PR108
Cadmium Red
- Chemistry
- Cadmium selenide/sulphide
- Origin
- Synthetic.
- History
- Introduced c.1910; bright, opaque, and permanent - a 20th-century staple.
- Toxicity
- Cadmium - care required.
Cadmium Red (PR108) is Cadmium selenide/sulphide. In our watercolour range it is semi-opaque, yes granulation, excellent lightfastness.
- Transparency
- Semi-Opaque
- Granulation
- YES
- Staining
- Medium
- Lightfastness
- Excellent
What is PR108?
PR108 (Cadmium Red) is Cadmium selenide/sulphide. Synthetic..
What is the chemistry of PR108?
PR108 is Cadmium selenide/sulphide.
Is PR108 toxic?
Cadmium - care required.
Is PR108 lightfast?
In the Michael Harding range, colours using PR108 are rated excellent for lightfastness.
Is PR108 transparent or opaque?
PR108 is semi-opaque.
Does PR108 granulate?
In watercolour, PR108 is granulating.
Which Michael Harding colours use PR108?
PR108 appears in 6 Michael Harding colours: Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Red Deep, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red , Cadmium Red Deep.
The story of PR108
The benchmark modern red - bright, opaque and permanent, though it requires care because of its cadmium content.
How it is made
Cadmium red is precipitated from cadmium and selenium salts, then calcined to develop the hue. Ground in oil it yields a dense, opaque, brilliant red with superb permanence - one of the great 20th-century colour advances.
In the hands of the masters
Cadmium red came too late for the Old Masters but defined modern colour - from Matisse’s reds to Hockney’s, its opacity and brilliance transformed the 20th-century palette.
Michael Harding colours using PR108
6 colours across both rangesLightfastness: ExcellentOil Colours containing PR108
3 colours
| Colour | Medium | Transparency | Lightfastness | Granulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium Red Light No. 503 | Oil | Opaque | Excellent | — |
| Cadmium Red No. 504 | Oil | Opaque | Excellent | — |
| Cadmium Red Deep No. 505 | Oil | Opaque | Excellent | — |
| Cadmium Red Light W406 | Watercolour | Semi-Opaque | Excellent | YES |
| Cadmium Red W407 | Watercolour | Semi-Opaque | Excellent | YES |
| Cadmium Red Deep W408 | Watercolour | Semi-Opaque | Excellent | YES |
Pigments in the same family
Complementary pigments to mix with PR108
Opposite-family pigments that pair cleanly with PR108 for neutrals, shadows and chromatic greys.
Open the Mixing Studio →