IONIC Demon Red

A brick red at the end of the rust band

Demon Red sits in the chart right after the rust tones, that is in the part where earth and brown already predominate. It is not a signal red but a deep brick shade with an earthy undertone, the color of burnt earth, old brick and red lead. The name refers to demon skin, which is what painters of fantasy figures use it for, but its range of use is much wider.

Where you will see it most often

On vehicles it serves as the anti-corrosion coat that shows through under flaked topcoat, and as a base under deposits of rust. On buildings and ruins it is the color of bare brickwork and of fired roof tiles. On figures it covers the leather parts of gear, where you do not want a plain brown, and devilish flesh tones, on which it forms the midtone between a dark brown and an orange highlight.

Working with the color

Thanks to their oxide pigments, earthy reds have excellent coverage, so it will also serve well as a base layer under richer colors. Thinned into a glaze it tints weathered surfaces without hiding the texture of a casting. The binder is acrylic, it is thinned with water or with a product from the same family, and it stays matte once cured. Stir the bottle before work; heavy oxides settle to the bottom faster than other pigments.

Mixing and additions

With black it gives dark blood for the recesses, and with ocher, by contrast, burnt earth on tracks. Combined with rust pigments it forms the transition from fresh damage to an old deposit. On small buildings it also suits fired ceramics and roofing, where a plain orange would look like a toy.