From dry pigment to plate or brush
Despite advances in machines, our basic methods for paint and ink making have remained unchanged for generations. This is simply because there is no better way to produce the vibrant, light fast colours that bring an artist’s vision to life.
1. We mix
The mixing process wets the dry colour with the vehicle or varnish so the crude mix can be handled ready for milling.
2. We mill
Milling brings the colour alive. As the ink or paint passes between the steel or stone cylinders, the high pressure and different cylinder speeds release the pigment particles from their natural lumps. This allows us to coat as many as possible of these ‘primary particles’ with the medium, giving the artist wonderful colour-value. It also ensures that the product has the best possible longevity.
3. We match
Not simply matching colour, but matching today’s batch with the original master formulation. Using our years of experience we adjust each batch to give the artist the continuity of product that they need.
We monitor and control the ‘viscosity’ and ‘tack’ of each paint and ink, along with other properties like strength, opacity, drying time, adhesion, flexibility and colour-fastness.
It’s this process and attention to detail that makes us one of the UK’s leading dry colour manufacturers of artists’ inks and paints.
