ochers
Iron oxide hues
Ochers are earthy pigments ranging from yellow to brown and red, composed of clay mixed with iron oxide.
These natural colors have been used since prehistoric times for cave paintings and continue to appear in art and decorative applications.
The spelling ochers is standard in American English, while ochres prevails in British usage.
The desert landscape displayed rich ochers and burnt siennas.
Iron oxide ore
- limoniteHydrated iron oxide ore
- siennaEarthy artist's pigment
- umberNatural earth pigment
- powderFine dry particles
grinding · binder · wash · tint · hue · shade · tone · saturation
Paleolithic painted cavern
- AltamiraSpanish cave with paintings
- frescoWet plaster painting technique
- temperaEgg-yolk painting method
- paletteSurface for mixing pigments
brushwork · underpainting · glaze · impasto · wash · mural · portrait · landscape
Moldable earth for ceramics
- soilGround matter for planting
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
- iron-richHigh iron content
- mineralsInorganic natural solids
strata · geology · terrain · sandstone · limestone · bedrock · quarry · deposit
Very old indeed
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- PaleolithicEarliest archaeological era
Neolithic · excavation · petroglyphs · pictographs · remnants · traces · preservation
Ceremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- tribalOf a clan
- ancestralOf one's forebears
Aboriginal · burial · funerary · initiation · spiritual · tradition · adornment · ceremony
hematite
Iron oxide ore
powder · grinding · binder · wash · tint · hue · shade · tone · saturation · warmth
Lascaux
Paleolithic painted cavern
- AltamiraSpanish cave with paintings
- frescoWet plaster painting technique
- temperaEgg-yolk painting method
palette · brushwork · underpainting · glaze · impasto · wash · mural · portrait · landscape · chiaroscuro
clay
Moldable earth for ceramics
minerals · strata · geology · terrain · sandstone · limestone · bedrock · quarry · deposit · vein
ancient
Very old indeed
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
- archaeologyStudy of physical remnants
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
Paleolithic · Neolithic · excavation · petroglyphs · pictographs · remnants · traces · preservation
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- tribalOf a clan
ancestral · Aboriginal · burial · funerary · initiation · spiritual · tradition · adornment · ceremony · marking