We're so inspired by Case for Making, the indie watercolor shop in San Francisco. They've been making paints by hand for more than a decade, and they've built a reputation as perceptive pigment interpreters. Each Case for Making watercolor expresses the unique character of its pigment; the expert paintmakers at CfM add just enough medium to bind the pigment together, producing concentrated colors that each behave differently.

Case for Making uses a very traditional technique to make these paints: they are mulled on a glass slab with a heavy hand tool which is also made of glass. Similar to a mortar and pestle, a muller/plate set allows the operator to break up every tiny clump and fully disperse the pigment in watercolor medium.

The medium itself is also quite traditional: gum arabic (acacia senegal) is the binder, with glycerin as a plasticizer, honey as a humectant, and clove oil as a preservative. We like to pre-soak our CfM pans with a couple drops of water, about a minute before we start painting. This allows the top layer to hydrate and lift off the pan easily.

These standard half pans fit into most watercolor cases, including all cases with flexible metal rails and some plastic cases. They contain no cadmiums, cobalts, or lead, and they conform to ASTM D-4236.

Each color sold separately. Handmade in California.