Issue number 2 free

Celebrate
Introducing Smalt,
our Commemorative
Water Colour
ARTISAN™
Water Mixable Oil
Colour explained

SIZE MATTERS
Painting with Water Colour
on a large scale – an
increasingly popular trend
CELEBRATING
175 YEARS
A fascinating history of
Winsor & Newton
 Editor’s Welcome

W elcome to this special issue of Painting

Matters, celebrating the 175th
Anniversary of Winsor & Newton.
Winsor & Newton was founded in 1832 by
William Winsor & Henry Newton who built their
business on the marriage of art and science,
determined to respond to the needs of
artists and offer them the widest choice of

What is
colours with the greatest permanence.
175 years on, the tradition of quality and innovation continues
as we actively embrace new ideas, materials and technologies.

SMALT?
Featured in this edition is our latest innovation, a range of Artists'
Water Colour Large Pans. Developed to satisfy those artists who wish
to paint on a larger scale the pans offer more than 13 times the surface
area of a half pan. This approach typifies our ethos: to work with and

respond to the needs of artists in order to provide new opportunities to
explore creativity.
We have also developed ‘Smalt’. A limited edition water colour which
brings the front cover of Painting Matters alive. There is no better way for
the artist to celebrate the anniversary alongside Winsor & Newton than
to create a one-off masterpiece with this beautiful colour.
In our 175th year we continue to be the largest supplier of the highest
quality artists’ materials in the world. As we look back on 175 years of
colour making we recognise that the single most important element in
sustaining our business is you the artist. Thank you for your continued
support and keep your eye out for lots of celebratory activity throughout
2007. Enjoy our anniversary year!
If you want to know more about the history of Winsor & Newton
then why not visit the special anniversary section of our website,
www.winsornewton.com
I
n 2007 to celebrate 175 years of colour making,
Winsor & Newton are delighted to introduce this
unique commemorative water colour.
Smalt, also known as Dumont’s Blue, was the first cobalt
colourant, used by the Egyptians and in classical times to colour
glass. The grinding of cobalt-coloured glass for use as a pigment
came into common usage in Europe during the 15th century until
the pigment became obsolete.
In 1890, J Scott Taylor, our Scientific Director for 50 years,
labelled up a small jar ‘best quality’ Smalt. In 2006, Peter Waldron,
our Senior Research Chemist opened that jar, made up a wash and
began work to formulate the closest modern alternative.
Through a special selection of raw materials and experience,
Peter has achieved the closest modern alternative to our 1890
colour, a beautiful blue, that cannot be mixed from ordinarily
available water colours. Its beauty in water colour is its bright, deep
colour, moderate strength and large particle structure, resulting in
washes which sparkle and suggest texture without overpowering
the other parts of the picture.

Neil Montgomery,
Winsor & Newton Brand Marketing Director
Contributors to this issue
Emma Pearce
On graduation from The Slade School of Fine Art, Emma taught Methods and
Materials at many colleges, including The Slade, UCL; The Ruskin School of
Drawing, Oxford University and the Tate Gallery, and wrote for a number of
magazines including Artists’ & Illustrators and Leisure Painter.
Author of Artists’ Materials, The Complete Sourcebook of Methods and Media,
Emma also has fifteen years experience as Technical Adviser at Winsor & Newton.
Michael Skalka
A graduate of Rutgers and Syracuse Universities, American artist, Michael
Skalka, has been Conservation Administrator at the American National Gallery
of Art for over 20 years. Inspired by local landscapes in Maryland and in
Southern California, Michael uses a range of media including oils, pastels,
water colour and acrylic. Michael also serves on the Pastel Task Force for the
American Society of Testing and Materials.
Sarah Williams
Sarah graduated from the University of Exeter with a first class degree in
Archaeology and European Study in 2001. Having completed a Graduate

