This site is community-supported. We may earn a commission (at no extra cost) when you buy through our links.
Cadmium Yellow Lights Artist Oil Color Comparison

Cadmium Yellow Lights Artist Oil Color Comparison

These Collectible Cadmium Yellow Lights Make Unique Contributions to the Color Spectrum

Featured Paints

What's so special about Cadmium Yellow Light? Do you really need a Cadmium Yellow Light on your Palette? And which one is best for you?

All this and more.

Gorgeous Lightfast Yellows

With high chroma and relatively high opacity, Cadmium Yellow Light is a palette staple

Like the bright clear sun on a May morning, Cadmium Yellow Light describes a notable group of specific colors in the wider group of Cadmium Yellows.

Do these yellows play a role on your palette? Quite possibly, as their opacity and lightfastness make them perennially beloved by painters. For those who are wondering if these colors are all the same, or how a particular brand's Cadmium Yellow Light compares to the others, this is for you.

A panel showing paint swatches of cadmium yellow light in six different brands. The paints are mixed with varying levels of white.

A range of high-quality cadmium yellow light paints

The Cadmium Yellow Colors Featured in this Review

There are a lot of different cadmium yellow lights in the world, and here we're featuring six of them. Brands vary in how they name their colors, so these were grouped by hues (note that one is actually a 'Medium')

A Note on the Land of Yellows -- Out of Gamut!

Many of these paint colors are so bright they exceed the yellows we can portray on screens

Let's start out by saying that these colors are out of gamut! What? Yes that's right, you can't actually photograph most of them accurately on a digital camera. So these mysterious paint colors are more different from each other in real life than they actually might appear on your screen.

Interestingly, in all of the yellows, a half-step on the lightness scale makes an enormous difference to the overall color impression one receives. This is so much so that the Munsell book includes an extra row for value 8.5 as well as rows for values 8 and 9.

Part of the reason for making a big deal of fine differences here is that these colors are also part of the area where our eyes are most sensitive to gradations of wavelengths.

Also these colors are notoriously difficult to photograph in a way that does them justice, so we have included the Munsell data, which can be found beneath the paint descriptions.

A panel of cadmium yellow colors mixed with white to show differences in hue.

Cadmium Yellow Lights differ subtly in hue- moreso than we are able to really portray on a screen. These small differences can matter when doing carefully balanced color work, such as when using them to mix lime greens

These wide-awake colors are lightfast, opaque, and joyously unapologetic

Cadmium Yellow Lights and Lemons are the high sopranos of the palette

If colors sang vocal parts, these colors are in the soprano section when it comes to yellows. The same could be said of a similar group of Cadmium Yellows called Cadmium Yellow Lemons. Clocking in at the upper reaches of the lightness scale, Cadmium Yellow Lights also soar in chroma.

Yellows in general-- speaking of other pigments here like Hansas-- can be a tricky area to find lightfastness and opacity, and so these Cadmium colors really help out in that department. Cadmium colors tend to do well in both comparative opacity and lightfastness. (Some cadmium yellows are more semi-opaque than opaque, it just depends-- but that depends on brands. Anything can be diluted or spread thinly--this is just to say these pigments do not tend to be thought of as transparent). There is some interesting research about cadmium yellows in conservation, however for many painters the choices in the paintbox still don't outshine these beauties.

Two panels show a selection of paint swatches. One shows cadmium yellow lemon paints, one shows cadmium yellow light paints. Both kinds of yellow are very similar, however the lemons are a bit less orangey.

Cadmium Yellow Lemons and Cadmium Yellow Lights. These colors have subtle differences, but both are high, bright, and have great lightfastness. Our featured panel is on the right. The panel to the left shows some glowing Cadmium Yellow Lemons.

The Cadmium Yellow Colors Featured in this Review

Explore each of these colors in depth

Premium Brands - World Class Cadmium Yellow Lights

High tinters, gorgeous yellows

These paints are all terrific-- all have strong tinting strength and they create a gorgeous panoply of lemony strobe-light yellows. Here we mixed the paints out with Williamsburg Titanium White to show how their hues are affected by white. The semi-circle area shows a 50-50 mix with each paint color and white.

