A bright orange-red vermilion pigment formulated synthetically to simulate the characteristics of the mineral pigment Vermilion and eliminate the use of mercury. This rich color has high opacity, good lightfastness and a smooth texture.

True Vermilion is a brilliant red pigment with a rich history of being used throughout history and around the world from Ancient Rome’s decorative arts and the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages to lacquerware in China since the Song dynasty. It was even used as a rouge-like cosmetic in ancient West Asia. The pigment derives from the powdered mineral cinnabar, the most common ore for sourcing elemental mercury. The mineral is generally found in its bright scarlet-to-brick color and occurs in crystals that resemble quartz.

Materials: pigment mixed with watercolor binding medium made from distilled water, glycerin, honey, and gum arabic (sap from the acacia tree)

Made by: Case for Making

Made in: San Francisco, CA, USA

Specifications: half pan size: 1.9 cm x 1.6 cm x 0.9 cm

Conforms to ASTM D-4236

PLEASE NOTE: Case for Making watercolors come in the standard half-pan size, which is small! (See dimensions above.) CfM only sells this size because they have found that their paints are so pigment-rich that a little really does go a long way! 

Further Reading: Case for Making is a small workshop whose mission is to inspire collective creativity. They make all of their watercolors and letterpress watercolor papers in-house, and they also sell a selection of curated creative supplies.

We invite you to shop our entire selection of Case for Making products .