Horadam Naturals, #220 Kamala

About This Color:

#220 Kamala is made from the fruits of the kamala tree, Mallotus philippensis. This tree, also called "monkey face tree" or "kumkum tree," is primarily found in South and Southeast Asia, where people have used its natural orange dye for many generations.

Kamala trees can grow up to 75 feet high, and a few weeks after flowering, they sprout an enormous number of fruits, all with a powdery red substance on their surface. This red coating is the source of kamala dye. To harvest the colorant, kamala fruits are shaken in baskets until the powdery coating falls onto a dropcloth placed below.

Minimally processed and naturally vibrant, kamala dye is characterized by a deep, earthy orange masstone and a brighter yellow undertone. Flecks of undissolved plant material are present, and the paint tends to behave more like an earth color—creating natural texture and high-contrast areas of light and dark.

About Horadam Naturals:

New for 2024, Schmincke Horadam Naturals are a unique range of vegan and naturally-derived watercolors. The colorants used in Naturals all come from plants, earth, and rocks, including a few classic colors (like the gorgeous Yellow Ochre included in this line) and several colors that are quite rare in professional paint.

The plant-based colors included in Naturals, like turmeric, indigo, and madder, have been known to artists and craftspeople for centuries. They are not often seen in artist colors today because they have been replaced by synthetic alternatives, like azo yellows, phthalo blues, and quinacridone reds. Natural colors are typically not as lightfast as modern synthetics, but they have a unique and subtle beauty that is irreplaceable. It's lovely to see them in such an artist-friendly format.

The mineral colors in Naturals are more familiar: yellow ochre, green earth, white chalk, vine black, etc. But these are actually not the same as the earth pigments typically found in artist colors. Normally, art materials manufacturers prefer to use highly processed and standardized earth pigments, so that there is complete uniformity between batches and more predictable application in the studio. For the Naturals line, Schmincke has selected less-processed, single-origin pigments that retain more of their original character. Subtle variations of color and texture are waiting inside each tube.

Unlike many traditional watercolors, Horadam Naturals do not contain any animal products (like oxgall and bone black, both frequently found in artist colors.) The binder is simple, time-tested gum arabic, which dilutes beautifully and re-activates easily with water after it dries.

Available in 15 mL tubes. Made in Germany.