For watercolor artists who love to paint both in the studio and on the go, the DANIEL SMITH Earth: Desert to Mountains Half Pan Set is a dream come true. This thoughtfully curated set brings together a balanced range of colors, offering both versatility and vibrancy in a compact, travel-ready tin.

Brenda Swenson, a renowned watercolorist and DANIEL SMITH Brand Ambassador, perfectly captures the essence of this set:

 “These pigments are warm and textured like the earth. The first things I thought about when I saw this set were the textures of weathered buildings, streets paved in stone, terracotta rooftops, and sun-bleached doorways… beautiful cities built of stone and earth. It also brought to mind the vast arid landscapes of sand dunes, rocky cliffs, and deep gorges. While the set is not intended to be a stand-alone palette (no blues), these hues were selected for their mixing ability and unique visual qualities.”

Each of the six half pans in this set is hand-poured, ensuring quality and richness of color. The set also includes a convenient travel case and nine additional empty pans, allowing artists to mix colors or incorporate their own favorite tube colors for added versatility on the go.

• Buff Titanium – A soft, granulating off-white perfect for weathered surfaces and soft, muted highlights.

• Raw Sienna Light – A warm, golden earth tone with a subtle glow, ideal for sunlit stone and sand.

• Bronzite Genuine – A natural mineral-based color with rich, warm texture, adding depth to rocky surfaces.

• Venetian Red – A strong, historic red with a natural warmth, perfect for terracotta rooftops and aged brick walls.

• Burnt Sienna Light – A slightly more luminous version of traditional Burnt Sienna, offering a warm vibrancy.

• Lunar Black – A deep, granulating black that creates striking texture, making it perfect for adding shadows and definition.

One of the most exciting aspects of this set is the ability to mix a range of warm, earthy tones. Here are a few suggested mixes to expand your palette:

• Soft Desert Sand – Mix Buff Titanium with Raw Sienna Light for a delicate, sunlit sand tone perfect for arid landscapes.

• Aged Brick Red – Venetian Red combined with Burnt Sienna Light creates a classic warm red, ideal for historic architecture.

• Golden Earth – Blend Raw Sienna Light with Bronzite Genuine for a deep, glowing ochre perfect for sun-drenched stone walls.

• Weathered Stone Gray – A combination of Buff Titanium and Lunar Black results in a natural, soft gray reminiscent of aged stone surfaces.

• Rusty Earth – Bronzite Genuine mixed with Venetian Red produces a deep, rich rust color, great for rock formations and clay roofs.

• Dark Canyon Shadows – Lunar Black combined with Raw Sienna Light creates a deep, textured shadow color perfect for dramatic landscapes.

This thoughtfully curated set is designed with urban and landscape artists in mind. Whether you’re painting the rich hues of an old European city, the sunbaked walls of a desert village, or the rocky cliffs of a rugged canyon, these colors provide the warmth and texture needed to bring your artwork to life. The lightweight, portable case makes it easy to paint en plein air, and the additional pans allow for customization to suit your unique style.

If you’re drawn to earthy tones, expressive textures, and the beauty of natural and built landscapes, the DANIEL SMITH Earth: Desert to Mountains – Half Pan Set is a must-have addition to your palette. Explore the warmth of the earth, the history in architecture, and the vibrancy of landscapes with this stunning collection.

Our half pans are always hand- poured, following in the DANIEL SMITH tradition of manufacturing the finest handcrafted paints and products. Hand pouring is highly labor intensive, but it offers the purest form of professional, artist-quality watercolors that rewet quickly and easily with a damp brush. Enjoy the finest pigments in portable half-pan sets that are perfect for travel, plein air work, urban sketching & creating unique color combinations.