A sunset seen from the surface of Mars, painted with Hematite. Hematite is an iron oxide and takes its name from the Greek word for blood. Fine grained hematite is responsible for Mars\'s red hue.
Sunsets on Mars can appear blue because of the scattering of red light in its dusty atmosphere. The original photo I painted from was taken by Nasa's Spirit Rover from the surface of Mars.

Hematite is a fairly soft rock and breaks down into a very highly pigmented powder. A process called levigation was then used (suspending in water so the heavy particles sink, then pour off the water containing the fine particles) and once completely dry I had a very fine powder.

Hematite powder binds very well with oil, creating a very strong deep red paint immediately reminiscent of the rusty planet. It mixes wonderfully well with browns and oranges helping to produce the full tonal range of Mars.

I source my hematite from Cumbria, UK.