The most lightfast Holbein watercolors
21 colors in Holbein Artists' Watercolor carry Holbein's top lightfastness rating, ★★★★ (absolutely permanent).
About the rating
Holbein rates lightfastness on its own four-step scale, from ★ (fugitive) to ★★★★ (absolutely permanent). Other brands use other scales, such as the ASTM I–V ratings, so compare ratings across brands with care.
Another 65 colors are rated ★★★ (permanent), so 86 of the 108 colors are in Holbein's two permanent grades. Show all ★★★ and ★★★★ colors.
Lightfastness matters most for paintings that will hang in daylight or be sold. For sketchbooks and work that is scanned, it matters less.
Open this list in the filter to sort it, narrow it further or compare colors.
Yellow 1
Green 2
- W060 Viridian ビリジャン PG18 ¥500 ≈ $3.18 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★TransparentSemi-stainingGranulating
- W065 Terre Verte テール ベルト PG23 + PG17 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueSemi-staining
Blue 3
- W090 Cobalt Blue コバルト ブルー PB28 ¥580 ≈ $3.69 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-transparentSemi-stainingGranulating
- W092 Cerulean Blue セルリアン ブルー PB35 ¥580 ≈ $3.69 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueSemi-stainingGranulating
- W106 Cobalt Turquoise Light コバルト ターコイズ ライト PB28 ¥580 ≈ $3.69 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueSemi-stainingGranulating
Violet 1
Brown 8
- W129 Umber アンバー PBr7 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueStaining
- W130 Light Red ライト レッド PR101 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueStaining
- W131 Raw Umber ロー アンバー PBr7 + PY42 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-transparentSemi-staining
- W132 Raw Sienna ロー シェンナ PBr7 + PY42 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-transparentSemi-staining
- W133 Burnt Umber バーント アンバー PBr7 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueSemi-staining
- W134 Burnt Sienna バーント シェンナ PBr7 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueSemi-stainingGranulating
- W135 Indian Red インデアン レッド PR101 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueStaining
- W136 Sepia セピア PR101 + PBk6 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueStaining
Black 2
- W138 Ivory Black アイボリ ブラック PBk9 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueStainingGranulating
- W140 Lamp Black ランプ ブラック PBk6 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueStaining
White 2
- W002 Chinese White チャイニーズ ホワイト PW6 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueSemi-staining
- W003 Titanium White (Opaque White) チタニウム ホワイト（オペーク ホワイト） PW6 ¥220 ≈ $1.40 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★OpaqueStaining
Metallic 2
- W190 Gold ゴールド PW20 ¥320 ≈ $2.04 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueNon-stainingGranulating
- W191 Silver シルバー PW20 ¥320 ≈ $2.04 · 5 ml, Japan list ★★★★Semi-opaqueNon-stainingGranulating
More lists
Single pigment · Granulating · Lower lightfastness · Non-staining · Transparent · Cadmium and cobalt
Ratings and pigments are from Holbein's catalog. Prices are Japan list prices excluding tax; USD figures are rough conversions. On-screen colors are approximate.