Raw Umber

Description

Raw Umber is a natural, handmade single earth pigment produced through the ancient process of grinding raw earth. It is composed of iron and manganese oxides, giving it a distinctive deep brown hue with greenish undertones. Raw Umber has been used for centuries due to its durability, opacity, and excellent lightfastness, making it a staple in the artist’s palette. 

Raw Umber is prized for its versatility, offering a deep, natural tone that works exceptionally well in underpainting and tonal adjustments. It has high opacity and excellent lightfastness, making it an essential color for artists working in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and tempera. Its depth and earthy tone make it ideal for creating realistic shadows, mixing subtle greens, and deepening other earth tones.

Compared to synthetic browns, Raw Umber provides a more organic, nuanced color that blends harmoniously with other natural pigments, making it a staple in classical and contemporary palettes.

History

Raw Umber has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times, with evidence of its use in early cave paintings. The name "Umber" derives from the Italian terra d’ombra, meaning "earth of Umbria," a region in Italy known for producing high-quality earth pigments. In the pictured artwork 'The Death of Actaeon' by Titian, umbers are used to create the rich brown shadows and foliage throughout creating the warm undertone.

Throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Raw Umber became a fundamental color in European painting. Artists such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt employed it for underpainting and to create warm, lifelike shadows. Its fast-drying properties made it especially valuable in oil painting, allowing for the rapid buildup of layers.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, Raw Umber was widely used by landscape painters, as its earthy tone helped create depth and naturalistic effects. Today, it remains an indispensable pigment for traditional and modern artists alike, appreciated for its reliability, natural beauty, and historical significance.

Health and Safety

Precautions:
Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Do not consume.
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. 
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 (Iron and Manganese Oxide) from minerals (Goethite and Manganite) (France)  
Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic  
Lightfastness: Best  
Opacity: Semi-opaque  
Other Names: Earth Umber, Natural Umber, Terra d’Ombra  
Color Index Code: PBr7
Image: 'The Death of Actaeon' by Titian from the National Gallery