Schmincke Horadam Watercolor

HORADAM® Aquarell – watercolors of the very highest quality

When it comes to professional watercolors, HORADAM® Aquarell from Schmincke is among the most highly regarded choices among artists worldwide. The series embodies an uncompromising approach to quality, pigmentation, and ease of use—and has been developed with a focus on both classical techniques and modern needs.

The standard series features a total of 139 intense and brilliant colors (available in pans and tubes). Here you’ll find both traditional colors and innovative pigment types such as Perylene and Quinacridone, which add extra depth and clarity to your artwork. Many of the colors are single pigments, making them ideal for pure and vibrant color mixtures.

One of HORADAM’s greatest strengths is itsextremely high lightfastness —the vast majority of its colors fall into the top category (4 and 5 stars). This means that your artwork will retain its intensity for many years to come.

The quality is also evident in the actual use:

• The paints have a controllable and even flow, even on soft watercolor papers
• They're easy to rehydrate, even after they've dried out
• The same high quality applies to both cups (pans) and tubes
• Each color cup is filled a full four times, ensuring maximum pigment concentration and coverage

The binder is carefully selected Kordofan gum arabic, combined with natural ox bile, which ensures optimal spread and absorption on the paper.

Supergranulation – vibrant textures and unique color effects

A special part of the HORADAM universe is the fascinating super-granulating colors —a field where technical innovation meets artistic expression.

These colors are created by combining at least two granular pigments from different color families. The result is a very special supergranulation effect—where the color breaks up into complex, vibrant patterns on the paper.

This results in some truly unique visual characteristics:

• Natural texture that varies from brushstroke to brushstroke
• Color shifts within a single stroke, creating depth and vibrancy
• Particularly beautiful effects on coarse watercolor paper
• Opportunity to work in a more experimental and organic way

The 50 super-granulating colors are organized into inspiring themes such as Galaxy, Forest, Desert, and Volcano, making it easy to choose colors that complement specific moods or motifs.

Like the rest of the HORADAM series, these colors are, of course, also highly lightfast, so the spectacular effects last over time.