Great American Art Works' has discovered new materials, techniques, and equipment they use to create uniquely excellent pastels. These handmade soft pastels are richly pigmented, and have superb brilliance of tone.
Color Swatch created using heavy to light application and was applied on 100 lb (163 gsm) drawing paper material.
Calcium carbonate, the mineral constituent of chalk, is a low tinting strength, inexpensive white pigment that is often used is a buffer and filler. Because of its low tinting strength, it is overwhelmed by other colors. It is used in gesso and other coatings to give the surface more tooth, a desirable characteristic for some painting techniques.
Calcium carbonate is lightfast. Like all carbonates, it reacts with strong acids
Calcium carbonate is completely non-toxic, and is used in many food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. However, excessive consumption is not recommended.
Naturally occuring chalk deposits have been mined since prehistoric times. Rocks and minerals that contain calcium carbonate include aragonite, calcite, vaterite, chalk, limestone. marble, and travertine. Calcium carbonate is the principle component of lime, used in many agricultural and industrial applications.
FeO or Fe2O3
Mars Black is an opaque black with a strong and cool masstone, a slightly warm tint, and a warm brown undertone. It is not as black as Ivory Black, but it dries more quickly and has three times the tinting strength. Mars Black is normally the only black available in acrylic form and that is safe to over paint. It can be used in all media without reservation and is widely used as an alternative to Lamp Black and Ivory Black.
Mars Black is very lightfast with excellent permanence.
Mars Black has no significant hazards and is the only major black pigment considered
The word Mars refers to the Roman god of iron and war. Mars Black was developed in the early 20th century from inorganic, synthetic iron oxide.
Black Iron Oxide, Iron Black, Magnetic Oxide, Mapico Black, Mineral Black. Sometimes labeled as Vine Black.
An off-white pigment with complex reflective effects, mica is often used with transparent pigments to create mixed pigments with interference and pearlescent effects.
Mica is permanent and lightfast.
Although it is completely non-toxic and not bioreactive, fine particles may be irritating. This is of concern primarily for those exposed occupationally to dry mica powder. Breathing mica particles may cause lung fibrosis and pneumoconiosis.
Mica has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times.
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