Ultramarine Red B, dark pink - PV15

very lightfast

Handling and Warnings:
Keep away from acids.

• Chemical description: Sodium aluminosilicate violet, Pigment Violet 15, C.I. 77007
• Lightfastness - thinned: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• Lightfastness - medium: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• Lightfastness - concentrated: 8 (1 is bad, 8 is best)
• Suitability: Acrylics, Oil, Tempera, Watercolor / Gouache

Ultramarine Red does not occur in nature. It is a synthetic inorganic pigment created by physically altering Ultramarine Blue (the synthetic version of lapis lazuli).

Chemists take synthetic Ultramarine Blue and roast it at high temperatures with ammonium chloride or hydrochloric acid gas. This process alters the sulfur molecules trapped inside the aluminosilicate crystal lattice. As the chemistry changes, the color shifts from deep blue, to violet (Ultramarine Violet/PV15), and finally to a rosy pink (Ultramarine Red/PR259).

Painter's Note: This is a customer favorite and not a pigment I've found elsewhere (Roger). It vastly changes when used in oil-based paints or water-based paints. It imparts beautiful glazes-mix it with other translucent pigments to mix luminous colors. In water-based paints, it dries matte, earthy, but not chalky. 

Tinting Strength (Very Low): If you mix it with Titanium White or a strong color like Phthalo Green, it will be immediately overpowered and lost.

Granulation: In watercolor, it is heavily granulating. The heavy pigment particles settle into the hollows of the paper, creating beautiful, mottled, textured washes.