← Colour Lab
Zinc White
#F0EEE4 · click to copy
Neutral
HEX
#F0EEE4
RGB
240, 238, 228
CMYK
0%, 1%, 5%, 6%
Pigment
PW4
Lightfastness
Excellent (I)
Moods & Keywords
white
cool
soft
transparent
delicate
impressionist
grace
mixing
transparent
cool
white
mixing
transparent
cool
white
Pigment & Material
PW4
Synthetic
Zinc oxide (ZnO). More transparent than titanium white — useful for glazing and mixing without completely obliterating other colours.
Origin & History
Zinc white was developed in France in the 1830s as a non-toxic alternative to lead white. The Impressionists adopted it for its cool transparency — it created different optical effects from the warmer lead white. In watercolour, "Chinese white" (zinc oxide) became the standard opaque white from the 19th century onward.
Also Known As
Chinese White
Permanent White
Blanc de Zinc
Snow White
Psychology
Cool, transparent, and clinical. Zinc white lacks the warmth of lead white but offers a different optical quality — its slight transparency and cool cast create different effects when mixing tints. Associated with clarity, precision, and the particular qualities of watercolour and graphic design.
In Culture
Zinc oxide has extensive non-artistic applications — it is used in sunscreen, anti-dandruff shampoo, diaper rash cream, and rubber vulcanisation. The same compound that creates cool, transparent white in paintings also blocks UV in sunscreen. In contemporary painting, zinc white has been identified as a potential cause of delamination in oil paintings — an ongoing concern in conservation.
Natural Sources
Zinc oxide (ZnO) — produced by oxidising zinc metal. The mineral zincite (ZnO) occurs naturally but is rarely used. Zinc white was first used as an artist pigment in the 1830s, introduced as a non-toxic alternative to lead white.
Making It Yourself
Zinc white is produced industrially — not available for home production.
As a palette colour: it is more transparent and cooler than titanium white.
Ideal for: glazing, mixing tints (creates more transparent, cooler tints than titanium), and for skin tones in oil (more flexible film than titanium).
Caution: zinc white in oil creates a brittle paint film — not recommended for thick impasto or as a sole white in oil painting.
As a palette colour: it is more transparent and cooler than titanium white.
Ideal for: glazing, mixing tints (creates more transparent, cooler tints than titanium), and for skin tones in oil (more flexible film than titanium).
Caution: zinc white in oil creates a brittle paint film — not recommended for thick impasto or as a sole white in oil painting.
Art Movements
Impressionism
Post-Impressionism
Watercolour tradition (as "Chinese White")
Famous Works
Monet
tints in Impressionist paintings
Watercolour tradition broadly
"Chinese White" is zinc white in watercolour
Sargent
watercolour works using Chinese white for corrections
Available As
Winsor & Newton — Zinc White (PW4)
Daniel Smith — Zinc White (PW4)
Winsor & Newton — Chinese White (PW4) — watercolour version
M. Graham — Zinc White
✦
Colour data compiled with AI. Spot an error or have more to add? Leave a Note — ekphra reviews and updates.
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