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Handmade watercolor made of naturally occurring mineral (toxic in powdered form).
Historic pigment from Renaissance era, real Cinnabar pigment made of volcanic mineral.
The color is vibrant warm red. Cinnabar was used by all great artists of the 15-18 century and was called Vermilion. Many new colors were invented in the early 1800s and Cinnabar was replaced by its synthetic non-toxic equivalents and other bright reds. It's rarely used nowadays and not manufactured for artists in any form. The only way to try it is by making your own batch from dry pigment.
Cinnabar is considered to be toxic because it contains mercury. It's most toxic in powdered form because it can be inhaled. It's not hazardous in watercolor form because it's not a powder, but it still needs to be handled with care. To enjoy Cinnabar and to stay safe, you need to follow standard precautions: do not ingest paint and do not paint on your skin. Do not lick or chew on your brushes or other tools (pencils, pens) used with watercolor paints. Do not eat or smoke while painting to avoid ingesting paint. Do not use dishes and cups used for painting for eating and drinking. Wash your hands after using paints. Keep paints out of reach of children and pets.
Cinnabar is best suited for portrait/flesh painting. It's quite powerful in very small amounts. Watercolor Cinnabar is easy to activate, it's quite saturated.
Color characteristics:
Lightfastness: Excellent
Granulation: No
Staining: No
Transparency: Yes
Pigment: No Index
