Cadmium Orange Pigment

Description

Cadmium Orange is a vivid, opaque orange pigment produced by co-precipitating cadmium sulfide (CdS) with cadmium selenide (CdSe). Its hue ranges from bright tangerine to deep burnt orange depending on the ratio of sulfide to selenide. Known for its incredible intensity, opacity, and permanence, Cadmium Orange has been a cornerstone of the modern artist's palette since the early 20th century.

It offers strong tinting strength, brilliant saturation, and smooth handling qualities. In watercolors, it granulates minimally and provides a strong, clean wash. In oils and acrylics, it delivers high covering power and mixes beautifully into warm reds and muted earth tones.

History

Cadmium pigments were first developed in the mid-19th century but became widely available to artists in the early 20th century. Cadmium Orange quickly gained popularity as a stable alternative to more fugitive organic oranges and the toxic but unstable Chrome Oranges (lead chromates).

It was particularly embraced by the Fauves, Impressionists, and Expressionists for its brilliance and strength. Artists such as Henri Matisse and Edvard Munch exploited its vibrant warmth in bold color compositions. Its permanence and opacity also made it favored in academic painting for underpainting and flesh tones. In the pictured artwork "Bordighera" by Claude Monet, Cadmium Orange and Yellow are used throughout the beautiful foliage to capture the briliant rays of sunlight.

Though expensive, Cadmium Orange became an essential modern pigment, prized both for its purity of color and archival stability.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) with Cadmium Selenide (CdSe)

Suitable Mediums: Watercolor, Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Encaustic, Cold Wax, Casein, Milk, Swedish Flour, Lime / Fresco

Lightfastness: Excellent

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Cadmium Sulfoselenide Orange, Permanent Orange, Cadmium Scarlet (for redder variants)

Color Index Code: PO20

Image: 'Bordighera' by Monet from the Potter Palmer Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago