Red shades in oil paint

Examples

One of the colours demonstrated in this video is Carmine (318). In the past, this pigment was made from the female louse cochineal. Nowadays, we use a synthetic alternative, which is optimally lightfast and much easier to make. Carmine is a red at the blue end of the spectrum, therefore we consider this shade to be a bold colour. This colour is widely used in portraits because of its similarity to realistic flesh. Think of veins in eyes or blood under the skin of the lips, for example.

Transparent Red Medium (317) is, as the name suggests, a transparent colour with a yellow undertone. This adds warmth to the shade. Transparent colours are great to use in thin layers on top of each other to create a wonderful depth. They allow you to see through all these coloured layers. Applying a thin layer of transparent red to a white or lighter background visually lightens the colour.

Experiment with different reds to find the perfect shade for your painting. All properties of Rembrandt oil colours can be found on the tubes, our website and colour charts. This video can help you make a more informed selection to try out.