Sennelier Watercolour S3 Aliz Crimson Lake (695)

Alizarin Crimson, the traditional cool counterpart to Cadmium Red, is a clear ruby-red with a maroon masstone and a bluish undertone. It is the artist's principal deep red pigment, is transparent, and has good tinting strength. It creates bright, rosy pinks when mixed with white, a range of purples and violets when mixed with strong blues, can be slow drying when used with oils, and is compatible with all other pigments.

Permanent Alizarin Crimson mixes well with Ultramarine in acrylic and watercolour form. Permanent Rose and QuinacridoneRosese are possible alternatives on a watercolour palette. Alizarin Crimson is a popular glazing colour. Chemical Name: 1,2-dihydroxyantraquinone

Permanence: Alizarin Crimson is considered fugitive or marginally lightfast, and the appropriateness of its use in the modern artist's palette is a subject of debate. There are many concerns regarding its permanence, mainly when mixed with ochre, sienna, and umber or when used thinly. It is the least permanent red commonly used by today’s artists. Modern synthetic preparations of Alizarin Crimson have better permanence and lightfastness than the original natural pigment extracted from the madder plant. Quinacridone pigments have created a trendy hue that closely matches the original shade. Still, many artists object that the transparency and handling characteristics are identical to the original.

Toxicity: Alizarin Crimson can be slightly toxic if it comes into contact with the skin and may cause some allergies. There is no significant acute toxicity.

History: Alizarin comes from the Arabic word al-usara, meaning juice. The base ingredient of this pigment is the Madder plant (Rubia Tinctorum). It was used for dyes and inks among artisans in Ancient Persia, India, and Egypt as early as 1500 BC. In 1804, George Field, an English dye maker, developed Madder Lake by binding madder to alum, a white powder. The German chemist Carl Grabe and Carl Liebermann produced the first synthetic variety of this pigment, commonly known as Alizarin Crimson, in 1868. They used anthracene, which significantly improved the lightfastness. The Colour Index International designation PR83:1 has been used to identify this synthetic laked pigment.

Alternate Names: Alizarin, Alizarin Carmine, Crimson Madder, Madder Lake. Rose Madder is a weak grade of Alizarin Crimson.