Quercitron Lake

Description

Quercitron Lake is a handmade natural lake pigment prepared from quercitron the inner bark of the black oak (Quercus velutina). It produces a clear, warm yellow that can range from bright golden to soft amber, with a gentle orange-leaning undertone in stronger applications. In light washes it reads as a luminous, tea–saffron yellow; in deeper layers it builds to a rich, honeyed gold with a subtle glow. Compared to earth yellows, Quercitron Lake is lighter, cleaner, and more translucent; compared to synthetic yellows, it feels softer, more historical, and distinctly botanical.

In use, Quercitron Lake gives a gentle, expressive yellow ideal for florals, illuminated manuscript effects, textiles, parchment and paper tones, portraits, and atmospheric landscape passages. It has low to moderate tinting strength and a transparent to semi-transparent character, building smoothly from pale, veil-like stains to more saturated golden glazes without becoming chalky. It mixes beautifully with reds and pinks for peaches, skin tones, and warm corals, with blues and blue-greens for soft, natural greens and muted olive-golds, and with earths for a wide range of parchment, straw, and antique paper hues.

This bark-derived lake is bound to a mineral base, giving it better handling and stability than the raw dye while preserving its characteristic clarity and luminous warmth. In artist’s colors it offers a distinctly 18th–19th century, “dyer’s yellow” that pairs beautifully with other botanical lakes and mineral earths on historically minded or eco-focused palettes.

History

Quercitron takes its name from quercus (oak) and “citrina” (yellow), referring to the vivid yellow dye obtained from the inner bark of the American black oak. Introduced to European dyers in the late 18th century and promoted as a powerful new yellow, quercitron became an important textile dye for wool and silk, producing bright, warm yellows and golden browns that could compete with or replace older plant yellows. It saw extensive use in the 18th and 19th centuries for printed cottons, military cloth, and fashion textiles.

As lake-making techniques became widespread, dyers and color-makers converted quercitron dye into lake pigments for use in watercolors, inks, and decorative painting, capturing its characteristic golden hue in a more manageable, pigmentary form. Although later displaced by more lightfast synthetic yellows, Quercitron Lake remains valued by artists interested in historical palettes, natural dyes, and the direct link between forest, dye vat, and color on the page.

Health and Safety

Precautions:

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume. This product is offered as an art material, not as food, drink, or medicine.

Not for cosmetic or food usage.

Do not spray apply.

For further health information contact a poison control center.

Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.

Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments.

Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments.

Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment if dust may be generated.

Wash hands immediately after use or handling.

If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.

This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Natural (Organic) bark-based lake pigment

Source: Quercitron dye from the inner bark of black oak (Quercus velutina)

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

Lightfastness: Moderate to poor

Opacity: Transparent

Other Names: Quercitron Lake, Black Oak Yellow Lake, Oak Bark Yellow Lake

Color Index Code: NA