• Handmade Ercolano Red natural watercolor paint half pan shown on a textured watercolor painting. Made from pure single-pigment natural red ochre, this warm, earthy red offers rich coverage, soft granulation, and excellent transparency, perfect for botanical illustration, historical painting, and fine art. A beautiful eco-friendly gift for watercolor artists and collectors seeking small-batch, archival-quality, all-natural handmade pigments rooted in ancient traditions.
  • Watercolor painting in warm, earthy Ercolano Red, a natural iron oxide pigment historically sourced from deposits near ancient Herculaneum, Italy. Revered in Roman wall paintings and classical art for its muted, brick-red tone. Handcrafted with pure pigment, honey, and gum arabic for archival, professional quality. Lightfast, matte, and ideal for historical palettes, figure studies, and traditional fresco-inspired work.
  • The image is a color palette from the "Morrow Archive" that displays a variety of vibrant and diverse paint colors.
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Ercolano Red

Ercolano Red

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Description

Ercolano Red is our exquisitely hand-crafted watercolor paint made with an extremely concentrated and high quality single source pigment mixed only with pure honey. Every pan is meticulously hand mulled, hand packed, filled, and labeled, ensuring maximum pigment concentration without any binders, fillers, or extenders. Our unique formula uses only one pigment and pure local honey, delivering a maximally concentrated watercolor paint.


Ercolano Red is a strong, warm red earth pigment naturally rich in iron oxides, historically sourced from deposits near ancient Herculaneum. This mineral pigment produces a robust, earthy red with excellent opacity, subtle granulation, and a grounded, natural warmth. Ideal for figure work, fresco studies, landscape painting, and historic palettes, Ercolano Red connects the artist directly to the enduring mineral colors used since antiquity.


Key Features

Single Source Pigment: Each product features one pure pigment, chosen for its exceptional quality.


Handmade Artisanal Process: Crafted in small batches, our watercolors are hand mulled on a glass slab and hand packed to preserve the integrity of the pigment.


Maximum Pigment Load: Designed to provide maximum color saturation, our formula contains no artificial additives or fillers


Recommended Use: Best used with a gum arabic medium to achieve optimal reactivation and fluidity.


Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Inorganic mineral pigment (natural red earth, iron oxide)

Source: Natural clay rich in iron oxides

Origin: Italy (natural)

Lightfastness: Excellent

Opacity: Semi-opaque with soft granulation

Other Names: Herculaneum Red, Natural Red Earth

Color Index Code: PR102


Production Process

Our watercolors are created with passion and precision. The pigment is carefully hand mulled and then mixed with pure local honey, ensuring an exceptionally concentrated and vibrant product. The entire process is carried out by hand—from mixing and mulling to filling and labeling—so you can be confident in the artisanal quality of every pan.


Usage & Care

For professional and consistent results, we recommend using a gum arabic medium. Please store in a secure area away from children and pets, and dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly manner in accordance with all local, state, and national regulations.


If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.