A J Ludlow Cadmium Yellow Professional Watercolour

Cadmium Yellow is just one of the bright and exquisite Professional Watercolours made in the UK by A J Ludlow. Being based on a single pigment with excellent permanence and light fastness, ensures that this watercolour’s properties are exceptional.

Although the pigment cadmium sulphide ( C.I. pigment yellow 37) has been synonymous with the colour name “cadmium yellow” since its introduction as an artists’ pigment in the early nineteenth century, the early forms darkened on exposure to air and light. A more stable yellow pigment was found when cadmium sulphide was co-precipitated with zinc sulphide ( C.I. pigment yellow 35).

Cadmium Yellow Professional Watercolour is prepared using the mixed crystal inorganic pigment, cadmium zinc sulphide. The pigment is a solid solution of zinc sulphide in cadmium sulphide and its hue will depend on the ratio of the two sulphides; the lower the amount of zinc sulphide the redder the cadmium yellow pigment will be. This pigment’s crystal contains relatively less zinc sulphide than the cadmium zinc sulphide pigment used in A J Ludlow’s Cadmium Lemon Yellow Professional watercolour. It can be used on the artist’s palette as a brilliant mid-shade yellow, which can be mixed with blues to give a selection of bright greens or with reds to create warm oranges.

The pigment has excellent heat stability, a high degree of light fastness and chemical resistance, making it ideal for use in A J Ludlow’s Professional watercolour range.

Although containing cadmium, this metal’s bioavailabilty in the pigment used in our watercolour is very low and so the pigment is considered safe for use in our Professional watercolour range.

Pigment Details: Cadmium Zinc Sulphide / Colour Index Pigment Yellow 35 ( C.I. PY35)