Schmincke Watercolour Paint

Introducing Schmincke Watercolour Paints

Schmincke has been producing some of the world’s finest artists’ materials in Germany since 1881. Founded by colour chemists Josef Horadam and Hermann Schmincke, the company quickly gained a reputation for exceptional quality and innovation.

Their Horadam Aquarell watercolours, first introduced in 1892, remain a benchmark for professional artists worldwide. Using only the highest-grade pigments and natural Kordofan gum arabic as a binder, Schmincke creates paints that deliver intense colour strength, outstanding lightfastness and beautiful working properties.

Generations of watercolourists have trusted the brand for consistent performance, purity and permanence... and we stock them!

Schmincke Horadam Artists Watercolours

Horadam Aquarell is Schmincke’s flagship professional watercolour range. Made with the finest pigments and carefully milled for smooth application, these paints offer brilliant transparency, excellent re-wettability and superior flow. Available in both half pans and 5ml or 15ml tubes, the range includes over 140 colours, many of which are single-pigment formulations for clean and predictable mixing.

Artists particularly value the luminosity and natural granulation found in many earth tones and mineral-based shades. Whether working wet-in-wet or building delicate glazes, Horadam colours respond beautifully on paper and maintain their vibrancy for decades.

Schmincke Horadam Wooden Box Sets

For a complete and luxurious watercolour experience, Schmincke offers elegant wooden box sets containing Horadam Aquarell paints. These sets include 24 selected 5ml tubes arranged in a high-quality mahogany-stained wooden case, accompanied by a fine Da Vinci brush.

The thoughtfully designed boxes provide excellent protection for the tubes and create a pleasing, organised workspace for both studio and outdoor painting. Their premium presentation makes them ideal as special gifts or as a rewarding upgrade for serious watercolourists seeking a ready-to-use professional palette in a durable and attractive format.

Portable Travel Sets and Metal Boxes

Schmincke excels at creating compact, practical sets for artists who paint on location. Their metal box travel sets contain 12 half pans of Horadam watercolours and often feature integrated mixing palettes, folding surfaces and sometimes a water container or travel brush.

Options range from simple black metal tins to more elaborate Inspiration Sets that include a porcelain palette and carefully chosen colours beyond the standard range. These lightweight, well-engineered kits allow painters to enjoy full professional quality wherever inspiration strikes, making them perfect for plein air work, workshops or everyday sketching.

Super Granulation and Special Edition Watercolours

One of Schmincke’s most exciting innovations is the Super Granulating range within the Horadam line. These unique colours produce dramatic, natural granulation effects as they dry, adding texture and depth with very little effort. Available in themed 3 x 5ml tube sets such as Desert, Forest, Tundra and Deep Sea, they offer artists striking visual effects that are difficult to achieve with conventional watercolours.

The brand also releases limited-edition colours, historic shades and artist-curated palettes from time to time, giving painters fresh inspiration and the chance to explore new tonal possibilities.

Whether you prefer the convenience of half pans for quick studies or the versatility of tubes for larger works, Schmincke Horadam watercolours deliver the performance and reliability that serious watercolourists demand. The brand’s commitment to German engineering and the finest raw materials ensures every pan and tube behaves exactly as expected, allowing artists to focus on creativity rather than materials.

Explore the full selection at Broad Canvas to find the Schmincke products that will elevate your next watercolour project.