O is for Ochre

Contribute an edit

Submissions are moderated and will not appear immediately.

Text

Allowed HTML: <em>, <strong>, <i>, <a href>, <p>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>, <sup>, <sub>. Links must be internal relative URLs.
Anything else, eg suggestion of category change, scientific name etc.

Photo

A photo of ochre-colored sandy hills and eroded cliffs beneath a blue sky
Ochre is a natural earth pigment made from clay and minerals containing iron. It is usually yellow, orange, brown, or red. Ochre is found as soft earth or rock and can be ground into a powder. Ochre is also used as a name for a yellowish brown color.

People have used ochre for thousands of years to make paint. Early humans used it in cave paintings. Artists can mix ochre powder with water, oil, or other liquids to make paint. The word comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "pale yellow."