Naples Yellow has the most interesting pigment list of the pale yellows. Holbein combines PO36, a Benzimidazolone, with PY53, Nickel-Antimony Titanate, then tints the pair with PW6 titanium dioxide. PY53 is an inorganic mixed-metal oxide, which gives this a mineral, faintly ceramic character rather than the sharp brightness of the organic yellows. Munsell reads 2.0Y at value 8.5 and chroma 6.0: light, quietly warm, softened rather than dulled.

Historically a landscape and portrait colour, and it still works exactly that way. This is the yellow for stone, plaster, dry grass, old paper and the warm side of a cloud, and it moves into convincing skin tones with a little Crimson and white. Because it is already tinted it holds up as a light note laid over darker ground, so architectural illustrators use it for sunlit render and roof tiles. It also tames a phthalo green faster than white alone, turning Deep Green towards something you would actually see in a paddock.

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 paints share the word gouache and behave quite differently. Traditional gouache is bound with gum arabic and stays soluble for life. 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. Holbein describes the range as an opaque acrylic paint, velvety and flat, with excellent adhesion on paper, canvas, cloth, wood and more besides. Both kinds sit together in our gouache range if you want to compare them.

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 Naples Yellow