The name suggests something warm and meadowy, but the published notation says otherwise. Holbein gives Grass Green a Munsell hue of 9.0G, right at the top of the green band and almost into blue-green, with a value of 4.5 and a chroma of 9.5. So it is a deep, cool, faintly emerald green rather than a yellow one. There is titanium white in the mix alongside PY3 and PG7, which gives it body without lifting it pale.

A cool green does work that a yellow-green cannot. It sits convincingly in shadow under a warmer green, it reads as dense summer foliage rather than new growth, and it is the better choice for anything with a bit of sea or bottle glass about it. Designers and illustrators like it for flat areas, because the white content helps it lie down evenly over a mid-tone ground. Add Leaf Green if you want it to swing yellow, or Ultramarine Deep to take it further towards teal and cold shadow.

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 the flat, dense, matte colour of gouache carried in an acrylic binder. 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. The trade is straightforward: you give up the ability to lift and rework a dry layer, and in exchange you get layers that hold their edge and their colour when you paint over them. If you would rather have the re-wettable sort, it is in our gouache 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 Grass Green