Metallic Green is built on PW20 with PG7 added, which Holbein lists as Titanated Mica and Polychloro Copper Phthalocyanine. That means a phthalo green hue carried on platey mica, so it holds its colour strongly while the mica changes how the surface catches light. Holbein publishes no Munsell notation for it, which is reasonable enough: a value and chroma reading would only describe one viewing angle. Three stars for lightfastness.

Phthalo green is a powerful hue to begin with, so this reads as the most saturated of the metallics. It suits beetle shells, peacock feathers, snake scales, bottle glass, verdigris on bronze fittings and anything that needs to look both organic and hard. Illustrators use it in botanical and fantasy work where a leaf or a wing should look faintly wet. In mixed media it sits well over dried Deep Green or Sepia. As with the rest of the mica group, layer it rather than blending it, and let a dark ground do the heavy lifting.

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 pigment in an acrylic emulsion, formulated for the flat matte look of gouache and the durability of acrylic. Thin it with water, use it neat for flats, dilute it for detail. 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. That is why Metallic Green layers so happily over dried washes, ink and collage without disturbing anything beneath it. It is a natural fit for a mixed media pad.

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 Metallic Green