Coral Red brings together PR9 and PO13, which Holbein lists as a Monoazo Pigment and a Pyrazolone Pigment, with PW6 Titanium Dioxide. The white makes it a tint, and the numbers agree: Munsell 5.0R 6.5/10.5 gives a light value of 6.5 with a chroma of 10.5 still hanging on. So it is a soft warm salmon-coral that keeps a surprising amount of punch for something this pale. Two stars for lightfastness.

Coral is one of those colours you will keep reaching for once it is on the palette. It handles blossom, terracotta pots, brickwork in strong sun, swimwear, and the warm mid-lights on faces and hands. Because there is orange in the blend it sits comfortably next to earths, so it belongs in landscape and architectural illustration as much as in figure work. Add Titanium White for a pale salmon, or push it with Deep Yellow for a warmer peach-orange. A touch of Neutral Grey #3 gives the dusty coral that reads as sun-faded paint.

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

The short version: acrylic gouache is an opaque, matte, water-thinnable acrylic. Pigment is ground into an acrylic emulsion, which gives you gouache's flat light-absorbing surface with a film that stays where you put it. 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. Tints such as Coral Red are especially good in it, because a flat matte surface suits gentle colours. The complete colour chart lives on the Holbein Acrylic Gouache page.

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 Coral Red