Watercolours are also called “aquarelles” (aqua = Latin for water). They are composed of finely triturated pigments, a binder such as gum arabic, and a small proportion of wetting agent. They are soluble in water and remain so after drying.
Watercolour painting is one of the most popular painting techniques. It fascinates beginners as well as professionals and the wide range of options create ever more challenges to choose new subjects. In addition to traditional techniques such as wet-on-wet and glazing painting, more modern mixed media techniques are also gaining popularity in watercolour painting. A large number of watercolour mediums extends the range of use by many creative techniques on different grounds. Special watercolour fixatives finally ensure that the watercolours are not only protected but also retain their colour strength and brilliance.
Watercolours can be easily mixed with each other. A wide range of colours can be mixed just with the useful collection of colours in the Schmincke 12 set, but of course also with an individually chosen selection of colours. Due to the high number of single and double-pigment colours, mixtures produce colours of exceptional brilliance and purity.
High-quality working materials are another important factor in addition to high-quality colours. The brushes and papers used should be of the best quality from the start. Although high-quality materials cannot guarantee any masterpieces, without them if is almost impossible to achieve good results, brilliance, lightfastness and durability.
The 139 HORADAM® AQUARELL colours combine an extremely extensive colour spectrum and meet the highest quality requirements for a premium watercolour. In addition to many well-tried and traditional colours, the range also contains many new colours using special pigments such as perylenes, quinacridones or transparent iron oxides. The large number of 92 single-pigment colours enables particularly brilliant mixing results and the 22 granulating colours provide special effects (marked with “G” in the colour chart).
Supergranulating colours are watercolours with a special property: the combination of at least 2 granulating HORADAM® pigments intensifies this effect to “supergranulation”.
The colours are formulated with pigments from different colour ranges, resulting in additional colour changes besides the granulation effect. For example, the shade “Deep Sea Indigo” (14 952) is a combination of violet and green pigments, while “Glacier Brown” (14 965) contains a brown and a green pigment. This novel, natural structure formation of the colours varies depending on the paper and the amount of water used. The rougher the paper, the stronger the granulating effect.
The 40 supergranulating colours are divided into 8 thematic series of 5 colours each: Deep Sea, Glacier, Galaxy, Forest, Tundra, Volcano, Shire and Desert.
The colours are available in half pans and in 15 ml tubes. All supergranulating HORADAM® AQUARELL colours have exclusively 4 and 5 stars lightfastness and contain only pigments already known from HORADAM®. The opacity of the colours is predominantly semi-transparent / semi-opaque.
All supergranulating colours can be used on their own and perfectly in combination with all 139 HORADAM® AQUARELL watercolours.
Schmincke’s Aqua Drop is a liquid, pigment-based, highly lightfast, water-soluble, ready-to-use and water-thinnable watercolour. There are 24 colours in a 30 ml plastic pipette bottle with a ball to shake up. Ideal for watercolour painting, urban sketching, calligraphy, handlettering, airbrush (from 0,15mm). The range contains 24 cadmium-free, transparent colours + 1 Opaque White. They have the highest lightfastness: All colours with 4 or 5 stars lightfastness
The well balanced colour palette with 13 single pigment shades has only one price group. All colours come in practical 30 ml plastic pipette bottles with a ball to shake up the colour.
The assortment contains illustrious colours such as jade green, amethyst violet or amber.
All AQUA DROP colours are compatible with all watercolours such as HORADAM® watercolours. There is also an additional Opaque White for AQUA DROP, pure as opaque white or mixed with AQUA DROP colours for lightening, to be used with brush or nib.
Liquid Frisket
Drawing gum for masking specific areas which should remain white on water-colour paper, smooth drawing carton, photographs or films. Apply with writing pen, cotton bud or wooden stick. Colourless after drying.
Liquid Frisket – Coloured
Blue tinted drawing gum for masking specific areas which should remain white on water-colour paper, smooth drawing carton, photographs or films. Apply undiluted with writing pen, cotton bud or wooden stick.
Aqua Gloss
Medium for water-colours. Increases gloss and brilliance. Retards drying; remains water-soluble after drying like a water-colour; to be mixed with watercolours or applied pure.
Aqua Fix
Medium for water-colours. Increases the water resistance of the colour: avoids dissolving of the colour when painted in several layers and allows more possibilities for transparent painting. To be used for water-colour painting instead of water. Clean brush and palette thoroughly with water and soap immediately after use.
Aqua Pasto
Medium for watercolours. Retards drying; reduces colour flow and improves gloss; suitable for techniques with spatula in moderate layers. Attention: layers which are too thick might crack! Remains water-soluble after drying like a water-colour; to be mixed with water-colours or applied pure.
Fine Aqua Modelling Paste
Modelling paste for watercolours. Achieves white, relief-like, fine painting grounds on e.g. paper (> 350 g/m²), cardboard or wood. Apply on surfaces with spatula; dries to a water-resistant film which is allowed to be overpainted with water-colours after being dried; the pure modelling paste may also be tinted with tube water-colour or acrylic colour.
Course Aqua Modelling Paste
Modelling paste for water-colours. Achieves white, relief-like, coarse painting grounds on e.g. paper (> 350 g/m²), cardboard or wood; apply on surface with spatula; dries to a water-resistant film which is allowed to be overpainted with water-colours after being dried; the pure modelling paste may also be tinted with tube water-colour or acrylic colour.
Aqua Watercolour Ground, Fine
A white, light-resistant and non-aging, even primer for working with water-colours on greaseless surfaces like linen canvas, card board or wood. Forms an elastic, matt, even film after drying. AQUA watercolour ground, fine is ready to use and should be applied in minimum 3 layers on the ground. If been diluted with water (max. 10%) you have to apply more layers
Aqua Effect Spray
Effect medium for water-colours. Allowes coincidental bizarre surface effects; spray into the still humid water-colour with a spraying distance from approx. 20 – 30 cm. Attention: Specific fields to remain original, should be prepared with a mask! No effect on strong absorbent surfaces like papers with 100% rag or cotton.
