Schmincke Horadam watercolors are among the world’s finest professional-grade colors. First patented in 1892 by Schmincke co-founder Josef Horadam and continuously improved over more than a century of effort, Horadam watercolors are vibrant, smooth, and easy to apply to any kind of watercolor paper. Only the best artist pigments are used for the 140 colors that make up today’s Horadam lineup. They’re milled until the paint becomes creamy and utterly consistent, and each color shines in its pan when water is applied.

Even the process of filling Horadam pans is special. Each pan is liquid-filled from the same watercolor that’s in Horadam tubes, then allowed to dry four times in a process that takes several weeks from start to finish. You can see how it works in the video we’ve included in this listing. The result is an incredibly concentrated dry pan that reactivates instantly when you touch it with a wet brush. Scrub a little bit and you’ll have intense color, ready to apply to your notebook or pad.

This enameled metal tin of Horadam watercolors includes twelve half pans, plus empty spaces for twelve additional colors from the range of 140 Horadam hues. The colors chosen for this set are essentials for all kinds of painting: landscapes, urban sketching, botanical painting, portraiture, abstract art, and pretty much any other style you can think of.

This deluxe set uses high-end pigments, even compared to the rest of the lovely Horadam lineup. Two cadmium colors are included for the richest possible warm tones, plus Schmincke’s best ultramarine blue. The colors included are: lemon yellow, cadmium yellow light, cadmium red light, permanent carmine, ultramarine finest, Prussian blue, phthalo green, permanent green olive, yellow ochre, English Venetian red, sepia brown, and ivory black.

These twelve half pans are contained in a fold-out travel box with finger loop and plenty of enameled mixing space. Enamel is a great mixing surface because the paint spreads out with minimal beading up. It’s also very easy to clean.

The Schmincke Horadam Half Pan Set is a wonderful choice for any serious watercolorist, and it’s a thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates craftsmanship and quality materials.

Made in Germany.