R&F Encaustic Paint Block - Stil de Grain, 40 ml

We have long used Stil de Grain in some of our mixes and are now introducing it independently. It is to Raw Sienna what our Brown Pink is to Burnt Sienna – like a Sienna on steroids. Raw Sienna is a natural earth, so both its top and undertones are muted. Still de Grain, being a synthetic iron oxide, has a clean top tone, and its undertone is golden yellow. The French name is a revival of the long obsolete impermanent colour made from buckhorn berries.

• Pigment Composition: PR101 Transparent Red Oxide
• Paint Lines: Encaustic Pigment Stick
• Opacity: Transparent
• Pigment Stick Drying Rate: Fast
• Classification: Synthetic Inorganic
• Chemical Composition: Still de Grain
• Safety Information: Conforms to ASTM D-4236
• Safety Warnings: This product contains cadmium, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.

Pigment Name: PR101-Red Iron Oxide

Classification: Synthetic Inorganic, Earth

Chemical Composition: Iron oxides (synthetic), iron oxide, silica, alumina, lime, and magnesia or hydrated iron oxide

Properties

Red iron oxide varies in hue and transparency, depending on hydration and slight impurities. Indian Red is a slightly duller, deep brick hue with a bluish undertone. It is very dense and opaque, with excellent tinting strength and covering power. It is dependable when mixed with all other permanent pigments and yields good flesh tints when mixed with Zinc White. It is the synthetic version of PR102, a pigment made from earth reds or natural red iron oxides, and the names applied to PR101 and PR102 often overlap. Synthetic red iron oxides have mostly replaced natural red iron oxides and are brighter, stronger, finer, and more permanent. Indian Red is the highest grade bluish shade. Light Red, English Red, and Venetian Red are yellowish shades. Mars Violet is a dull and subdued bluish or purplish oxide.

Permanence

Red iron oxide is very lightfast with excellent permanence.

Lightfastness:

Transparent Red Oxide PR101 is an extremely lightfast, synthetic pigment. Depending on how the pigment is treated or heated, the pigment will draw a wide range of opaque to transparent colours that usually display little to no granulation in watercolour. It's a versatile pigment for making colours.

Toxicity

Red iron oxide has no significant hazards.

History

Natural red iron oxide comes from the mineral ore hematite, which the ancient Greeks called bloodstone from the word hema, meaning blood. Hematite is one of the oldest pigments, has been used by every major civilization, and was an important mineral for medieval alchemists. It was not widely used in artists' materials until the 17th century and was not produced in large quantities until the 18th century.