Which Vermillion to use?

[sin-d]

I am taking a workshop and Chinese Red Vermillion is on the list of suggested oil paints to bring. I have been searching for it and can only find that Holbein carries anything close. They have Chinese Red, Chinese Vermillion and Vermillion. Does anyone know if one of these is the Chinese Red Vermillion that is on my list? I have never used this and so I am unfamiliar with its color.
One more question....what is the difference between Rose Madder and Rose Madder Genuine? (I have never used this color either) And which is the better one to use?
Any help would be great.

[That fat kid]

True vermillion red has mercury in it, which means it's highly toxic, and I doubt that it's still made anymore. Your best bet is to go to an art supply store, and actually look at the paints and compare opacity, lightfast ratings, tinting strength, hue, and saturation between all those. They'll all probably act different. Just pick one and ask the instructor how 'wrong' it is and why.

And true rose madder is a dye made from the madder plant and therefore a fugitive (it fades) color. Rose madder is probably a synthetic subsititue compared to the genuine, theoritically. You'll have to read the ingredients. Unless they're Holbein, in which case the contents will be in japanese, and you'll need to dig up a translator.

[Elwell]

TFK is right on both counts. Contact the instructor if you can and ask if they have any brand preferences. Since both of those pigments are uncommon today, most paints labeled vermilion or rose madder will be substitute hues, and there's no standardization from brand to brand in terms of what pigments will be used. Holbein's vermilions are true mercuric sulfide, but the pigment is incredibly expensive, highly toxic, and of debatable permanence. You're probably better off with a good cadmium red light, which is very close in hue and handling. Rose madder is a medium warm magenta, very transparent, and prone to fading. Alizarin crimson was originally developed as a more permanent substitute, but ironically has turned out to be even less lightfast. Most paint sold as "rose madder" is a type of quinacridone (a family of synthetic red pigments).