Copper Red

Description

Copper Red is a single-pigment copper oxide red pigment, based on finely milled cuprous oxide in a stable mineral matrix. It produces a deep, warm red with a brick–crimson undertone and a richly saturated masstone. Compared to iron oxide reds, Copper Red is generally slightly cooler and less earthy, with a subtle metallic–mineral character; compared to modern organic reds, it is more muted and natural, better suited to historical and atmospheric color work than to high-chroma, synthetic effects.

In use, Copper Red gives a powerful yet controlled red ideal for brickwork, rooftops, terracotta, rust, autumn foliage, textiles, and warm shadows in landscape and figurative painting. It has strong tinting strength and a semi-opaque character, allowing it to cover well in masstone while still producing luminous, warm glazes in thinner applications. It mixes beautifully with yellows and earths for a wide range of tile, brick, and terracotta hues, with blues and blue-greens for complex, near-black neutrals and shadow colors, and with violets and magentas for deep wine reds and muted maroons that remain clear rather than muddy.

This copper oxide pigment is chemically stable, heat-resistant, and highly resistant to acids and alkalis, which makes it suitable across a wide range of binders and mediums. In artist’s colors it offers a robust, mineral red that can function as a primary earth-adjacent red on the palette, an alternative to iron oxide reds, or a key mixer for historical, architectural, and industrial subjects where a convincing, slightly metallic red is desirable.

History

Copper compounds have been used as colorants since antiquity, from Egyptian and Mediterranean cosmetics and ceramics to Roman architectural finishes and medieval glass. While green and blue copper pigments—such as verdigris and various basic copper salts—are the most historically famous, red tones produced by copper oxides and copper-bearing glasses have long appeared in ceramics, enamels, and glass, especially in reduction-fired “copper red” glazes in East Asian pottery.

With the rise of industrial chemistry, high-purity copper oxides became widely available for use in anti-fouling marine paints, corrosion-resistant primers, and red architectural coatings. These same copper oxide reds were later adapted for artist materials, offering a dense, warm red that bridges the gap between traditional earth reds and more saturated modern organics. Today, Copper Red remains a specialty pigment, appreciated by painters and ceramicists who want a durable, mineral red with a distinct, slightly metallic warmth and a strong historical lineage.

Health and Safety

Precautions:

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume.

Not for cosmetic or food usage.

Do not spray apply.

For further health information contact a poison control center.

Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.

Use particular caution with fibrous, fine, or toxic pigments.

Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments.

Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for dry pigment.

Wash hands immediately after use or handling.

If dust is likely, always wear protective clothing to keep out of eyes, lungs, off skin, and out of any contact as well as keep area ventilated.

This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic (Inorganic) copper oxide red pigment (cuprous oxide)

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Lime / Fresco, Ceramic and cement applications

Lightfastness: Best

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Copper Red, Copper Oxide Red, Cuprous Oxide Red

Color Index Code: Copper oxide–based red pigment