Terre Verte - Green Earth, a complex of Ferrous Silicates in Aluminum and Magnesium clays, is one of the few naturally occurring inorganic pigments still to be offered by colormen. It has a very soft texture with very low Tint Power, beloved of portrait artists 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, Michael Harding does not. A popular trick is to use a little Terre Verte under the noses of portraits to get red colored cheeks to play up as a complementary color!
Color Index | PG23 |
Drying Speed | Average |
Transparency | Semi-Transparent |
Lightfastness | Excellent |
Oil Content | Low |
Tint Power | Very Low |
Toxicity | Non-Toxic |
ASTM D-4236 | ✓ |