There are some watercolours that simply add colour to your page, and then there are Daniel Smith watercolours, paints that feel as if they have a little bit of earth, history, science and magic mixed into every tube.
At The Deckle Edge, we have expanded our Daniel Smith watercolour 15ml tube range, and it is one of those exciting additions that watercolour artists will want to explore slowly. Not because the range is complicated, but because it is full of personality. Some colours are smooth and glowing. Some granulate beautifully. Some separate in surprising ways. Some are made from natural minerals and semi-precious stones. And some colours behave so interestingly on paper that they can do half the storytelling for you.
For South African watercolourists, this makes Daniel Smith especially exciting. Our landscapes are full of dramatic contrasts: Table Mountain shadows, Karoo dust, fynbos greens, granite rocks, coastal mist, bright winter skies, old buildings, dry grasses and deep blue sea. Daniel Smith watercolours are perfect for capturing those shifts in light, texture and atmosphere.
Why Daniel Smith Watercolours Are So Loved
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolours are professional artist-quality paints known for their high pigment strength, clarity, vibrancy and wide colour choice. The full Daniel Smith watercolour range includes 272 colours across Extra Fine, PrimaTek and Luminescent lines, and Daniel Smith says each batch is analysed for qualities such as lightfastness, colour value, tinting strength, clarity, vibrancy, undertone, particle size, density and viscosity.
In real artist language, that means the colours are strong, expressive and reliable. A small amount of paint goes a long way. The colours mix beautifully, many shades glaze well, and the range gives artists the freedom to build a very personal palette.
But the real reason artists get excited about Daniel Smith is that many of the colours do more than just sit flat on the page. They move, settle, bloom, separate and create texture in a way that feels very natural to watercolour.
The PrimaTek Story: Paint Made From Minerals
One of the most fascinating parts of the Daniel Smith range is PrimaTek.
PrimaTek colours are made using natural minerals, and the story began in 1998 with Lapis Lazuli, the gold-speckled blue gemstone famously associated with King Tutankhamun’s mask. Daniel Smith ground and formulated Lapis Lazuli into artist-quality watercolour paint, and the response was so positive that they later worked with a mineralogist to search for other natural pigments from around the world.
That means some Daniel Smith colours are not just inspired by minerals, they are made with them. The PrimaTek range includes colours linked to minerals and semi-precious stones such as Lapis Lazuli, Amethyst, Hematite, Jadeite, Rhodonite, Serpentine and Apatite.
This is what makes the name “The Jewel of Watercolours” feel so fitting. These paints are not ordinary colours. They have a gemstone-like story behind them.
Why Mineral Pigments Are So Interesting
Mineral pigments often behave differently from regular synthetic pigments. Many are heavier in body, which means they settle beautifully into the texture of cold press or rough watercolour paper. Daniel Smith describes PrimaTek watercolours as heavier pigments that settle into the valleys of the paper, creating granulation and texture.
This is incredibly useful when painting natural subjects. Instead of trying to paint every crack in a rock, every shadow in a mountain, or every speck of dry earth, you can let the pigment help you.
For South African artists, this is where Daniel Smith becomes really exciting. Imagine using granulating mineral colours for Table Mountain sandstone, Karoo roads and dusty landscapes and Fynbos shadows.
The paint creates natural texture without you having to overwork the surface.
Why South African Watercolourists Should Try Daniel Smith
South African light can be harsh, bright and full of contrast. Our shadows are strong, our landscapes are textured, and our colours shift dramatically from region to region.
Daniel Smith works beautifully for this because the range gives you both clarity and character. You can paint a clean botanical wash, a loose urban sketch, a moody mountain scene or a textured Karoo landscape using the same brand, just by choosing different pigments.
Useful Tip: Let The Pigment Do The Work
Here is a practical tip for using Daniel Smith granulating colours.
Paint a clean water wash onto cold press or rough watercolour paper. Drop in a granulating Daniel Smith colour while the surface is still wet. Then tilt your paper gently and leave it alone.
