White was likely first used in prehistoric art in the form of chalk, a naturally occurring calcium carbonate. The earliest recorded preparation of a white pigment made from lead dates to Greece in the 3rd century BC. This pigment, known as Lead White, became the dominant white used in European oil painting for centuries.
In the 20th century, Lead White was largely replaced by Titanium White, which remains the most widely used white pigment today.
Below is a guide to the white pigments currently used in artist paints, as identified by the Pigment Colour Index with the prefix PW. Each swatch represents an example of an artist paint made with that pigment. Actual colour and handling may vary depending on the manufacturer.
Lead White
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Used in various forms since around 300 BC, Lead White—also known as Flake White, Stack Lead White, or Cremnitz White depending on its method of production—was the only white pigment used in European easel painting until the 19th century. Lead White dries quickly and is not as bright or pure as modern whites such as Titanium or Zinc White. It is highly toxic and is not available for general sale. While its warm tone can be approximated by mixing Titanium or Zinc White with a small amount of yellow, Lead White’s fast drying time and distinctive handling qualities are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate with other pigments. |
| Zinc White (zinc oxide) has been used in artist paints since the 19th century. It is often sold as Mixing White or Transparent White and is sometimes added to Titanium White oil paints to improve their handling, even if this is not always stated on the label.
Zinc White has low tinting strength and is more transparent than Titanium White, making it useful for mixing without adding opacity or a chalky look. However, concerns about brittleness have led many manufacturers to remove it from their oil paint ranges. Outside of oil paint, Zinc White is considered stable and reliable. It works very well as a mixing white in acrylic and watercolour. In oil paint, its transparency also makes it more prone to yellowing over time, although this effect is reversible. For a more opaque white, Titanium White (PW6) is a better choice. |
Zinc White
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Titanium White
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Introduced in 1921, Titanium White (titanium dioxide) is the most widely used white pigment today. It is used in huge quantities across many industries, including plastics, cosmetics, paper, house paints, and artist paints.
Titanium White is extremely opaque and very strong in mixtures. In oil paint, it dries slowly and creates a softer, more flexible paint film, which is why it is often mixed with Zinc White (PW4) to improve handling. Its strong opacity also makes it the standard white used in acrylic gesso primers, and it is used to brighten archival watercolour papers. Because Titanium White can easily overpower mixtures, artists who want a more subtle mixing white may prefer Zinc White (PW4). |
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Unbleached Titanium White contains small amounts of iron, which give it a warmer colour and help it dry faster than regular Titanium White. It still has strong tinting strength, but its warmth makes it a more subtle way to adjust colour than standard Titanium White. When mixed with blue, it can create soft grey-greens, and it is especially useful for reducing the intensity of earth colours without cooling them. In watercolour, Unbleached Titanium White also gently granulates, adding a subtle textural effect. |
Unbleached Titanium White
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Chalk (Calcium Carbonate)
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Chalk is a soft form of limestone made from the compressed shells and skeletons of microscopic organisms that lived more than 65 million years ago. It is not usually used as a white pigment in artist paints, except in fresco painting, but it plays an important role in other art materials. Chalk is a key ingredient in traditional rabbit skin glue–based gesso, where it is known as whiting. It is also used in the manufacture of archival artist papers, acting as an alkaline buffer that helps protect the paper from acid damage. |
