Lamp Black
33 Lamp Black paints from 14 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Lamp Black isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Lamp Black, 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 33 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 Lamp Black 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 33 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 0.28 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 0.28 | Near-identical |
| Golden | Delta E 0.64 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 0.73 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 0.77 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.91 | Near-identical |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 1.03 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 1.13 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.13 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 1.13 | Near-identical |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 1.13 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.47 | Near-identical |
| Vallejo | Delta E 1.87 | Near-identical |
| Amsterdam | Delta E 3.12 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 91 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- Daniel SmithvsHolbeinDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- HolbeinvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- HolbeinvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Michael HardingvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AmsterdamvsVallejoDelta E 4.82Very close
- AmsterdamvsM. GrahamDelta E 4.51Very close
- AmsterdamvsWilliamsburgDelta E 4.24Very close
- AmsterdamvsMichael HardingDelta E 4.24Very close
- AmsterdamvsHolbeinDelta E 4.24Very close
- AmsterdamvsDaniel SmithDelta E 4.24Very close
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Daler-Rowney, Golden, Holbein, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Holbein, M. Graham, Nevskaya Palitra, Vallejo, Winsor & Newton
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Golden, Holbein, M. Graham, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Vallejo, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Amsterdam, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Golden, Holbein, M. Graham, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Holbein, M. Graham, Michael Harding, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Lamp Black. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Amsterdam · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 4 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Golden · 1 paint
- Holbein · 4 paints
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 2 paints
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 2 paints
- Sennelier · 2 paints
- Vallejo · 2 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 8 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Lamp Black we have measured
All 33 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | Standard Series | acrylic | #232328 | 13.9, 1.3, -3.3 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #1e1e20 | 11.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine Gouache | gouache | #202023 | 12.4, 0.8, -2.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #202023 | 12.4, 0.8, -2.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #1e1e20 | 11.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #191919 | 8.8, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk6 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Ladoga | oil | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | II | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | II | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk6 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #1e1e20 | 11.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #1e1e20 | 11.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #1c1c1e | 10.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #1e1e20 | 11.3, 0.5, -1.4 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Vallejo | Acrylic Artist Color | acrylic | #191919 | 8.8, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Vallejo | Fluid Acrylic | acrylic | #191919 | 8.8, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #232328 | 13.9, 1.3, -3.3 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Cotman Watercolour | watercolor | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #232323 | 13.7, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #1c1c1c | 10.3, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #232328 | 13.9, 1.3, -3.3 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #202020 | 12.2, -0.0, -0.0 | PBk7 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Winton Oil Colour | oil | #232328 | 13.9, 1.3, -3.3 | PBk6 | Semi-Opaque | I |
