It's Finally HERE!!

UPDATE: Kate (WetPaintArt.com's Customer Service Manager) sent some additional information to help all of you interested in the Schmincke 2015 Palette. She wanted you to have all the info you'll need to make the right purchase decision. Here's what she said,

"All of the colors except the Walnut Brown are minimally granulating. The Walnut Brown is very- granulating, which I included purposefully to give a color that can function as a texture source, essentially it dirties the colors up in a really beautiful way. My overall aim was for a vibrant, modern range of colors that mixes cleanly. The exceptions (are) Titanium Gold Ochre and Walnut Brown. They were included to give options for mellowing and texture respectively."

Kate also included great new photographs that are clearer and let you blow them up for a good look at all the colors. Thanks Kate!

My 2014 Schmincke Palette
(Click to Enlarge)

I purchased my Schmincke watercolor palette from Wet Paint last year. I was lucky to get it as only two weeks later there were none left. Mine was a Christmas gift so it was purchased around October or November, destined to be wrapped up and put under the tree. Well, Wet Paint has just come out with their 2015 Exclusive Schmincke set. Every year they try to vary the paint colors and the size of the palette so people who bought the previous year's palette won't have a duplicate. 

2015 Exclusive Schmincke Palette
from WetPaintArt.com

This is such a terrific deal. The price of just one half pan of Schmincke watercolor paint varies from $9 - $13, depending on the pigments used. Also, to purchase an empty metal palette is an expensive endeavor. What I've found in my search across the web over the years is that their prices range from $30 to $50, depending on the brand. Now, usually that does NOT include the plastic half pans that you'd need if you were using tube watercolors and filling your own half/full pans. You do, however get the plastic half/full pan when you buy pan paints, obviously. But many of us buy tube paints so we can refill our own pans at will when they get low in paint. So, just to purchase those is at least $0.50 and at most $1.50 per half/full pan!

Adding all the above information up lets you see just what a GREAT deal this exclusive Schmincke palette is. (THIS PALETTE IS NOW SOLD OUT, HERE'S THE LINK FOR THE NEW 2016 PALETTE)All the parts added up would be about $200, according to Wet Paint. Now, don't get me wrong, I get nothing out of telling you about this palette, I just thought it was the best deal going when I purchased mine and now that there's another one out, I knew my friends would be interested. (I have to admit, I want one too, lol. I would love to have a smaller palette to take out painting.) Mine holds twice the paint so it's a little bulky. This one would be perfect for Plein Air painting as well as studio work. In fact, I found out that I can push over the other pans and squeeze one more half pan for each row and looking at this new palette, I suspect that's the case here too. So, it will actually hold fourteen half pans. You would be able to choose two new colors over and above the twelve colors you get with this palette.

The Twelve Colors from the 2015 Schmincke Palette

The colors in this year's palette are pretty darn good. 
Here's the list:
211 - Chrome Yellow Lemon (PY175, transparent, semi-staining)
220 - Indian Yellow (PY110,PY154, transparent, semi-staining)
363 - Scarlet Red (PR254, semi-opaque, semi-stainging)
354 - Madder Red Dark (PV19, PR179, semi-transparent, non-staining)
352 - Magenta (PV42, semi-transparent, semi-staining)
498 - Dark Blue Indigo (PB60, semi-opaque, semi-staining)
478 - Helio Blue Reddish (PB15:6, PB15:2, semi-transparent, semi-staining)
475 - Helio Turquoise (PB16, semi-transparent, staining)
514 - Helio Green (PG36, semi-transparent, semi-staining)
659 - Titanium Gold Ochre (PBr24, opaque, staining)
670 - Madder Brown (PR206, semi-transparent, semi-staining)
652 - Walnut Brown (PBr33, opaque, staining)

(The Schmincke site does not give information on granulation)

Chrome Yellow Lemon

Indian Yellow

Scarlet Red

Madder Red Dark

Magenta

Dark Blue Indigo

Helio Blue Redish

Helio Turquoise

Helio Green

Titanium Gold Ochre

Madder Brown

Walnut Brown

Kate at Wet Paint took the time to mix a chart to show how beautifully these twelve watercolor paints work to create an extraordinary range of bright colors. (I just want to add a thank you to Kate who arranges all my deliveries. I live in Canada and she is so wonderful to find the best, safest and cheapest way to ship my orders in the quickest way possible. I really appreciate her diligence. She has also kept me informed about this palette's delivery date. She's absolutely terrific!)

Colors that you can mix with the twelve watercolors in the palette

2015 Exclusive Schmincke Palette

So that's all I know about the new 2015 Schmincke Palette (NEW 2016 PALETTE HERE) from Wet Paint. I sure hope all this information helps you decide whether you could use some fantastic new watercolor paints in a beautiful and good quality metal palette. By the way, there is a thumb ring on the back of the palette if you're painting on the go. If you'd like to learn more about watercolors and all the many pigments you can choose from, try Jane Blundell's website. She has a huge amount of swatches on many brands of paint. If you go up to the top right of her website under "Tutorials & Resources" you can learn a ton about cool and warm colors, why a split primary palette works well (like this Schmincke set) and so much more about watercolors. Roz Stendahl is also a great resource for watercolors. Go to her blog, Roz Wound Up, and put "Schmincke" into the search box (left hand side of the page, down a little) and you'll get a bunch of links that will give you huge info on Schmincke paint and watercolors in general.

In my humble opinion, Schmincke is one of the best watercolor paint makers. My two favorites are Daniel Smith and Schmincke. I will be talking all about my own palette that's filled with both Schmincke and Daniel Smith watercolors in a future post. 

Talk to you all soon! Happy painting & shopping, hehehe.

Best,

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