Color Swatch created using heavy application/medium application/50% tint and was applied on acrylic primed canvas (7 oz) material.
Color Description
Winsor & Newton's Cremnitz White is a traditional single pigment white mixed from lead carbonate. The absence of zinc gives Cremnitz White a stringy consistency. It is slow drying, although not so slow as Titanium. Lead carbonate whites, which some artists prefer as a matter of principle, are strictly for adults and are recommended only for artists who understand safe handling of lead-based pigments.
Cremnitz White is mixed with safflower oil, which has less of a tendency to yellow than linseed oil, but also dries more slowly. Cremnitz White is recommended for white within the composition and for its final layers, but not for underpainting or priming. Because it is slower to dry, it may crack or distort overlying layers of paint. Foundation White is a better choice for underpainting if a lead-based white is desired.
Winsor & Newton rates Cremnitz White as opaque, with a lightfastness rating of 1 (highest) on a scale of 1 to 5, and permanence A.
This color contains the following pigments:
PW1—Lead White
Pigment Type
n/a
Chemical Name
basic lead(II)-carbonate
Chemical Formula
2PbCO3Pb(OH)2 or 4PbCO32Pb(OH)2PbO
Properties
Lead White is a fast drying, heavy consistency, flexible, opaque white with a very subtle reddish-yellow undertone and excellent covering capacity. Most artists stopped using this pigment over the last century because of its toxicity, but its working properties are positive enough to keep some artists using it. It is the most structurally sound white for underpainting. Lead White is quick drying, and it will help accelerate the drying time of any color it is mixed with.
Permanence
Lead White has excellent permanence and lightfastness. However, it may become discolored over long periods of time.
Toxicity
Lead White is highly toxic by both inhalation and ingestion
History
Lead White has historically been the most important of all white pigments. The use of this pigment dates back to the days of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. It was the only white used in European easel painting until the 19th century, and it is one of the oldest synthetically produced pigments. It has been mostly replaced by Titanium White and Zinc White, depending on the opacity the artist desires.
Alternate Names
Biacca, Ceruse, Cremnitz White, Dutch White, Flake White, Flemish White, French White, Krems White, London White, Nottingham White, Roman White, Silver White, Slate White, White Lead.
