Lemon Yellow
32 Lemon Yellow paints from 9 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Lemon Yellow isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Lemon 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 32 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 Lemon 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 32 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Sennelier | Delta E 0.13 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 0.33 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.44 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 0.57 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 0.60 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 0.63 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 1.23 | Near-identical |
| Vallejo | Delta E 1.25 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 1.46 | Near-identical |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 36 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- HolbeinvsRoyal TalensDelta E 0.08Near-identical
- HolbeinvsSchminckeDelta E 0.30Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSchminckeDelta E 0.36Near-identical
- SchminckevsSennelierDelta E 0.37Near-identical
- Daler-RowneyvsSennelierDelta E 0.52Near-identical
- SenneliervsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 0.56Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- LukasvsVallejoDelta E 2.33Very close
- Daler-RowneyvsLukasDelta E 2.09Very close
- Royal TalensvsVallejoDelta E 1.84Near-identical
- HolbeinvsVallejoDelta E 1.82Near-identical
- LukasvsMichael HardingDelta E 1.74Near-identical
- HolbeinvsMichael HardingDelta E 1.67Near-identical
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Vallejo
Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Lukas, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Lukas, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
These brands publish their own lightfastness scale rather than ASTM I-V, so the ratings below are not directly comparable with those above.
Vallejo
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Sennelier
Daler-Rowney, Holbein, Lukas, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Sennelier, Vallejo
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Lemon Yellow. Each links to that brand's full range.
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Lemon Yellow we have measured
All 32 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3 | Transparent | II | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine Gouache | gouache | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3,PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Cryla Artists' Acrylic | acrylic | #f8de08 | 88.1, -8.4, 87.0 | PY3 | Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3 | Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Water Mixable Oil | oil | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3,PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Graduate | acrylic | #fff500 | 94.5, -16.8, 92.6 | PY3,PY74 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | System3 | acrylic | #fff500 | 94.5, -16.8, 92.6 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #fffa37 | 96.0, -18.3, 85.4 | PY3 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #fff823 | 95.4, -17.8, 89.4 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #fff82a | 95.4, -17.7, 88.0 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Mat Acrylic | acrylic | #fff550 | 94.8, -14.8, 76.5 | PY3 | Semi-Opaque | II | |
| Lukas | Berlin Water-Mixable Oil | oil | #fffc32 | 96.5, -19.4, 87.1 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #fff800 | 95.3, -18.2, 93.2 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | AKADEMIE Acrylic | acrylic | #fff800 | 95.3, -18.2, 93.2 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Designers' Gouache | gouache | #fff541 | 94.7, -15.5, 81.5 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #fff83c | 95.5, -17.1, 83.6 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #fff832 | 95.4, -17.4, 86.2 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Norma Professional | oil | #fff53c | 94.7, -15.7, 82.9 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #fff800 | 95.3, -18.2, 93.2 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #fff532 | 94.7, -16.0, 85.6 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #fff532 | 94.7, -16.0, 85.6 | PY3 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #fff532 | 94.7, -16.0, 85.6 | PY3 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #fff837 | 95.4, -17.3, 85.0 | PY3 | Transparent | II | |
| Vallejo | Liquid Watercolor | watercolor | #fff500 | 94.5, -16.8, 92.6 | Dye | Transparent | ★ | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artisan Water Mixable Oil | oil | #fffa34 | 96.0, -18.4, 86.2 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #fff51e | 94.6, -16.5, 89.6 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #fffc3e | 96.5, -19.0, 84.0 | PY3 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #fff51e | 94.6, -16.5, 89.6 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #fff700 | 95.1, -17.7, 93.0 | PY3 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #fffa34 | 96.0, -18.4, 86.2 | PY175 | Semi-Transparent | I |
