We stock Daniel Smith as our premier line in addition to Winsor and Newton and Schmincke.
The decision to include Schmincke is based on its strong performance in the blue/ turquoise pigments.
We also stock selections of Old Holland and obtain Manganese Blue whenever possible. Old Holland is now the only manufacturer that still produces as pure Manganese Blue. You will find that the other manufacturers have to label their blue as Manganese Blue Hue. This is because of the scarcity of supply of the pigment on a worldwide basis.
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolours are made by hand in Seattle, Washington. This superior-quality watercolour line includes historical hues, amazing earths, and some of the brightest and boldest quinacridones ever formulated.
More highly pigmented and finely ground than any watercolours on the market, they also boast superior lightfastness, with 235 of the colours rated LR I or II. They have excellent brushing properties, resulting in clear, clean washes even when hues are layered.
Pigments include antiquity’s most precious hues, such as Hematite, Tiger’s Eye, Rhodonite, and Lapis Lazuli — gemstones and minerals that have captured artists’ imaginations for hundreds if not thousands of years.
Winsor and Newton remain the market leader in Artists’ quality Water Colours and have made advancements in both pigment technology and production methods to produce even brighter, more transparent and more stable water colours. Artist Water Colour Paint offers the widest and most balanced choice of pigments to provide the greatest possible performance.
Schmincke offers 110 colours in the Schmincke Hordam Watercolour range, 69 colours are formulated with one pigment only, the ideal concept for professional painting and for colour mixing. Many of the new artists’ pigments have been researched and tested to comply with the highest quality standard regarding stability, fineness, resolubility and lightfastness.
One main ingredient of the water-colour binding medium is Kordofan Gum Arabic from the southern Sahara region. Like most natural products this traditional water-colour binding medium differs from year to year. Therefore Schmincke tests Gum Arabic every time before purchase and selects only the best crop of the respective year. This adds small but significant quality advantages.
Other formula ingredients are selected equally carefully and of course are integrated in each formula in an individual optimised way to obtain a harmonious assortment, that can be easily picked up by the brush.
Sennnelier Encre Drawing Inks are traditional shellac based inks. These are strongly pigmented with an unparalleled richness and unique style evident in their satin sheen and opaque appearance. Due to the shellac base, these inks are not recommended to be diluted with water or used in an airbrush. There is a thinner/dilutant available A504.020 which contains the same shellac base as the coloured inks. For best results, use a nib pen and brush or sponge to manipulate the ink.
Sennelier Indian Inks. This famous ink, known for 100 years as ‘A La Pagode’, is made in the same traditional style of shellac based ink with ground lamp black pigment. The effect offers stunning blackness with an almost bluish mass tone and a high lustre. Washed onto full areas with a brush will produce an effect like that of Japanese lacquer, and from the nib pen, a deep dense black, even on the finest lines. Dries to a waterproof line that may be washed over with watercolour.
