Discover Michael Harding Watercolours, professional artist watercolours created for painters who demand exceptional colour, beautiful pigment character and uncompromising quality from their materials.
Michael Harding has built an international reputation for fine artist colour and a deep respect for the individual qualities of pigments. Our professional watercolours bring that same dedication to the watercolour medium, giving artists the freedom to explore colour through transparent washes, expressive marks, subtle layering and the unique characteristics of individual pigments. Browse the full watercolour range to see every colour with its technical data.
Professional Watercolours Made for Artists
Michael Harding Watercolours are created for artists who want more from their colour.
Every pigment has its own personality. Some colours are beautifully transparent; others naturally granulate, stain or produce greater opacity. These differences are not imperfections to be engineered away. They are part of what makes watercolour such an expressive and rewarding medium.
Our approach is to respect those individual pigment characteristics and allow artists to experience the qualities that make each colour distinctive.
The result is a professional watercolour range designed around colour, pigment and artistic possibility.
What Makes Michael Harding Watercolours Different?
At Michael Harding, colour comes first.
Our approach to making artist paint begins with an understanding of pigments: their individual characteristics, their behaviour and the qualities they can bring to a painting.
This philosophy is at the heart of Michael Harding Watercolours.
From luminous transparent washes to rich passages of colour and beautifully granulating effects, the range gives artists the opportunity to discover how individual pigments respond to water, paper and one another.
For painters who enjoy understanding their materials as much as using them, this creates an extraordinarily rewarding relationship with colour.
Artist-Quality Watercolour Paint
Michael Harding Watercolours are professional artist-quality watercolour paints, created for serious painters, practising artists and anyone who wants to experience professional-quality colour.
They can be used across a wide range of watercolour techniques, including:
- Transparent washes and glazing
- Wet-on-wet painting
- Wet-on-dry techniques
- Colour mixing
- Botanical painting
- Landscape painting
- Portraiture
- Illustration
- Fine-art watercolour
- Expressive and contemporary painting
Whether used for controlled, detailed work or spontaneous washes, Michael Harding Watercolours allow the character of the pigment to become an integral part of the painting.
Watercolour and the Beauty of Pigment
One of the great pleasures of professional watercolour painting is discovering that colours do not all behave in the same way.
Pigments can vary in transparency, staining strength, granulation and handling. Understanding these characteristics allows artists to make more deliberate and expressive choices.
A granulating colour, for example, can create extraordinary texture and variation as pigment settles into the surface of watercolour paper. A transparent pigment can produce luminous layers through glazing, while a stronger staining colour can behave very differently when lifted or manipulated.
Michael Harding Watercolours encourage artists to explore these differences rather than treating colour as simply a choice from a colour chart.
The pigment itself becomes part of the creative process.
Watercolours for Professional Artists
Professional artists require materials they can understand, trust and use with confidence.
Michael Harding Watercolours have been developed with the practising artist in mind. They are equally at home in the studio, in a professional watercolour palette or taken outdoors for landscape and plein-air painting.
They are suitable for established watercolourists as well as artists working in oils, acrylics, drawing or other media who want to explore the distinctive possibilities of watercolour.
Are Michael Harding Watercolours Suitable for Beginners?
Absolutely.
Although Michael Harding Watercolours are professional artist paints, there is no requirement to begin painting with student-quality materials.
In fact, learning with good-quality artist watercolours can help a developing painter experience the characteristics of pigments and colour more directly.
Rather than buying a very large number of colours, beginners may find it more valuable to start with a carefully selected palette and learn how those colours mix and behave.
A smaller professional palette can provide an excellent foundation for understanding colour mixing, washes, transparency, pigment behaviour and water control. See our Watercolour for Beginners guide and the curated watercolour sets for ready-made starting palettes.
Building a Professional Watercolour Palette
You do not need dozens of colours to create an exceptionally versatile watercolour palette.
