Hooker’s Green is named for the English botanical illustrator William Hooker (1779-1832), who originally created the green as a leaf mix from Prussian Blue and Gamboge.
Every brand has their own formula for this green, but generally modern versions mix Phthalo Green with yellow-orange.
Observations
Holbein Hooker’s Green is a crisp, medium green without an obvious yellow or blue tone. It dilutes to a pale mint/cucumber color. It disperses a lot and grades quite easily, likely because of the Nickel Azo Yellow in the mix. It’s interesting that Holbein chose to mix Phthalo Green Blue Shade with two yellows rather than Phthalo Green Yellow shade with one; I suspect it’s cheaper.
I did tend to make some accidental blooms with this one when I overdiluted. They’re interesting, but unintentional.
Recipes
Here’s how Hooker’s Green is mixed by various companies:
- Da Vinci/Art Spectrum: Phthalo Green Blue Shade (PG7), Yellow Ochre (PY42)
- Daniel Smith: Phthalo Green Yellow Shade (PG36), Hansa Yellow Light (PY3), Quinacridone Gold (PY150, PO48)
- Holbein: Phthalo Green Blue Shade (PG7), Yellow Orange (PY110), Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150)
- Schmincke Horadam: Phthalo Green Blue Shade (PG7), Yellow Ochre (PY42), Phthalo Blue Green Shade (PB15:3)
- Winsor & Newton: Phthalo Green Yellow Shade (PG36), Yellow Orange (PY110)
Comparison to Other Greens
Phthalo Greens
While Hooker’s Green is quite a bright green, it is still slightly more muted than the extremely bright Phthalo Greens, making it a more natural color for foliage than unmixed Phthalo. It is also a bit yellower even than the Phthalo Green Yellow Shade (PG36).
Sap Green
Sap Green varies from company to company, with most being darker and more olive-y than this Holbein offering, but I figured this was a good point of comparison since it’s the same company. As you can see, Hooker’s is consistently a less yellow green than Sap. Sap is usually also more muted.
I have found that people who live in temperate climates like myself and people from England will find Hooker’s Green to be a natural foliage shade for broadleaf deciduous trees in summer, while people who live in more arid climates like the Southwest USA or Australia will tend to find that Sap Greens are better matches for the tougher leaves and succulents in their area.
Comparison to Other Brands
Winsor & Newton – Hooker’s Green (PG36, PY110)
This recipe of Hooker’s Green is closer to the foliage shade I’d probably mix on my palette if left to my own devices: a simple two-color mix with a Phthalo Green with an orange-yellow. The result is a slightly muted yellow-green with a wide range. (The little imperfections in the blue mixes are just because I set something down on it before it was dry.) This is a pretty good all-around convenience green mix that pretty closely matches the color of summer foliage in my area.
In terms of yellowness, I found it fell between Holbein’s Sap and Hooker’s Greens, predictably more closely matching the Hooker’s Green. It is a bit more muted than either Holbein offering.
Winsor & Newton might be the one to pick if you’re only going to have one green on your palette because it’s nice and middle-of-the-road, while you might choose to have both Holbeins (which are yellower and bluer, respectively) if you want options.
My Review
Hooker’s Green is the convenience green I’ve been looking for to color the bright, leafy forests of the Northeast USA in summer, like this photo from Vermont:
It is easy enough to mix up with any Phthalo Green (PG7 or PG36), plus any yellow-orange (such as Yellow Orange (PY110), Hansa Yellow Deep (PY65), Quinacridone Gold, or similar). In fact, that is how many companies do mix it up. But it can be convenient to have it pre-mixed, especially if you are painting a ton of greenery quickly (such as plein air painting), or if you always find yourself mixing your Phthalo Green with a warm yellow so why not save yourself a step.
On my palette? I am currently experimenting with having this as a convenience green on my palette instead of a Phthalo Green mixer!
Favorite version: Between Holbein and W&N, I think W&N is a more well behaved paint as well as a more balanced all-around green color, but there is something I just love about the cool crisp clarity of the Holbein shade. It just looks summery to me. I’m going with Holbein somewhat against my better judgement.