Natural pigment suitable for icon painting (egg tempera), oil painting and watercolor painting without additional grinding.
Cinnabar, the native red sulfide of mercury, can appear as a liver-colored mineral or occasionally as dark red crystals with a non-metallic adamantine luster. Cinnabar is the only bright red pigment known to the ancients and was widely distributed in Europe. Due to its popularity and high demand, it became so expensive that the Roman government had to set the price to keep it affordable. Covering a manuscript page with cinnabar or gold cost the same.
Master Pigments cinnabar pigment is prepared from natural cinnabar crystals, sourced from mines in China's Hunan province. The preparation process begins with washing the crystals, followed by gradual grinding. This process is repeated several times to guarantee its characteristic red colour, strong and vivid, without orange or purple shades: the red par excellence.
The fine gradation of cinnabar is essential for any complexion. It is a very warm and strong pigment, requiring only a small amount for flesh tones in blends.
Cinnabar is considered toxic due to its mercury content. Despite its toxicity, it has a history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. In any case it should be handled very carefully, both in dry and diluted form.