Technical Colors, Series: Architecture. Based on the old DIN 201 standard, this set includes nine Horadam colors that were previously used by architects, technical draftsmen, and land registry offices to prepare technical drawings. Each color represents a specific building material and its application; for example, orange for bronze and wood, purple for cast iron, dark green for light metals or wire spools, and gray for concrete and stone masonry.

Anyone who uses these colors for artistic rather than technical purposes will quickly notice that the selected watercolor paints are not only very harmonious and versatile on their own, but also produce a wide range of other brilliant shades when mixed. In addition to its distinctive retro look, this historic box thus also provides a solid foundation for any Shape of modern watercolor painting.

The set comes in a retro-style metal box featuring a historical owl print (inside and out) and a unique Schmincke cup holder, based on the old DIN 201 standard. The 9 Horadam colors are full cups, poured 4 times in liquid Shape, and the set is complemented by a letter from the management at the time as well as a retro watercolor color chart.

The set includes the following colors:

• Aureolin Hat
• Chrome Orange
• Vermilion
• Schmincke Violet
• Ultramarine Finest
• Chromium Oxide Green
• Olive Green, Yellowish
• Raw Umber
• Paynes Grey Bluish

Schmincke Horadam Aquarell is one of the world’s most renowned lines of professional watercolor paints. The standard range includes139 colors in half-pan and full-pan formats, as well as 5-ml and 15-ml tubes. 92 of the colors are single-pigment and produce precise mixing results, while 22 colors are granulating and marked with a “G” on the color chart. The range includes both classic colors and newer pigments such as perylenes, quinacridones, and transparent iron oxide.

The Supergranulating series consists of 50 colors in half-pans as well as 5 ml and 15 ml tubes. Each color combines at least two granulating Horadam pigments from different color series, which enhances the textural effect and creates color variation in the brushstrokes. The effect depends on the paper and the amount of water—the rougher the paper, the stronger the granulation. The 50 colors are divided into 10 thematic series of 5 colors each: Deep Sea, Glacier, Galaxy, Forest, Tundra, Volcano, Shire, Desert, Haze, and Urban.

Short About Schmincke

Schmincke was founded in 1881 by the paint chemists Josef Horadam and Hermann Schmincke in Germany. The company’s first product was the “Mussini” oil paint, developed based on traditional resin-oil paint recipes from the Italian artist Cesare Mussini. In 1892, Josef Horadam developed a new type of liquid-cast watercolor, which he named after himself—the cornerstone of what is now the Horadam Aquarell series. More than 140 years later, Schmincke is still guided by the company motto “Meliora cogito” (I strive for the best), and Horadam Aquarell remains one of the most highly regarded watercolor lines among professional artists worldwide.

See the complete overview of the colors here.