History & The Arts
Art and life in ancient Egypt
...carbon, obtained from sources such as lampblack, or soot on the bottom of cooking utensils, or ground charcoal. White came from chalk or gypsum, resulting in two distinct types: a kind of creamy white often used for backgrounds, and a brighter, shinier white used for items such as clothes and jewellery. Red and yellow were derived from naturally occurring ochres (these...