Verdigris
With Lucy Mayes
In-depth sessions offer a deep exploration into the chemistry, creation, and contemporary applications of verdigris pigments. Verdigris, a term encompassing a wide range of copper-based pigments, offers a rich and expansive subject within the world of handmade and historical art materials.
Across all sessions, you’ll gain a practical and conceptual understanding of verdigris, from ancient recipes to modern adaptations, while learning how to create a nuanced palette of greens, blues, purples, and blacks using copper-based methods. You will learn how to make a plethora of pigments, paints, inks, tinted varnishes and learn how to use verdigris as an additive in other pigment and paint contexts.
Session One:
The Art and Science of
Copper Pigments
A recording of a Talk & Demonstration With Lucy Mayes that took place on Tuesday 8th April 2025
Watch the recording.
Explore the history and development of verdigris pigment recipes, enriched with contextual examples. This session will delve into the chemistry behind verdigris, share traditional and modern recipes, and showcase inspiring examples of pigments Lucy has created. Discover how to create a rich palette of greens, blues, purples, and blacks from copper using a carefully curated selection of techniques and processes.
Sign up before the 9th September to access the recording until the 10th December
Session Two:
Origins and Chemistry
of Verdigris
An Online Talk on Wednesday 29th April 2026, 4-6pm BST
Join live or watch the recording.
A chronological journey through verdigris’ use from Ancient Greece, through the medieval and Renaissance periods, to modern artistic and medicinal applications.
Visual explanation of verdigris chemistry, using diagrams to illustrate its molecular transformations.
Demonstrations of making verdigris-based paints: watercolour, oil, and resin.
Techniques for purifying verdigris and stabilising its colour in various binders and varnishes.
In-depth focus on 10 historical recipes, provided as a downloadable PDF with step-by-step instructions.
Sign up before the 9th September to access the recording until the 10th December
Session Three:
Experiments and
Applications
An Online Talk on Wednesday 27th May 2026, 4-6pm BST
Join live or watch the recordings.
Hands-on demonstrations and experimental recipes from the 18th century to the present day. Including an exploration of verdigris used by artists and makers from this time period.
A deep dive into the toxicity, safety, and sustainability of verdigris, including best practices for safe handling.
Examination of verdigris’ chemical and conceptual relationships to other copper-based pigments and reagents (e.g., copper carbonates, metal salts).
Applications in modern pigment and paint-making, including:
Use as a modifier and anti-bacterial agent
Adapting recipes for different artistic mediums and surfaces
Exploring verdigris in mixed media and traditional techniques
In-depth focus on 10 historical and contemporary recipes, provided as a downloadable PDF with step-by-step instructions.
Sign up before the 25th November to access the recordings until the 26th February
Lucy Mayes
Lucy Mayes (b. 1991, England) is an artist, pigment maker, researcher, and educator working within the craft of pigment making. She studied at the Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, and the Royal College of Art, where her interest in traditional painting techniques, pigment processing, and paint making first took root. In 2018, she founded London Pigment, and since 2020, her handmade pigments have been available through L. Cornelissen & Son. She is on the board of non-profit Pigments Revealed International, an organisation dedicated to building a global pigmnt community. Currently travelling through Europe aboard her wooden sailing boat, she works between London and Sussex.
Her practice centres on the use of reclaimed raw materials and environmentally responsible approaches to pigment production. In 2023, she played a key role in the inclusion of pigment making on the Heritage Crafts Association’s Red List of Endangered Crafts. She has taught pigment making at institutions including Tate, the V&A, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Her work, featuring pigments made from locally sourced minerals and exploring the connections between regional mining history and pigment traditions, is held in a permanent display at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro.
