Rublev Colours Luberon Raw Umber is a finely ground natural earth pigment sourced from the historic ochre deposits of Gargas and Rustrel in the Luberon Massif of southern France. Produced by the last remaining European company still operating these quarries, this raw umber is a blend of natural minerals coloured by iron and manganese oxides, yielding a classic yellowish-brown earth tone for traditional painting and paint making.
Luberon Raw Umber is a versatile studio workhorse with excellent permanence and broad compatibility across mediums. Use it for underpainting, shadow mapping, and natural neutral mixing, or to create muted greens and greys when combined with blues. It disperses well for tempera and watercolour, grinds smoothly into oil paint, and is also suitable for fresco and acrylic systems where a stable earth brown is required. As with many umbers, the manganese content can support faster drying behaviour in oil compared to many other earth colours.
Key features
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Natural French raw umber from Luberon ochre quarries (Gargas and Rustrel)
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Colour Index PBr7 earth pigment, permanent and lightfast (ASTM I)
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Yellowish-brown earth with natural mineral undertones
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Ideal for shadows, underpainting, landscapes, and portrait palettes
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Suitable for making oil paint, watercolour, tempera, acrylic dispersions, and fresco
Safety note: Avoid inhaling dry pigment dust. Umbers contain manganese, so use a mask, gloves, and good ventilation when handling powder.
