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Recently I learnt about super granulation watercolours and was amazed at the things you can do with them. I always enjoy discovering new art supplies and experimenting with them (who doesn’t!). In this post, I’ll tell you more about my experiments with Schmincke’s HORADAM super granulation watercolour paint.
You might be wondering what super granulation watercolour paint means and how it differs from other types of watercolour paint. Let’s dive into it:
HORADAM watercolours consist of 139 colours in the form of pans and tubes; 50 of them are Marshasupergranulating colours for spectacular surface effects. Super-granulating colours have a specific feature in Horadam’s colour range. These colours are the result of combining two or more granulating pigments, leading to supergranulation.
If you apply it to paper, you will see layers of different colours that have been used to make the make the specific colour. This all depends on the amount of water you have used and the layering of the colours before it – see the example photo above. Let’s take a closer look at how this separation of colours happens on paper.
As you can see below, ordinary granulation creates a smooth, kind of textural effect as the pigment settles deep into the paper. Supergranulation takes a bolder step and combines multiple pigments, separates them and creates a magical separated yet interwoven hues and colours on paper. Take Schmincke’s ‘Galaxy Pink 971’, for example: it not only creates a uniform pinkish granulation, but splits into a beautiful mix of deep pink and cool shades of grey, creating a complex colour that would not be possible with a single granulating colour.
Swatches showing plain granulation vs super granulation of Schmincke’s Galaxy Pink (971). As you can see from the swatches above, I experimented and put ordinary granules of a colour similar to Schmincke’s Galaxy Pink side by side. To see how the pigments on paper dance with different techniques, I tried the wet-on-wet and tilt/move technique to see how the medium reacts when exposed to a lot of water.
I started experimenting with Schmincke’s HORADAM super-granulating watercolour paints in February 2025, I was on holiday in the Algarve, Portugal. The sun, the delicious food and the weather were my inspiration. When travelling, I always take my sketchbook, a few colours and brushes with me, just in case inspiration strikes. In this case, I took the small tubes with me because of the limited luggage space.
As you may know, Portugal is known for its beautiful and colourful tiles also calledAzulejo. After the initial swatching, as an experiment, I used paint and sketched tile shapes, patterns and colours I saw while walking in the Algarve. This was a really fun way to use Schmincke’s watercolour paints and try out the intensity of the colours to try out.
Fast forward: I arrived back in the Netherlands and there were still two boxes of art supplies waiting for me to be unpacked – watch the unpacking video here. As I had more tubes of paint and supplies to experiment with, I made an extensive swatch of the paints to get a feel for each paint on fine paper. I enjoyed trying out the granulation of the colours try out, so what I did was grab one of the paint tubes (Deep Sea Green), make a rectangle on paper with water and then add the paint (shown on the left below). As you can see, you can see a turquoise/green/blue colour mixing together. On the right-hand side I did exactly the same, but added some grains of salt at the end. It created a nice texture on paper.
I also filled my new palette with these beautiful colours so that I can take them with me when I travel.
The list of colours is as follows:
● Glacier black 965
● Tundra green 985
● Forest grey 945
● Shire yellow 931
● Shire green 933
● Glacier green 963
● Glacier turquoise 962
● Tundra blue 984
● Galaxy black 975
● Deep sea green 954
● Volcano red 913
● Volcano orange 912
● Urban yellow 916
● Volcano yellow 911
● Galaxy pink 971
● Tundra violet 983
● Forest green 942
● Forest Olive 941
● Haze black 970
● Haze indigo 968
● Galaxier blue 961
When I was back home, I realised I was really enjoying the sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea. I got up extra early to see this breathtaking view. To experience the feeling I got looking at this view, I decided to paint it with my new paint and frame the painting for myself at home.
I painted this work using the wet-on-wet technique on rough 26 x 36 cm (300 gsm) paper. Below I have shared a few photos of the reference, the process and the final artwork.
Overall, I have to say that I really enjoyed working with this medium and I see myself using it more for special grainy effects in my paintings. It is definitely a special kind of watercolour paint, which somehow feels magical when used because of the graininess of the colours.
Thank you Gerstaecker team for providing the materials and the opportunity to experiment with this medium.
I hope sharing my experience with this medium helps you on your journey. If you have any questions, additional tips or just want to say hello, stop by my Instagram page. If you think that someone else will benefit from this blog, please feel free to share it with them.
Introduction: I am a landscape and nature-inspired artist based in the Netherlands, passionate about traveling & working with oil, acrylics, and watercolors. While I’ve been formally trained in oil and acrylic painting, I’ve also embraced the challenge of teaching myself watercolor—always eager to explore new techniques and creative possibilities. Painting is my escape, a place where time stands still, bringing me peace and joy. Through my art, I hope to share that same sense of happiness, positivity, and inspiration with others.
• Instagram handle: paintingsbymahsa
• Website: www.paintingsbymahsa.nl
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