Mono-pigmented colours
Supporting materials
The colour is the most important ingredient of your painting. That is why we keep our oil paints as pure as possible. Of the 120 colours in the Rembrandt oil paint range, 57 are mono-pigmented. These colours allow you to create vibrant mixtures without losing intensity or saturation. Since they are so pure, the colours also offer you more predictable results when mixing, maintaining a more saturated mix and avoiding muddy colours.
Besides high-quality paints and pastels, Rembrandt offers a range of premium brushes and paper for various purposes. BRUSHES Rembrandt brushes are made with traditional craftmanship and the greatest care. The range of Rembrandt brushes offers top-quality brushes for all painting techniques. Every hair bundle is shaped by hand and set in a nickel-plated brass ferrule. Choose from a collection of carefully selected natural hair types and durable filament (polyester fibre) in various shapes and sizes, skilfully designed to accommodate various painting styles and techniques.
Experience brighter and more brilliant paintings with these premium shades. The secret behind our mono-pigmented colours is actually quite simple: each colour contains only one high-quality pigment.
PAPER Rembrandt paper has been specially designed for the professional artist. The collection consists of paper suitable for acrylic, oil and watercolour paint, textured paper for pastels and toned paper for different types of media. All paper in the collection is acid-free, which ensures the work stays in good condition for many years.
The history behind synthetic pigments Below you will find a brief history behind a few of our favourite mono-pigmented colours. The pigments used in these colours started out as natural ingredients but have gradually been replaced with much more reliable synthetic pigments.
Skilfully crafted in the Netherlands P.O. Box 4, Apeldoorn, NL www.royaltalens.com 2023 / 88010114
PRUSSIAN BLUE This beloved blue shade was discovered by accident in the early 18th century by Berlin paint maker Diesbach. Around 1704, he tried making carmine red following a tried and tested formula. He mixed cochineal, alum and iron sulphate, then added some alkali borrowed from his colleague. What he did not know, however, was that this substance had actually been diluted with an animal oil. Much to his surprise, after mixing everything together in his beaker, the final colour was blue instead of red. This change in colour was caused by the animal oil which contained ferriferous blood, so without realising it, Diesbach had made iron cyanide, which would later be named “Prussian blue”. The colour immediately gained popularity, though nowadays we use a synthetic variant instead of the mixture discovered by Diesbach. In the Rembrandt oil colour range, this mono-pigmented colour has colour number 508. The synthetic pigment PB27 is used for this colour. CARMINE Carmine, also known as cochineal, was traditionally derived from the female Mexican cochineal scale bug. Shortly before the insect lays its eggs, the red dye is extracted from its body. During the process, a small amount of sulphuric acid is added. Carmine dye is obtained from the
solution by precipitating it with aluminium hydrate. When aluminium acetate is used instead, it produces Carmine Lake. Carmine and Carmine Lake were popular due to their bright red colour. Unfortunately, however, they had a very poor lightfastness. This animal-derived pigment has since been replaced by highly lightfast synthetic pigments, which surpass the real Carmine in terms of purity, fullness and warmth of tone. In the Rembrandt oil colour range, this mono-pigmented paint has colour number 318. The synthetic pigment PR176 is used for this colour.
Thanks to the enthusiasm, perfectionism and passion of Marten Talens, a distinctive and high-quality brand called Rembrandt first saw the light of day in 1899. In the following decades, Rembrandt developed into one of the world’s most renowned brands in oil colours, soft pastels, acrylic and watercolour paints for the professional artist. Rembrandt: a legendary name for a range that is known for its superior and unparalleled quality.
History Inspired by the production practices of the Dutch masters of the 17th century, the brand Rembrandt is driven to create the brightest, most intense colours, in line with today’s requirements and techniques. The brand has been developed through pure craftsmanship and artistic insight, based on the best raw materials. As a result, Rembrandt products have unique properties, including exceptionally high fineness, lightfastness and longevity. Characteristics of Rembrandt are the extensive range of colours, as well as a consistent viscosity and uniform drying time. The brand owes its 120+ years of proven quality to experience, craftsmanship, expertise and a close cooperation with professional artists. Each colour is made according to a unique, tried and tested recipe. The necessary raw materials for each new batch undergo stringent quality control in our own laboratory.
MADDER Madder is derived from the roots of the Madder plant. The Madder plant grows in the wild in Southern Europe and a region of Southwest Asia, but also used to be cultivated in the Netherlands for paint production. The roots were dried and then treated with alum, steam, acids or other solvents. The result: a purpurin Madder Rose or a light red or darker Madder shade. Although the lighter varieties are slightly less lightfast, Madders in general are fairly lightfast. Natural Madder pigments have since been replaced by the synthetic Alizarin Madder, which is chemically precisely the same as natural Madder. It is just as lightfast and easy to use. In the Rembrandt oil colour range, this mono-pigmented paint has colour number 342. The synthetic pigment PR264 is used for this colour.
Rembrandt, the choice for the professional artist
Skilfully crafted in the Netherlands since 1899