PR112

This pigment crops up everywhere, and it is gorgeous in tints, but not nearly as lightfast as some of the other reds when lightened. Still this makes a tempting ingredient for certain pinks, though we make ourselves refrain from it due to the lightfastness. Also called Naphthol Red AS-D (for clarity it is just one of several Napthols out there- and we’ve seen some confusion in how they are labeled so it may not be the only AS-D among them).

We were shocked to find out in Monona Rossol's writing on pigments that it has a similarity to dyes that cause cancer, may metabolize to a carcinogen, and cause methemoglobenemia as well as other problems-- refer to her research for more. Napthol Red PR112 is often found in cadmium imitation replacements, so PR112's own issues with toxicity are interesting to note, though we are not in a place to compare the two as we are not experts in health and safety. In terms of cadmium comparisons, Cadmium Red would tend to have much better lightfastness, provided it is kept away from moisture.

As mentioned above, Napthol Red PR112 fades more than we would like to see in an artist color. Also, in oil this color showed surprising reactivity with lead white and will shift color in minutes. Check out Golden's Lightfastness Testing in Oils for more.

We used to absolutely adore this color in painting and only wish it were more lightfast. It makes fabulous interesting red tones in skin for certain color ranges in portraiture- a lyrical red-pink with an orange hint. It was one of our most favorite colors that we used to use long ago before learning that many brands tend to be a bit optimistic or vague about their lightfastness ratings. PR112 is commonly found in artist and professional ranges. Sometimes even very respected brands will have it in their convenience blends as it creates such lovely mixes.