Gamblin 1980 Oils -andnbsp;PBr7-Burnt Sienna (Calcined natural iron oxide)

Burnt Sienna: Natural calcined (roasted) earth pigment. More opaque today than 200 years ago. For greater transparency, consider Gamblin Transparent Earth Colours and Van Dyke Brown.

Pigmentandnbsp;Composition and Permanence:andnbsp;

Pigment Name: PBr7-Burnt Sienna (Calcined natural iron oxide)

Pigment Type: earth

Properties

Burnt Sienna is a warm, mid-brown colour formed by burning the yellow-brown limonite clay called Raw Sienna. It ranges from semi-opaque to semi-transparent due to the combination of its opaque, red-brown mass tone and its transparent, orangey undertone.

It is an excellent mixing complement for blues and greens and creates salmon or peach-coloured tints when mixed with white. It can help subdue bright colours and does not get chalky in dark mixtures.

Permanence

Burnt Sienna has good permanence and is considered one of the most versatile permanent pigments.

Toxicity

Burnt Sienna has no significant hazards.

History

Burnt Sienna has been used as a pigment since prehistoric times, but its current name came about during the Renaissance. It comes from the city of Siena in Italy and is short for terra di Siena, meaning the earth of Siena.

Sienna was famous for mining and producing earth pigments from the Renaissance until World War II. Due to the depletion of clay deposits in Tuscany, Italian siennas now come from other areas, including Sicily and Sardinia.