as Stone Green, Verdetta, and Celadonite. Other names refer to the source of the native iron / magnesium colored clay, such as Bohemian, a high quality grade of pure green hue. It has been popular for centuries with many cultures. Native Americans also were fond of using Green Earth as a colorant. Since Medieval times it has been used as an underpainting color for flesh tones in portraits.

Notes on its historical uses and how it is made.

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Lightfastness Rating: I - Excellent
Oil-To-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Tinting Strength: Low
Toxicity: Low Hazard
Drying Rates: Average
Vasari_PthyloGreen

Phthalocyanine Green

Pigment Number: PG7

Virgil’s assessment:

Virgil’s primary use for phthalocyanine green (phthalo green for short) is in mixes for substitutes for problematic pigments.

“Seldom would I find a use for phthalocyanine green straight, but I do use it in mixtures with transparent iron oxide red to make dark, transparent browns to take the place of asphaltum, bitumen, Cassel earth, and mummy, all of which were problematic browns used centuries ago, and to substitute for burnt umber and raw umber in some ways as well.

Very brilliant greens can be mixed from phthalo green and cadmium lemon or other yellows, if one wants high-chroma greens. I did use it as a glaze in painting a blue-green satin dress on a beautiful woman in a portrait many years ago, taking advantage of its transparency.”

For example:

  • For Burnt Umber: he mixes phthalo green with Mars Brown
  • For a more transparent Burnt Umber:  phthalo green with transparent oxide red
  • For Raw Umber: the above mixes with more phthalo green

Note that phthalo green has a very high tinting strength, so very little of it is needed in mixtures.  It has a high chroma and is heavily staining.

Re: Lightfastness of this green: 

I’ve conducted my own lightfastness tests on phthalocyanine greens over much longer periods of time than the ASTM standard specifies, the results indicating fairly convincingly that phthalo green is sufficiently lightfast. Phthalo blue didn’t perform as well as the green in my tests, however.
The green in my studio sign has phthalo green in it, and it has been on the outside of my studio door all day every day for the last 24 years with no fading in the green letters. The red did fade to grey, and had to be repainted to make it red again, but the green has held up very well. Granted, these are enamel paints, not oils, but the pigments are the same. I tested Liquitex Sap Green oil paint, which is phthalocyanine green with transparent iron oxide yellow, on my 16-year window-in-the-sun test, and there was no fading in that sample.

 

Technical Link: The Color of Art Pigment Database, Green Pigments

Phthalo Green / Yellow Shade, PG 36 (also PG13): Technical Notes
(alternate names: Brilliant Green, Emerald Green, Winsor Green)

Phthalo Green / Deep Bluish Green Shade PG 42 (also PG7): Technical Notes

Opacity Rating:Transparent
Lightfastness Rating: I - Excellent
Oil-To-Pigment Ratios: Moderately Lean
Tinting Strength: High
Toxicity: Low Hazard
Drying Rates: Fast Drying

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