Viridian
24 Viridian paints from 14 brands, measured in CIE L*a*b* and compared with Delta E 2000.
Why Viridian isn't one colour
Every brand makes its own Viridian, 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 24 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 Viridian 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 24 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 0.73 | Near-identical |
| Schmincke | Delta E 1.10 | Near-identical |
| Sennelier | Delta E 1.56 | Near-identical |
| Daniel Smith | Delta E 1.61 | Near-identical |
| Winsor & Newton | Delta E 1.76 | Near-identical |
| M. Graham | Delta E 1.85 | Near-identical |
| Holbein | Delta E 2.04 | Very close |
| Michael Harding | Delta E 2.12 | Very close |
| Williamsburg | Delta E 2.12 | Very close |
| Golden | Delta E 2.17 | Very close |
| Lukas | Delta E 3.02 | Very close |
| Maimeri | Delta E 3.28 | Very close |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Delta E 3.28 | Very close |
| Gamblin | Delta E 3.53 | 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.
- MaimerivsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Michael HardingvsWilliamsburgDelta E 0.00Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsM. GrahamDelta E 0.38Near-identical
- SchminckevsSennelierDelta E 0.52Near-identical
- Daniel SmithvsWinsor & NewtonDelta E 0.83Near-identical
- Royal TalensvsSchminckeDelta E 0.92Near-identical
Which brands are clearly different?
The furthest apart. Same name on the tube, visibly different paint.
- GamblinvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.57Noticeably different
- GamblinvsMaimeriDelta E 6.57Noticeably different
- LukasvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 6.02Noticeably different
- LukasvsMaimeriDelta E 6.02Noticeably different
- HolbeinvsNevskaya PalitraDelta E 5.29Noticeably different
- HolbeinvsMaimeriDelta E 5.29Noticeably different
Pigments used
Brands do not always use the same pigment for the same colour name.
Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Sennelier
Nevskaya Palitra
Lightfastness
How well the colour resists fading. ASTM I is the most permanent; V is fugitive.
Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Williamsburg, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra
Opacity
How much the paint covers what is underneath.
Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Nevskaya Palitra, Williamsburg
Daniel Smith, Gamblin, Golden, Holbein, Lukas, M. Graham, Maimeri, Michael Harding, Royal Talens, Schmincke, Sennelier, Winsor & Newton
Brands that make it
Every brand in the database with a Viridian. Each links to that brand's full range.
- Daniel Smith · 1 paint
- Gamblin · 1 paint
- Golden · 1 paint
- Holbein · 1 paint
- Lukas · 1 paint
- M. Graham · 2 paints
- Maimeri · 1 paint
- Michael Harding · 1 paint
- Nevskaya Palitra · 2 paints
- Royal Talens · 2 paints
- Schmincke · 2 paints
- Sennelier · 4 paints
- Williamsburg · 1 paint
- Winsor & Newton · 4 paints
Available in
The kinds of paint this colour is made as.
Every Viridian we have measured
All 24 paints, with the measurements the comparisons above are built from.
| Brand | Line | Medium | Hex | L*a*b* | Pigment | Opacity | Lightfastness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Smith | Extra Fine Watercolors | watercolor | #007666 | 44.1, -32.3, 0.8 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Gamblin | Artist's Oil Colors | oil | #006e5c | 41.1, -31.6, 2.5 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Golden | QoR Modern Watercolors | watercolor | #327864 | 45.7, -27.2, 4.4 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Holbein | Artists' Oil Color | oil | #007362 | 43.0, -32.1, 1.6 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Lukas | 1862 Artists' Oil | oil | #00705c | 41.8, -32.5, 3.5 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #00705f | 41.9, -31.6, 1.8 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| M. Graham | Artists' Watercolor | watercolor | #007a6c | 45.6, -32.3, -0.5 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Maimeri | Puro | oil | #377d69 | 47.6, -27.2, 4.3 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Michael Harding | Artists Oil Colours | oil | #00735f | 42.9, -33.0, 3.3 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Ladoga | oil | #377d69 | 47.6, -27.2, 4.3 | PG8, PY1 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Nevskaya Palitra | Master Class | oil | #377d69 | 47.6, -27.2, 4.3 | PG8, PY1 | Semi-Transparent | II | |
| Royal Talens | Rembrandt Oil Colors | oil | #007662 | 44.0, -33.4, 3.1 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Royal Talens | Van Gogh | watercolor | #327864 | 45.7, -27.2, 4.4 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Horadam Aquarell | watercolor | #377d69 | 47.6, -27.2, 4.3 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Schmincke | Mussini Oil Colors | oil | #007662 | 44.0, -33.4, 3.1 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Artists' Oil Colors | oil | #00735f | 42.9, -33.0, 3.3 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Extra-Fine Acrylique | acrylic | #328273 | 49.4, -28.1, 0.9 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Sennelier | Gouache | gouache | #2d7d64 | 47.2, -30.7, 6.5 | PG18, PG7 | Opaque | I | |
| Sennelier | l'Aquarelle | watercolor | #327864 | 45.7, -27.2, 4.4 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Williamsburg | Handmade Oil Colors | oil | #00735f | 42.9, -33.0, 3.3 | PG18 | Semi-Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Artists' Oil Colour | oil | #006e5f | 41.2, -30.7, 0.8 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Designers Gouache | gouache | #008a7d | 51.5, -34.5, -2.0 | PG18 | Opaque | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Acrylic | acrylic | #006955 | 39.2, -31.4, 3.9 | PG18 | Transparent | I | |
| Winsor & Newton | Professional Watercolour | watercolor | #008073 | 47.9, -32.9, -1.4 | PG18 | Transparent | I |
