Reds

This Pigment Post is an overview of the most common red pigments.

Red Pigments Overview

The Red Hue Family

Historic Reds: Red Ochre, Carmine, Rose Madder, Vermilion, Red Lead

MOVING CLOCKWISE (5RP to 10R)

  1. Quinacridone Red (7.5RP x/12)
  2.  Alizarin Crimson (10RP x/6)
  3. Naphthol Red (5R, x/16)
  4. Cadmium Red (Deep = 5R, x/12)(Medium = 5R, x/14) Light = 7.5R x/16)
  5. India Red (5R, x/6)
  6. Venetian Red 
  7. Burnt Sienna

Table of Contents

Quinacridone Red

Pigment Number: PV19
Munsell Notations by Brand:
  • Gamblin: 7.5RP 4/12  (Gamblin also offers a Quinacridone Violet (2.5RP 2/8) and a Quinacridone Magenta (PR 122, 5RP 3/10)
  • Williamsburg: 7.5R 3/12
  • Michael Harding (Quinacridone Rose Organic): 7.5R 3/10

Quinacridone Red as a pigment was first introduced by DuPont in 1958 and Winsor & Newton offered the first version for artists. As a pigment, Quinacridone Red is admired for a number of its properties:

  • transparency
  • high tinting strength
  • excellent lightfastness and permanence

This last quality has helped make quinacridone red a reliable alternative to alizarin crimson.

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: Average
Lightfastness Rating: 1 = Excellent

When was it invented?

 

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The Color of Art Pigment Database: Violet Pigment PV 19

Technical notes on Wikipaedia.

A demonstration of Quinacridone Rose by Michael Harding brand.

Alizarin Crimson

Pigment Number: PR83

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: High
Lightfastness Rating: High
Toxicity: High

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Vermilion and Cadmium Vermilion

Pigment Number: PR106, PR113

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: High
Lightfastness Rating: High
Toxicity: High

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Cadmium Red

Pigment Number PR 108

Cadmium Red (PR 108) is a good example of a single pigment that us to produce different variations of a hue. You’ll see Cadmium Red Light, which leans more towards orange, while Cadmium Red Deep is closer to a shade of maroon.  ***Where is Cadmium Red Medium?

The primary red on most colour wheels.

Why is it valued — high chroma? what is its Munsell notation?

What variations do we see? (light, medium, dark — created by subjecting the pigment to different amounts of time in the furnace)

Opacity Rating: Opaque
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Drying Rates: Average or Moderate
Lightfastness Rating: 1 = Excellent
Toxicity: Low Hazard

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Naphthol Red

Pigment Number: PR112

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: High
Lightfastness Rating: High
Toxicity: High

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Pyrolle Red

Pigment Number: PR254, PR255

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Semi-Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Drying Rates: Very Slow
Lightfastness Rating: 1 = Excellent
Toxicity: Low Hazard

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Mars Red

Pigment Number: PR101

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Opaque
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Drying Rates: Average
Lightfastness Rating: 1 - Excellent
Toxicity: Low Hazard

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

India Red

Pigment Number: xxx

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: High
Lightfastness Rating: High
Toxicity: High

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Venetian Red

Pigment Number: PR101

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High
Drying Rates: High
Lightfastness Rating: High
Toxicity: High

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Transparent Oxide Red

Pigment Number: PR101

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Drying Rates: Very Slow
Lightfastness Rating: 1 = Excellent
Toxicity: Low Hazard

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”

Burnt Sienna

Pigment Number: PR101

Pigment Description 
Tips on Application

Opacity Rating: Transparent
Tinting Strength: High
Oil-to-Pigment Ratios: High in Oil Content
Drying Rates: Very Slow
Lightfastness Rating: 1 = Excellent
Toxicity: Low Hazard

When was it invented?

 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Color of Art Pigment Database: Red Pigment PR108

Pigment Through the Ages: Cadmium Red. “It has very high hiding power and good permanence. A cadmium red was available as a commercial product from 1919. The pigment was used sparingly due to the scarcity of cadmium metal and therefore because it was more expensive.”