Holbein Gouache is a high-quality, professional-grade paint that is known for its vibrant colors, smooth consistency, and excellent lightfastness.
In this review, we will take a closer look at the features and performance of Holbein Gouache to help you determine if it is the right choice for your artistic needs.
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Is Holbein a Japanese brand?
Holbein is a Japanese brand of art supplies that was founded in 1900 in Japan.
And even today the paints are made in Japan undergoing strictquality and safety checks.
The company is named after Hans Holbein the Younger, a German Renaissance of 16th century artist who is known for his portraits and religious paintings.
Holbein as a brand is known for producing high-quality, professional-grade art supplies, including paints (acrylic paints and inks, gouache, acrylic gouache and watercolors) and colored pencils, brushes, mediums, that are used by artists and designers around the world.
The company has a reputation for innovation and quality, and its products are highly regarded in the art community.
Holbein artist’s gouache vs Holbein acrylic gouache Paint
The main difference between Holbein Artist’s Gouache and Holbein Acrylic Gouache is the binder used in each paint.
Both paints are water based paints, yet:
Holbein Artist’s Gouache is a traditional gouache, made with a gum arabic binder, which gives it a smooth, matte, creamy texture and allows it to be rewetted and reworked even after it has dried.
Holbein Acrylic Gouache, on the other hand, is a mix between gouache and acrylic and is made with an acrylic polymer binder, which gives it a more fluid consistency and allows it to dry to a waterproof, matte-satin finish.
Both paints are known for their incredible opacity.
Holbein Artist’s Gouache is highly opaque and can be used to create solid, flat areas of color.
At the same time, acrylic gouache is easier to layer and can be used straight from the tube without any need to thin them with water.
Overall, the choice between Holbein Artist’s Gouache and Holbein Acrylic Gouache will depend on the artist’s preferences and the specific needs of the project.
Holbein acrylic gouache will stick to paper, canvas, cloth, stone, wood, leather, plexiglass and concrete and is more durable than gouache.
Holbein Artist’s Gouache is a more traditional medium that is ideal for those who prefer the texture and rewettable properties of a gum arabic binder, while Holbein Acrylic Gouache is a more modern medium that is ideal for those who want a waterproof, matte finish and the ability to layer and blend colors.
My Honest Holbein Gouache Review
I’ve been hearing about Holbein a lot, and many artists recommend it across Facebook communities and Reddit.
While I was traveling through Japan (the best month long trip!) I purchased gouache set and acrylic gouache set to compare.
The brand itself calls the gouache paint “high-quality opaque watercolor paint”.
My package didn’t come with any additional materials, but some boxes will include color charts.
Best for: beginners and professional artists, illustrators, designers and gouache lovers.
If you are not a reader, I also have a Youtube review:
Holbein Gouache Paints Composition
Holbein gouache paints are traditional gouache, made by combining pigments and gum arabic, Ox gall.
Seasonal color sets (Irodori) also have Dextrin as a part of their binding agent along with gum arabic.
Main preservatives used in Holbein gouache are Benzisothiazoline and Thiabendazole at very low, not dangerous amounts. The composition is confirmed to be non-toxic.
Some colors also contain Polyethylene glycol or Glycerin as moisturizing additive.
Paints do not contain any whitening agents which could be a cheap way to make a more opaque look. Holbein doesn’t cut corners with quality.
Colors In Holbein Set
All Holbein colors are highly pigmented and made of finest pigments that guarantee stable quality and coverage.
Some colors are single-pigmented which is the highest quality standard in paint production.
The sets are available with 5 basic colors, 12, 18, 24 and 84 colors and sometimes also have seasonal palettes.
Total color chart range of Holbein gouache paints is 89 colors, including 7 metallic colors.
My set has 12 colors, all primary colors in warm and cool temperature and a few additional colors.
Carmine
Flame red
Permanent green light
Permanent green deep
Lemon yellow
Permanent yellow deep
Turquoise blue
Ultramarine deep
Violet
Burnt sienna
Permanent white
Ivory black
Tubes
These are 15 ml (0.5 oz) tubes, very sturdy metal tubes with tight lids.
Tubes filled to the right amount, so once you open them, there is no paint overflowing or stuck in the lid, which is great – no unnecessary waste of paint.
Each tube has information on color name, pigment used, non-toxic label, opacity and lightfastness signs.
Opacity
The paint is highly opaque and can be used on a variety of surfaces, including paper, board, and canvas.
Holbein gouache will not bleed or crack and layers stay opaque once dry.
Opacity labels for Holbein paints:
Carmine – semi-opaque
Flame red – semi-opaque
Permanent green light – semi-opaque
Permanent green deep – opaque
Lemon yellow – semi-transparent
Permanent yellow deep – semi-transparent
Turquoise blue – semi-opaque
Ultramarine deep – opaque
Violet – semi-opaque
Burnt sienna – opaque
Permanent white – semi-opaque
Ivory black – opaque
Most colors in the set are semi-opaque or opaque which means great coverage and layering in your painting.
I did my test as well with the paint and this is the real swatch.
All colors are beautifully semi- or fully opaque except a few but I can see they are perfect for layering.
