Schmincke Bijoux Set: Vintage Retro Watercolor Review
You can find my video review on youtube: https://youtu.be/wi7EgcRdlDo
Watercolour enthusiasts and professionals alike often seek the perfect combination of portability, colour vibrancy, and archival-quality paints. Schmincke, a German brand renowned for its exceptional watercolour offerings, has created the Schmincke Horadam Watercolour Paint Retro Set Half Pan Set of 8 Travel Tin to meet the needs of both experienced artists and those just starting their watercolour journey. This review explores the set’s features, performance, and value to help you decide if it's the right choice for your artistic endeavours.
Packaging and Presentation
The Schmincke Horadam Watercolour Paint Retro Set comes housed in a sleek, compact, and durable travel tin. The retro-inspired design is both functional and visually appealing. Its sturdy metal case is small enough to fit in a bag, making it ideal for plein air painting or travel. The set contains 8 half-pans, which are securely placed in a convenient layout that makes it easy to access each colour.
Inside the tin, there is also a removable mixing palette, which is an essential feature for artists who need to blend and mix colours while on the go. The palette has a smooth, white surface that provides ample space for mixing, while the tin’s lid can also be used as an additional mixing surface.
While the travel tin is compact, it offers a surprising amount of room for watercolour brushes, sponges, or even a small sketchbook, making this set a practical solution for artists who value portability.
Colour Selection and Quality
The Schmincke Horadam Watercolour Paint Retro Set contains 8 carefully selected colours, which provide a balanced range of hues for both mixing and direct application. The set includes a mix of primary colours, earth tones, and a couple of more neutral shades. For this particular set, the colours are:
Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue (PY35)
Permanent Carmine (PR176)
Cobalt Blue (PB28)
French Ultramarine (PB29)
Yellow Ochre (PY42)
Burnt Sienna (PBr7)
Ivory Black (PBk9)
Chinese White (PW4)
This set provides a great starting point for artists who want to explore the versatility of Schmincke's paints while keeping their palette manageable. The colour choices reflect Schmincke’s commitment to creating professional-grade pigments. The hues are rich, saturated, and maintain their brilliance even when diluted with water.
One of the standout qualities of the Horadam line is its intense pigment concentration, which delivers high opacity in some colours and remarkable transparency in others. The colours in this set rewet easily, ensuring that artists can use the paint straight from the pan or mix with water for more subtle washes.
Schmincke’s unique Horadam formulation also incorporates a honey-based medium, which enhances the paint’s vibrancy and longevity. This feature ensures that once applied to paper, the watercolour layers remain vibrant, making it a great choice for both fine art projects and casual studies.
Performance and Ease of Use
The performance of the Schmincke Horadam watercolours is where this set truly shines. Artists will find that the paints rewet easily, even after sitting for some time, which is a huge benefit when working with a travel set. There is no need to apply excessive water to activate the pigment, which means less waste and more time spent painting.
The half-pan size is also an advantage for travellers and plein air artists who prefer portability over the large tubes found in traditional sets. The paint has a creamy consistency when mixed with water, allowing for smooth application without streaking. The colours are rich and blend beautifully, allowing for a wide range of washes, gradients, and colour mixing possibilities.
The opacity and transparency of the individual colours vary, and the Horadam line excels at delivering nuanced washes when required. This set is ideal for both detailed, fine work and larger washes, giving artists the flexibility to experiment with different techniques. Whether you’re layering delicate washes or creating bold, vibrant areas of colour, the results are stunning.
Durability and Lightfastness
Schmincke is known for its commitment to lightfastness, and the Horadam line does not disappoint. The paints in this retro set are highly lightfast, meaning the colours will not fade over time, even under exposure to light. For professional artists who create artwork for galleries or exhibitions, this is a crucial consideration.
The longevity of the paint ensures that any watercolour pieces you create with this set will stand the test of time, offering value well beyond the initial investment.
Value for Money
The Schmincke Horadam Watercolour Paint Retro Set Half Pan Set of 8 Travel Tin is positioned at the higher end of the watercolour paint market. However, the quality of the pigments, the portability of the set, and the attention to detail in the packaging make it a worthwhile investment for artists who prioritize performance over cost.
While it may not be the most affordable option for beginners, those who appreciate top-tier watercolour paints will find that the Horadam watercolours provide outstanding value. The set offers a good variety of colours that can be used in almost any watercolour application, and the high quality of the paints makes it a reliable choice for professionals.
You can buy this set on discount here: https://amzn.to/3CLyy50
Who Is This Set For?
This watercolour set is perfect for:
Plein air artists: Its compact, travel-friendly design makes it ideal for painting outdoors.
Professional artists: The high pigment concentration, lightfastness, and smooth application ensure that this set meets the needs of more experienced users.
Art students or hobbyists: While the price point may be a bit high for complete beginners, the quality and longevity of the paints make it a great choice for those looking to invest in quality watercolours that will last.
Anyone seeking portability: If you need a compact yet powerful watercolour set, this one offers a complete palette of colours that perform exceptionally well without the bulk.
Final Thoughts
The Schmincke Horadam Watercolour Paint Retro Set Half Pan Set of 8 Travel Tin is a premium, portable watercolour set that combines the best of Schmincke's renowned pigments with a sleek, travel-friendly design. It offers a vibrant and reliable colour selection, excellent mixing capabilities, and lightfastness, making it suitable for both professional artists and serious hobbyists. While it may come with a higher price tag, the quality of the paints and the practicality of the set are worth the investment for those who value superior performance. Whether you’re painting in your studio or en plein air, this set ensures that your artistic journey is filled with vibrant, lasting colour.
Loved reading your thoughts on this. I love this palette and the packaging is so cute. Love the retro style of this set. It's also a really good colour selection.