Cobalt Blue Hue
29 Cobalt Blue Hue paints from 9 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Cobalt Blue Hue isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Cobalt Blue Hue, and no two are quite the same. They pick different pigments, grind them differently and mix them to their own recipe — so two tubes with the same word on the label can look noticeably different once they are on the paper.
We measured all 29 of them from 9 brands and compared them the way a lab would, using a number called Delta E. It is just a measure of how far apart two colours look to the human eye. Under 2 and almost nobody can tell them apart; over 10 and most people would call them different colours.
Useful when your usual Cobalt Blue Hue is out of stock and you need the closest substitute, when you are deciding which brand to buy, or when a mix you got right last time will not come out the same again.
How far is each brand from the average?
Every brand's version measured against the average of all 29 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Lukas | Delta E 0.59 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.00 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 1.16 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.29 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 1.47 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 2.39 | Very close |
| Liquitex | Delta E 2.61 | Very close |
| Golden | Delta E 3.04 | Very close |
| Atelier | Delta E 10.39 | Clearly different |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 36 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- HolbeinvsLiquitexDelta E 0.33Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsSchminckeDelta E 0.39Near-identical
- LukasvsSennelierDelta E 1.34Near-identical
- LukasvsSchminckeDelta E 1.42Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsLukasDelta E 1.44Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsHolbeinDelta E 1.50Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AteliervsLiquitexDelta E 12.94Clearly different
- AteliervsHolbeinDelta E 12.72Clearly different
- AteliervsGoldenDelta E 12.60Clearly different
- AteliervsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 11.46Clearly different
- AteliervsDaler-RowneyDelta E 11.31Clearly different
- AteliervsSchminckeDelta E 11.19Clearly different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Lukas
Holbein
Schmincke, Sennelier
Daler-Rowney
Liquitex
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Liquitex, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton
Sennelier
Liquitex, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton
Atelier
Atelier
Golden
Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney
Lukas
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Lukas, Sennelier
Daler-Rowney, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Liquitex, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Cobalt Blue Hue. Each links to that brand's full range.
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Cobalt Blue Hue we have measured
All 29 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelier | A2 Lightfast | acrylic | #178bcc | 55.1, -6.6, -41.9 | PB29, PW6, PB15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Atelier | Free Flow | acrylic | #5984c3 | 54.6, 3.6, -37.3 | PB29, PW6, PB15.3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #4962ab | 42.9, 13.1, -42.0 | PB29, PW6, PB15.3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #325faf | 41.1, 12.2, -47.2 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine Gouache | gouache | #2d5faf | 41.0, 11.5, -47.6 | PB29,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #235ca8 | 39.3, 9.5, -46.1 | PB29,PG7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Water Mixable Oil | oil | #235ca8 | 39.3, 9.5, -46.1 | PG7,PB29,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Graduate | acrylic | #2d55a5 | 37.4, 14.3, -47.3 | PB29 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | System3 | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB29,PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #0b599f | 37.4, 5.5, -43.5 | PB29, PW6, PB15:3 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #005caf | 39.1, 10.0, -50.5 | PB29, PB15:3 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #0050a2 | 34.7, 12.6, -50.0 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #0052a5 | 35.5, 12.5, -50.5 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Mat Acrylic | acrylic | #3c5faf | 41.6, 13.9, -46.5 | PB15:3,PV23 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Liquitex | Basics | acrylic | #2d55a5 | 37.4, 14.3, -47.3 | PB29, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB29, PB15 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Soft Body | acrylic | #1455a5 | 36.7, 11.6, -48.6 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #2d5fa5 | 40.3, 7.7, -42.6 | PW6, PB29, PG7 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | Berlin Water-Mixable Oil | oil | #1c5fac | 40.3, 8.4, -47.0 | PB15:3, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | AKADEMIE Acrylic | acrylic | #005aaf | 38.6, 11.3, -51.5 | PB15:3,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #375faf | 41.4, 13.0, -46.9 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #1e5aaa | 38.7, 11.1, -48.3 | PB29, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #005aaf | 38.6, 11.3, -51.5 | PB15:3,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #1464b4 | 42.1, 7.8, -48.7 | PB15:3,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #2864b4 | 42.5, 9.6, -48.0 | PB29, PB15:3, PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #005fb4 | 40.4, 10.1, -51.5 | PB29, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Cotman Watercolour | watercolor | #005fb4 | 40.4, 10.1, -51.5 | PB29, PW6 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #1450a0 | 34.9, 12.9, -48.5 | PB29, PB15:3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Winton Oil Colour | oil | #005fb4 | 40.4, 10.1, -51.5 | PB29, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I |
