red · Oil and Watercolor

Alizarin Crimson (permanent)

A cool, transparent red. With blue it gives violet, with white a cool pink.

IndexPR206

Color#96182F

Tinting strength7/10

Opacitytransparent

Lightfastnessgood

Dryingslow

It carries a good deal of weight in a mixture, so add it in small steps.

With white, step by step

pure #951B2F 6:1 #B62C46 3:1 #C73755 2:1 #D13F60 1:1 #E34E76 1:2 #F25F8D 1:3 #FA6A9A 1:6 #FF7DAF pure #F8F7F3

From pure Alizarin Crimson (permanent) on the left to titanium white on the right. Watch how much chroma you lose on the way — that is the cost of lightening with white, and the reason a tint often needs a trace of something warm putting back.

What to mix it with

These are the partners that take Alizarin Crimson (permanent) furthest towards neutral, which makes them the ones you reach for when you need a shadow or a gray rather than a color.

with Mars Black quietest point #1E1C1B with Zinc White quietest point #FBFAF7 with Titanium White quietest point #F8F7F3 with Ivory Black quietest point #23201E with Payne’s Gray quietest point #2E3A45 with Phthalo Green quietest point #3B3745

Every pair

Titanium White Zinc White Lemon Yellow Cadmium Yellow Light Cadmium Yellow Deep Yellow Ochre Raw Sienna Naples Yellow Cadmium Red Light Cadmium Red Deep Quinacridone Rose Indian Red Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt Umber Ultramarine Cobalt Blue Cerulean Blue Phthalo Blue Prussian Blue Phthalo Green Viridian Chromium Oxide Green Dioxazine Purple Ivory Black Mars Black Payne’s Gray

Is it on your palette?

Tick off what you own and every recipe is worked out for that set, from a color you pick out of your own photo.

Set up your palette Mix this color