Lead White, Flake White, also known as Basic Lead Carbonate, or a mixture of basic lead carbonate with some lead carbonate. It is a pigment of a thousand names and several different important variations. Lead white is a toxic, silvery white color which is in many ways the backbone of modern art history. It ages well and forms strong oil paint films, which unfortunately do have a tendency to yellow, however they stay more intact than most other colors. Our discussion here mostly centers around oil painting.

The pigment code PW1 applies to both what we call the regular lead white available on the market, as well as lead white which was made by the Dutch process or Stack Lead white, which handles differently.

There are several other white pigments made of lead, but PW1 is the main lead white pigment- an opaque warm white which can have a faint pearlescence before it dries.

The biggest drawback to lead white is its toxicity. That topic goes beyond the bounds of this page and so we urge you to do your own research as well as mitigation strategies to be sure none of your toxic pigments are around pets, children, or people who are not properly trained. Even with proper precautions we have heard some terrible anecdotal stories-- most painters are just not equipped to handle the truly toxic paints, nor are their studios and habits fitted for safe handling. That said, it is certainly possible to use it with the proper protocols, and the task of developing a mitigation plan should not be taken lightly.

Aside from its toxicity, which is serious, this color has been favored by painters for several qualities, which include translucency and gentler tinting strength than titanium white. All these qualities make it prized for applications such as portraiture and flesh tones. Lead white is also a fast drier and forms strong paint films.

In terms of sub-variants of lead white, the pigment used for modern lead white is not made in the same way as the historical pigment for lead white. One of the differences is the particle size and shape of the pigment itself. The historical Dutch Process, sometimes called Stack Lead White (not shown here) is harder to find than the regular lead white and is favored for this different handling. Stack Lead white has different properties in its oil paint behavior (the five-dollar word for this is thixotropy).

As with any other white paint which will be mixed into the other colors on the palette, binding oils make a difference. It's common to find Lead White in linseed oil or walnut oil. There are many names for lead white, which unfortunately have been used rather freely by paintmakers over the years, so it is often hard to determine exactly which name refers to which pigment variety or blend. Sometimes within a brand they will have a Flemish White, a Lead White, and a Cremnitz White, and they will use these historical names to differentiate between lead whites made with different oils, or different pigment blends.

Lead White is also known as Flake White, Cremnitz White, Cremser White, Dutch Process White, Ceruse, and Silver White, to list just a few of the most common names.

Sometimes these names referred to blends of lead white with other pigments, such as zinc or barium sulphate. For example Rublev/Natural Pigments offers a handful of lead whites which have different combinations of pigments or binding oils, as does RGH.