Pink is one of the fluorescent-pigment colours. Holbein lists it as BR1:1 and BV11:1, described as Fluorescent Pigment, together with PW6 Titanium Dioxide. That titanium white in the mix is why it reads as a bright, light pink rather than a dark one. Munsell notation of 4.0RP 7.0/15.0 is the interesting part: a light value of 7.0 paired with a chroma of 15.0, which is higher than most conventional pigments can reach. It is a loud, sweet, very modern pink.

Reach for it when you want a pink that refuses to sit quietly. It is a favourite for editorial illustration, zines, gig posters, sportswear graphics and any flat-design palette that needs one colour doing the shouting. Because the fluorescent component does the work, keep it near strength rather than burying it in mixes, and let it play against something restrained like Neutral Grey #3 or Jet Black so the contrast reads. Animators use pinks like this for glow cues and hit frames. It also makes an excellent accent over a dried field of Deep Violet.

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

In Holbein's own words this is an opaque acrylic paint, and that is the neatest description of the category. Pigment sits in an acrylic emulsion, water is the only thinner you need, and the dried film behaves like acrylic rather than like gouache. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water in the way traditional gouache does. For a fluorescent such as Pink, the matte surface is what keeps the colour reading evenly. If you already work in acrylic paint, the handling will feel familiar.

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 Pink