contents
Artisan explained page 3
Artists' Water Colour Large Pans page 4
Interview with artist Susan Shatter page 5
175th anniversary feature page 6
What's new from Winsor & Newton page 8
Training Scheme at L’Oréal she worked in Marketing on their Skincare category.
Sarah is currently a Senior Product Manager for Winsor & Newton and looks after
our Water colour, Acrylics, Graphics and Gift categories.
Sarah Palmer
Sarah graduated from the University of the West of England with a combined
Business Studies and Combined Science degree in 2000. Since then she has
worked in marketing for a number of well known brands including Ready Mix
Concrete and Henkel. Sarah is currently a Product Manager for Winsor &
Newton and looks after our artists’ brushes including Series 7, as well as our oil
colour and mediums categories.

P a g e T W O
A rtisan Water Mixable
Oil Colour has all the
qualities of traditional
oil colour and yet doesn’t
require the use of hazardous
solvents. It can be thinned with
water or any Artisan medium
and on top of this it can also
be cleaned up with soap and
water!
Water Mixable Oil Colour explained…
T raditional oil colour has a
rich, thick, buttery quality
fresh from the tube and is
an exceptionally popular medium
due to its versatility. This offers the
artist excellent results for such time
honoured techniques as blending,
glazing, impasto and scumbling - the
exact same can be said of Artisan.
WHAT IS ARTISAN?
Like traditional oil colour, Artisan
Water Mixable Oil Colour is made
from linseed oil and safflower oil.
The only difference is that the
linseed oil and safflower oil used in
Artisan have been modified so that
they will mix with water. Artisan
has been specifically developed
to appear and work just like
conventional oil colour.
The depth of colour, buttery
consistency, lightfastness, opacity/
transparency, performance and
drying times of Artisan allow
artists to use this range for
all oil colour techniques.
HOW does
ARTISAN
DIFFER from
conventional
OIL COLOUR?
The key difference between
Artisan Water Mixable Oil Colour
and conventional oils is their ability
to mix and clean up with water.
Artists using conventional oil colour
will require the use of solvents such
as turpentine or white spirit (mineral
spirits) for use when painting and for
cleaning up their materials.
On the other hand Artisan colour
can be used with water or Artisan
mediums, oils and thinners – all
by Sarah Palmer
WHO SHOULD USE ARTISAN?
Artisan is ideal for:-
• Oil painters who are sensitive to,
or simply want to avoid exposure
to solvents such as white spirit
(mineral spirits) or turpentine.
• Students and teachers in schools
and colleges where the use of oil
colour is prohibited because of
the solvents.
• Artists working in shared studio
space where the build up of
solvent levels could lead to a
harmful concentration of vapours
and a generally unpleasant odour.
• Artists who work within a small
home environment and wish to
reduce the odour of oil painting.
• For travel, all Artisan products
(Colour & Mediums) can be
transported on aeroplanes.
(Subject to the agreement of
the airline)
of which are completely free from
hazardous solvents. Plus all brushes
and equipment can be cleaned up
with soap and water, only; therefore
avoiding the need to use any
hazardous solvents from start to
finish. As a result, artists can enjoy a
safer painting environment.
The ARTISAN Range
The Artisan range offers a
balanced spectrum of 40 colours
across two Series. Both Series are
available in 37ml tubes, and 31
Series 1 colours are available in
200ml (all colours are available in
the USA). The Artisan range also
offers a selection of sets containing
assorted colours – a perfect
introduction to Artisan colour.
As with conventional oil
painting, mediums allow you
to alter the characteristics and
working properties of your tube
colour. Artisan has its own specially
developed range of Thinners, Oils,
Mediums and Varnishes to allow
all techniques to be achieved with
Artisan colours. There are eleven
in total, nine are in 75ml and 250ml
bottles (varnish remover is only
available in 75ml bottles) and Impasto
Medium in 60ml and 200ml tubes.
SAFER STUDIO PRACTICE
WITH ARTISAN - NO
HAZARDOUS SOLVENTS
P a g e T HREE

