Holbein Artist Gouache Set of 24 G715 - 24 x 15ml Tubes Review (2026)

Who this set is for

This is a full 24-color set of Holbein's Artists' Gouache in 15ml tubes, aimed at a letterer, illustrator or mixed-media artist who wants to mix custom shades for colored calligraphy, illuminated lettering or gouache lettering rather than relying on a handful of premixed inks. Because it spans reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, violets, earth tones and both black and white in one purchase, it suits someone planning to use gouache as a primary medium over months or years of work, not someone who wants to try colored lettering once with a small starter tube. Holbein's gouache line is a recognized name among Japanese-made designers' gouache, prized in hand lettering circles for consistent, mixable results.

What is in the 24-tube set

The G715 set includes 24 colors in 15ml tubes covering Alizarin Crimson, Carmine, Flame Red, Brilliant Orange, Permanent Yellow Orange, Permanent Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Leaf Green, Emerald Green, Permanent Green Deep, Olive Green, Turquoise Blue, Pure Blue, Ultramarine Deep, Prussian Blue, Blue Violet, Violet, Magenta, Rose, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black and Permanent White. That range covers primary, secondary and earth tones plus both ends of the value scale, which is enough to mix nearly any custom shade a letterer might want for a wedding suite, an illuminated capital, or a colored monogram without needing to buy many extra single tubes right away.

Working with opaque matte gouache

Holbein markets this line as delivering a brilliant, rich matte finish from naturally opaque pigments, without added opacifying agents, and states the paint is formulated to avoid the milking out, darkening or muddiness that can affect lower quality gouache over time or when overmixed. For lettering, opacity matters because gouache is often used to write light colors over dark paper or dark colors over light paper in a single confident stroke, unlike transparent watercolor which needs the paper's own white to show through. Tubes should be kept capped tightly between sessions, since gouache dries out in an open tube faster than oil paint, and a small amount of water can revive dried paint on a palette for most sessions.

Value against smaller gouache sets

Against the Winsor & Newton Designers' Gouache 10-tube introductory set, this Holbein 24-tube set costs more upfront but removes the need to buy many single extra tubes later, since it already spans a full working palette rather than a starter sample. Compared with buying single 15ml tubes of Holbein Artists' Gouache Primary White on their own, the 24-tube set is a better value per tube if you know you will use most of the colors, though a letterer who only occasionally reaches for colored ink may find a smaller introductory set or a handful of single tubes more practical and less wasteful.

Verdict and who should look elsewhere

At our score of 8.5 out of 10, this set earns its place as a serious, long-term color investment for anyone doing regular colored lettering or illustration work, thanks to Holbein's reputation for smooth, opaque, consistently mixable gouache across all 24 tubes. Choose it if you already know gouache lettering or illumination will be a regular part of your practice and want to stop buying single tubes piecemeal. Look elsewhere if you only do occasional colored lettering, since the high upfront cost is hard to justify for light use, or if you would rather start smaller, since a 10-tube introductory set covers the basics at a lower commitment.

Frequently asked questions