The important part is: do not fiddle.
Granulating pigments need time to settle. If you keep brushing over them, you can disturb the beautiful texture before it has a chance to form. Let the paint dry fully before judging it. Often the most interesting effects appear only once the paper is completely dry.
This technique is lovely for painting, mountains, stone walls, tree trunks, stormy skies, coastal rocks, old buildings, shadows in urban sketches and natural ground textures
It is especially useful if you sometimes overwork your watercolours. Daniel Smith can teach you to step back and trust the paint.
A Swatching Tip Most Artists Forget
Do not judge a Daniel Smith colour from one tiny swatch.
Make three swatches instead:
- A strong mix with lots of pigment
- A pale watery wash
- A wet-on-wet test on textured paper
Then let them dry completely.
Some Daniel Smith colours reveal their magic slowly. A colour may look simple when wet, then dry with beautiful undertones, soft separation or delicate granulation. This is especially true with PrimaTek and granulating colours.
If you are choosing colours for landscapes, urban sketching or florals, this kind of testing is much more useful than a quick stripe on smooth paper.
What About Lightfastness?
Lightfastness matters, especially if you sell your paintings, frame your work or enter exhibitions. Daniel Smith says its batches are tested for performance qualities including lightfastness, and there has also been helpful discussion online where Daniel Smith responded to artist concerns around lightfastness and pigment content in some colours.
The practical advice is simple: always check the pigment and lightfastness information on the tube or colour chart, especially for artworks that will be sold or displayed. This is good practice with any artist watercolour.
In South Africa, where sunlight can be very strong, it is also wise to frame watercolour paintings behind good glass and keep them out of direct sun.
Architect and urban sketcher Charl Marais, @art_cfm, created this beautiful urban watercolour artwork of The Deckle Edge using Daniel Smith watercolours.
Charl also teaches workshops at The Deckle Edge, where he shares his love for urban sketching, loose watercolour techniques and capturing the character of buildings, streets and everyday spaces.
Why Daniel Smith Is Great For Urban Sketching
Daniel Smith is a beautiful choice for urban sketchers because the colours are strong, portable and expressive.
For South African urban sketching, you often need to capture many textures quickly: pavement, mountain, trees, old plaster, rooftops, café umbrellas, people, road shadows and bright sky. A few well-chosen Daniel Smith colours can help you create life and atmosphere without carrying a huge palette.
Granulating colours are especially useful for walls, stone, trees and shadows. Transparent colours are lovely for glazing. Strong pigments are helpful when you need quick impact in a sketchbook before the light changes.
For urban sketchers, one special colour like Moonglow, Lunar Black, Green Apatite Genuine or Hematite Genuine can add instant mood and texture to a small palette.
“I love working with Daniel Smith Watercolour. You can just tell from the first brushstroke that the pigmentation is much more authentic. You can tell real natural products went into making the paint. I love the grain and texture it often leaves behind on the page and how much better the light can be controlled. Their pigments give the artwork a certain luminescence. They also have really amazing choices in their library of colours!”
Charl Marais
Daniel Smith watercolours are not just about colour. They are about behaviour.
They are for artists who love watching pigment move through water. Artists who enjoy texture. Artists who get excited when a colour settles into the paper, separates slightly, or creates an effect that looks like rock, earth, mist or shadow without being forced.
For South African watercolourists, Daniel Smith feels especially useful because our environment is so full of natural texture and strong light. These colours can help you paint what you see around you, from mountain stone and fynbos to old buildings, coastal skies and Karoo dust.
We have expanded our Daniel Smith watercolour range at The Deckle Edge, and now is a lovely time to explore these remarkable paints. Start with a few trusted colours, add one special mineral pigment, and see what happens when water, paper and pigment are allowed to do something beautiful together.
Daniel Smith really is the jewel of watercolours, rich in colour, full of character, and made for artists who like a little bit of magic in the mix.
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