Cream Yellow is a tint, and the pigment list says so plainly: PY1, which Holbein calls Monoazo Pigment, brought up with PW6 titanium dioxide. That white is why the Munsell value sits at 9.0, near the top of the lightness scale, while the chroma stays a moderate 6.5. Hue 5.0Y is dead centre yellow, with no orange lean and no green in it. The result is a pale buttery yellow rather than a thin one.

Pale yellows made with white behave differently from pale yellows made by thinning, and this is the useful kind. It goes over darker colour instead of vanishing into it, which makes it a genuine highlight rather than a wash. Illustrators use it for lamplight, pastry, sand, blonde hair and the lit side of anything white. Designers reach for it when a background needs warmth without brightness. A touch of Yellow Ochre gives an aged paper tone, and a little of it lifts Olive into something far more sunlit.

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

A note on the material itself. This is a professional water-based paint, and Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte, opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so unlike traditional gouache it will not reactivate with water. Holbein states the colour does not shift in tone from wet to dry either, which is a real relief when you are matching a pale tint across a large area. It works best on a heavyweight sheet that will not cockle under it, and there is plenty to choose from in our pads and paper 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 Cream Yellow