Make Your Own Paints with the Best Pigment Powders
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, ARTNews may receive an affiliate commission.
Creating your own paint is a great way to cut costs while exerting greater control over the shades and effects you desire. Dry pigment powder can be combined with binders to create a variety of painting media, from oils to acrylics, and you usually need just a small amount of pigment. (Keep in mind that the amount of binder will vary depending on the pigment used.) Like paint, however, the quality of powders is wide ranging in order to suit projects from crafts to fine art. No matter what powder you favor, you should always handle these particles carefully and protect yourself from inadvertent inhalation. Review our picks of the best powdered pigments to find the one that suits your needs.
More from ARTnews.com
Sotheby's and Dmitry Rybolovlev Agree to Enter Mediation in Latest Legal Move
Carrie Mae Weems Makes History as First Black Woman to Win Prestigious Hasselblad Photography Prize
U.S. Judge Rules Turkey Cannot Reclaim 'Stargazer' Idol from Christie's
Related Articles
Sotheby's and Dmitry Rybolovlev Agree to Enter Mediation in Latest Legal Move
Carrie Mae Weems Makes History as First Black Woman to Win Prestigious Hasselblad Photography Prize
U.S. Judge Rules Turkey Cannot Reclaim 'Stargazer' Idol from Christie's
ARTnews RECOMMENDS
Sennelier Dry Pigments
Sennelier offers only top-quality pigments formulated according to a tradition of rigorous research it’s kept since the late 1800s, when the company was making oils for its Postimpressionist clientele. Artists can purchase close to 100 colors reflecting a mixture of natural earth, inorganic, and synthetic pigments, many of which are quite difficult to find. Case in point: Sennelier’s ultramarine blue light, which results from a complex process to reproduce the luminous intensity of lapis lazuli. Sennelier also provides the most comprehensive brochure about its pigments, with each color accompanied by notes on its properties, compatibility with binders, and even tips on how to retain vividness. These are pigments for serious artists who understand the properties of different binders and want to spend time learning more about their materials. Note that several pigments are toxic, such as Veronese green, chrome yellow, and flake white, which Sennelier still prepares using ancient methods.
Sennelier Dry Pigments
WE ALSO LIKE
Schmincke Premium Artists’ Pigments
If Sennelier’s pigments sound too fussy to you, consider purchasing your colors from Schmincke. The German company offers a range of pure, traditional artists’ pigments as well as modern formulations. The 72-color catalog—48 classical pigments and 24 uncommon ones, including real cadmium and cobalt—is not as extensive as Sennelier’s, but the pigments are more user friendly. They are finely sieved to be more uniform in consistency and are therefore all suitable to produce a wide array of mediums, such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, gouache, and paint for lino prints. The pigments showcase excellent color strength, brilliance, and lightfastness. Schmincke provides an easy-to-read chart describing the properties of each color, from its opacity to its lime resistance for those interested in traditional fresco techniques.
Schmincke Premium Artist’s Pigments
STUDENTS’ CHOICE
Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
Looking for something more kid-friendly? Jacquard’s set of bright, nontoxic pigments is versatile and great for student work, classroom use, or afternoon crafts. Made from pure ground mica—a stone mineral with natural shine—these are highly stable pigments that incorporate well into any viscous medium. Mix them with oils, encaustics, acrylics, or epoxy; use them for stamping; dust them over polymer clay—the possibilities are nearly endless. The superfine powder adds vivid color as well as a subtle pearlescence, which can lend artwork a lovely depth. You get eight colors in this set of 0.5-ounce jars, including scarlet, emerald, and a dark brown.
Buy: Pearl Ex Pigment Chromatic 8 Color Set $33.53
TOP OF THE LINE
Kremer Pigments
Like Sennelier, this family-run company takes its pigment research seriously and has redeveloped an impressive range of historical pigments. While it may not have been around as long as the Paris business, Kremer does offer the biggest assortment of pigments in the world. You can choose from more than 1,500, of which 250 are produced in its color mill in Aichstetten, Germany, where raw materials are manually processed and filtered into powder pigment. The chosen brand of professional restorers, this is your one-stop shop for hard-to-find genuine pigments such as smalt, vermillion, madder lake, and bone black. Kremer also publishes suitability lists so you can easily find out which pigments you can use for your art, whether you work in acrylics, ceramics, watercolors, resin, encaustics, or even cement.
