A studio staple, and for good reason. Holbein’s Ultramarine Blue is single-pigment PB29, listed under the rather wonderful chemical name Complex of Silica, Alumina, Soda and Sulphur. Its published Munsell chroma of 16.0 makes it one of the most saturated colours in the range, and a hue of 6.0PB puts it on the purple side of blue, which is the faint violet warmth that separates a true ultramarine from a colder phthalo.

This is the blue most people mix with. Convincing greens with Yellow Ochre, natural greys with an earth red, and darks with Burnt Umber that beat black for depth. Straight from the tube it holds up for skies, night scenes and flat-design work, which is why animators and graphic illustrators get through so much of it, and it tints so strongly that an enormous range of pale blues comes out of it with white.

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

Since the name confuses people: Holbein Acrylic Gouache gives you the opaque, matte, flat-colour character of gouache with an acrylic binder. Because of that binder it is water resistant once dry and does not reactivate with water like traditional gouache. Soft synthetic watercolour brushes suit it well, carrying enough paint to lay a flat area without dragging.

Not the same as ordinary acrylic paint. Same binder family, very different finish: acrylic gouache is built to dry flat and matte with high opacity.

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 Ultramarine Blue