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Cadmium Yellow
#FFF600 · click to copy
Warm
HEX
#FFF600
RGB
255, 246, 0
CMYK
0%, 4%, 100%, 0%
Pigment
PY35
Lightfastness
Excellent (I) — among the most lightfast yellows
Moods & Keywords
yellow
bright
vivid
energetic
joyful
sun
Pigment & Material
PY35
Synthetic
Cadmium sulfide. Brilliantly opaque and lightfast, though toxic. Essential to Impressionist painting.
Origin & History
Cadmium yellow was first used as a pigment around 1840. It rapidly became the preferred yellow for artists because of its unmatched opacity, tinting strength, and lightfastness. Van Gogh embraced it passionately — his famous sunflowers depend on cadmium yellow for their radiance. Today, cadmium-free alternatives are gradually replacing it.
Also Known As
Cadmium Lemon
Cadmium Yellow Pale
Spectrum Yellow
Psychology
Pure, optimistic, and energising. Cadmium yellow is the yellow of sunlight at midday — clear, unambiguous, and cheerful. It is the most opaque and saturated of yellows, making it visually dominant. Psychologically associated with happiness, clarity, and intellectual energy.
In Culture
Van Gogh's sunflowers, Monet's haystacks, and Mondrian's primary colour compositions all depend on cadmium yellow. The colour is fundamental to the Bauhaus primary colour theory (Itten, Albers). Today it faces a complex future as environmental regulations push artists toward cadmium-free alternatives.
Natural Sources
No natural source — cadmium sulfide (CdS) is synthesised chemically. Historical bright yellows included orpiment (arsenic trisulfide — toxic), gamboge (plant resin from Cambodia), and Indian Yellow (extracted from the urine of cows fed mango leaves — now banned).
Making It Yourself
Safe cadmium-free alternatives:
Hansa Yellow Medium (PY74) — excellent lightfastness, non-toxic, very similar hue
Bismuth Yellow (PY184) — opaque, non-toxic, good lightfastness
For maximum brightness without cadmium: use Azo Yellow (PY3) for lighter values.
Historical Indian Yellow recipe: feed cows only mango leaves, collect urine, precipitate the yellow pigment (euxanthine) — not recommended (animal welfare concerns, now illegal in India).
Hansa Yellow Medium (PY74) — excellent lightfastness, non-toxic, very similar hue
Bismuth Yellow (PY184) — opaque, non-toxic, good lightfastness
For maximum brightness without cadmium: use Azo Yellow (PY3) for lighter values.
Historical Indian Yellow recipe: feed cows only mango leaves, collect urine, precipitate the yellow pigment (euxanthine) — not recommended (animal welfare concerns, now illegal in India).
Art Movements
Impressionism
Expressionism
Abstract Expressionism
Bauhaus
Famous Works
Sunflowers
Vincent van Gogh, 1888
Haystacks series
Claude Monet, 1890–1891
Yellow-Red-Blue
Wassily Kandinsky, 1925
Available As
Winsor & Newton — Cadmium Yellow (PY35)
Old Holland — Cadmium Yellow Medium
Golden — Cadmium Yellow Medium
Daniel Smith — Hansa Yellow Medium (PY74) — cadmium-free
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Colour data compiled with AI. Spot an error or have more to add? Leave a Note — ekphra reviews and updates.
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