Malachite is a Copper Carbonate mineral of great beauty, as shown in the image opposite, it is used as the single pigment in this paint.
Ancient Egyptians who invented so many pigments and really developed painting to a high art believed that the afterlife contained an eternal paradise, referred to as the "Field of Malachite", which resembled their lives but with no pain or suffering.
Malachite has a very rich and varied history!
In masstone the paint is a gentle, slightly muted light green and has the transparency of a terre verte. Under the knife it has a gritty feel and when spread out it shows it's semi-transparent nature.
In tints it can't really stand up against the power of Titanium white, although it is possible to get a narrow range of tints, like a terre verte they are few, but delicious in their subtlety.
This paint is a speciality and will not be in regular use on a palette, however for a gentle green glaze it would be awesome and in combination with some of the other rare mineral paints we sell it would have a great synergy.
Available in 40ml tubes here.
Technical Overview
Pigment - Malachite
Vehicle - Linseed Oil
Opacity - Semi-transparent
Tint power - Low
Drying time - Average