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Forum URL: http://www.truefresco.com/cgidir/dcforum/dcboard.cgi
Forum Name: Fresco Painting (original forum)
Topic ID: 35
Message ID: 3
#3, RE: storing pigments
Posted by Gary Waller on 14-Oct-00 at 09:36 AM
In response to message #2
I may be sloppy on the Naples Yellow - I thought this is the one hard to get, Paris Yellow? I'm still learning pigments. A yellow I like a lot is Nickel Titanium, it is very opaque, light yellow, and has all sorts of health warnings on it. I think some colors like true Indian Yellow were banned not because of toxicity but because the inhumane way they were produced - cows in India were force fed mango leaves and their bright orange/yellow urine dried into a type of clay, to make the pigment. This is bizarre but true! The pigments most likely to be replaced will be the cadmiums and cobalts.

As you know it is the dust which is the most hazardous part of the pigment, so maybe once again maybe artists need protecting against themselves- helpless babies . I read somewhere that professional artists make up less than 8 percent of the art supply/art materials market. The pasted pigments might therefore be a part of consumer protection? If you read any of Michael Wilcox's books, you will see he does not have a high opinion of artist supply companies. Maybe its so they can mix in more fillers (water is a filler when you think about it!)