Aqua-Bronze 20 ml - Rich gold

Schmincke Aqua Bronze (20 ml) metallic pigment is a premium-grade professional metallic powder designed to create brilliant, mirror-smooth metallic effects in watercolor and gouache painting. Developed by the renowned German manufacturer Schmincke, Aqua Bronze is formulated with real metallic pigments (bronze or aluminum). This ensures significantly higher brilliance, opacity, and lightfastness compared to conventional pearlescent watercolor paints.

Product Features:

Genuine Metallic Pigments: Formulated with real bronze and aluminum particles to give your paper a genuine, molten-metal sheen.
Dry Powder with Water-Soluble Binder: Packaged as a dry powder pre-mixed with a special water-soluble binding agent—simply add clean water to activate it.
Maximum Lightfastness: Retains its brilliant shine and color for years to come without fading.
Adjustable Opacity and Sheen: Control the outcome by adjusting the water ratio, ranging from a translucent shimmer to a completely opaque, solid metallic layer.
Compact 20 ml Glass Jar: Highly concentrated pigment requires minimal product per use, making a single jar exceptionally long-lasting.

Application and Techniques:

Dosing: Use a palette knife or a small spoon to transfer the desired amount of powder to a separate mixing palette. Close the jar immediately to prevent moisture from entering.
Activation with Water: Add a few drops of water using a pipette. Mix with a brush until you reach a smooth, creamy, gouache-like consistency.
Choosing Opacity: For a translucent shimmer, add more water. To achieve complete, smudge-resistant coverage, keep the mixture as thick as possible.
Surfaces: Apply the mixture with a brush onto low-absorbent surfaces like watercolor paper, cardboard, canvas, or directly on top of dried watercolor/gouache paintings.

Advantages:

Excellent Alternative to Gold Leaf: Much easier to apply with a brush and more affordable than traditional gold leaf, while yielding a strikingly similar finish.
Long Shelf Life in the Jar: Stored as a dry powder in a glass jar, eliminating the risk of drying out or oxidizing inside a tube.
Complete Control Over Results: Unlike pre-made metallic watercolors, you can independently adjust the thickness and intensity of the metallic shine.
Re-wettable: If the mixed paint dries on your palette, it can be re-wetted later with water to continue painting.

Disadvantages:

Not Waterproof: Once dry, the paint is smudge-resistant but not waterproof. Metallic effects should always be applied as the final layer of your painting. A specialized watercolor varnish can be used for added protection.
Not Suitable for All Surfaces: The product does not adhere well and should not be used on plaster, metal, or plastic.
Corrosion Risk When Mixed: Never leave a wet paint mixture inside a sealed container. Because it contains real metal, prolonged exposure to water can cause it to oxidize (rust) and lose its shine.
Sensitive to Over-Dilution: Adding too much water weakens the binding agent, causing the dried paint to lose adhesion and flake off the paper.

Available Shades:

The Schmincke Aqua Bronze range features 5 luxurious, lightfast metallic shades that cover all the needs of artists and calligraphers, from warm golds to cool silvers:
Rich Gold: A classic, deep, and regal gold tone. The most popular choice for traditional gilding effects and mimicking icon painting.
Rich Pale Gold: An elegant gold with a subtle greenish, cooler undertone. Mimics natural 24-karat gold and is perfect for modern design and wedding invitations.
Pale Gold: A soft, champagne-like light gold. Subtle and delicate without being overly flashy.
Copper: A warm, deep reddish-copper metallic tone. Creates a beautiful vintage effect on paper and pairs exceptionally well with dark watercolor tones like Indigo or French Ultramarine.
Silver: An ultra-pure, mirror-smooth silver tone formulated with genuine aluminum. Delivers a modern, crisp, and high-contrast gloss on both white and black paper.

Recommended Pairings:

1. Specialized Papers (To Enhance Contrast)
Metallic pigments reach their full potential only on the right surface.Black Watercolor Paper: Silver, copper, and pale gold look dramatic and high-contrast on a dark background.
Premium Cotton Watercolor Paper (Cold Press / Hot Press): Aqua Bronze requires a stable surface that does not warp. A smooth surface (Hot Press) is ideal for calligraphy and fine details.

2. Mixing and Application Tools
Since this is a dry powder, specific tools yield the best results.Ceramic or Porcelain Palettes: Dried metallic pigment is difficult to wash off plastic palettes. A ceramic palette is heavy, stable, and effortless to clean.
Pipettes or Waterbrushes: Used for precise, drop-by-drop water dosing to avoid over-diluting and ruining the binding agent.
Synthetic Brushes (Sharp Point): Metallic particles can wear down natural hair brushes and get trapped between the bristles. We recommend resilient, elastic synthetic brushes like da Vinci COLINEO (Series 5522) or da Vinci NOVA (Series 1570) in sizes 0 to 2. These maintain an ultra-sharp point even when working with thick metallic pigment, ensuring clean, fine lines.

da Vinci COLINEO – Best Choice / Kolinsky Imitation: The most advanced series from da Vinci, engineered specifically to replicate the performance and spring of natural Siberian Kolinsky Red Sable hair.
da Vinci NOVA Synthetics (Series 1570) – Classic & Affordable All-Rounder: The gold standard for elastic synthetic brushes with a long-standing history. Made from golden synthetic fibers with excellent elasticity, they are renowned for durability against heavy pigments and rough paper.

3. Fixatives and Varnishes
Since Aqua Bronze is not waterproof and can flake if over-diluted, protect it with specialized watercolor and gouache varnishes (e.g., Schmincke specialty varnishes). These protect the metallic layer from tarnishing, fingerprints, and moisture without altering its brilliant shine.

4. Base Colors
Aqua Bronze is rarely used alone and pairs best with high-contrast backgrounds. Use Schmincke Horadam or Academy watercolor paints in very dark, matte shades like Indigo, Prussian Blue, Ivory Black, and Sepia to make the gold and silver pop beautifully.
 

11.80