How Van Dyke brown is made:
| Origin: natural earth | The minerals composing Van Dyke brown, are pyrolusite and goethite, both considered to be among the most permanent pigments, and mainly lignite. Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, used as a fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat. Lignite is brownish-black in color and has a carbon content of around 25-35%, a high inherent moisture content sometimes as high as 66%, and an ash content ranging from 6% to 19%. |
Briquette of lignite coal for home heating use |
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| Natural variety of pigment | Derived from earth compounds such as soil and peat, similar in composition to lignite brown or coal. Generally it has over 90% constituent organic matter with small amounts of iron, alumina or silica. It is prepared first by heating to drive off excess moisture and then by the common process for earth pigments. The natural earth is dried and homogenized. |
The ground pigment:
Pile of ground Van Dyke brown
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