Buy: Kremer Pigments From $7.80
ALSO CONSIDER
Old Holland Pigments
Old Holland specializes in classic pigments and continues to prepare its products according to recipes used by old Dutch Masters. The process, for instance, involves using a manually operated stone roller to grind pigment. You’ll pay a price, however, for this artisanal quality; these are perhaps the most expensive pigments on the market (40 grams of Ruby Lake, for instance, will run you well over $200). These 98 pigments, including vermillion, cerulean blue, and Naples yellow, deliver unparalleled opacity, incredible lightfastness, and amazing color intensity and brilliance. Old Holland, however, doesn’t provide much information on individual pigments, whether specific lightfastness ratings or compatibility with mediums, and this is particularly frustrating given the astronomical prices.
Old Holland Pigments
Brought to you by the oldest and most widely circulated art magazine in the world, ARTnews Recommends helps you make the choice that suits you best from products in hundreds of art and craft supply categories. Our offerings are based on intensive research, interviews with artists and craftspeople, and the accumulated experience of the site’s editors and writers. We provide trustworthy and helpful advice about materials to artists ranging from beginner to professional.
1. Sennelier Artist Dry Pigment
Sennelier offers only top-quality pigments formulated according to a tradition of rigorous research it’s kept since the late 1800s, when the company was making oils for its post-Impressionist clientele. Artists can purchase close to 100 colors reflecting a mixture of natural earth, inorganic, and synthetic pigments, many of which are quite difficult to find. Case in point: Sennelier’s ultramarine blue light, which results from a complex process that reproduces the luminous intensity of lapis lazuli. Sennelier also provides the most comprehensive brochure about its pigments, with each color accompanied by notes on its properties, compatibility with binders, and even tips on how to retain vividness. These are pigments for serious artists who understand the properties of different binders and want to spend time learning more about their materials. Note that several pigments are toxic, such as Veronese green, chrome yellow, and flake white, which Sennelier still prepares using ancient methods.
Sennelier Artist Dry Pigment
2. Gamblin Dry Pigment
These are the pigments used in the company’s oil paints, which are known for their brilliance and strength of color. They dissolve well, whether mixed with linseed oil or binders, pouring mediums, epoxy resin, even wax. We’re also fans of how they showcase beautiful, natural granulation due to how they are ground. Where Gamblin falls behind is in color choice, however, with only 22 colors available in four- ounce jars.
Gamblin Dry Pigment
3. Schmincke Metallic Powders
For special effects, consider purchasing metallic powders from Schmincke. Known for its range of pure, traditional artists’ pigments as well as modern formulations, the German company also offers powders in shades of gold, bronze, and silver. They are finely sieved to be more uniform in consistency and are available in five colors and three different formulations for watercolor, acrylic, or oil-based mixing. (Note that each formulation should be used with its corresponding medium, available separately).
Schmincke Metallic Powders
4. Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
Looking for something more beginner- or kid-friendly? Jacquard’s set of nontoxic pearlescent pigments is versatile and great for afternoon crafting sessions. Made from pure ground mica—a stone mineral with natural shine—these are highly stable pigments that incorporate well into any viscous medium. Mix them with oils, encaustics, acrylics, or epoxy; use them for stamping; dust them over polymer clay—the possibilities are nearly endless. The superfine powder adds vivid color as well as a subtle shimmer. You get 12 colors in this set of 0.1-ounce jars, including turquoise, flamingo pink, and misty lavender.
Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
5. Grapewoods International Artists’ Dry Pigment
Grapewood may be the least high-profile company on our list, but don’t count it out just yet. The Cyprus-based company has been around since 1973 and formulating its earth and inorganic pigments for two generations. These include pigments for industrial and manufacturing use, but also impressive, artist-grade powders that are pure—not mica powder—and are noticeably bright. The color selection is limited, with only 31 colors available, but they include interesting ones that other brands featured here don’t offer, like malachite, limonite, and terre verte. (Note that it will take time for your order to arrive from Europe.)
Grapewoods International Artists’ Dry Pigment
Best of ARTnews.com
Click here to see more up-to-date holiday deals!
