Vermilion is a two-pigment blend of PR9 and PO13, listed by Holbein as a Pyrazolone Pigment and a Monoazo Pigment, with no white involved. Munsell notation of 8.0R 4.5/13.0 puts it at the warm limit of red, one step from the yellow-reds, with a strong chroma of 13.0 and a mid-dark value of 4.5. It is the hot, glowing orange-red the name has always promised, without the historic pigment behind it. Two stars for lightfastness.

Vermilion is the red for heat. Autumn foliage, lacquerware, chillies, rooftiles, festival banners, warning signage: anything that has to feel warm rather than merely red. Because there is no white in the blend the colour stays clean when you mix, so it takes Lemon Yellow to a proper bright orange, and Raw Umber to a convincing earthy brick. It flattens beautifully for colour blocking, and holds an edge when thinned for detail. Model makers reach for it where a warm matte red has to photograph evenly.

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

Everything that makes acrylic paint durable is in here, minus the shine. Pigment sits in an acrylic emulsion, water does the thinning, and the dried film is tough and flexible. 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 a hot colour such as Vermilion the matte surface is a practical advantage, since warm reds photograph badly under gloss. If you also paint in acrylic paint, this will slot straight into your practice.

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 Vermilion