Indian Yellow
34 Indian Yellow paints from 17 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Indian Yellow isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Indian Yellow, 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 34 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 Indian Yellow 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 34 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 0.14 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 0.16 | Near-identical |
| Liquitex | Delta E 0.16 | Near-identical |
| Maimeri | Delta E 0.38 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.39 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 0.44 | Near-identical |
| Gamblin | Delta E 0.45 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 0.45 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 0.81 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 0.92 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 0.94 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 0.94 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 0.99 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.19 | Near-identical |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 2.27 | Very close |
| Atelier | Delta E 2.40 | Very close |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 2.67 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 136 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- Daniel SmithvsLiquitexDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- GamblinvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- GoldenvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- GoldenvsSchminckeDelta E 0.03Near-identical
- Michael HardingvsSchminckeDelta E 0.03Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsHolbeinDelta E 0.11Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- Daler-RowneyvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 4.47Very close
- AteliervsDaler-RowneyDelta E 4.25Very close
- Daler-RowneyvsM. GrahamDelta E 3.85Very close
- Daler-RowneyvsMichael HardingDelta E 3.59Very close
- Daler-RowneyvsGoldenDelta E 3.59Very close
- Daler-RowneyvsSchminckeDelta E 3.57Very close
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Atelier
Sennelier
Sennelier
Daniel Smith, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Schmincke, Sennelier
Schmincke
Golden
Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Sennelier
Maimeri, Sennelier
Atelier
Daler-Rowney, Gamblin, Holbein, M. Graham, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Lukas
Royal Talens, Schmincke
Nevskaya Palitra
Liquitex
Sennelier
Maimeri
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Atelier, Nevskaya Palitra, Sennelier
Sennelier, Williamsburg
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Maimeri, Sennelier
Nevskaya Palitra, Schmincke, Sennelier
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Indian Yellow. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Atelier · 2 paints
- Daler-Rowney · 2 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 1 paint
- Holbein · 3 paints
- Liquitex · 1 paint
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 2 paints
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 1 paint
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 5 paints
- Sennelier · 6 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 2 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Indian Yellow we have measured
All 34 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelier | A2 Lightfast | acrylic | #e78237 | 64.3, 33.4, 55.3 | PO5, PY74, PY42 | Transparent | I | |
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #fbda0e | 87.3, -5.0, 86.0 | PY74, PR101 | Transparent | II | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #ffaf28 | 77.3, 19.3, 73.6 | PY150, PO62 | Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #ffa523 | 75.0, 24.4, 73.1 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #ffb22a | 78.0, 17.8, 73.6 | PY150 | Transparent | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #ffb225 | 78.0, 17.6, 75.0 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY150, PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #ffaf26 | 77.3, 19.2, 74.2 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #ffb22a | 78.0, 17.8, 73.6 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #ffb42d | 78.5, 16.8, 73.1 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #ffb22a | 78.0, 17.8, 73.6 | PY83, PY139 | Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #ffaf23 | 77.3, 19.1, 74.9 | PY83, PO36 | Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #ffb62d | 79.0, 15.7, 73.5 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Maimeri | Classico | oil | #ffaf2d | 77.3, 19.4, 72.1 | PY97, PO43 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #ffb42d | 78.5, 16.8, 73.1 | PY65 | Transparent | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY153 | Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #ffb941 | 79.8, 14.9, 67.4 | PY83, PR101 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #ffb22a | 78.0, 17.8, 73.6 | PY153 | Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #ffaf28 | 77.3, 19.3, 73.6 | PY83, PO62 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Designers' Gouache | gouache | #ffb432 | 78.5, 16.9, 71.6 | PY83, PO62 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY150, PO62 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY150 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #ffaf28 | 77.3, 19.3, 73.6 | PY150 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #ffb91e | 79.7, 13.8, 78.0 | PY150, PO73 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #ffaa23 | 76.2, 21.8, 74.0 | PY83,PO34 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #ffb428 | 78.5, 16.6, 74.6 | PY153 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #ffaf2d | 77.3, 19.4, 72.1 | PY139 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #ffaf2d | 77.3, 19.4, 72.1 | PY1, PBr7, PR4 | Semi-Opaque | III | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #ffaf2d | 77.3, 19.4, 72.1 | PY65 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #ffaf23 | 77.3, 19.1, 74.9 | PY150, PO62 | Transparent | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #ffb225 | 78.0, 17.6, 75.0 | PY83 | Transparent | III | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #ffaf23 | 77.3, 19.1, 74.9 | PY83 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #ffb62d | 79.0, 15.7, 73.5 | PY150 | Transparent | I |
