Deep Magenta pairs PV19, a Quinacridone Pigment, with PV23 Dioxazine. Both are serious violets, and together they take the colour a long way down. Munsell reads 6.0RP 2.5/5.5: a value of 2.5 is very dark and a chroma of 5.5 is restrained, so despite the name this reads as a deep mulberry or oxblood plum rather than anything bright. Holbein gives it two stars for lightfastness.

This is a shadow and depth colour for anyone painting reds, pinks and purples who does not want to reach for black. Dropped into a rose it deepens without dulling; used alone it gives velvet, wine, dark fabric, aubergine skin and the inside of a flower. Illustrators like it as the darkest note in a warm palette, and it makes a far more interesting outline colour than black on pink or orange work. Titanium White pulls surprisingly clean cool mauves out of it, and Burnt Sienna takes it into deep russet browns for hair and timber.

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

This is a Japanese-made paint built for illustrators, designers and animators who need colour to lie down flat and stay put. Pigment in acrylic emulsion, water thinnable, workable on paper, board, card and canvas. 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. A dark like Deep Magenta gains most, because you can glaze and overpaint on top without lifting it. Pick a heavier surface from our pads and paper.

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 Magenta