One of my University portrait painting professors was OBSESSED with the paint colour ‘Venetian Red’ & I would have to say I totally agree that it’s the best red for painting portraits & even landscapes!!

In this video I explain the qualities that make this red so unique & show you exactly how I use it to mix a range of different flesh tones.

You won’t find this red hard to find as it’s a popular colour sold in most oil, watercolour, & acrylic ranges, as well as in other media like pencil crayons.

Though it’s most commonly known under the colour name ‘Venetian red’ this pigment (made from red iron oxide) has an ancient history & can go by a number of names such as ‘Sinopia’, ‘Indian Red’, ‘Spanish Red’ & more - so watch for the pigment’s code: PR102 or Pigment Red # 102 on the paint tube’s label.

I used:
‘Venetian Red’ from Gamblin’s Artist’s Oil Range