Cadmium Red Deep
31 Cadmium Red Deep paints from 17 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Cadmium Red Deep isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Cadmium Red Deep, and no two are quite the same. They pick different pigments, grind them differently and mix them to their own recipe — so two tubes with the same word on the label can look noticeably different once they are on the paper.
We measured all 31 of them from 17 brands and compared them the way a lab would, using a number called Delta E. It is just a measure of how far apart two colours look to the human eye. Under 2 and almost nobody can tell them apart; over 10 and most people would call them different colours.
Useful when your usual Cadmium Red Deep is out of stock and you need the closest substitute, when you are deciding which brand to buy, or when a mix you got right last time will not come out the same again.
How far is each brand from the average?
Every brand's version measured against the average of all 31 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.17 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 0.87 | Near-identical |
| Old Holland | Delta E 0.87 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 0.87 | Near-identical |
| Gamblin | Delta E 1.01 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.08 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.09 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.16 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 1.35 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 1.35 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 1.53 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.65 | Near-identical |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 1.67 | Near-identical |
| Vallejo | Delta E 2.42 | Very close |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 2.56 | Very close |
| Golden | Delta E 3.47 | Very close |
| Maimeri | Delta E 3.99 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 136 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- AmsterdamvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsOld HollandDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSchminckeDelta E 0.23Near-identical
- LukasvsSennelierDelta E 0.39Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- GoldenvsMaimeriDelta E 7.36Noticeably different
- Daler-RowneyvsGoldenDelta E 5.96Noticeably different
- MaimerivsSchminckeDelta E 5.59Noticeably different
- MaimerivsRoyal TalensDelta E 5.48Noticeably different
- MaimerivsSennelierDelta E 5.02Noticeably different
- MaimerivsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 4.81Very close
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Cadmium Red Deep. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 2 paints
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 1 paint
- Holbein · 4 paints
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 2 paints
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 1 paint
- Old Holland · 1 paint
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 4 paints
- Sennelier · 2 paints
- Vallejo · 1 paint
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 4 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Cadmium Red Deep we have measured
All 31 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #b4232d | 39.7, 56.6, 32.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #c3282d | 43.2, 59.6, 36.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Cryla Artists' Acrylic | acrylic | #9f243e | 36.0, 51.0, 15.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #b91f31 | 40.4, 59.2, 30.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #c8232d | 43.8, 62.3, 37.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #bc2d3a | 42.6, 56.5, 27.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #b62634 | 40.5, 56.6, 28.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #b62837 | 40.8, 56.2, 27.3 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #b92832 | 41.3, 56.8, 31.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #bc2630 | 41.7, 58.2, 32.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #b42332 | 39.8, 56.8, 29.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #b92a37 | 41.6, 56.5, 28.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Classico | oil | #a52830 | 37.4, 50.7, 26.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #a52832 | 37.4, 50.8, 25.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #b4232d | 39.7, 56.6, 32.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #b93237 | 42.6, 53.8, 29.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Old Holland | Classic Oil Colors | oil | #bc2630 | 41.7, 58.2, 32.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #bc2630 | 41.7, 58.2, 32.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #c32832 | 43.3, 59.8, 33.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #c82832 | 44.3, 61.2, 35.3 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #bc2d34 | 42.5, 56.3, 31.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #c32332 | 42.8, 61.1, 33.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #b91e28 | 40.2, 59.1, 35.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #b9232d | 40.8, 58.1, 33.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #c32332 | 42.8, 61.1, 33.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Vallejo | Acrylic Artist Color | acrylic | #b42328 | 39.7, 56.4, 34.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #bc2630 | 41.7, 58.2, 32.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #b42332 | 39.8, 56.8, 29.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #c0303a | 43.7, 56.8, 29.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #b41423 | 38.4, 59.7, 36.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #bc2a37 | 42.2, 57.4, 29.3 | PR108 | Opaque | I |
