Deep Violet is a single-pigment colour, PV23, which Holbein lists as a Dioxazine Pigment. Dioxazine is the workhorse violet, and here it is unmixed. Munsell notation of 9.0PB 2.0/5.0 puts it right at the blue end of violet with a value of 2.0, about as dark as the range goes, and a modest chroma of 5.0. Expect something closer to a blue-black plum than to a bright purple. Three stars for lightfastness.

This is a darks colour, and a much more interesting one than black. It gives shadow that still reads as colour, which is exactly what illustrators want under a figure or inside a fold of fabric. Single-pigment violets tint predictably, so with Titanium White it walks all the way up through cool lavenders to a pale grey violet, giving you a whole value scale from one tube. Add Crimson for deep plums and Ultramarine Blue for a near-black that is still a blue. Botanical and still-life painters use it for grape, aubergine and iris.

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

Acrylic gouache splits the difference between two paints artists usually have to choose between, giving the chalk-flat matte surface of gouache with the permanence of an acrylic film. 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. For layered work built on a dark such as Deep Violet, that is the entire argument. It sits happily beside ink, pencil and collage, so a mixed media pad is a good place to start.

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 Deep Violet