Mars Red

Mars Red
synthesized iron oxide, calcined
	The most intensely red of the mars colors. In a high key painting it appears almost brown. Surrounded by low key colors it can be strikingly saturated but never electric. Makes salmon pink tints. Similar to the natural ochres: English Red or Light Red.
Mars colors are synthetically made iron oxides. They are the counterpart to natural ochres. The practice of manufacturing them goes back to the 17th century. The term "mars" refers to the Roman deity, who was the god of iron as well as war. The advantage of the synthetic pigment is that it is uniformly cleaner, brighter, and denser than the ochres. They have incredible tinting strength and opacity.
Pigment Classification:	Synthetic Inorganic	Availability
Opacity:	opaque	R&F Encaustics	regular
Lightfastness:	I	R&F Pigment Sticks	small and large size
Color Index Name:	PR 101	Pigment Stick Drying Rate:	4 - Slow