Raw Umber is a genuine native earth. Holbein lists three pigments: PBr6, the Iron-Manganese Oxide dug as a native earth, with PY42 Hydrous Iron Oxide and PBk11 Ferroso-Ferric Oxide. Munsell reads 10.0YR 3.5/2.0, and that chroma of 2.0 is the important number. It is almost neutral, a dark, cool, slightly greenish brown rather than a rich one. Four stars for lightfastness, the highest Holbein publishes.

Raw Umber is the quiet one that ends up in half your mixes. Because its chroma is so low it darkens and settles other colours without dragging a hue in behind it, which is exactly what you want for knocking a bright green back to something that looks like a real tree. On its own it does tree bark, wet soil, stone, weathered timber and the grey-brown of a winter landscape. With Titanium White it gives a full range of putty and stone greys, and it is the sensible base for an underpainting or a tonal block-in.

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

The appeal of acrylic gouache is straightforward: gouache's flat light-absorbing surface, an acrylic's staying power, and water as the only thinner. 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 quiet earth such as Raw Umber suits it especially well for underpainting and tonal block-ins, because you can put colour straight over it once dry. Compare it with the rest of our gouache range.

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 Raw Umber