Naples Yellow
36 Naples Yellow paints from 15 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Naples Yellow isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Naples 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 36 of them from 15 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 Naples 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 36 paints. Below 2 is imperceptible to most people; above 10 is obviously a different colour.
| Brand | Distance from the average | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 0.26 | Near-identical |
| Daler-Rowney | Delta E 0.67 | Near-identical |
| Gamblin | Delta E 0.70 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 0.98 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 1.07 | Near-identical |
| Lukas | Delta E 1.23 | Near-identical |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 1.23 | Near-identical |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 1.57 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.59 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.70 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 1.74 | Near-identical |
| Royal Talens | Delta E 2.15 | Very close |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 2.90 | Very close |
| Maimeri | Delta E 4.10 | Very close |
| Atelier | Delta E 4.21 | Very close |
Which brands are interchangeable?
The closest pairs among 105 brand comparisons - swap one for another and most people would not see the difference.
- LukasvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsM. GrahamDelta E 0.47Near-identical
- GamblinvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 0.63Near-identical
- SchminckevsSennelierDelta E 0.66Near-identical
- LukasvsM. GrahamDelta E 0.67Near-identical
- M. GrahamvsMichael HardingDelta E 0.67Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- AteliervsMaimeriDelta E 8.17Noticeably different
- AteliervsWilliamsburgDelta E 6.91Noticeably different
- AteliervsHolbeinDelta E 5.83Noticeably different
- MaimerivsSchminckeDelta E 5.72Noticeably different
- MaimerivsSennelierDelta E 5.68Noticeably different
- AteliervsMichael HardingDelta E 5.38Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Daniel Smith
Daler-Rowney
Gamblin, Holbein, M. Graham
Daler-Rowney
Lukas
Lukas, Sennelier
Williamsburg
Sennelier
Atelier
Sennelier
Schmincke, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney
Daler-Rowney
Sennelier
Schmincke
Nevskaya Palitra
Holbein, Michael Harding, Winsor & Newton
Holbein, M. Graham, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Holbein
Maimeri
Daler-Rowney
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra
Sennelier
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Atelier, Daler-Rowney, Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Nevskaya Palitra, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Daler-Rowney, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Naples Yellow. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Atelier · 1 paint
- Daler-Rowney · 6 paints
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Holbein · 4 paints
- Lukas · 2 paints
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 1 paint
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 2 paints
- Royal Talens · 1 paint
- Schmincke · 3 paints
- Sennelier · 5 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 5 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Naples Yellow we have measured
All 36 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atelier | Interactive | acrylic | #fccf75 | 85.3, 5.4, 50.2 | PW6, PY42, PY74LF | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Aquafine | watercolor | #fad77d | 87.2, 1.1, 48.6 | PY42, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Artists' Watercolour | watercolor | #fada87 | 88.1, 0.5, 44.8 | PR108,PY35,PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Oil Colors | oil | #fada87 | 88.1, 0.5, 44.8 | PW4,PY83,PR9,PY42,PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Georgian Water Mixable Oil | oil | #fada87 | 88.1, 0.5, 44.8 | PW6,PY73,PY83 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | Graduate | acrylic | #fae19b | 90.1, -1.0, 37.4 | PW6,PY83 | Opaque | I | |
| Daler-Rowney | System3 | acrylic | #ffe191 | 90.4, -0.1, 42.9 | PY83,PO62,PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #f8da91 | 88.0, 0.7, 39.7 | PBr24 | Opaque | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #f8d88c | 87.5, 1.2, 41.5 | PW4, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Acryla Gouache | gouache | #fce19b | 90.3, -0.2, 37.6 | PY42, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #fadc91 | 88.7, 0.5, 40.6 | PW4, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #fadc94 | 88.8, 0.8, 39.2 | PY41 | Opaque | I | |
| Holbein | Heavy Body Acrylic | acrylic | #fae19b | 90.1, -1.0, 37.4 | PY42,PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #f8dc91 | 88.5, -0.3, 40.4 | PW5, PY3, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Lukas | Berlin Water-Mixable Oil | oil | #f8dc91 | 88.5, -0.3, 40.4 | PW6, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #f8da8e | 88.0, 0.4, 41.2 | PW4, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #fcde96 | 89.5, 0.7, 39.1 | PY42, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #f5e1a0 | 89.8, -2.4, 34.3 | PY53 | Opaque | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #f8dc91 | 88.5, -0.3, 40.4 | PY41 | Opaque | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #fad28c | 86.2, 5.1, 39.9 | PY37, PY42, PO20, PW4 | Opaque | II | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Sonnet | oil | #f8dc91 | 88.5, -0.3, 40.4 | PY42, PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #fadc82 | 88.5, -1.0, 47.8 | PY42, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | AKADEMIE Acrylic | acrylic | #ffd278 | 86.4, 5.3, 50.1 | PW6,PY42,PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #fad782 | 87.3, 1.6, 46.2 | PY42, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Schmincke | PRIMAcryl | acrylic | #f5d78c | 87.0, 0.5, 40.8 | PY184, PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Abstract Acrylic | acrylic | #ffdc8c | 89.1, 1.9, 43.7 | PW6,PY42 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #fad782 | 87.3, 1.6, 46.2 | PW6, PY42, PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #ffd782 | 87.7, 3.6, 46.9 | PY1, PY1:1, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | III | |
| Sennelier | Rive Gauche | oil | #ffd782 | 87.7, 3.6, 46.9 | PW6, PY42, PY74 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #fad77d | 87.2, 1.1, 48.6 | PY42, PW6 | Semi-Opaque | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #f8e191 | 89.8, -2.9, 42.0 | PW6, PY42, PR101, PY65, PY15, PV19, PY175 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #f5cd78 | 84.2, 3.8, 47.3 | PY41 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #ffe4a2 | 91.4, 0.2, 35.6 | PY42, PW4 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Galeria | acrylic | #f8da91 | 88.0, 0.7, 39.7 | PY42, PW6 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #fdd976 | 87.9, 0.7, 52.9 | PW6,PY42,PR101 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #fcde98 | 89.5, 1.0, 38.1 | PY41 | Opaque | I |
