• Zinc White pigment with a cool, opaque white hue, prized for its excellent lightfastness and subtle tinting strength. Ideal for oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting, it offers a smooth, consistent finish perfect for fine art, underpainting, and glazing techniques. Finely ground for professional quality, this pigment is a favorite for achieving refined highlights and delicate gradients in historical and contemporary artworks.
  • Van Gogh painted several versions of A Wheatfield, with Cypresses during the summer of 1889, while he was a patient in the psychiatric hospital of Saint-Paul de Mausole, in the village of St-R√©my in the south of France. A first version, which he described as a study, was painted on site in late June 1889. The National Gallery‚Äôs painting, which was completed in September while Van Gogh was confined to his hospital room, is the finished version.
  • Zinc White pigment tested in watercolor using honey, in oil, and mixed with tints of titanium white and lead white. The image highlights its subtle, cool transparency in watercolor, smooth blending in oil, and soft tinting strength compared to other whites. A historical pigment known for delicate highlights and glazing. High-quality Zinc White swatches displayed for comparison."
1 5

Zinc White Pigment

Zinc White Pigment

$6.00
$0.00 $6.00
Sale Sold out
Sizes
View full details

Description

Zinc White is a handmade natural single-pigment white, originally developed in the 18th century as a less toxic alternative to Lead White. It is composed of zinc oxide (ZnO), a naturally occurring mineral that, when processed, produces a brilliant, cool-toned white pigment. Unlike Lead White or Titanium White, Zinc White is known for its transparency, making it ideal for glazing, subtle highlights, and mixing without overpowering other colors.


Zinc White produces a delicate, cool white with lower tinting strength than Titanium White, allowing for more nuanced color blending. It is slow drying in oil paints, making it suitable for extended blending and soft transitions. Unlike other whites, it forms a more brittle paint film, which is why it is often mixed with other whites for added durability. It is widely used in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and tempera for its luminous and subtle qualities.


History

Zinc White was first introduced as a pigment in the 1780s but gained widespread adoption in the 19th century when it became commercially available as a safer alternative to Lead White. By the mid-19th century, it was commonly used in oil painting and was favored by artists who sought a cleaner, less reactive white.


During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Zinc White became a standard in artists' palettes, particularly for watercolor and oil painters. It was often used in portrait painting due to its ability to create soft skin tones without overpowering the mix. However, in oil painting, its brittle nature led to concerns about cracking, which resulted in it often being combined with stronger binders or other whites, such as Titanium or Lead White. In the pictured artwork 'A Wheatfield with Cypresses' by Van Gogh, zinc white is used throughout to create soft clouds and various tints.


Today, Zinc White remains an important pigment in modern art, often used in conservators' work and in mixtures to enhance transparency and luminosity. While it has been somewhat replaced by Titanium White for general use, its unique properties make it an essential choice for artists who need a subtle, cool, and transparent white.


Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic inorganic pigment, zinc oxide (ZnO)

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour, Lime / Fresco, Ceramics

Lightfastness: Best (Highly stable and resistant to fading)

Opacity: Semi-transparent

Other Names: Chinese White, Zinc Oxide White

Color Index Code: PW4

Image: 'A Wheatfield with Cypresses' by Van Gogh from the National Gallery