Scarlet is built on PR9 alone, a Monoazo Pigment, and it is one of the most saturated colours in this part of the range. Munsell puts it at 7.0R 4.5/14.0. That chroma of 14.0 is about as high as reds go, the value of 4.5 keeps it strong rather than dark, and 7.0R lands it squarely in the warm reds, a step towards orange from Carmine without becoming orange. Two stars for lightfastness.

This is the red for graphic work that needs to carry across a room: posters, comics, signage roughs, bold colour blocking. Because it is a single pigment it stays honest in mixes, giving hot oranges with Lemon Yellow and a convincing deep earthy red with Burnt Umber instead of the flat brown you get from over-mixing. Illustrators use it for lips, ribbon, fruit, uniforms and anything lacquered. Model makers like that flat matte reds photograph without hot spots. Thinned a little it also handles fine detail cleanly, so it does double duty as a line colour.

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 developed this paint for artists who wanted gouache handling without gouache fragility. It is finely ground pigment in an acrylic emulsion, thinned with water and used straight from the tube for flats or diluted for detail. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water like traditional gouache. With a high-chroma red such as Scarlet that means bold flat colour that survives being painted over. See how it compares with the rest of our gouache range.

Traditional gouache stays soluble for good, so a wet second layer lifts the first and you end up chasing your own colour around the page. Acrylic gouache does not do that. Once a coat of Scarlet is dry it stays put, which means you can glaze, overpaint and correct on top of it as often as the work needs.

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 Scarlet