Deep Yellow is PY83 on its own, a Disazo Pigment, which makes it one of the cleanest mixers in the yellows. Munsell notation of 8.0YR 8.0/13.5 is what gives it away: the hue sits in the yellow-reds, not the yellows, so the colour reads as a rich golden amber. Value 8.0 keeps it bright and chroma 13.5 keeps it saturated. There is no white in the blend. Two stars for lightfastness.

Deep Yellow is beautiful for anything lit low and warm: late afternoon light, honey, brass, marigolds, curry spices, autumn stubble. Being a single pigment it mixes with real predictability, which is why it is a better base for golds and ochres than a blended yellow. Push it with Vermilion for a deep orange, or take it towards Deep Green for the olives and antique golds that flatter skin tones beside them. Add Titanium White and you get a golden cream that is lovely for pale sunlit surfaces in flat illustration.

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 best understood by what it does on the page: it dries flat, it covers, and it stops moving. Pigment ground into an acrylic emulsion gives you gouache's matte surface with acrylic's staying power. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water in the way traditional gouache does. For a single-pigment gold like Deep Yellow, that means repeatable mixes that survive later layers. The whole range is listed on the Holbein Acrylic Gouache page.

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 Yellow