A closeup of the panel of paint swatches which show various cadmium yellow light paints tinted with white.

Our featured panel of cadmium yellow lights. These are the only cadmium yellow lights out there, but they are among the best we have tried

Differences in Hue - Which Tube You Choose Might Matter

Navigating an Array of Cadmium Yellows

As noted earlier in regard to the nuances of human vision, there can be a sensitivity to small differences in this region.

Certain Cadmium Yellow Lights are needed to reach specific areas of the gamut. Does this matter to everyone? Nope. If you paint Old Master styled muted-chroma paintings, or even realistic landscapes, or portraiture, these nuances between the cadmium yellow lights are probably not the most important thing. However, if you appreciate this area of the gamut, it might be helpful to know that each cadmium yellow light is different from the each other. We're excited by this color range, and as color appreciators, we prize the small differences from brand to brand.

Swatches of Cadmium Yellow Light and lemon artist oil paint show the differences in color across many brands

Our featured panel is on the far left. The panels to the right of it show vareities of Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Yellow Lemon.

Featured Cadmium Yellow Colors

These tend to have a touch more warmth than the Cadmium Lemons

Cadmium Yellow Groupings

What's in a Name?

Let's explore the way brands tend to name their paints (unfortunately they don't consult each other too much when sitting down to name the colors they make). Cadmium Yellow Lights tend to form a distinct hue grouping within the cadmium yellows. Cadmium Yellow Lights and are cooler in hue and higher in lightness than the ever so slightly oranger Cadmium Yellow Medium.

If one lines up the cadmium yellows in the paintbox, there is a bit of a jump between the hues of paints called Cadmium Yellow Medium and the ones labeled Cadmium Yellow Light. However there are a few surprises like Vasari Cadmium Yellow Light, which is named "light" and is really more similar to what most brands would call a Cadmium Yellow Medium.

For beginners, we suggest just two or three of the various Cadmium Yellows in order to learn color mixing with a Cadmium Yellow Light.

However, for more advanced painters, it may be advantageous to have a wide array of cadmium yellows including more than one Cadmium Yellow Light if you like their working properties.

Sometimes a cadmium yellow at full strength hits just the right note. For context, in this hue cluster the word cooler means leaning toward green, however that always feels misleading to write as all of these hues would be identified as yellow.

Three panels show various kinds of cadmium yellow. There is an orangy-yellow panel, a primary or mid-yellow panel which is the Cadmium Yellow Lights, and a more lemony yellow panel, which represents the Cadmium Yellow Lemons

Our featured panel is second from the bottom of this photo. In this context the Cadmium Yellow Lemons in the foreground are bit "yellower" or yellow-greener than some (but not all) Cadmium Yellow Lights, shown in the middle.

Closeup on Cadmium Yellow Lights and Lemons

What’s the Difference Between a Lemon and a Light?

And no, we don’t mean a broken car, nor the oblong fruit, nor a lightbulb. Cadmium Yellow Light often have some overlap in hue with paints named Cadmium Yellow Lemon. Names can vary among brands, however we found a lot of cadmium yellow lights have a particular behavior.

The paints we'd classify as true Cadmium Yellow Lights tend to impart more yellow-hued saturation in tints, where the lemons had different behavior. It’s a bit subjective, and we’d like to put more precise language and testing around this in the future.

Sometimes Cadmium Yellow Lemons imparted a sort of overall lightening effect as though one had also added a bit of white to a mix. Perhaps it is a greater reflectivity overall— that is reflecting more of the spectrum at many wavelengths, and hence an overall white light effect. This is a subtle distinction, and probably most useful to those studying fine gradations of electric green.

We grouped these paints due to this different behavior in mixing. Paint brands are here and there with their naming, so now you know what we mean when we call something "more of a cadmium yellow lemon" or "more like a light."

