Orange is PO13 on its own, which Holbein lists as a Pyrazolone Pigment. Munsell notation of 10.0R 5.5/14.0 is more interesting than it looks: 10.0R is the exact boundary between the reds and the yellow-reds, so this is an orange with its feet still in red territory. Chroma of 14.0 makes it one of the most saturated colours here, and a value of 5.5 keeps it mid-toned. Two stars for lightfastness.

A single-pigment orange at this chroma is a genuinely useful thing. It handles safety-vest orange, marigolds, rust in strong light, citrus, and the warm end of sunset without needing help. Because it is one pigment it mixes cleanly: Lemon Yellow takes it to a yellower orange step by step, Titanium White gives a soft peach, and a little Prussian Blue drops it into rich earthy browns that are far more interesting than a tube brown. Designers use it as the high-energy accent in flat colour schemes and colour blocking.

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

Two things define acrylic gouache: an acrylic emulsion binder and enough pigment to cover flatly in a single intention. It thins with water, needs no medium, and works on paper, board and canvas. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so it does not reactivate with water the way traditional gouache does. With a saturated accent like Orange, that lets you place bold flat shapes and then work around them freely. Familiar territory if you already use acrylic paint.

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 Orange