This site is community-supported. We may earn a commission (at no extra cost) when you buy through our links.

Cadmium-Barium Red

PR108:1

Pigment Description

Cadmium-Barium Red, a cadmium red made in a more inexpensive way. Seen sometimes in student brands. The health warnings for cadmium red apply also to PR108:1. See the entry for PR108 Cadmium Red for more information.

Debate has raged around the toxicity of cadmiums, and they are listed as pigments with toxicity, so be extremely cautious with them. Lately we have seen a lot of resources suggesting the modern cadmium pigments are engineered to be far less toxic but we still treat them with great caution. Here's a source, another source and another source. However, we always err on the side of caution with pigments (there is no downside to being super careful) and so we always handle these with respect. Also beware with older cadmiums for many reasons as they may also contain toxic adulterants like lead. We have read not to breathe them (this means not using them for airbrush). However, we are not experts in health and safety so please consult the relevant authorities on their proper handling, toxicity, and disposal. According to the work of Monona Rossol, cadmium is a carcinogen and causes kidney damage. The Artist's Guide to Health and Safety has more information about the hazards of pigments containing Cadmium, Selenium and Barium. They should not be sprayed and the dust should be stringently avoided (remember in regard to avoiding sanding). It should go without saying, but absolutely do not ingest any pigment.

PR108:1 is a cheaper way of making cadmium red which has less strength.

One interesting thing is that cadmium reds and the related cadmium-barium reds as having rather lean to medium oil requirements (of course this depends on the way the paint is formulated), which relate to their use lower levels of an oil painting. If additional driers have not been added, they do tend to dry slowly.

Overall, Cadmium Red is a superb pigment for use by professional painters.

Resources

PR108:1 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com,

Elliott, Virgil. Traditional Oil Painting. Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, 2019. https://amzn.to/4nwIdzq,

Information about PR108 from Bruce MacEvoy, Handprint Guide to Watercolors, General information about this class of pigments from Handprint,

International Cadmium Association (n.d. Accessed June 2025). Cadmium Pigments https://cadmium.ionainteractive.com/applications/pigments/. International Cadmium Association,

Rossol, Monona. The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide. New York, NY : Allworth Press, 2001. The book is rather dated, updated information is available from her website.

Stats

Lightfastness

Excellent

Excellent, but one BWS cited a slight fading in tints (BWS 7). Also, some cadmiums are sensitive to moisture.

Transparency

Opaque

Toxicity

Handle as Toxic. Hazard, use more caution. Seriously avoid the dust/spraying.

Out of caution, treat as though hazardous. Some cadmiums contained toxic pigments as adulterants. While thought to be less bioavailable as a pigment, cadmium is a carcinogen which also causes kidney damage, and it poses serious hazards when breathed. In the Artist's Guide to Health and Safety Monona Rossol writes about the hazards of pigments containing Cadmium as well as Selenium. See also her most recent work available by request here. We are not health and safety experts, nor are we toxicologists, so please consult the MSDS. For alternative perspectives on the seriousness, consult further third party discussion of cadmiums, however we err on the side of caution in terms of handling. As with all pigments, do your own research and handle all paints with proper studio safety protocols.

Dry Time

Very Slow

Overall very slow. Mayer lists this as a very slow drier. When paint brands list that it dries in 5 days, it likely contains driers

Oil Content

Medium

By weight, Artiscreation lists a range of approximately 40-50g/100g of oil, but your pigment may have different requirements. Mayer assigns it to the medium category for oil volume, with a score of 79 for both cadmium red light and cadmium red maroon, while other sources mention that PR108:1 is fairly lean.

Chemical Name

Cadmium Barium Selenosuphite, Cadmium seleno-sulfide co- precipitated with barium sulfate

Dry Pigments listing PR108:1

DISCLAIMER: Please note that we are not experts in health and safety and we are not toxicologists, please consult the proper experts. We are not liable for any issues that may arise from the use of our website or its contents. The information contained in this site is provided without warranty or guarantee of any kind. We do not necessarily endorse any other website that are linked from our site. For any important pigment specs, please reference the manufacturer details. If you discover errors or omissions, please reach out through our contact form. Thank you.

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.