Finish and Coverage
Holbein gouache paint dry matte, to a rich soft finish and they do not change colors between wet and dry state.
They are also very fast-drying! Less than5 min and a thin layer will be dry on paper and the paint starts to harden on the palette.
But just a touch of water revives it, of course.
Holbein doesn’t dry lighter or darker, it stays true to the color.
Holbein gouache doesn’t milk out.
If diluted with water Holbein gouache dries darker and more opaque, without water streaks:
Holbein Gouache Lightfastness
You can see lightfastness label – 2 stars **
Gouache made by Holbein is quite resistant to fading unlike watercolour, yet not very resistant to scratching and needs a fixative.
Holbein adopted certain labeling for permanency of colors:
**** Absolutely permanent colors
*** permanent colors
** moderately durable
* fugitive
no star – not permanent
According to this classification, each tube has 0 to 4 stars.
The colors in my set have the following lightfastness:
Carmine – ** moderately durable
Flame red – ** moderately durable
Permanent green light – ** moderately durable
Permanent green deep – ** moderately durable
Lemon yellow – ** moderately durable
Permanent yellow deep – ** moderately durable
Turquoise blue – ** moderately durable
Ultramarine deep *** permanent color
Violet – not permanent
Burnt sienna **** Absolutely permanent color
Permanent white **** Absolutely permanent color
Ivory black **** Absolutely permanent color
Most colors are not very permanent so if you want to display your gouache art, use a fixative or matte/satib varnish to protect your painting.
Mixing color and blending
Holbein gouache is great and easy to mix and it mixes without losing color brilliance or opacity.
I was mixing up some colors for the painting and swatching each new color – no muddy colors, stable coverage. Immense possibilities for new colors:
Blending and correcting the blend on paper is also easy and the results are very satisfying 🙂
Performance
I absolutely loved painting with Holbein gouache.
I previously used (and still like) Miya jelly gouache and was impressed with how they are smooth and easy-to-use, but Holbein seems to be even one step up!
You can mix new colors, blend, rewet, correct mistakes – everything is very easy to do!
In fact, you can even mix this gouache with Holbein transparent watercolors, acrylic paint or ink!
I followed this free tutorial and painting a pretty wildfield landscape:
For best results use synthetic brushes, a large mixing palette and water with Holbein Artist gouache.
Safety
Holbein Artist’s gouache is not intended for kids.
Although it has passed the test and conforms to non-toxic policies ASTM D-4236, it is still not safe to put on skin, swallow or inhale.
It can be used for spraying though but only with a protective mask.
Violet contains formaldehyde in the amount safe to paint with but not safe to swallow or apply to skin.
None of the paints in the 12 colors set contains cadmium (but still not enough to be considered toxic in any form for humans)
Turquoise Blue contains cobalt (but still not enough to be considered toxic in any form for humans).
but other colors in bigger sets may contain other elements – read the safety sheet.
Carmine, flame red, both greens, yellows, ultramarine, black, white and burnt sienna colors in the 12-color set do not contain any hazardous ingredients.
Yes, Holbein gouache is a good choice for artists and designers who are looking for high-quality paint with excellent opacity, pigment, professional quality, and matte smooth finish. The paint is highly opaque, which makes it ideal for creating solid, flat areas of color, and it is made with high-quality pigments that produce vibrant colors. The paint has a smooth, creamy texture that is easy to work with, and the finish is matte and velvety. Overall, Holbein Artist gouache is a top-quality paint that is highly regarded by professionals in the art community. Other popular gouache brands are Winsor Newton designers gouache and Turner gouache.
Is Holbein gouache water based?
Yes, Holbein gouache is a water-based paint. It is made with a gum arabic binder, which is a natural water-soluble gum that is commonly used in watercolor and gouache paints. This makes Holbein gouache easy to mix and dilute with water, and it can be cleaned up with water as well. However, once the paint has dried, it becomes water-resistant and cannot be reactivated with water.
Can Holbein gouache be reactivated?
Holbein gouache as any gouache can be reactivated with a drop of water even if dry. If left on the palette the gouache will dry out and eventually crack.
Is Holbein gouache toxic?
While most Holbein gouache colors are completely safe and non-toxic, common safety measures are encouraged. Some colors like Violet, may contain harmful ingredients, for example, formaldehyde. Don’t eat and drink when youpaint and don’t swallow paint. Yet, Holbein artists gouache are not made for children.
Is Holbein gouache professional?
Holbein gouache is called Artist’s gouache which means it is a professional gouache for use on paper or canvas.
To Sum Up: Is Holbein gouache worth it?
Yes, Holbein gouache is worth it for serious artists and designers who want to create high-quality, professional-grade works of art.
And even for beginnerswho want to start strong and have no struggles.
Holbein gouache is known for its vibrant colors, creamy texture, finest pigments, smooth consistency, and excellent lightfastness, which means that the colors will not fade over time.
While Holbein gouache is more expensive than some other brands of gouache, its quality and performance make it well worth for you.
The paint is high quality and doesn’t use color enhancers which means that a little goes a long way, and its lightfastness means that the colors will remain vibrant and true over time.
I can assure you that Holbein Artist’s gouache is a top-quality paint that is worth the investment for those who want to create high-quality works of art.