T he latest innovation from Winsor & Newton™ is the
development of a range of Artists’ Water Colour Large
Pans. These have been developed to respond to the
needs of those artists who wish to paint on a large scale.
S ince 1835 when Henry
Newton and William Winsor
introduced the very first moist
water colours to the world, much of
our reputation for supreme quality
has stemmed from the Artists’ Water
Colour range.
More than 170 years later, the
original Winsor & Newton moist
water colour continues to be
formulated and manufactured
according to our founding
principles: to create an unparalleled
water colour range which offers
artists the widest and most balanced
choice of pigments with the greatest
possible permanence.
The development of the very first
moist water colour, known as pan
colour today, was a revolutionary
introduction. Strong, vibrant colour
was available instantly with the use
of a wet brush.
At Winsor & Newton we are very
proud that during the 170 years
since, Artists’ Water Colour has
enjoyed constant development.
Thirty of the most popular colours
from Artists’ Water Colour are
now available in a Large Pan
format, ranging from Series 1 to 4.
For those using colours in
larger quantities, we have also
introduced Artists’ Water Colour
in 37ml tubes, available in 35
popular colours.
The colour range can be seen
at www.winsornewton.com or in
the Large Pan leaflet available at
your local store.
P a g e fou r
Artists’ Water Colour
Following the introduction of
moist colour in pans, the first water
colour in tubes arrived in 1842,
compounding the popularity of this
medium. By the end of the 19th
century water colour had overtaken
oils as the most commonly used
media.
The permanence of Artists’ Water
Colour has increased steadily during
its history, and never more so than
in the late 20th century when over
50 new colours were introduced,
all with greater permanence than
previously possible.
Artists’ Water
Colour Large
Pans – an exciting
innovation
At the beginning of the 21st
century, Artists’ Water Colour is
again entering a new and exciting
age. Winsor & Newton has
developed Artists’ Water Colour
Large Pans, offering a completely
new format with which to paint, in
this, the 175th Anniversary year for
Winsor & Newton.
Painting with water colour
on a large scale is a trend that is
becoming increasingly popular.
More and more artists are
experimenting with water colour’s
fascinating versatility to create
larger, more dramatic water colours.
For many painters, choosing
water colour is about the
accessibility and simplicity of the
medium. The availability of the pure,
vibrant colour from such a large
Large Pan actual
size 60x40mm.
Large Pans
by Sarah Williams & Emma Pearce
surface certainly makes water colour
even more inviting and inspiring.
With more than 13 times the surface
area of a half pan, and 6 times that
of a whole pan, Large Pans are ideal
the paler wash is required first.
Each Large Pan colour is
contained in a ceramic dish specially
developed by Winsor & Newton;
the sides slope to help you control
for loading larger brushes with full the quantity of wash held in your
strength colour; perfect for broad, brush and these are stackable so
flowing washes. that they can be easily stored in the
For the first time, artists will be studio.
able to use their larger brushes to If you prefer to house the
their full potential and for generous Large Pans together, we have also
areas of colour, like skies, this gives developed a five pan tray, the "Large
a real immediacy and speed which Pans System", which includes a
has not been possible with the brush rest. These wooden trays may
smaller pans. also be stacked if you wish.
The larger format pans also allow
the artist to enjoy the different
strengths of wash which come
naturally to the tube and pan
variants of each colour. Tube colours
make stronger washes immediately
whilst pans need some working to
build up the strength of the wash.
It can be much more convenient
to use the large pan rather than
diluting a tube wash, especially as
 Water Colour
on a grand scale
by Michael Skalka
F or centuries the notion that
water colour is the domain
of fairly small, detailed and
jewel-like paintings has dominated.
The high point of water colour
painting appears to have been the
Romantic Period in 19th century
England. Even if you are not familiar
with the names of these English
watercolourists, we are familiar
with the images of soft, muted
landscapes in exotic locations with
lush vegetation. Add ancient ruins
that recall the classical past and you
have all the elements that embodied
Romantic English water colours.
The sizes of these paintings were all
relatively small.
Breaking
Boundaries
Winslow Homer had a profound
influence on late 19th and 20th
century water colour paintings. His
work elevated water colour to a
high level of importance and set the
stage for many prominent artists to
take up water colour and expand
the vocabulary of the medium.
Throughout the 20th century, water
colour paintings became larger and
bolder as technologies advanced.
Artists exploited the medium and
worked with the inherent properties
of the finely ground pigments.
In water colour, pigments show
their true characteristics easily
– transparency, opacity, granulation
(when pigments separate into grainy
clusters) as well as their natural
degree of staining.
One modern day artist who
continues to embrace the notion
of working large in a medium that
is known for small delicate works
is Susan Shatter. The logistics of
large format means that an artist
must scale up materials, tools and
are translated into paper that is
51 inches high and 360 inches
long. While Susan does not work
an entire 10-yard roll of paper all
at once, it allows her to create
the appliances that are used to pieces that are beyond the largest
accommodate works of such size. manufactured sheet size, 'Emperor'
For Susan, water colour “pads” (40" x 60").
The boulders,
swirling foam
and translucent
shimmering surf
transport the viewer
to a vantage point
just above the
rocks and water to
carefully examine
the wide variety
of colour found
in these common
objects.
Looking Out, 2006
50" x 60"
Susan’s Method
• In preparing her paints, a palette would be far too confining. Susan
prepares her colours in containers of varying size, depending on how
much paint is required for her composition.
• She uses about 18 colours for a typical painting including French

