The quiet one, and quantifiably so. Holbein publishes a Munsell chroma of 1.5 for Misty Green, which is close to neutral, against a value of 7.5 that keeps it light. Hue 5.0GY places what little colour there is in the yellow-green range. The pigment list explains the rest: PG17, listed as Anhydrous Chromium Sesquioxide, with PY42 hydrous iron oxide and titanium white. It carries four stars, the highest lightfastness rating Holbein publishes.

Near-neutral greens are the ones you run out of. This is lichen, weathered timber, sage, old paintwork, uniform cloth and the colour of distant hills where everything drops towards grey. It also does something no bright green can do, which is make the brights beside it look brighter. A single stroke of Leaf Green against a field of this reads far more vividly than the same green against another saturated colour. Landscape painters, model makers and anyone working muted interior palettes get through it. Four stars means you can use it freely on work meant to last.

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 sits between two things you may already own. 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. What it does not have is the sheen or the glazing habit of ordinary acrylic paint, which is why the two are worth keeping separate rather than treated as substitutes. Same water, the same brushes and the same clean-up, but quite a different surface at the end of it.

Not designer's gouache, despite the shared word. Designer's gouache is bound with gum arabic and stays soluble, so a later layer lifts the one beneath and dried colour can be revived on the palette weeks later. This has an acrylic binder and sets permanently, which is a different way of working rather than a better one.

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 Misty Green