Oooofff! Just look at the swatch opposite!
In terms of the magic of oil and pigment combined, I think Alizarin Crimson is my favourite, known as Laque de Garance in French.
Sometimes also called Madder Lake, this coolish, transparent red, when used thinly appears to be glowing such is the intensity of the colour.
Derived from the roots of the Madder plant it is stabilized as a lake by fixing the pigment onto an alum base.
Almost vital in portraiture, this is 'the' cool red with no real competition.
This glowing luminescence is aided by it's almost crystal clear transparency, as a paint maker in order to maximize this quality you want no additives and a high pigment load, Francois Schaal has done just this, just a large amount of high quality pigment and some oil, expertly ground together.
Technical Overview
Pigment - PR83
Vehicle - Linseed Oil
Opacity - Transparent
Drying Time - Slow
