Cadmium Red Pigment

Description

Cadmium Red is a bold, opaque pigment produced by carefully controlling the ratio of cadmium sulfide (CdS) and cadmium selenide (CdSe). It yields shades ranging from bright scarlet to deep crimson, depending on the composition. Known for its unmatched brilliance, opacity, and permanence, Cadmium Red is one of the most important and enduring modern reds in the artist's palette.

It offers strong tinting strength, smooth handling, and excellent covering power. In watercolor, it behaves as an opaque, granulating red with intense masstone. In oils and acrylics, it provides vibrant color fields and mixes beautifully into warm oranges, subdued violets, and natural flesh tones.

History

Cadmium pigments were introduced in the 19th century and quickly became prized for their stability and intensity. While Cadmium Yellow appeared first, Cadmium Red followed shortly thereafter, offering artists a permanent alternative to the fugitive organic reds (such as cochineal lakes, carmine, and madder lakes) and the unstable Vermilion substitutes.

By the early 20th century, Cadmium Red had become a staple for avant-garde painters, including the Fauves and Expressionists. Henri Matisse and other modernists used it extensively for its vivid, pure intensity. Its reliability and brilliance made it equally indispensable in academic palettes and industrial applications. In the pictured atwork "Scream by Edvard Munch, Cadmium Red, Orange, and Yellow are used throughout the sky to create the intense, overwhelming atmosphere of the piece.

Even today, Cadmium Red remains one of the most widely respected pigments in fine art for its archival stability and unsurpassed depth of color.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic Inorganic

Chemical Composition: Cadmium Sulfoselenide

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

Lightfastness: Excellent

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Cadmium Scarlet (lighter), Cadmium Crimson (darker)

Color Index Code: PR108

Pictured Artwork: "Scream by Edvard Munch from the National Gallery of Norway