Unfortunately this color had to be reformulated in 2020 due to a pigment shortage of NBr8, Bituminous Earth. The previous version (NBr8, PBr7) was estimated at ASTM II for lightfastness. In regards to the previous version, they said, “It is made with a natural, tar-like material called Bituminous Earth – NBr8, which is no longer available. … Van Dyke Brown will remain in the Williamsburg family of colors, but it will now be made with PBk9 Ivory Black and PR101 Synthetic Transparent Red Iron Oxide. Finding a blend to replace our Van Dyke Brown was a challenge, as Bituminous Earth is a very unique pigment. When it is milled in oil, it maintains a coarse feel and when painted from the tube in full masstone, catches light on a textured surface to produce a dark, rich, dusty brown. It has a warm, semi-transparent brown undertone that when drawn thin, shows the coarseness of the pigment. It also has extremely weak tinting strength and although brown in every other way, tints with white to a fairly neutral gray. Together these characteristics are somewhat contradictory, which we did not find possible to replicate using other pigments. In the end, we decided that the dark, blackish-brown masstone and translucent brown undertone were the most important characteristics to maintain with as neutral a tint as possible. We came to settle on a semi-opaque, warm black, with tinting qualities similar to a brown umber. We thought this would be a useful color for artists looking for an alternative to the traditional blacks who want to create deep brownish glazes and warm grays. In the new mixture, Ivory Black provides a dark base with some translucence. Transparent Red Iron Oxide has a reddish-brown color with a luminous undertone. This PR101 is the same pigment we use for our Dutch Brown (Transparent), which is a coarse color. For this blend we mill the pigment clusters to a smoother consistency. The new Van Dyke Brown is darker, browner, smoother and stronger than the old formula. You will notice tubes with the new formula labeled with the words “pigment change” under the color name to differentiate it from the old formula. It is a series 1 color and has a lightfastness rating of 1, which is excellent.” -Just Paint, Feb 2020. While it has much better lightfastness the character of the tints is much different, much stronger, and has a different hue cast. The original Van Dyke Brown looks a lot more gritty and dusty. There is a chalkiness to the tints of the original as well as a streakiness. We had the original and due its weaker lightfastness parted with it before the discontinuation. This color is not part of a commercial set, however it is mentioned as part of Williamsburg’s six Chromatic Darks. From their publication, Just Paint they explain, “These colors are all blends, containing a natural iron oxide or Ivory Black and one or more strongly colored pigments to give them their chromatic punch. When painted from the tube, they visually resemble a colorful black, but when scumbled, tinted or mixed, these darks start to show their true color!” In regard to this color specifically they say, “…We have recently introduced a new formula for Van Dyke Brown that contains Ivory Black and Transparent Red Iron Oxide. It is a rich dark brown, bordering on a warm black, that can either take the place or bridge the gap between black and umber. It is Semi-Opaque, finely milled and fast drying. When mixed with white, it tints to a warm gray. Although Semi-Opaque, Van Dyke can modify Transparent colors to produce translucent mixtures that can be slightly neutral with a wonderful glowing quality.” -Just Paint 2020 For more info and pictures of the comparison see https://justpaint.org/changes-to-williamsburg-van-dyke-brown-french-cassel-earth-and-french-noir-indien/.