Today I’m comparing two colors that are both named Perylene Red, but use different pigments.
- DV Perylene Red (PR149) is a transparent, mid-chroma scarlet (warm red). DS’s version of this pigment is called Perylene Scarlet.
- DS Perylene Red (PR178) is a semi-transparent, mid-chroma red (neither warm nor cool).
Observation Comparison
Hue: PR149 is warmer, a scarlet hue; PR178 is a middle red, perhaps with a slight cool undertone. If I were to name each of these concentrations, here are the (weirdly Boston centric) names I would choose:
- PR149: Sumac, Cape Cod Lighthouse, Nantucket Boat Shorts, Calamine Lotion
- PR178: Harvard Crimson, Red Maple, Faded Red Sox Tee, Pink Granite
Transparency: DV PR149 is gloriously transparent, giving me that liquid-color transparent feel that I also get from colors like Nickel Azo Yellow, Prussian Blue, and Quinacridone Rose. This may not apply to other versions of PR149 (e.g. Daniel Smith’s is described by MacEvoy as opaque).
I would also describe PR178 as ultimately being transparent to semi-transparent when dry, but it has a more opaque look when wet. It feels like it goes down with more body. In brushfeel, it has a certain one-stroke boldness that I quite like.
Drying Shift: Both have a pretty strong drying shift. From my (nonscientific) perception, PR149 dries a bit lighter, while PR178’s shift is mostly in saturation: it goes on as bright red as PR254, but dries to a more muted hue. TBH I have come to like the slightly muted, crimson-y, dry hue better than the bright red wet hue, but it could be a shock if it’s not what you’re expecting – and a disappointment if you really wanted bright red.
Misc: PR149 gets a bit splotchy in masstone; PR178 can have a grainy appearance, especially in a moderately diluted concentration (#3 above).
Stats Comparison
Lightfastness: I have not independently lightfast-tested these colors. The respective manufacturers give both of these colors and Excellent (I) rating.
ArtIsCreation gives PR149 a LF2 rating (across multiple manufacturers). Daniel Smith’s PR149, Perylene Scarlet, is rated LF2 by the manufacturer, and Bruce MacEvoy concurs:
This is an evocative and lovely pigment, very flexible in mixtures, and one of my favorites when I began painting. I no longer use it because I don’t really trust its lightfastness, but it is not a reckless choice.
Bruce MacEvoy, speaking about DS PR149 on handprint.com (based on 2004 lightfastness tests)
It’s unclear if any different performance can be expected from DV’s version of the color. The color is new as of Christmastime 2023, so I’m not aware of any independent lightfastness tests that have been done for it.
PR178 rates Excellent (I) in MacEvoy’s 2004 tests (which also use the DS version). Kim Crick rated the Schmincke and Roman Szmal versions of PR178 Excellent as well, but noted minor fading in tints after 1 year of sun exposure. ArtIsCreation gives PR178 a “I-II” rating, again pointing at minor fading in tints.
Toxicity: Both are nontoxic per ArtIsCreation.
Staining: Both are staining.
Granulation: Both are totally smooth & nongranulating. Again, this may not hold for every brand (e.g. DS PR149 is listed as granulating).
Cost: Both of these are Series 3 colors, so among the more expensive (as with other Perylenes).
Color Mixes
My main use case for both colors is mixing gray-violets with blue or neutralizing green, so I’ll specialize in blue & green mixes.
Indanthrone Blue (PB60)
Both mix very dark colors; the PR149 ones are more brownish while the PR178 ones are more violet / blackberry / black cherry.
Ultramarine (PB29)
These are more similar to each other, both making muted violets. The PR149 violets are more muted and grayish. PR178 seems to mix more darkly.
Phthalo Blue Green Shade (PB15:3)
PR149 is a complement and mixes up an even black/gray. The more reddish mixes are maroon. The PR178, being more violet-undertoned, mixes deep blues/violets but not a straight neutral. The reddish mix is claret.
Phthalo Green Yellow Shade (PG36)
PR149 mixes dark browns (raw sienna hue), while PR178 mixes flat blacks.
Conclusion
I ordinarily am not the biggest Perylene fan because of the drying shift that all Perylene colors can have, including these, but I personally prefer both of these to the more common, and more muted, Perylene Maroon (PR179) or Perylene Violet (PV29). I just really like the palette role that both of these reds play. They are deep and intense, but not garish; bright enough for a pop color, and not muted enough to be considered “earthy,” but moody enough to create atmosphere. Used on their own, they read as red. They mix flexibly, providing a quick and obvious option for any cool colors that need a bit of muting.
These colors can serve similar enough roles on the palette that I don’t think I would put both of them on at the same time. So which to choose? Stats-wise, they are similar, with PR178 having a stronger lightfastness pedigree. If you are a lightfastness hawk, that is probably the safer option, though I personally make my choices more on hue and mix preferences and how they play with the other colors on my palette.
The PR149 that I tested is quite comparable in use case to Perylene Maroon, Naphthamide Maroon, Deep Scarlet, or even Transparent Pyrrol Orange. It neutralizes Phthalo Blue GS perfectly, and the entire range with that combo is really nice. It mixes lovely muted reddish oranges which I have found especially useful when painting birds (e.g. for beaks).
I found PR178 to be more unique. Being a middle red, it is most comparable to Pyrrol Red (PR254), but not nearly as opaque or bright, especially when dry. It absolutely can be used as a primary red but won’t jump off the page with its brightness. It also has some great sweet-spot mixes. It makes muted cloud violets that are neither too vivid and flowery (e.g. those with Quin Rose) nor too gray/brown or unnervingly devilish (e.g. those with Pyrrol Scarlet). It also mutes every green I throw at it easily and neutrally, without making them too brown.
Bottom Line: I currently use PR178 because it solves more palette problems for me. But I also really enjoyed PR149 when I was testing it on my palette. I might be more inclined to go for it if I had a palette built around Phthalo Blue GS.