Bismuth Vanadate Yellow

PY184

Alternate Names

Bismuth Vanadium

Bristol Yellow

Pigment Description

A famous yellow which can come close to some (but not all) cadmium yellows. This hue is typically portrayed as a cool yellow, however in the context of an intense color-mixing project, we found it was a bit warmer than we realized when we compared it with truly acidic lemon yellow cadmiums. It is light, bright, high chroma, and gorgeous overall.

Monona Rossol's work notes that natural sources are likely to contain impurities. The Artist's Guide to Health and Safety contains a section on health problems related to pigments containing Vanadium and Bismuth.

Resources

PY184 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com

Spurgeon, Tad. Living Craft: A Painter's Process. Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, PA: Zoetrope, 2018. Newer version available here: https://www.thomaskitts.com/page/36804/tad-spurgeons-living-craft,

Information about PY184 from Bruce MacEvoy, Handprint Guide to Watercolors,

Alfa Chemistry (n.d. Accessed June 2025). Bismuth Vanadate Yellow (PY184) https://materials.alfachemic.com/major-products/bismuth-vanadate-yellow-py184.html. Alfa Chemistry,

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

Lightfastness tends to be excellent. While it is generally in the Excellent category a couple of mixing whites may bring it to Very Good. According to recent research from Golden, there were two mixing whites where it slid to ASTM II - Very Good, namely Flake White in Linseed and pure Zinc White. In the other mixing whites that were tested it was ASTM I - excellent.

Transparency

Semi-Opaque, Opaque

Depending how a paint is formulated, we have seen Transparent to Opaque paints, however the pigment tends to be Semi-Opaque.

Toxicity

Thought to be in the category of Lower Concern, however may contain carcinogenic impurities

Artiscreation also mentions the possibility for carcinogenic impurities. Monona Rossol's work also notes that natural sources are likely to contain impurities. Her Artist's Guide to Health and Safety contains a section on health problems related to pigments containing Vanadium and Bismuth.

Dry Time

Medium

Approximately 2-7 days

Oil Content

Moderate-Medium High

25-26g/100g

Particle Size

Very Fine

Dry Pigments listing PY184

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.

Top Pigment