Green Pigment

Green pigments

Green pigments are the materials used to create the green colors seen in painting and the other arts. At one time, such pigments came from minerals, particularly those containing compounds of copper. Green pigments reflect the green portions of the spectrum of visible light, and absorb the others. Important green pigments in art history include Malachite and Verdigris, found in tomb paintings in Ancient Egypt, and the Green earth pigments popular in the Middle Ages. More recent greens, such as Cobalt Green, are largely synthetic, made in laboratories and factories. Today, the main green pigment is Phthalocyanine Green G.

Pigment

A pigment is a chemical compound that gives a substance or organism color, or is used by humans to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are nearly or completely insoluble and chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored substances which are soluble or go into solution at some stage in their use. Dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic. Pigments of prehistoric and historic value include ochre, charcoal, and lapis lazuli. Biological pigments are compounds produced by living organisms that provide coloration.

Green

Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It has 295–350 different shades. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495–570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combination of yellow and cyan; in the RGB color model, used on television and computer screens, it is one of the additive primary colors, along with red and blue, which are mixed in different combinations to create all other colors. By far the largest contributor to green in nature is chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants photosynthesize and convert sunlight into chemical energy. Many creatures have adapted to their green environments by taking on a green hue themselves as camouflage. Several minerals have a green color, including the emerald, which is colored green by its chromium content.

green

Noun

1. The color of grass and leaves; a primary additive color midway between yellow and blue which is evoked by light between roughly 495–570 nm.
2. A member of a green party; an environmentalist.

Adjective

1. Of a green hue.
2. Sickly, unwell.

pigment

Noun

1. Any color in plant or animal cells.
2. A dry colorant, usually an insoluble powder.

Verb

1. To add color or pigment to something.