Artist Range FAQ's
Q. Who are Kremer?
A. Kremer have been discovering and redeveloping historical pigments since 1977. They have an extensive range of products including an assortment of over 1000 different mineral pigments made from precious and semiprecious stones. Kremer Pigmente has become an international leader in the field of pigments for restoration and art painting, and Dr. Kremer is still on the lookout for the true pigments and mediums of the Old Masters. Based in Germany, the company has extensive knowledge in the field of pigments and restoration, with Kremer owned shops in Munich, Stuttgart and New York. More than 50 artist material stores in Germany and around the world offer a range of Kremer Pigmente products. See the Kremer website for more details.
Q. Why is the range only limited to earth pigments?
A. The range was put together as an ‘earth collection’, with
a strong criteria - they had to be natural - occurring from the earth, NO compromise.
They too had to have the least amount of processing possible, and wherever achievable
sourced sustainability. Many other pigments were ruled out because they had
big issues around toxicity and or strict health warnings. Price too was a factor
– a reason there is no blue in the earth collection. The colours are nothing
to do with trends, decorator’s colours or tying in with any other fashion
– they are about being pure, natural pigments from the earth. We know
this limits the palette, especially for fine artists, but it was about creating
a set of pigments that artists can use knowing the origin and that they are
the same pigments that have been used for hundreds of years.
Q. Can I buy the pigments individually?
A. Yes you can purchase the earth pigments individually. They are available
in 2 sizes: 50g, 100g. At present we stock all the pigments for topping up your
giftsets, and/or for buying to give them a try. See the Price List for details.
We have a small amount of three other pigments available to purchase individually
too, a synthetic blue - Ultramarine Blue, a deep, dark blue - Milori Blue and
Soft Grey - earth pigment, please contact us for prices of these.
We do hope to extend the range soon, but we can purchase any pigments direct
from Kremer for you – email us for further details.
Q. Primary Colours? Are there any other colours available?
A. We do have an Ultramarine Blue available already in stock, and are in the process of looking at primary colours to add to the range, but in the interim we are able to get any pigment from the Kremer range and are happy to order in pigments for you – freight and any extra charges are additional. We do have a small amount of Milori Blue and Grey Earth in stock too – contact us for prices.
Q. Is there any possibility of a cadmium red?
A. We can purchase Cadmium red and all other cadmiums, but we have regulations,
policies and related issues to check on and become clear with first before importing
these pigments. We do know that with the restrictions in place that the amounts
per year we can bring into the country are no more than 10kg maximum, so it
will be limited to a small range and quantity.
We will keep you updated on any news around these. We can offer synthetic alternatives
of these though and will keep you up to date on any news around these pigments
too.
Q. White – why is the only one in the set off-white?
A. This white - Buff Titanium was chosen as it fits in with the brief of natural, earth pigment and having the least processing possible etc. We know it isn’t pure white and that this limits the palette of colours possible, but we also see that it has some beautiful qualities of its own. We will be adding a pure white to the individual range.
Q. How long do the pigments last?
A. The pigments all have ratings on their SDS (safety data sheets). As they are natural, earth occurring pigments their light fastness grades are generally high. Pigments in their dry form should be kept in a cool, dry and dark cupboard to keep them in good condition.
Q. What is the longevity of the pigments once made into paint?
A. This largely depends on the mediums used. Oils generally last well when kept in lightfast and airtight containers. An expected time of approximately 3 months if stored well, longer if the paint is truly airtight.
Q. Longevity of colour - will they last?
A. Longevity of pigments are all different, some are more lightfast than others.
When mixed in different mediums this changes the qualities and character of
them too, some are better suited to one type of medium more so than another.
For example copper containing pigments such as Azurite or Ploss Blue will turn
green in oils, but they can be used in Tempera paint and other techniques. All
the blues are very lightfast. Note that the Prussian Blue should not be mixed
with white – as this causes bleaching of the pigment.
Kremer have a suitability list for the pigments and best suited or recommended
mediums which we shall make available too.
Kremer recommend for oil painting using a high quality oil (the flaxseed oil
is a high grade, pressed oil) and letting it dry thoroughly. Kremer’s
restoration expert advises that it is not only the materials used that keep
a painting but also the application and how it is stored that need to be considered.
Extreme climate conditions can also have huge impacts on the paint structure
and how a painting survives. They do not recommend cleaning with solvents, except
where there are no varnishes used – as these would be dissolved with solvents.
We shall look further into the archival qualities of the pigments and mediums
where we have no information to date and post such details on the website as
they become available.
Q. Does tempera paint go mouldy?
A. Fresh tempera paint can go off, and start to smell, but Kremer’s expert restoration person has never seen it go mouldy or heard of it doing so. Egg white can get whitish during aging but this is rare. You can keep tempera paint in the fridge for a few days, but it’s not recommended to go into the freezer – some people do that with animal glues, but it is not known whether this changes the quality of the glue. Binders which are known to get mouldy are animal glues, cellulose glue and casein. Fresh binder can be kept in the fridge.
Q. Do the pigments come premade as a paint?
A. This range does not come premade. The experience of making the paint and mixing with your favorite medium is what makes it special. It isn’t a process suited to everyone, but those who are interested in the character of pigments and how pigments work within different mediums enjoy the process of making their own paint. It can be an enjoyable and thrilling process which gives you the control of every part of your artwork.
Q. I use acrylic paint; can I use these pigments to make up an acrylic or water-based paint?
A. Yes you can use the powder pigments to make an acrylic or water-based paint, the choice is yours. We currently have added the Flaxseed Oil in the range as the medium, but you can buy acrylic mediums either from good art suppliers or through us via Kremer to make up your own acrylics. The pigments can also be made into a range of paints like Tempera paint, or added to natural based paints including casein, milk, lazure, plant based, and mineral silicate paints.
Q. Prices of individual pigments and mediums.
A. Prices for the individual pigments are available on the following PDF Price List. The oil, thinner and varnish are also available individually, please see the general BioPaints Price List for costs of these.
Q. Why Citrus based thinner?
A. We chose to add a citrus based thinner rather than a pure or mineral turpentine to the range for a few reasons. We make our own citrus thinner here in Nelson so we know exactly what is in it. We know it has great cleaning properties for brushes and paint making equipment so is perfect for cleaning up after you have made the paint. It smells pretty good too – most people like the citrus smell, unlike the stronger turpentine or mineral terps smell. All solvents evaporate, so if you choose to use it to thin the paint also, the thinner should evaporate pretty quickly from the paint and should not have damaging effects. It is not however recommended for cleaning paintings from a professional point of view – this should be done by conservators with specialist equipment.