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Re: Blockx
Sharon wrote: "A few years ago [Blockx] discontinued their gorgeous Alizarin, probably because of questions of permanence. I could not see any problems with it as the pigment used was on Mayer's approved list, so I bought a box of ten. It is now no longer available."
Sharon,
Alizarin Crimson has been discovered to be less lightfast than was believed in Ralph Mayer's time. Mayer's book was first published in 1940, and he died in 1979. There have been many discoveries made since then, so Mayer's book cannot be regarded as the last word.
My own lightfastness testing shows very convincingly that alizarin crimson (dihydroxyanthraquinone) loses its redness with time, and becomes a purplish brown. There are several alizarin substitutes on the market now that are much more reliable. Archival Oils' Permanent Alizarine, and Gamblin's Alizarin Permanent are the ones I use. Both are made with pigments of significantly better lightfastness than real alizarin crimson.
Virgil Elliott
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