Cobalt Blue
40 Cobalt Blue paints from 17 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Cobalt Blue isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Cobalt Blue, 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 40 of them from 17 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 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 40 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Holbein | Delta E 0.57 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.69 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 0.82 | Near-identical |
| Matisse | Delta E 0.82 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 1.02 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.02 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 1.09 | Near-identical |
| Old Holland | Delta E 1.09 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 1.09 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.26 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 1.85 | Near-identical |
| Liquitex | Delta E 1.95 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 1.95 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 2.21 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 2.54 | Very close |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 2.91 | Very close |
| Atelier | Delta E 24.82 | Clearly different |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 136 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- AmsterdamvsMatisseDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LiquitexvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsOld HollandDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- LukasvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Old HollandvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSennelierDelta E 0.09Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AteliervsGamblinDelta E 27.69Clearly different
- AteliervsGoldenDelta E 27.14Clearly different
- AteliervsMichael HardingDelta E 27.01Clearly different
- AteliervsLiquitexDelta E 27.01Clearly different
- AteliervsDaniel SmithDelta E 26.92Clearly different
- AteliervsM. GrahamDelta E 26.22Clearly different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Matisse, Michael Harding, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney
Sennelier
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Matisse, Michael Harding, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Golden, Lukas, Matisse, Sennelier, Williamsburg
Atelier, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, M. Graham, Michael Harding, Old Holland, Royal Talens, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Cobalt Blue. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Atelier · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 3 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 8 paints
- Holbein · 4 paints
- Liquitex · 1 paint
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Matisse · 3 paints
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Old Holland · 1 paint
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Sennelier · 4 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 5 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Cobalt Blue we have measured
All 40 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #519dd5 | 62.2, -6.6, -35.6 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #2d5faf | 41.0, 11.5, -47.6 | PB28 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Cryla Artists' Acrylic | acrylic | #006ab0 | 43.4, 1.4, -44.3 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #005faf | 40.0, 8.1, -49.1 | PB28,PB29 | Opaque | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #0055a8 | 36.6, 11.8, -50.5 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #0053a5 | 35.8, 11.9, -50.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Fluid | acrylic | #1653a3 | 36.1, 11.8, -48.2 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #0053a5 | 35.8, 11.9, -50.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #0054a5 | 36.1, 11.2, -49.5 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #1454a5 | 36.4, 12.2, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | Heavy Body | acrylic | #1a54a1 | 36.2, 11.4, -47.1 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | OPEN | acrylic | #1454a5 | 36.4, 12.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #325aaa | 39.4, 13.6, -47.1 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Golden | SoFlat | acrylic | #0054a5 | 36.1, 11.0, -49.4 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #0062b6 | 41.4, 9.0, -51.0 | PB28 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #0055a8 | 36.6, 11.8, -50.5 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #0058ac | 37.8, 11.4, -51.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #0055a5 | 36.4, 10.5, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #0058a8 | 37.5, 9.8, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #0052a2 | 35.3, 11.3, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #005caf | 39.1, 10.0, -50.5 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Matisse | Flow Formula | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Fluid | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Matisse | Structure Formula | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #0055a5 | 36.4, 10.5, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Old Holland | Classic Oil Colors | oil | #0058a8 | 37.5, 9.8, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #0058a8 | 37.5, 9.8, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #325faf | 41.1, 12.2, -47.2 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #0055a5 | 36.4, 10.5, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #005aaa | 38.2, 9.3, -49.1 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #325faf | 41.1, 12.2, -47.2 | PB72 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #325faf | 41.1, 12.2, -47.2 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #0058a8 | 37.5, 9.8, -49.0 | PB28 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #0055af | 37.1, 14.7, -53.8 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #0050a5 | 34.9, 13.9, -51.4 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #0069c0 | 44.1, 8.5, -52.5 | PB28 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #0055af | 37.1, 14.7, -53.8 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #005fb4 | 40.4, 10.1, -51.5 | PB28 | Semi-Transparent | I |
