Stil de grain yellow
A yellow pigment made from buckthorn berries, once known as 'pink' or 'sap green'
Stil de grain yellow is a yellow pigment made from the berries of buckthorn plants, especially Rhamnus saxatilis. Its colour comes from rhamnetin, and it was once called 'pink' before the word became linked to light red. The pigment has gone by many names, including royal yellow and sap green, and was widely used in manuscript painting and decorative art, especially in France, England, and China.
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- Made from buckthorn berries, especially Rhamnus saxatilis
- Once called 'pink' before the word meant light red
- Known as sap green when used as a dye
- Fades quickly in light and is not permanent
- Used in medieval manuscripts and decorative painting
What colour is Stil de grain yellow?
Stil de grain yellow is a plant-based yellow pigment with a warm, golden tone. It is made from the berries of certain buckthorn species and can range from a bright, clear yellow to a deeper brownish yellow, depending on how the berries are processed. The colour is known for its softness and was often used in manuscript painting and decorative work. It is less stable in strong light, so it is not suited for all painting techniques.
Where does Stil de grain yellow come from?
The pigment gets its name from the French phrase 'stil de grain', referring to the berry's style or stalk. Historically, the berries were gathered from regions such as Avignon and Persia, and later from Italy. The pigment was once called 'pink' or 'pinke', a term later replaced as 'pink' became associated with light red. Names like Dutch pink, English pink, and French pink were used to distinguish it from other colours and sources.
How is Stil de grain yellow made?
To make stil de grain yellow, ripe or unripe buckthorn berries are boiled in water to extract the dye. The colour can be shifted by adding substances called mordants, such as alum or soda, which help fix the dye and change its shade. The pigment can be used as a direct dye or made into a lake pigment by combining it with alum. The resulting colour is not very lightfast, meaning it fades quickly in sunlight.
Where Stil de grain yellow is used
This yellow was popular in illuminated manuscripts, where it was sold as a thick liquid in dried animal bladders. It was also used in decorative painting and textiles. In the past, it was mixed with blue pigments to create green shades. Today, the original pigment is rare in art supplies, and modern versions called 'sap green' are usually made from synthetic materials.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
Yellow was the emperor's colour. Under the Ming and Qing dynasties bright yellow robes and yellow glazed roof tiles, as on the Forbidden City, were reserved for him.
Royalty and powerAweSource: Color in Chinese cultureFrom late 2018, protesters against fuel taxes and living costs wore the yellow high-visibility vests that every driver must carry. They became known as the gilets jaunes.
Politics and protestAngerSource: Yellow vests protestsThe leader of the Tour de France wears the yellow jersey. It was introduced in 1919 and matches the yellow paper of L'Auto, the newspaper that ran the race.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: General classification in the Tour de FranceA crime novel or thriller is called a giallo, a yellow. The name comes from the yellow covers of a series of mysteries that Mondadori began publishing in 1929.
Danger and warningFearSource: GialloThe yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudShades and relatives of Stil de grain yellow
Stil de grain yellow has been known by many names, including sap green, Dutch pink, and yellow madder. The colour can vary depending on the berry's ripeness and the mordant used. Similar pigments were made from American oak bark and called by some of the same names. Modern 'sap green' paints often use synthetic dyes to imitate the traditional hue.
Colours that go with Stil de grain yellow
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FADA5E. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Stil de grain yellow
What colour is stil de grain yellow?
It is a warm, golden yellow, sometimes leaning towards brownish yellow, depending on how the buckthorn berries are processed.
Where does the name stil de grain yellow come from?
The name comes from the French term for the berry's stalk, and refers to the pigment made from buckthorn berries.
How is stil de grain yellow made?
It is made by boiling ripe or unripe buckthorn berries in water, sometimes with alum or soda to change the shade, and then using the extract as a dye or pigment.
What was stil de grain yellow used for?
It was used in manuscript painting, decorative art, and textiles, and sometimes mixed with blue pigments to make green.
Is stil de grain yellow still used today?
The original pigment is rare and costly now, and most modern 'sap green' paints are made from synthetic dyes instead.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Stil de grain yellow", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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