Roman Szmal Aquarius — Handmade Professional Watercolours from Poland
Polish Craftsmanship and Quality
Roman Szmal Aquarius are handmade professional watercolours produced in small batches in Poland. Each pan is carefully mixed using linden honey binder, distilled water, and pure pigments — a formula that produces soft, creamy colours that reactivate easily even after a long time.
The brand has gained worldwide recognition for its extraordinary range of colours and its unique focus on rare pigments that are difficult to find elsewhere.
What Makes Aquarius Special?
🍯 Honey Binder
The use of linden honey in the binder makes the pans exceptionally soft. They lift easily with a damp brush and stay workable on the palette. This is especially useful for artists working in dry climates.
🔬 Rare Pigments
Aquarius offers pigments that most other brands simply don't carry:
- Malachite — natural copper stone green
- Vivianite — a unique iron phosphate blue
- Natural earth pigments — sourced directly from mines
- Granulating colours — similar to Daniel Smith PrimaTek but at a lower price point
🎨 Over 160 Colours
The range is one of the largest available from a single brand — with a strong emphasis on single-pigment colours that make clean mixing straightforward. Some of the most popular shades include:
PB27 — deep, transparent blue
PBr7 — classic earth brown
Natural copper stone green
A stunning blue-violet
How Does Aquarius Compare?
| Feature | Roman Szmal | Daniel Smith | White Nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of colours | 160+ | 250+ | 80+ |
| Handmade | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Honey binder | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Rare pigments | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Price range | $$ | $$$ | $ |
Shop Aquarius at Föndurlist
Roman Szmal Aquarius are in stock with us — with shipping available to customers all across Iceland.
Föndurlist is the sole Icelandic distributor of Roman Szmal Aquarius watercolours. We chose this brand for its exceptional quality and how well it suits Icelandic artists.