Two panels show cadmium yellow light paints and cadmium yellow lemon paints

Closeup on Cadmium Yellow Lemon and Light

Premium Cadmium Yellow Lights

More Views of Cadmium Yellow Lights vs. Lemon Groupings

The hues shown here as Cadmium Yellow Lights bring a lot of saturation to mixtures rather than displaying the lightening effect that is characteristic of many cadmium yellow lemons. The hue pitch of the Vasari Cadmium Yellow Lemon is one of the naming exceptions, and so is Rublev Cadmium Yellow Medium-- both are colors we've grouped with the Cadmium Yellow Lights. As noted earlier, Vasari's naming convention puts their lemon where most brands would put a light, and scales their Vasari Cadmium Yellow Light closer to where some other brands place a cadmium yellow medium. If you're confused at this point don't worry, though let us make it even more confusing. Rublev Cadmium Yellow Medium is keyed lighter than most brands, placing it with the Cadmium Yellow Lights. Where Vasari is keyed lighter, Rublev is keyed one darker. To help sort out the differences, we've included descriptions below, and we've placed similar hues together on this panel.

Two panels which show cadmium yellow lemon and light paints. The cadmium yellow lemon panel is a little less orangy

The top panel shows paints we grouped as behaving more like Cadmium Yellow Light, while the bottom panel shows Cadmium Yellow Lemon-esque Paints

Featured Cadmium Yellow Colors

Bright, Clear Yellows

Connoisseurs of Cadmium Yellow

Great tinting strength

We freely admit we are totally over-the-top when it comes to prizing of the small differences among cadmium yellows. For many painters, this color is so high pitched it may be totally out of their gamut, or perhaps some painters pick one paint and stick with it. Whatever suits you best. This is an area where human vision is especially attuned to differences. We like to have at least three of these Cadmium Yellow Lights on hand at all times, as we enjoy hitting various high notes amongst the chromatic yellows.

Here is another set of comparison panels between the Cadmium Yellow Lights and Cadmium Yellow Lemons (both PY35). The featured panel is the top panel here. One thing to note is the relative tinting strength, shown by the semi-circles.

Yellow swatches of artist oil paint show the hue and tinting strength of Cadmium Yellow Lights and Cadmium Yellow Lemon- there are differences between brands

The featured Cadmium Yellow Light ensemble-Cadmium Yellow Lights with a bit more tinting strength than the lemons on the whole

The featured paints varied a lot in consistency. With the cadmium colors we tend to focus most on hue, since a particular color might have a unique quality, but for many people the consistency is a major factor.

Speaking in generalities, Old Holland tends to be a stiff impasto, while Williamsburg is a softer impasto. The Maimeri Puro is interesting- it has a different consistency that needs to be integrated sometimes with a palette knife when it first comes out of the tube. The M Graham has a fairly light consistency but is not exactly like the Rublev nor the Vasari, both of which are more flowing. The M Graham is made with Walnut Oil.

Cadmium Yellow Lights with more impasto consistency

Old Holland tends to be stiff, while Williamsburg has a soft impasto

Cadmium Yellow Lights with more flowing consistency

Vasari and Rublev tend to be more fluid-like and are extremely workable

Munsell Notes

These Cadmium Yellow Lights hover around 7.5Y. However, when dried, we took readings and most of them were around 3.5-4Y, so less of a lemon yellow. When the LAB readings were converted to Munsell, the warmest color on the panel was M Graham, (almost tied with Vasari). Some of the highest chroma colors (by the numbers) are the M Graham and the Williamsburg, but they are different hues.

