Orange Yellow is the loudest colour in this part of the range, and the published numbers say so. Holbein gives it a Munsell chroma of 14.0, a high figure, at hue 4.0YR, which sits squarely in the yellow-red band rather than at true yellow. The two pigments behind it, PY83 listed as Disazo Pigment and PO13 as Pyrazolone Pigment, are both high-strength organics, and there is no white in the mix to hold that saturation back.

This is a colour for work that has to carry across a room. Illustrators reach for it for marigolds, citrus peel, autumn foliage, signage and any flat graphic block that wants heat without going fully red. It sits hard against Ultramarine Deep or Peacock Blue for complementary punch, and a little dropped into Yellow Ochre pulls that earth forward into something sunnier. Designers and animators like it for large even areas of colour. Keep it away from your greens unless acid is what you were after, because the orange bias shifts them fast.

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 worth a quick explanation if the category is new to you. 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. That single difference is why so many illustrators and designers moved across to it: a flat area of colour stays exactly as you left it when the next layer goes over the top. Holbein also designed it to be used straight from the tube, drying to even, uniform layers. All 109 colours sit on our Holbein Acrylic Gouache page.

Worth separating this from traditional gouache. Both give flat matte colour, but gum arabic gouache stays soluble for life, so a second layer lifts the first. The acrylic binder here dries permanently, which is why a bright like this can sit under further work without bleeding back up into it.

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 Yellow