Cadmium Red Light
34 Cadmium Red Light paints from 16 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Cadmium Red Light isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Cadmium Red Light, 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 34 of them from 16 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 Light 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 34 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Vallejo | Delta E 0.82 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.00 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.07 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.12 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 1.58 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.64 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 2.14 | Very close |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 2.30 | Very close |
| Lukas | Delta E 2.46 | Very close |
| Old Holland | Delta E 2.46 | Very close |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 2.46 | Very close |
| Maimeri | Delta E 2.67 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 3.29 | Very close |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 3.49 | Very close |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 3.66 | Very close |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 3.78 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 120 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- LukasvsOld HollandDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- SchminckevsVallejoDelta E 0.39Near-identical
- LukasvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.50Near-identical
- Michael HardingvsOld HollandDelta E 0.50Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AmsterdamvsGamblinDelta E 6.72Noticeably different
- GamblinvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.26Noticeably different
- AmsterdamvsWilliamsburgDelta E 6.23Noticeably different
- AmsterdamvsOld HollandDelta E 6.23Noticeably different
- AmsterdamvsLukasDelta E 6.23Noticeably different
- Nevskaya PalitravsWilliamsburgDelta E 6.02Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Lukas, Vallejo
Amsterdam, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, 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, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Golden
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Cadmium Red Light. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 7 paints
- 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 · 3 paints
- Vallejo · 1 paint
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 2 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Cadmium Red Light we have measured
All 34 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #e63728 | 51.5, 65.3, 49.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #ff4040 | 57.4, 70.5, 44.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #ff4040 | 57.4, 70.5, 44.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #ff4040 | 57.4, 70.5, 44.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #db4334 | 51.1, 58.2, 42.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #df4533 | 52.1, 58.9, 44.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #de4231 | 51.4, 59.4, 44.7 | PR108 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #ff4632 | 57.9, 68.2, 52.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | SoFlat | acrylic | #db4334 | 51.1, 58.4, 42.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #fc443a | 57.2, 68.2, 47.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #f83e3a | 55.8, 68.9, 46.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #f83e37 | 55.8, 68.8, 47.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #f53c32 | 55.0, 68.4, 49.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #ff443a | 57.8, 69.1, 48.4 | PO20 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #fa3c37 | 55.9, 70.0, 47.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #fc413a | 56.9, 69.2, 47.3 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Classico | oil | #e64132 | 52.8, 62.3, 46.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #e64132 | 52.8, 62.3, 46.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #ff4137 | 57.4, 69.9, 49.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #e14132 | 51.9, 60.7, 44.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Old Holland | Classic Oil Colors | oil | #ff443a | 57.8, 69.1, 48.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #ff443a | 57.8, 69.1, 48.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #ff412d | 57.3, 69.7, 54.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #ff412d | 57.3, 69.7, 54.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #ee4437 | 54.6, 63.9, 45.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #eb322d | 52.0, 68.3, 48.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #eb412d | 53.6, 63.7, 49.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #ff4137 | 57.4, 69.9, 49.6 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #eb412d | 53.6, 63.7, 49.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #ff3c2d | 56.8, 71.2, 54.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Vallejo | Acrylic Artist Color | acrylic | #f04132 | 54.6, 65.3, 48.5 | PO20 | Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #ff443a | 57.8, 69.1, 48.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #ff321e | 55.7, 73.5, 59.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #ff321e | 55.7, 73.5, 59.8 | PR108 | Opaque | I |
