Light Blue is an ultramarine tint, and that parentage matters. Holbein lists PB29 with titanium white, so it carries the faint violet character of an ultramarine rather than the cool green lean of a phthalo. A value of 6.5 puts it clearly in the light half of the scale while chroma 9.0 holds on to a good deal of saturation. Hue 3.0PB keeps it on the purple-blue side without tipping into violet.

A light blue with ultramarine behind it feels warmer than a phthalo tint, which makes it good for skies with sun in them, for distant hills, and for any blue that has to sit comfortably beside a warm colour. It is much less inclined to look chilly and synthetic. Illustrators use it for flat areas, cloud shadow and clothing, and it will go over a darker layer thanks to the white already in it. If you want the cooler equivalent, Aqua Blue is the phthalo-based one.

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

For anyone meeting the range for the first time, this is an opaque acrylic paint with the flat matte character of gouache. 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. Pale flat colours like this one show up every fault in a surface, so a smooth heavyweight sheet is worth the money. Our pads and paper section has the options, from cartridge and hot pressed watercolour paper up to board.

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 Light Blue