A thoughtfully selected group of colours can produce an enormous range of mixtures while allowing the painter to become familiar with the individual properties of each pigment.
When selecting Michael Harding Watercolours, consider including a balance of:
- Yellows for warm and cool mixing possibilities.
- Reds and pinks for florals, portraits, earth mixtures and vibrant secondary colours.
- Blues for skies, landscapes, shadows and colour mixing.
- Earth colours for landscapes, portraiture and naturalistic mixtures.
- Distinctive pigments chosen for their particular granulation, transparency or other characteristics.
Over time, your palette can develop around the subjects you paint and the colours you find most inspiring. The Palette Architect can help you choose a palette step by step.
Choosing the Best Professional Watercolours
The best professional watercolours are those that give an artist confidence in their materials while opening up creative possibilities.
When choosing artist watercolour paint, look beyond the colour name alone. Consider the pigment, transparency, staining characteristics, granulation, permanence and the way the colour behaves both independently and in mixtures.
Understanding these qualities makes it possible to build a palette based on what individual colours actually do. Read our Best Watercolours for Professional Artists guide for named pigments and recommendations.
For Michael Harding, this relationship between artist and pigment is fundamental.
Why Artists Choose Michael Harding
Michael Harding has always approached paintmaking from an artist's perspective.
Our reputation has been built upon a commitment to colour, the character of individual pigments and the belief that exceptional materials can make a meaningful difference to the painting experience.
Michael Harding Watercolours continue that philosophy in a medium where pigment behaviour can be seen with extraordinary clarity.
For the professional painter, experienced watercolourist or ambitious beginner, they offer an invitation to look more closely at colour — and discover just how much a pigment can do.
Michael Harding Watercolours FAQ
Are Michael Harding Watercolours professional quality?
Yes. Michael Harding Watercolours are professional artist-quality watercolours, created for artists who value pigment character, colour and high-quality painting materials.
What are Michael Harding Watercolours used for?
Michael Harding Watercolours can be used for traditional and contemporary watercolour techniques including washes, glazing, wet-on-wet painting, wet-on-dry painting, botanical work, landscapes, portraits, illustration and fine-art painting.
Are Michael Harding Watercolours suitable for professional artists?
Yes. The range is designed for serious and professional artistic practice while also being accessible to painters who are developing their watercolour skills.
Can beginners use Michael Harding Watercolours?
Yes. Beginners can use professional watercolours and may benefit from starting with a smaller selection of high-quality colours rather than a very large palette.
Do Michael Harding Watercolours granulate?
Granulation is determined by the characteristics of individual pigments, so behaviour varies from colour to colour. Some pigments can produce distinctive granulating effects that are particularly desirable in expressive watercolour painting. Learn more in our Granulation in Watercolour guide.
What is granulation in watercolour?
Granulation occurs when pigment particles settle unevenly into the texture of watercolour paper, producing visible variation and texture. It is a characteristic valued by many watercolour artists, particularly for landscapes, skies, stone, natural textures and expressive painting.
How many watercolour colours do I need?
There is no fixed number. A carefully chosen selection of colours can create a highly versatile professional palette. Learning how a smaller number of pigments mix together can often be more valuable than simply owning a large number of colours.
How should I choose professional watercolour paints?
Consider the pigment itself as well as the colour you see. Transparency, staining, granulation, permanence and mixing behaviour can all influence how a watercolour performs. Choosing colours according to these characteristics helps create a palette suited to your individual painting style.
Discover Michael Harding Watercolours
Watercolour is a medium in which the beauty and individuality of pigment can be revealed with remarkable clarity.
Michael Harding Watercolours have been created for artists who want to explore that relationship fully.
Whether you are an established watercolourist, a professional painter exploring a new medium or beginning your journey with artist-quality colour, discover a range built around the thing that has always mattered most to Michael Harding:
The extraordinary possibilities of pigment.
Explore the full watercolour range with technical data for every colour, see them painted out in the watercolour swatch library, or browse the curated watercolour sets.