Natural Pigments
Why we use natural pigments and why they are beautiful.
Bauwerk Colours are made differently than most paint colours. Using natural pigments, we have created a range of colours that reflect and celebrate the innate and natural beauty of our globally sourced pigments.
We do not use tinting machines or industrial processes to create our colours. Instead, we draw on our years of experience and eye for colour creation, selecting each pigment and creating unique colours that are developed with an understanding of how each colour will look on the wall. We are particularly inspired by colours found in nature, as we believe that everything we need to know about colour can be found there.
Our perception of colour is due to light refraction. Unlike other paints, our colours refract light uniquely due to the crystalline nature of our base mineral, limestone. Limestone retains and refracts colour through millions of light crystals. Natural pigments also refract light differently compared to industrial processes, thanks to the irregular composition of earth pigments. This irregularity causes light to interact with the pigment in distinct ways. Because of this, our limewash paint glows and looks like no other paint. Many of the colours in our range appear more luminous, and the underlying colour can pop more than what you see in a small swatch.
“Light in nature creates the movement of colours.”
— Robert Delaunay
Why you will never be able to buy fire engine red at Bauwerk.
We don’t offer colours that can only be produced with pigments we believe are harmful to humans. For example, we don’t offer a fire engine red or canary yellow, as they can only be made with Cadmium pigments, which we don’t want to handle ourselves. All our pigments are responsibly sourced, tested for UV stability, completely lightfast, and non-flammable. Additionally, almost all pigments are of natural origin.
All of our suppliers adhere to relevant safety standards in the EU, US, UK, and AU. The pigments supplied from the US are man-made, produced by blending, heating and grinding specific amounts of different minerals. Apart from that, we also use natural clays as a thickener and as a colouring agent itself.
Some of our colours do contain a small percentage of Titanium Dioxide. However, we can provide a list of colours that are TiO2 free. Please contact us if you’d like to receive the most recent TiO2 free list.
Natural Pigments + Limewash FAQs
How can raw materials in limewash paint be sourced sustainably?
Our paint is crafted from limestone, water, and natural pigments, using fire and air in its production process. We are deeply committed to the precise sourcing of these materials, ensuring they are sustainably and responsibly obtained.
Limestone is at the heart of our paint, and is an abundant natural resource on earth sourced from a local Western Australian. We also utilise lime putty, a waste product from limestone quarries that would otherwise be used as landfill. Renewable timber (mill ends and waste) is used for processing limestone, a Co2 neutral process. This process produces no toxic by-products or pollution of waterways. The production process uses non-potable water before the natural pigments are added. By using and recommending natural pigments, the consumption of industrially produced pigments (high energy input) is reduced. Wherever possible, the bases for our colours use naturally milled pigments. These coloured substances are sourced from around the world and come from the ground, a plant, or a mineral without chemical modification.
Why are natural pigments in paint important?
Conventional paint relies on tinting machines that use industrial pigments. This process is full of chemicals and solvents to maintain consistency. We do not use petrochemicals, solvents or synthetic colourants. Instead, we use natural clays, minerals and beautiful natural pigments. We source better quality, more refined ochres from natural deposits in France using traditional methods. There is great care in this process to have the least environmental impact as possible since ochre deposits are usually in, and between small villages. This material contributes to a more dynamic and higher quality product, a point of difference between Bauwerk paints and others.
And we believe that just because we CAN make a colour, doesn’t mean we necessarily should.
Are some paint colours more dangerous than others?
Why we don’t create certain colours
We avoid making some colours altogether, due to the health-damaging properties of certain pigments. For instance, fire engine red, bright yellow and orange pigments are industrially made using cadmium. Cadmium is highly toxic and known to cause cancer amongst other issues, so it’s an easy decision for us to exclude these colours from our palette. We previously developed a very bright pink known as magenta. However, it created a lot of dust in the noses of our team. We prioritised the wellness of our Bauwerk family over the colour and no longer produce this shade of pink (but have plenty of other beautiful and healthy pinks to choose from).
Are there ethical issues with sourcing natural pigments for limewash paint?
Yes, some colours require extra consideration regarding their source. For instance, not all cobalt is created equal. We use ethically sourced and mined cobalt to support the supply chains that adhere to environmental and social standards. This commitment protects workers and avoids environmental impacts such as deforestation, soil erosion and water contamination.