Sap Green is a three-pigment blend, and the red in it is the interesting part. Holbein lists PR9 and PY83, given as Monoazo and Disazo Pigments, with PG7 Polychloro Copper Phthalocyanine. Red is the complement of green, so it is there to bring the saturation down, and the notation shows the result: 6.0GY at value 3.5 with a chroma of only 4.5. A dark, subdued yellow-green, the colour of foliage at a distance rather than a leaf held to the light.

Botanical and landscape painters use Sap Green constantly, because it is the least synthetic-looking green in this part of the range. It handles shaded undergrowth, olive trees, moss, garden shadow and the middle distance of any bushland scene. Since a red is already in the blend, it will not fight you when earths go in: Yellow Ochre or Raw Umber move it naturally rather than turning it odd, and Cream Yellow lifts it into sunlit foliage. Illustrators also use it flat as a restrained background green.

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

The category in brief. Holbein Acrylic Gouache dries to a matte, opaque finish and is water resistant once dry, so unlike traditional gouache it cannot be reactivated with water once it has set. Holbein publishes a pigment list, a chemical name, a series letter and a lightfastness rating for every colour in the range, which is the sort of openness that makes a paint easy to trust. Drying time is much like ordinary watercolour. There is more about the maker on our Holbein 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 Sap Green