Cadmium Red Medium
27 Cadmium Red Medium paints from 14 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Cadmium Red Medium isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Cadmium Red Medium, 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 27 of them from 14 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 Medium 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 27 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Schmincke | Delta E 0.77 | Near-identical |
| Maimeri | Delta E 0.96 | Near-identical |
| Matisse | Delta E 1.39 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 1.57 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.63 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.89 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 2.06 | Very close |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 2.23 | Very close |
| Vallejo | Delta E 2.37 | Very close |
| Old Holland | Delta E 2.62 | Very close |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 2.62 | Very close |
| Atelier | Delta E 2.88 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 2.93 | Very close |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 3.14 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 91 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- GamblinvsOld HollandDelta E 0.68Near-identical
- GamblinvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.68Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSennelierDelta E 0.69Near-identical
- GoldenvsMatisseDelta E 0.78Near-identical
- Old HollandvsRoyal TalensDelta E 0.79Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AteliervsGamblinDelta E 5.82Noticeably different
- GamblinvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 5.49Noticeably different
- AteliervsWilliamsburgDelta E 5.47Noticeably different
- AteliervsOld HollandDelta E 5.47Noticeably different
- GamblinvsVallejoDelta E 5.29Noticeably different
- WilliamsburgvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 5.22Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Gamblin, Golden, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, 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, Atelier, Gamblin, Golden, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Gamblin, Golden, M. Graham, Maimeri, Matisse, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Golden
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Cadmium Red Medium. Each links to that brand's full range.
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Cadmium Red Medium we have measured
All 27 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #d22d28 | 46.6, 62.4, 43.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | Free Flow | acrylic | #cd392b | 47.1, 57.1, 42.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #cc2126 | 44.3, 63.7, 42.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #e72f34 | 51.0, 68.2, 43.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #e72f34 | 51.0, 68.2, 43.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #e72f34 | 51.0, 68.2, 43.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #b73738 | 42.9, 51.2, 29.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #b63637 | 42.5, 51.5, 29.4 | PR108 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #e6322d | 51.0, 66.9, 46.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #e13034 | 50.0, 66.2, 41.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Classico | oil | #d73730 | 48.8, 61.0, 42.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #d73730 | 48.8, 61.0, 42.1 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Flow Formula | acrylic | #d72d32 | 47.7, 64.1, 39.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Fluid | acrylic | #d72d32 | 47.7, 64.1, 39.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Structure Formula | acrylic | #d72d32 | 47.7, 64.1, 39.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Old Holland | Classic Oil Colors | oil | #e43434 | 50.9, 65.9, 43.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #e43434 | 50.9, 65.9, 43.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #e1322d | 50.1, 65.4, 45.7 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #e6322d | 51.0, 66.9, 46.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #da3434 | 49.0, 63.0, 40.4 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #d22d28 | 46.6, 62.4, 43.9 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #e13232 | 50.1, 65.6, 43.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #e12d2d | 49.6, 66.8, 45.2 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Vallejo | Acrylic Artist Color | acrylic | #cd322d | 46.2, 59.5, 40.5 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #e43434 | 50.9, 65.9, 43.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #d71e1e | 46.3, 67.1, 49.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #d71e1e | 46.3, 67.1, 49.0 | PR108 | Opaque | I |