Ultramarine, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna.
Susan applies paint with hake brushes.
• On paintings larger than 40" x 60", Susan lays out an oversize piece of
paper on the floor or mounted to a wall, marks the boundaries of her
painting and then wisely employs the edges for colour testing during the
painting process.
• Once completed, the edges are trimmed to create a finished work ready
for framing.
Crash, 2006 42 x 116 inches
The soft powdery surface of a dry
water colour becomes magnified
when painting large. The granularity
and interaction of pigment with the
qualities of the paper are greatly
emphasized. An artist can bring out
the best qualities of water colour in
a large format and enjoy the ease
of laying down wash after wash of
transparent colour in a bold new
way.
Susan Shatter’s compositions
examine rock filled coastlines. Susan
carefully plots out her work. The
paper is expensive and mistakes at
this size are hard to disguise. She
lays out the warm and cool areas
of the painting. Working in thin
washes the rocks and water are built
up layer by layer. Layering creates
the optical mixing effects that are
apparent in her work. Susan prefers
to avoid the use of masking fluid
leaving voids for the white areas
instead and carefully paints around
them. Frequently she paints the
sea and rock formations in harsh
light. In Susan’s hands, water
colour becomes ideal for depicting
rock wet by the action of waves.
Passages of wet into wet paint
capture the essence of water bathed
in refracted sunlight.
The hard water colour cakes
of the past forced the artists to
paint small paintings. The advent
of large tubes and pans of colour
provides the means to have massive
quantities of paint readily available
to apply to the surface of large
sheets of paper.
P a g e f i v e
 Winsor & Newton - Past, Present, Future ™

1832 - 1850 1851 - 1900

1851 Great
Exhibition takes
place in the Crystal
Palace.
Winsor & Newton
were awarded
the only prize
medal open to
competitors for
artists’ colours.
This was the first
of many successful
1832 Winsor & Newton exhibitions.
is founded.
William Winsor, a chemist, 1882 Winsor & Newton
and Henry C. Newton, an Limited Company is
artist, enter into partnership formed.
at 38 Rathbone Place, London. The newly incorporated
firm included members
of both families amongst
the shareholders, with
Newtons employed until
1841 Royal the late 1970’s.
Warrant issued by
Queen Victoria
& Prince Albert.
1892 The Composition
& Permanence of Artists’
Colours first published.
A publication wholly
dedicated to empower
1835 The world’s 1842 William Winsor the artist with accurate
first moist water patented the first information about their
colours are screw cap mechanism materials.
launched. for a collapsible
This enabled metal tube.
artists such as Following this, tubes
Turner to paint were quickly accepted
even more as containers for oil
prolifically as colours as opposed to
they were much pigs’ bladders, which
easier to use. made painting
outdoors far easier.