A panel of cadmium yellow lights showing the slight differences in color between them

An exploration between brands of Cadmium Yellow Light and Cadmium Yellow Lemon. Yellow swatches of artist paint display the differences between cadmium yellow among artist paint brands

Featured Cadmium Yellow Lights

These Cadmium Yellow Lights are Glorious, High-Chroma Yellows

Find more Cadmium Yellow Lights Across Brands

While the hue may vary a bit all of these are listed as having PY35

Cadmium Red Deep and Cadmium Red Medium Color Comparison and Review
Cadmium Red Deep and Cadmium Red Medium Color Comparison and Review
Deep and Brimming with High Chroma, Let's Compare Best-in-Class Cadmium Reds
Cadmium Red Mediums vs. Cadmium Red Lights- Premium Oil Paints
Cadmium Red Mediums vs. Cadmium Red Lights- Premium Oil Paints
World-Rocking Reds Worthy of a Matisse or Kandinsky
Warmest Cadmium Red Lights vs Cadmium Red Oranges Oil Paint
Warmest Cadmium Red Lights vs Cadmium Red Oranges Oil Paint
Where Cadmium Red Light Begins and Ends: a Spotlight on Some of the Warmest Cadmium Reds and the Reddest Cadmium Oranges
Cadmium Oranges Oil Paint Color Comparison and Reviews
Cadmium Oranges Oil Paint Color Comparison and Reviews
The Must-Have Color on Your Palette You Never Knew You Were Missing
Cadmium Yellow Deep Oil Paint Color Comparisons
Cadmium Yellow Deep Oil Paint Color Comparisons
Somewhere Between Tangerine and Sunshine, These Cadmium Yellow Deeps Light Up Any Palette
Cadmium Yellow Lights Artist Oil Color Comparison
Cadmium Yellow Lights Artist Oil Color Comparison
These Collectible Cadmium Yellow Lights Make Unique Contributions to the Color Spectrum
Cadmium Greens, a Comparison
Cadmium Greens, a Comparison
Cadmium Greens span several hues- which one is best for your next painting?
Phthalo Green: Beryl and Aquamarine Oil Paint Color Comparisons
Phthalo Green: Beryl and Aquamarine Oil Paint Color Comparisons
Rich with Mystery and Mystique, The Best Phthalo Blue Greens Do Yield Some Surprises
Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) Oil Paint Reviews
Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) Oil Paint Reviews
High Chroma Turquoise Here We Come! These Blazing Blues are Some of the World's Most Powerful Paints
Ultramarine Blue Oil Paint Comparison
Ultramarine Blue Oil Paint Comparison
From A Word Meaning Over the Sea, these Deep Blue Beauties are an Old-World Painter's Dream Come True
Phthalo Green Blue Shade PG7
Phthalo Green Blue Shade PG7
The essence of green, this is an elemental gem of the palette
Williamsburg Oil Paint Review
Williamsburg Oil Paint Review
With a Stunning Rainbow of Single-Pigment Paints, this Paintmaker Has Led the Way in Oil Paint Testing
Gamblin Artist Oils Review
Gamblin Artist Oils Review
Thick Impasto Paint and a White Paint for Every Occasion. Is Gamblin the Right Paint for You?
Limited Availability Pigments
Limited Availability Pigments
Discontinued Pigments Can Lead to Discontinued Paints: The Recently Lost Pigments and How the Paintlist Can Help
Mix Your Own YInMn Blue Hue, Part 1
Mix Your Own YInMn Blue Hue, Part 1
Mix an approximation of this elusive paint with our three simple recipes. These mixes will get you close with paints you may already have in your paintbox
Paint List Holiday Guide - 2023 - Oil Paints
Paint List Holiday Guide - 2023 - Oil Paints
It's the Holiday Season so we're taking a break from the studio to look at the best of what we see out there this year.
Unlocking the Palette with the Pigment List
Unlocking the Palette with the Pigment List
A painter's secret superpower
How to Use Paint List
How to Use Paint List
Find and Save Paints- Elevate Your Art
Pigment Spotlight: Pyrrole Red PR254
Pigment Spotlight: Pyrrole Red PR254
From Pastel Pinks to Fast Cars: A High-Performing Lightfast Red

Sign up for our newsletter

We value your privacy and won't share your email address.
Paint List Logo
This is an independent paint review site for artists that is powered by affiliate links. That means that we may make commissions on purchases that you make at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer: This website does not make any warranties or guarantees about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. We will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website.