It’s been 10 years since I created colours for artists. I think I have acquired, over the years, a rich expertise of experiences. I’ve worked with classical pigments (cadmium, cobalt, iron oxide …), modern pigments (quinacridones, dioxazine, DPP …) and historical pigments (cochineal, true indigo, smalt, azurite).
The entire range of Isaro watercolours has been developed to give maximum transparency to the colours. Addtionally, the ingredients in the composition of the binder are all carefully selected.
Gum arabic varies in colour from very pale yellow to dark brown – the gum darkens on contact with the tannin in acacia bark. It is essential for Isaro to select a top quality acacia gum which, when dissolved in water, gives a clear solution to protect the luminosity of the pigments.
Glycerine and honey are added in very precise proportions to ensure the paste remains supple. A single-flower acacia honey was chosen, as good quality honey of this type is very clear.
The artist comes first and Isaro will grow and evolve with that principle in mind. I think that offering artists a quality product is the best way to be recognized. And so, I want to remain in close touch with the production of my colours because it’s the very essence of my profession. I am available for artists to answer questions by email.
Isabelle Roelofs
isabelle.roelofs AT isaro DOT be
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Belgium handcrafted, artist quality, watercolour paints.
Shop by colour or colour chart with flat rate, Australia wide postage.
Curate your own sets and large orders from the paintmaker.
The world’s first
Double Phthalo Green.
This Is Isaro.
Welcome from Isabelle
My great-great-grandfather, Willem Roelofs, was a painter. You can see his painting in the Netherlands (Rijksmuseum and Gemmentemuseum), Belgium (Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium), France (Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Lille) and his works are also exhibited in Brazil.
His son, my great grandfather, Albert Roelofs, was also a painter. He taught painting to Crown Princess Juliana from the Netherlands. At the beginning of the 20th Century he founded a small factory with his friends, including a chemist, where they made oil colours.
Albert’s knowledge as a discerning artist stood him in good stead for making quality oil colours which soon gained an enviable reputation amongst the members of artistic community. Albert died in 1920 at the age of 43, but the company continued until 1980 under the founding members and Albert’s son, my grandfather. My father helped my grandfather for a few years, moving the paint factory to Belgium where my father now lived.
Welcome from Richard
I am excited for many reasons to have worked with Isabelle to bring you this collaboration, but particularly, as I am able to bring you the world’s first “Double Phthalo Green” – a combination of the two phthalocyanine greens (PG36 and the slightly more blue PG7). It’s a lovely transparent, highly lightfast paint and wonderful colour match to magenta. Cool name too! At this time, it’s available exclusively in our first curated set.
You’ll also find below (and in each individual paint description) a full reference listing of the pigments used in each paint. You can shop using the menu links at the top of the page.
We are currently only shipping within Australia. You can contact me for any administrative or order enquiries. Send all technical or paint enquires to Isabelle at the above address. We do not currently have an offering for retail outlets and this is our privacy policy.
I am delighted to bring you Isabelle’s paints. Welcome to Isaro.
Richard Lenn
hello AT isaro DOT com DOT au
The complete reference list of pigment used and their equivalent Isaro paint name.
Red Violet Sulfur = Ultramarine Pink
Red Violet Quinacridone = Isaro Mauve
Violet Sulfur = Ultramarine Mauve
Violet Dioxazine = Isaro Purple Deep
Blue Violet Anthraquinone = Indanthrene Blue
Violet Blue Sulfur = Ultramarine Blue
Blue Cobalt = Cobalt Blue
Blue Phthalocyanine = Phtalo Blue
Blue Iron = Prussian Blue
Violet Blue Sulfur + Blue Phthalocyanine + Orange Natural = Indigo Blue
Black Iron + Violet Blue Sulfur + Blue Phthalocyanine = Payne’s Grey
Violet Blue + Red Orange + Blue Phthalocyanine = Icy Lake
Green Blue Cobalt = Cerulean Blue
Blue Green Phthalocyanine + Blue Phthalocyanine = Turquoise Green
White Zinc + Green Blue Colbalt + Mica = Eternal Summit
Blue Green Chromium = Emerald Green
Blue Green Phthalocyanine = Phtalo Green
Green Phthalocyanine = Phtalo Green Yellow
Yellow Green Chromium = Chromium Oxide Green
Green Phthalocyanine + Yellow Cadmium = Isaro Green Light
Blue Green Phthalocyanine + Yellow Cadmium + Red Violet Quinacridone = Olive Green
Green Yellow Cadmium = Cadmium Yellow Lemon
Green Yellow Metal Complex = Chartreuse Yellow
Yellow Titanium = Nickel Yellow
Yellow Benzimidazolone = Isaro Yellow Light
Yellow Cadmium = Cadmium Yellow Light
Yellow Iron = Yellow Ochre
Yellow Natural [Middle] = Raw Sienna
Yellow Natural [Dark] = Raw Umber
Yellow + Brass = Star Dust
Mica = Gold
Orange Yellow Cadmium = Cadmium Yellow Deep
Orange Yellow Iron = Mars Brown Light
Yellow Benzimidazolone + Red Orange Pyyrole = Indian Yellow
Yellow Orange Isoindolinone = Saffron Yellow
Red Orange Pyyrole + Yellow Benzimidazolone = Isaro Yellow Deep
Orange Cadmium = Cadmium Orange
Orange Natural = Burnt Umber
Red Orange Pyrrole = Pyrrole Orange
Red Orange Iron = Oxide Orange
Red Orange Natural = Burnt Sienna
Red Orange Natural + Violet Blue Sulfur + Mica = Steel Blue
Orange Red Pyrrole = Scarlett Red
Orange Red Iron = Mars Red
Red Cadmium = Cadmium Red Light
Red Pyrrole = Isaro Pyrrole Red
Red Iron = English Red
Deep Red Quinacridone = Magenta
Deep Red Pyrrole = Pyrrole Red Deep
Deep Red Cadmium = Cadmium Red Deep
Deep Red Perylene = Perylene Red
Deep Red Iron = Venetian Red
Deep Red Iron + Red Iron + Mica = Coppery Red
Violet Red Quinacridone = Isaro Pink
Violet Red Iron = Oxide Purple
Violet Red Iron + Copper = Imperial Moon
Black Natural = Lamp Black
Black Iron + Yellow Iron + Deep Red Iron = Sepia
Black Iron + Violet Red Iron = Van Dijck Brown
Mixed Grey + Yellow Green Chromium = Isaro Grey Light
Mixed Grey + Mica = Sylver Sky
White Titanium = Titanium White