White Nights watercolours — Russian quality at a fair price
What are White Nights watercolours?
White Nights (also known as „Белые ночи") are professional extra-fine watercolours made by Nevskaya Palitra in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The company has been producing pigments since the 1930s, and the name comes from the famous white nights, when the sun barely sets in summer.
These paints have been used in the restoration of artworks in Russia’s leading museums — including the Hermitage Museum, the Russian State Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery.
Why choose White Nights?
🎨 High pigment content
Extra-fine pigment that delivers strong colour even in light washes. Many colours are single-pigment, ensuring clean mixing.
🌿 Gum arabic binder
A classic binder with a honey additive that makes the paints smooth and easy to use — no hard chunks to scrape.
☀️ Excellent lightfastness
Most colours are designed to remain unchanged for 100+ years under museum conditions.
💰 Fair price
Professional quality at a fraction of the price of Western brands like Schmincke or Winsor & Newton.
The colour range
White Nights offers a comprehensive range that includes:
- Classic colour range — over 60 colours in the traditional selection
- Granulating range — special colours with varying particle sizes that create a natural texture
- Metallic range — gold, silver and pearlescent colours
- Pastel range — soft, dreamy tones
Most popular sets
| Set | Number of colours | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter box | 12 pans | Beginners and travel |
| Academic set | 24 pans | Students and hobbyists |
| Botanica theme | 12 pans | Floral and botanical art |
| Urban Landscape | 12 pans | Cityscape painters |
| Professional wooden box | 36–48 pans | Professional artists |
Tips and guidance
- Wet the brush well — because the pans are mixed with honey, the paint lifts easily onto a wet brush.
- Make use of the transparency — many colours are highly transparent and are excellent for glaze techniques.
- Mix cleanly — because many colours contain a single pigment, mixtures stay clear and not muddy.
- Try the granulating range — experiment with the special granulating colours to add texture and depth to your painting.
Available at Föndurlist
White Nights watercolours are in stock with us. Browse our selection:
🛒 Browse White Nights products
White Nights watercolours are one of the cornerstones of Föndurlist’s range. We are proud to offer Icelandic artists access to these historic quality paints at a fair price.