Cutch Lake

Description

Cutch Lake is a handmade natural lake pigment prepared from cutch, the rich brown extract of the Acacia catechu tree, precipitated onto a mineral substrate. It produces a warm, earthy brown with a soft reddish–chestnut undertone and a gently muted masstone. In washes it can range from honeyed tea tones to deeper walnut browns with a subtle organic glow. Compared to iron oxides, Cutch Lake is less heavy and more transparent, with a dye-like warmth; compared to synthetic browns, it feels softer, more wood- and bark-like, and distinctly botanical.

In use, Cutch Lake gives a gentle, expressive brown ideal for botanicals, wood, leather, textiles, antiqued paper effects, skin tones, and atmospheric landscape passages. It has low to moderate tinting strength and a transparent to semi-transparent character, building smoothly from light, tea-like stains to richer layers without becoming chalky. It mixes beautifully with yellows for warm ochres and golden browns, with reds and pinks for muted rose-browns and natural skin tones, and with blues and blue-greens for softly grayed neutrals, ink-like browns, and subdued shadow mixes that retain a subtle warmth. As a natural lake based on an organic dye, it is best reserved for work that will be kept out of direct sunlight or digitized for long-term preservation.

This tannin-based lake is bound to a mineral substrate (typically alumina and/or calcium salts), giving it better handling and stability than the raw dye while preserving its characteristic warmth and translucency. In artist’s colors it offers a distinctly historical, plant-derived brown that can function as a primary “tea-brown” on the palette for toned papers, sketchbook work, and nuanced, low-key color.

History

Cutch has been used for centuries across South and Southeast Asia as a dye, tanning agent, and traditional material for wood and leather. Produced by boiling heartwood from Acacia catechu and concentrating the extract, it yields a deep brown rich in tannins and flavonoids that readily bond to natural fibers and collagen. Historically, cutch dyed textiles in shades ranging from golden tan to chocolate brown and was also used for ink, staining, and protective coatings.

With the development of lake pigments, dyes precipitated onto mineral substrates, artisans began transforming soluble dyes like cutch into usable, brushable pigments for paint and ink. Cutch Lake continues this tradition, capturing the characteristic warmth of the dye in a more manageable, pigmentary form. While not as lightfast as mineral earths, it offers a uniquely organic, time-softened character that appeals to artists working with historically inspired palettes, eco-focused projects, or pieces that emphasize process, tactility, and the living origins of color.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Organic) tannin-based lake pigment on mineral substrate

Source: Cutch extract from Acacia catechu (heartwood)

Suitable Mediums: Oil, Watercolor, Gouache, Ink, Egg Tempera, Casein

Lightfastness: Moderate

Opacity: Transparent

Other Names: Cutch Lake, Catechu Lake, Acacia Cutch Brown Lake

Color Index Code: Natural lake pigment