Terre Verte (No. 115)

Inorganic, Natural Earth

Green Earth, a complex of Ferrous Silicates in Aluminium and Magnesium clays, is one of the few naturally occurring inorganic pigments still to be offered by colourmen. It has a very soft texture with very low Tint Power, beloved of portraitists who use it as a glaze over Alizarin Crimson hues. Some makers add other pigments in order to give it a spuriously enhanced Tint Power which depletes these qualities, I do not. A popular trick is to use a little Terre Verte under the noses of portraits to get red coloured cheeks to play up as a complimentary colour!