A history of colour in the home - part 2
with EDWARD BULMER
Lesson 3 of 24
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In this lesson Edward breaks down the 12 pigments that have made up the human palette for thousands of years, dividing them into earth pigments and mineral pigments.
From the Lesson Workbook
A History of Colour in the Home - Part 2
The Twelve Fundamental Pigments
Understanding and engaging with the grammar of these pigments is the key to creating a scheme of materials that feels harmonious and balanced. We will be going deeper into these pigments later in the course.
Earth pigments
- Yellow Ochre
- Red Ochre
- Raw Umber
- Raw Sienna
- Burnt Umber
Mineral pigments
- Violet
- Prussian Blue
- Ultramarine
- Chromium Green
- Lemon Yellow
- Lamp Black
- Titanium White
The Twelve Fundamental Pigments
The use of colour became almost instantly hierarchical due to the widely available nature of some pigments compared with the scarcity - and therefore expense - of others. This meant that more complex tones of red, purple and green for example were only found in the dwellings of the rulers and the rich.
As time went by, pigments became more widely available and these colours filtered through into the homes of different social groups and classes. The way in which these colours are used, where they are used and by whom therefore develops into the language of social status.
Tonal Neutrals
White, black and the two earth pigments red ochre and yellow ochre are what I call our democratic default palette. From these four pigments you can create greys, off-whites and stoney neutrals which are all incredibly useful in any decorating scheme. Think of these four pigments and the colours they create as underlying tones to form the base of your scheme.
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Your Instructor
Edward Bulmer
Award-winning interior designer, architectural historian, paint expert. House & Garden Top 100.
Edward Bulmer is one of the UK’s leading interior designers and architectural historians, specialising in the restoration and decoration of historic buildings. After studying History of Art at university, Edward trained under legendary designer David Mlinaric CBE, as well as working for Alec Cobbe, and Gervase Jackson-Stops OBE, who was architectural advisor to the National Trust. Alongside running his own paint company, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, Edward has led a highly successful design team for over 30 years, working on some of England’s greatest country houses as well as a range of private and commercial projects including Goodwood, the Tower of London, Chequers and the Arts Club.
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