Pale Lavender is a three-pigment tint: PB29, listed as the Complex of Silica, Alumina, Soda and Sulphur, with PV23 Dioxazine and PW6 Titanium Dioxide. Munsell notation of 7.0PB 8.0/5.0 tells the story. A value of 8.0 is very light and a chroma of 5.0 is low, so this is a whisper of blue-violet, close to a tinted white with a cool cast. Holbein rates it two stars for lightfastness.

Very pale tints are the ones that make a picture look considered, and this one earns its keep as a cool near-white. It gives shadow on snow and on white buildings, the cool plane of a porcelain cup, mist, overcast light and the underside of clouds. Designers use pale lavenders as backgrounds that read as white on screen but keep a paper-warm layout from going flat. It is also an excellent lightest light in a violet or blue picture, saving you from reaching for pure white and blowing your value range in one step.

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 is the flat, opaque, water-thinnable member of the acrylic family, made for even coverage rather than brush texture. 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 tints such as Pale Lavender show off that matte surface best, since there is no shine to interrupt a very light field. Soft, well-loaded brushes help, and there are plenty in our range of watercolour brushes.

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 Pale Lavender