Indigo
30 Indigo paints from 14 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Indigo isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Indigo, 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 30 of them from 14 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 Indigo 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 30 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Talens | Delta E 0.35 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 0.75 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 0.80 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.04 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.64 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.76 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 1.84 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 2.32 | Very close |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 2.58 | Very close |
| Liquitex | Delta E 2.69 | Very close |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 3.63 | Very close |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 4.26 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 4.97 | Very close |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 5.32 | Noticeably different |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 91 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- Royal TalensvsSennelierDelta E 0.65Near-identical
- HolbeinvsRoyal TalensDelta E 0.83Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsRoyal TalensDelta E 1.12Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsHolbeinDelta E 1.20Near-identical
- HolbeinvsM. GrahamDelta E 1.21Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsSennelierDelta E 1.28Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AmsterdamvsWilliamsburgDelta E 7.73Noticeably different
- GamblinvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 7.71Noticeably different
- WilliamsburgvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 7.42Noticeably different
- AmsterdamvsGamblinDelta E 7.35Noticeably different
- SchminckevsWilliamsburgDelta E 6.77Noticeably different
- LiquitexvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 6.72Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Nevskaya Palitra
Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney
Liquitex
Gamblin
Schmincke
Williamsburg
Amsterdam
Daler-Rowney, Royal Talens
Winsor & Newton
Daniel Smith, Holbein, M. Graham, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Sennelier
Sennelier
Schmincke, Sennelier
Lukas
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Holbein, Liquitex, Lukas, M. Graham, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Holbein, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Williamsburg
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Gamblin, Lukas, Nevskaya Palitra, Schmincke, Sennelier
Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Holbein, Liquitex, M. Graham, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Indigo. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 3 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Holbein · 3 paints
- Liquitex · 1 paint
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 2 paints
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 6 paints
- Sennelier · 4 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 3 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Indigo we have measured
All 30 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Expert Series | acrylic | #32375a | 24.2, 8.2, -21.7 | PB29,PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #2d3755 | 23.5, 5.0, -19.5 | PB60, PBk6 | Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #2d3755 | 23.5, 5.0, -19.5 | PB15,PBk7,PV19 | Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Graduate | acrylic | #2d3255 | 21.9, 8.4, -21.9 | PB15,PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #28304b | 20.3, 4.9, -17.8 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #232d41 | 18.4, 1.9, -14.0 | PB15:3, PV15, PBr7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #303a58 | 24.8, 4.8, -19.4 | PB60, PBk9 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #262d48 | 19.0, 5.3, -17.8 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #2a344e | 21.9, 3.7, -17.3 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Liquitex | Professional Heavy Body | acrylic | #232d50 | 19.3, 7.3, -22.8 | PB15:1, PBk7, PV19 | Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #232d4b | 19.0, 5.5, -19.9 | PR176, PB15:1, PB29, PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #2d3752 | 23.3, 4.0, -17.7 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Ladoga | oil | #233755 | 22.8, 2.1, -20.6 | PB15, PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #233755 | 22.8, 2.1, -20.6 | PB15, PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #26304e | 20.4, 5.3, -19.8 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #2d3755 | 23.5, 5.0, -19.5 | PB60, PBk6 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | AKADEMIE Acrylic | acrylic | #232d50 | 19.3, 7.3, -22.8 | PB15:3,PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Designers' Gouache | gouache | #2d375a | 23.8, 6.7, -22.3 | PB60, PBk9 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #2d3755 | 23.5, 5.0, -19.5 | PBk6, PB60, PV19 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #263055 | 20.8, 7.8, -23.8 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #2d3250 | 21.6, 6.7, -19.1 | PB60, PBk9 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #2d325f | 22.5, 11.9, -27.6 | PB60, PBk9 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #232d4b | 19.0, 5.5, -19.9 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #283255 | 21.5, 7.0, -22.6 | PB60,PBk9 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #283250 | 21.2, 5.2, -19.7 | PB60, PG7, PBk9 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #2d3755 | 23.5, 5.0, -19.5 | PBk6, PB60, PV19 | Transparent | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #233044 | 19.6, 0.9, -14.2 | PB27, Bk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Cotman Watercolour | watercolor | #343e5c | 26.6, 4.7, -19.2 | PB60, PBk7 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #3e4866 | 30.9, 4.3, -18.8 | PB60, PBk9 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #343e5c | 26.6, 4.7, -19.2 | PB60, PBk9 | Transparent | I |
