Four pigments go into this one, which is unusual, and each earns its place. PG7 supplies the green, PY1 a clean yellow, PY42 hydrous iron oxide the earthy softening, and PW6 titanium white makes it a tint. The published figures follow: value 7.5 is well up the light scale and chroma 5.0 is deliberately gentle, with a hue of 2.0G just past the yellow-green boundary. A soft, slightly dusty mint with none of the sweetness of a synthetic pastel.

Ready-made soft tints save more time than people expect once you work flat. Matching a mint like this by eye across a large area, then matching it again a week later, is genuinely fiddly, and a tube removes the problem. The iron oxide in the blend keeps it looking natural rather than confected, which suits it to interiors, botanical work, packaging and pattern, and to the cool lit side of foliage. The white already in it means it sits over darker colour rather than disappearing into it, so it works as a highlight as much as a background.

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

Worth knowing if the range is new to you. Acrylic gouache gives you the flat, matte, densely coloured surface gouache is loved for, but with an acrylic binder doing the holding. 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. That makes it comfortable alongside pencil, ink and collage, and a mixed media pad takes it well without cockling. Holbein also lists the range as compatible with acrylic mediums.

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 Mint Green