Horizon Blue is the light member of the turquoise group. Holbein uses the same three pigments as Turquoise Blue, both phthalocyanines with titanium white, but the published notation is quite different: the same hue at 5.0B, value up at 7.5, chroma 7.0. So it is a light, clear blue with green in it, saturated enough to hold its own but nowhere near as dark as its deeper relative. Bright without being sharp.

Pale blue-greens are a staple of flat illustration and design work, and they are annoyingly hard to mix twice. Straight from the tube this one does swimming pools, shallow tropical water, glass, spring skies and clean graphic backgrounds. The titanium white in it means it will sit over a darker layer, so it doubles as a highlight on deep teal and turquoise. Pair it with Turquoise Blue if you want a light and a dark of one hue, which is a genuinely efficient way to model water.

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

If the range is new to you, the short explanation is this. 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. It is made to be used straight from the tube in flat even layers, and Holbein states the colour does not shift between wet and dry, which is exactly what you want when you are matching a light tint across a big area. There is more on the maker and their other ranges on our Holbein 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 Horizon Blue