P a g e S IX
 175 years of colour making
1901 - 1950 1951 - 2007

2000 Winsor & Newton

run the world’s largest
1940’s Advertising 1976 The world’s first artists’ painting competition to
Campaign. alkyd range is launched. celebrate the Millennium.
This fast drying oil colour range, now “Our World in the Year
called Griffin Alkyd, enables outdoor artists 2000” attracts entries from
1937 Winsor & Newton and designers to complete oil paintings over 22,000 artists in 51
launch Designers’ in a fraction of the time required with different countries, with
Gouache. conventional oils. judging chaired by
H.R.H The Prince of Wales.

1937 Colour
Works open
at present day
Harrow Site.

1946 Brush
making facility
1998 Launch of Artisan Water Mixable
opens in
Oil Colour.
Lowestoft.
This range which can be thinned and
cleaned up with water allows artists
to enjoy oil colour without the use of
hazardous solvents.
2007 Winsor & Newton celebrate
175 years of colour making.
To mark the occasion, Smalt, a beautiful
blue pigment which was originally
available from Winsor & Newton in
the 19th century is re-introduced as a
limited edition colour.

The last 175 years have been dedicated to meeting

the needs of artists. As we look to the future it is this
commitment to artists that will ensure we continue to
provide the world’s finest artists’ materials.

P a g e S EVE N
W h a t’s N e w f r o m W I N S O R & N E W T O N™

NEW NEW Artists' Water Colour Paper

I ntroducing the new range of Artists' Water Colour Paper. A high quality artists'
water colour paper with a cold pressed/NOT surface, made using acid-free

Artists’ Water fibres so that your water colour painting stays cleaner and brighter for longer.
Artists' Water Colour
Paper is a mould

Colour Sable made, wood free

paper of crisp white
colour. With internal
and external sizing

L ook out for our new range of for control, this helps
remove errors and
brushes. ‘Artists' Water Colour allows scratching out.
Sable’ as the name suggests
has been developed especially for Available in weights
of 140lb/300gsm
water colour artists.
in gummed and
The brushes are made by hand, spiral pads, and
using specially selected Kolinsky 200lb/425gsm in
Sable hair to ensure excellent colour a luxury hard-back
carrying, point and shape retention in sketchbook, Artists'
Water Colour Paper
every brush. Plus a unique contoured is a must for the
matt finish handle providing a artist who demands
number of painting positions and the quality.
ultimate in comfort and control.
With 30 short handled brushes in
total and four popular head shapes it
The Artisan™ family just got bigger…
is quick and easy for you to choose
the appropriate Artists' Water Colour
Sable brush for your painting needs.

W ith the introduction of 31 Series 1 colours in 200ml we have also

developed new mediums which allow artists to achieve all the traditional
oil colour techniques and styles using exclusively Artisan. There are 6 new
products a Thinner, Safflower Oil, Gloss, Satin & Matt Varnishes and a Varnish
Remover.
In addition to 200ml tubes and new mediums we have also introduced two
new Artisan tube sets – 10x21ml + 10x37ml with 10 colours in each set, giving
the artist a wider palette of colours to choose from.

Published by Winsor & Newton, Whitefriars Avenue, Harrow, HA3 5RH, England © Winsor & Newton 2007. www.winsornewton.com 7544968
WINSOR & NEWTON, SERIES 7, ARTISAN and the GRIFFIN device are trademarks.

P a g e e i g h t