Madder red (alizarine) - the newest handmade watercolour paint in my store here. I like making those long thin lines, it gives me an idea of how a paint flows. It ties with red ochre as my favourite red pigment ❤️

Alizarine has been extracted from madder plants for centuries. Plants are still used to make dye, or a lake pigment for use in watercolour and other paints (although not commercially - individual crafters/makers mostly use madder plants now.) In the 19th century alizarine became the first natural dye to be synthetically produced. Most madder reds now come from this more easily made synthetic pigment.

However you make it, alizarine isn't fully light-fast. So for dyeing and commercial applications it's mostly been replaced by more light-fast, bright quinacridone pigments. I prefer the colour of madder red though. It's not *that* fugitive as long as you don't leave things in the sun, and you really can't beat it for mixing warm pinks, peaches, and oranges.