Newseltter # 1 - 02.21.2026

Thanks for cheering us on!

Thanks for supporting this specialized business, run by real people who love what they do and sell.

At this stage, we are quite literally a mom-and-pop shop. Your early purchases ensure our growth. We realize there are alternative sources for pigments and raw materials... but what we keep hearing from our longtime customers is that there is simply nothing better than what they've bought from Kremer. The products we stock are the same as always.

Please help spread the word about the shop, so others can find out who we are. This includes tagging us in your posts and leaving us a review on Google Maps!

We've updated our shipping rates to give you a deal!

These apply automatically at checkout:

In Stock Now: Watercolor Pans

We have over 100 colors of Kremer watercolor pans in stock now! The pans are grouped into 4 series to make it easy to shop by price:

• Series 1 - half pans: $7.50 / full pans: $9.50
• Series 2 - half pans: $11.50 / full pans: $13.50
• Series 3 - half pans: $14.95 / full pans: $16.95
• Series 4 - half pans: $21.95 / full pans: $23.95

Lecture & Demo: Michael Price

Saturday, March 7th | 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Michael Price, artist, historical pigment expert and longtime friend of Dr. Kremer, will join us at the shop. His 2-volume book, Renaissance Mysteries was a staple at the Kremer store, and we're proud to stock it as well.

He will give an interactive demonstration of the methods he uses to extract pigments from minerals. This will include a levigation of semi-prepared azurite in diluted casein. Michael will display a selection of rocks, crystals, and prepared pigments, and discuss applications for natural binders.

Please note: This is a demo, not a hands-on class for participants. Michael will be sharing a lot of information—we recommend bringing a notebook!

Free of charge. Please arrive promptly so as to not disturb the class.

Materials Notes: Oil Paint

From a recent phone conversation in the shop:

Tixogel: Used to thicken paint for better handling or brushstrokes. Use sparingly, up to 10-15%. (ETA: 3-5 weeks)

Oils & Mediums: Just received cold-pressed linseed oil (washed/Sweden, unwashed/Germany). Walnut cold-pressed & refined won’t be in stock for 3-5 weeks. I prefer refined walnut oil; it’s slower drying than linseed and clear. Cold-pressed is even slower and not as clear.

Glossy & Matte Qualities: Can be controlled by beeswax (ETA: 3-5 weeks) or pigment load. A lower ratio of pigment allows the oil's glossiness to shine. Tixogel also helps matte paint. Side note: safflower is the slowest drying oil (and clearest), but takes months to cure.

Fluorescents: Use them in thin layers! Thickening diminishes their brilliant color. Use a tiny amount of stand oil to dry slower for glazes. I definitely recommend walnut oil here. (ETA: 3-5 weeks)

Fast-drying oil medium: Speed up any medium adding siccative (78406, ETA: 6-8 weeks) at a 1-2% ratio or a drop per 250ml. Adding dissolved resins like copal, dammar, or alkyd also speeds drying. A traditional 1:1:1 glazing medium works well with a bit less resin. Also, a more absorbent ground speeds up drying.

Harddrying Oils: (ETA: 6-8 weeks) A prepared medium of colophony, linseed oil, and a little turpentine. A great fast-drying medium, comes in matte (contains added beeswax) or glossy. Works as a glaze; tempera painters use it as olifa/varnish. Stiffens the paint film slightly so the top layer glides easier.

Stand Oil: Slow-drying, mimics balsams/resins. Dries fast on top, slow underneath. Tends to darken, so use sparingly in mediums. Add a pinch to dense pigments to stop them settling quickly. (ETA: 3-5 weeks)

Resins: Dammar (ETA: 3-5 weeks), copal, colophony (ETA: 6-8 weeks). Dissolve with turpentine in a 1:1 (thick) or 1:2 (thin) ratio. Great addition to stiffen paint film and suspend particles.

Wishing you happy painting as we move through the last weeks of a dark winter.
We're excited for the brightness of Spring!