Crimson is the cool end of red. Holbein puts it at 10.0RP on the Munsell scale, right on the red-purple boundary rather than anywhere near orange, with a chroma of 10.5 that keeps it properly saturated. On paper it reads as a deep berry red with a blue lean, the kind that stays crisp instead of drifting towards brick.

That blue bias is what earns it a spot next to a warmer red. It moves toward genuine violets with Ultramarine Blue instead of the muddy browns a warm red gives you, tints into clean cool pinks with white, and a whisper of it takes the sweetness out of an orange. Illustrators and designers reach for it for florals, fabric and portrait shadow, and it holds a clean edge for colour blocking.

What Makes This Colour Special

Pigment, lightfastness and series as published by Holbein. Holbein does not publish an opacity rating for individual colours; the range as a whole is described by Holbein as opaque.

Acrylic Gouache, Not Traditional Gouache

Holbein Acrylic Gouache is a professional water-based acrylic gouache that dries to a matte, opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water the way traditional gouache does. A dry layer stays put when you work over it. Holbein also states the colour does not shift from wet to dry. All 109 colours are on our Holbein Acrylic Gouache page.

Not traditional designer’s gouache, despite the overlapping names. That is bound with gum arabic and stays re-wettable. This has an acrylic binder and sets permanently.

Why Holbein Acrylic Gouache Is in Serious Studios

• Genuinely opaque. Holbein describes the range simply as an opaque acrylic paint. It covers, including over darker colour, which is the whole point of reaching for gouache rather than watercolour.
• Velvety matte, no sheen. Holbein describes the colour as opaque, intense, smooth and velvety. It dries flat, which is why it photographs and scans without glare.
• Water resistant once dry, so you can layer. Holbein’s own wording, and the reason the range exists. A dry layer will take another one over the top without lifting.
• The colour you mix is the colour you get. Holbein states it does not shift in colour tone from wet to dried colour. Anyone who has watched a perfect grey dry into a different grey will appreciate that.
• Built to use straight from the tube. Holbein says it is specifically designed to be used directly from the tube and will dry to even, uniform paint layers.
• Works on more than paper. Holbein lists paper, canvas, cloth, stone, wood, leather, plexiglass and concrete, with excellent adhesion, and full compatibility with all acrylic mediums.

Getting the Most Out of This Tube

Straight from the tube is the default. This is what Holbein designed it for, and it is where you get those even, flat, uniform layers. Add a little water to loosen it, but go easy: very diluted washes can dry streaky across a large flat area, so build coverage in thin even coats rather than flooding it on.

Watch the palette, not the clock. Holbein gives an open time of roughly 10 to 30 minutes and notes the drying time is much like ordinary watercolour. The practical consequence is that paint left sitting on the palette will go off and will not come back, so squeeze out small amounts as you need them.

It plays well with acrylic mediums. Holbein states the range is compatible with all acrylic mediums, so you can change the body or extend the working time if you want to. Soft synthetic brushes suit it, since they hold enough paint to lay a flat area without dragging.

Questions About Holbein Crimson