Description
This is wonderfully dense, deep black in masstone - its tints when mixed with white are dark, earthy greys with a subtle brown undertone. If you want a raw umber with more depth and a lower tonal value this is an excellent option.
I sometimes paint portraits in just black and white, using this and Ceruse. The combination is fantastic and the greys produced by the mixing of the two have a delightful, gentle warmth, but I can still get an almost black out of the neat Cassel, which gives the full range of tonal values.
It is made not with lignite like the original Cassel earth but with a purified umber. The umber replicates aspects of genuine Cassel earth which unfortunately like so many historical pigments, was not particularly lightfast, this one is lightfast.
I really like this paint!
Technical Overview
Pigment - PB7
Binder - Linseed Oil
Opacity - Semi-Opaque
Tint Strength - Good
Munsell - Hue N - Value 1 - Chroma 1
Rublev Oil Paint
