There are several kinds of white in oil painting pigments, such as lead white and titanium white. What's their difference?

When we paint oil paintings, white is the most used color, and the whole painting process is basically inseparable from white from beginning to end. Oil painting white can be roughly divided into lead white, zinc white, titanium white and lithopone, so what's the difference between them?

Lead white: It is the oldest white pigment. In the history of European painting, it is an important white pigment. Whether it is early rubber egg painting, butter egg painting or oil painting, it is believed that the success of oil painting for hundreds of years is largely due to the use of this pigment. Rubens and Van Dyke are both experts in making and using lead white by themselves. The secret of European artists' successful use of lead white without blackening is that they know how to use the media correctly-Dama resin and hoof fat. Using them as isolation agents, the work will be covered with a protective film, and the work will be safe and sound in a less harsh environment. Lead white has the characteristics of fast drying, so the commercial poppy oil produced abroad grinds lead white to slow down the drying speed of lead white. Sulfur compounds can react with aluminum compounds to produce black lead sulfide. If ultramarine blue and red (sulfur pigment) are painted on the lead white background, a layer of isolating agent, namely Dama resin or Ma Yao grease, must be painted in the middle.

Zinc white: the whiteness of zinc white is whiter than that of lead white, and the tone is colder. Because the particle structure of zinc white is finer, it dries slowly after blending with linseed oil, but it is quite soft and elastic when drying, and becomes hard and brittle after drying. Improper use will produce cracks. If it is mixed with lead and white, it can significantly change the structure of the two, learn from each other's strengths and make up for each other's shortcomings, and it is mostly used as the basis of oil painting.

Titanium dioxide: Titanium dioxide has gradually gained a central position in white pigments, and it tends to replace any white pigment in highly industrialized countries. At present, it accounts for more than 60% of the total amount of white pigments. Titanium dioxide is non-toxic, chemically stable, durable, acid-resistant, alkali-resistant and solvent-resistant, so it is the most popular. Its disadvantage is that it is more prone to yellowing and powdering than lead white and zinc white, and the coating will soften in harsh environment. Only when it is mixed with lead white and zinc white can it become an excellent white pigment.

Lithopone: It is a mixture of zinc sulfate and artificially precipitated barite. The artificially precipitated barite is not a "filler" here, but a medium for making lithopone. This pigment is non-toxic and can tolerate all kinds of weak acids and bases. Lithopone can be used as a base and in watercolor painting technology. Poor drying performance in oil.

The above is the difference of white in different oil paintings. Friends who study oil painting must collect them.