Constable Green for Neptune Furnishing Stores

For this project a unique shade of green was created from historical pigments. Neptune commissioned Lucy to create a special colour, a pigment mix, based on historical recipes for their 2022 Autumn/Winter palette. They had in mind 'Constable Green', a deep and rich pastoral green. Named in honour of the master painter whose bucolic oils epitomise the English countryside, the resulting hue literally evolved from pigments extracted from trees, plants and earthy compounds.

She began experimenting with shades of verdigris, weld and carbon black that was derived from calcined London Plane tree. The eventual colour was a deep British racing green with a hint of black added. 

The pigment mix was then electronically colour matched and an interior emulsion paint was made using a mix of modern, synthetic pigments and acrylic binder in Northern England. 

 

Colour swatches of the various shades of Verdigris used for the project.

Verdigris inks created from copper and different kinds of acids, were overlaid to create the final shade.

In process shot of the studio, watercolours in shell pans, colour swatches and inks.

Yellow pigment made from wild weld plants. (Reseda Luteola)

Press shot of Lucy in her studio for the launch of the paint in autumn 2022.

The resulting shade of green seen in situ.