Sennelier Extra Fine Watercolor Paint - 21ml Tubes

Aside from the unique, economical 21ml tube size, Sennelier Watercolors have other exceptional features. The binder used is a mixture of hand-picked Senegalese gum arabic and alpine honey. The honey gives the colors a rich, saturated appearance and a certain satiny luminosity, especially when applied fairly thickly. The pigments are ground repeatedly on granite grindstones for maximum fineness, allowing flawless washes.

Gustave Sennelier, a chemist by trade, thoroughly researched the history and usage of pigments to develop a distinctive process for manufacturing oil colors. The process involved the formulation of precise methods for mixing tones, and for controlling opacity and transparency. He opened the doors of the Maison Sennelier at 3 Quai Voltaire in 1887, grinding his own pigments in the back yard. The Parisian landmark remains unchanged to this day, facing the Louvre on the Left Bank, just around the corner from the École des Beaux Arts. The passing of more than a century has seen artists with names like Cézanne, Gauguin, Monet, Bonnard, Soutine, Picasso, Modigliani, Kandinsky, Chagall, and Dali pass through its doors.

The essential factor in the history of Sennelier is a passion for color, embodied in the choice of pigments used in Sennelier color ranges. Sennelier circles the globe to find classic and rare pigments that possess qualities that are both beautiful and unique. Sennelier can provide the artist with whatever materials are needed, no matter how esoteric or historic they may be. Sennelier has been a resource for artists since the era of the Impressionists, and that tradition continues today for all customers of the Maison Sennelier.

See our tutorial, "Semi-Abstractions with Watercolor", to learn how to blend abstraction and realism in your paintings.