Chinese Painting Pigments: High-Quality Colors for Artists

Ancient China holds the Chinese red painting pigment in very high regard. For centuries, natural red pigments like cinnabar have been utilized. Cinnabar provides a brilliant shade of red and in terms of Chinese culture, red represents good fortune, happiness, and celebration. Cinnabar is used in painting to emphasize vital components, create a sense of warmth, and add drama. Modern red pigments, whether natural or synthetic, provide numerous hues of red as well. In various Chinese painting styles from the detailed gongbi to the expressive ink wash painting, red pigments are used by artists to express emotions of love, anger, pride, and many others