Schmincke: Over 140 Years of German Precision in Artist Materials

Schmincke is one of the oldest and most respected art materials manufacturers in the world, producing professional-grade watercolours, gouache, and oil paints from their facility in Erkrath, Germany since 1881. For more than 140 years, the company has maintained a commitment to technical excellence and pigment quality that has made Schmincke products the choice of professional painters, illustrators, and art educators worldwide. In a market increasingly dominated by manufacturers who compromise on pigment load and material quality to reduce costs, Schmincke remains committed to producing materials that perform at the highest possible level, regardless of the cost implications.

The company was founded by Hermann Schmincke and Josef Horadam in 1881, and the Horadam name lives on in Schmincke's flagship watercolour line, the Horadam Aquarell, which is widely considered one of the finest professional watercolour ranges available anywhere. This continuity of name and tradition reflects the company's deep respect for its founding principles: that artists deserve materials made with the finest available pigments, formulated with technical precision, and produced with the consistency that professional work requires.

Horadam Aquarell: The Watercolour Standard

The Schmincke Horadam Aquarell range is the product that defines the company's reputation among watercolourists worldwide. Available in 140 colours, the Horadam range is formulated with the highest possible pigment concentration, producing colours of exceptional intensity and luminosity that remain vibrant even when heavily diluted. The pigment load in Horadam watercolours is noticeably higher than in most competing professional ranges, which means that a small amount of paint goes a long way and that the colours retain their character even in very thin washes.

Each colour in the Horadam range is formulated with the minimum number of pigments necessary to achieve the desired colour, with many colours being single-pigment formulations. This approach to colour formulation gives painters maximum control over colour mixing, because single-pigment colours mix more cleanly and predictably than multi-pigment formulations. Schmincke publishes detailed pigment information for every colour in the range, including the specific pigment codes, lightfastness ratings, transparency or opacity, and granulation characteristics.

Granulation is a property of certain watercolour pigments that causes them to settle into the texture of the paper in a characteristic way, creating a granular, textured appearance that many watercolourists find beautiful and expressive. Schmincke's Horadam range includes a number of naturally granulating colours, and the company has also developed a range of granulating watercolours specifically formulated to produce strong granulation effects. These colours are particularly popular with landscape painters who want to create textured skies, rocky surfaces, and other natural textures.

The Horadam range is available in pans, half pans, and tubes, with a range of sets designed for different working situations. The Horadam Super Granulation series, introduced in recent years, extends the granulation possibilities of the range with colours that produce dramatic, highly textured effects that are difficult to achieve with conventional watercolours.

Akademie Gouache and Designers Gouache

Schmincke's Akademie Gouache and Designers Gouache ranges are among the finest gouache products available. Gouache is an opaque water-based medium that has been used by illustrators, designers, and fine artists for centuries, and Schmincke's formulations maintain the high pigment load and consistent opacity that professional gouache work requires.

The Designers Gouache range is formulated for the precise, flat colour work required in graphic design and illustration, with colours that dry to a consistent matte finish and can be rewetted and reworked. The Akademie Gouache range is designed for fine art use, with a slightly more flexible formulation that is better suited to layered painting techniques.

Both ranges are available in a wide selection of colours, including a range of neutral greys and blacks that are essential for illustration work, and a selection of fluorescent and metallic colours that extend the expressive possibilities of the medium.

Mussini Oil Paints

The Schmincke Mussini oil paint range is one of the most technically sophisticated oil paint formulations available. Named after the nineteenth-century German painter Heinrich Eduard Mussini, who developed a resin-oil painting technique that produced paintings of exceptional luminosity and durability, the Mussini range incorporates natural resins into the paint formulation to create a medium that handles beautifully, dries to a luminous finish, and has exceptional archival properties.

The resin content in Mussini paints gives them a characteristic transparency and depth that is different from conventional oil paints. Colours have a jewel-like quality when applied in thin layers, and the paint handles with a smoothness and responsiveness that many painters find superior to conventional oil formulations. The Mussini range is particularly popular with painters who work in glazing techniques, where the transparency and luminosity of the paint are especially important.

The range covers more than 100 colours, with detailed technical information about each pigment, its lightfastness, and its specific handling characteristics. Like all Schmincke products, the Mussini range is formulated with the highest quality pigments available, and the company's commitment to lightfastness means that painters can be confident that their work will retain its colour over time.

Technical Documentation and Support

One of the most valuable aspects of working with Schmincke products is the quality of the technical documentation the company provides. Every product comes with detailed information about its pigment composition, lightfastness ratings, and specific handling characteristics. The company's website provides comprehensive colour charts, technical data sheets, and application guides that give painters the information they need to use the products effectively.

Schmincke also maintains relationships with art educators and professional painters worldwide, providing technical support and educational resources that help artists get the most from their materials. The company's commitment to transparency about its formulations reflects a respect for artists' intelligence and a confidence in the quality of its products.

Availability and Distribution

Schmincke products are distributed internationally through specialist art supply retailers. In the United States, they are available through major art supply retailers including Blick Art Materials, Jerry's Artarama, and other professional art supply stores. In the UK, they are available through Jackson's Art Supplies, Cass Art, and other specialist retailers. The company also sells directly through its website for customers in Germany and surrounding countries.

The premium pricing of Schmincke products reflects the genuine cost of high-quality pigments and careful formulation. For professional painters who depend on their materials performing consistently and reliably, the investment in Schmincke products is justified by the quality of the results and the confidence that comes from working with materials that have been trusted by professional artists for over 140 years.

The Bottom Line

Schmincke represents the highest standard in German art materials manufacturing, combining over 140 years of tradition with ongoing technical innovation to produce watercolours, gouache, and oil paints that are among the finest available anywhere. For professional painters who demand the best from their materials, Schmincke's Horadam watercolours, Akademie gouache, and Mussini oil paints provide the pigment quality, technical consistency, and archival reliability that serious work requires.