Primitive Pigments
Primitive man used pigments from his natural environment in painting, thus the pigments found in different areas of the world tend to vary.14 It is thought that pigments were applied by two methods.2,15 The first was to mix pigment with animal fat and apply it as a paint with the fingers or a reed. The second method was to blow pigment powder onto the painting surface using a hollow tube.
Carbon black was usually found in the form of soot obtained from charred bones or wood, or charcoal from the wood itself, which could be used for drawing. Yellow and red earths were iron oxides in various states of hydration.16 These substances occur naturally throughout the earth's crust, so were probably used by all primitive people, and synthetic forms of yellow and red ochre are still used today. Brown earth was a mixture of iron and manganese oxides, again occurring in all parts of the earth. The shade of these brown earths could vary from red brown to almost purple, depending on the purity and exact oxide content.16,17 Green earth came primarily from two clay minerals, celadonite and glauconite.18 These have a complex silicate structure containing aluminium, iron, magnesium and potassium ions, which give a dull green colour. It was used less frequently than the other primitive pigments due to its relative scarcity. White pigments were obtained from chalk (calcium carbonate), and from crushing up animal bones (essentially calcium phosphate). The palette of the primitive artist was thus quite limited and contained only dull, earthy shades.