Ice Green is the palest colour in this group and the simplest: PG7 Polychloro Copper Phthalocyanine tinted with PW6 titanium dioxide, nothing else. Two pigments means it stays clean in a mix. Munsell reads 5.0BG, the same blue-green hue as Viridian, but at value 7.5 instead of 3.5, and that is the whole difference. A chroma of 6.0 keeps it gentle. It carries three of Holbein's four stars, helped by having no fugitive yellow in the formula.

This is a cool pale that does not read as grey, which is harder to find than it sounds. Ice, glacier shadow, shallow tropical water, mint, mid-century and hospital interiors, sea glass, the underside of a wave. Designers use it flat as a calm background that still has a colour identity of its own. Because it is a tint it lifts cleanly out of darker colour, so it works as a highlight over Viridian or Deep Green, and a drop of Crimson greys it into a soft dusty aqua worth having.

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 short explanation of the range. 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. Pale colours are where you notice that most, since a gum-based pale will lift and streak the moment you work a brush across it. Holbein lists adhesion on paper, canvas, cloth, stone, wood, leather, plexiglass and concrete, plus full compatibility with acrylic mediums. There is more about the brand on our Holbein page.

One thing traditional gouache will not do is sit still. A pale gum-based gouache lifts and streaks the moment you work a brush across it, which is maddening over a large flat area. This dries water resistant, so you can paint back over it, mask it or layer on top without disturbing what is already underneath.

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 Ice Green