WHAT
IS
SECCORELL?
The bridge between watercolor and pastel techniques
Seccorell is a unique finger-wiping technique that combines the best of both worlds: the fluid qualities of watercolor painting meets the soft look of pastels. Because the pigments fuse directly with the paper when applied, the result is instantly smudge-proof . This works entirely without water or fixative spray.
Creativity from your hand
Completely different than before
A unique aspect of this technique is the production of the colored powder. You don't use pre-made colored pencils. Instead, you rub the sticks directly against a grinding tool.
- Precise dosage: Create your color even in the smallest quantities, entirely according to your wishes and needs.
- Maximum freedom: Since you don't need water or elaborate accessories, you can start spontaneously at any time, even in places where classic wet paints or dusty chalks are impractical.
Whether you prefer expansive areas of color, representational motifs, or the design of objects: Seccorell offers ample scope for your creative ideas. The technique has proven particularly effective in Waldorf schools for creating lesson plans . Because the colors adhere to the paper instantly without the need for fixative spray, the designed pages remain clean and vibrant even with frequent turning.
Step 1: Rubbing
Rub the paint sticks directly onto the painting surface using a rubbing block.
Step 2: Brushes
Apply the pigment powder completely to the paper using the brush.
Step 3: Wipe
Blend with your fingers and work in well.
Step 4: Polishing
For high smudge resistance and shine, polish additionally with a cotton pad.
SMALL
INTRODUCTION
For young and old
Whether expansive areas of color, representational motifs, or the design of objects: Seccorell offers artistic freedom. Because the technique is intuitive and results are quickly visible, the joy of the process takes center stage.
Quality and safety
The Seccorell® color sticks
They consist of high-quality, wax-bound mineral pigments. This makes them particularly economical, lightfast, and completely safe for health.
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Recommendation from 1st grade onwards : Since the technology requires a certain degree of fine motor skills, we recommend its use from primary school age.
- Smudge-proof through polishing: The pigments bond directly with the paper during application. A final polish with a cotton pad gives the image additional shine and makes the surface durable even without fixative spray.
- Easy handling: A major advantage for everyday use and in educational settings is the simple cleaning process. We recommend placing an old newspaper or scrap paper underneath. Excess paint powder can then be easily wiped onto the surface and rubbed in. After painting, fingers can be easily cleaned with soap and water or a damp cloth.
Finger painting
With Seccorell, your fingers are your most important tool. Rub the pigment and work it into the paper using circular or wiping motions. Because the mixing takes place directly on the painting surface, you can layer colors or blend them together. From the three primary colors red, yellow, and blue, you can effortlessly develop the entire color wheel, including browns and grays.
Creative freedom
Drawing, Erasing & Combining
The technology can be flexibly expanded and combined with other tools:
- Contours & Light: Use the edges of the color sticks for lines or work with an eraser to create targeted light effects from the colored areas.
- The mix with colored pencils: The combination of hard colored pencil outlines and cloudy seccorell backgrounds creates a unique spatial effect.
- Glazes and color depth: As with watercolor painting, you can layer transparent layers of color on top of each other. Because the pigments are dry, the lower layers do not re-dissolve. This creates exceptional brilliance.
Professional tip for pure colors
Each side of the rasp block should be assigned to one color family. Before first use, color-code the four wooden edges, for example, red, yellow, blue, and green. This way, you won't mix up the rasping surfaces and your colors will always stay consistent.
Versatile
From paper to pebbles
Seccorell adheres to almost any surface that can be colored with crayons. Any type of standard writing paper is perfectly suitable. High-quality art paper can also be beautifully decorated. Only glossy paper, very smooth tracing paper, or kite paper are unsuitable. The pigments do not adhere to these surfaces.
The surface texture of the paper influences the result. Colors appear particularly intense and matte on coarse paper, while they appear smoother and glossier on finer paper.
- Natural materials: The technique adheres excellently to sanded wood, smooth pebbles or shells.
- Craft projects: Plaster, clay or canvas can also be decorated with color.
- Special tip: You can even paint Easter eggs. Rub them briefly with vinegar water beforehand to optimize the adhesion of the pigments. See instructions.
APPLICATION-
EXAMPLES
Ten examples of discovering the technology
Discover the versatility of Seccorell. From delicate touches of color on paper to vibrant accents on natural materials, this technique opens up countless possibilities for your own artwork.
1) The basic technique on paper
These four steps will give you instant, perfect results. The technique is simple and quickly leads to impressive color surfaces.
- Rubbing: Rub the color stick directly against the rub block above your painting surface. This way you produce exactly the amount of color powder you need for your design.
- Brushing: Use the brush to completely apply the resulting pigment powder to the paper. This optimally prepares the surface for subsequent painting.
- Wiping: Now, creatively rub the powder with your fingers. Using circular or wiping motions, work the pigments deep into the paper's structure.
- Buffing: Finally, buff the surfaces vigorously with a cotton pad. This permanently sets the color and gives your picture a silky sheen.
Inspiration and cleanliness
These examples are meant to inspire your own artwork and encourage you to experiment. Always use a scrap piece of paper or newspaper as a base. Excess pigment dust can easily be rubbed onto it and thus safely disposed of. This prevents smudges on your table or the finished artwork.
2) Autumn picture
This design uses the technique of gradually building up from light to dark tones. Here's how to do it:
- Base coat: Build the picture consistently from light to dark. Start with light yellow pigment powder and apply the entire autumnal mood broadly using your fingers.
- Color mixing: Mix the gray of the tree trunks directly on the paper using dark blue and light red. Be careful not to burnish these areas too firmly yet, so that the texture remains open to further details.
- Adding details: Once the composition is complete, paint in the dark yellow elements, followed by the light red ones. Finally, add the bold dark red accents for the autumn leaves.
- Final fixing: Only at the very end do you work each individual color area into the paper with firm finger pressure and a cotton pad. This step permanently fixes the pigments. This image was created exclusively with the eight basic colors from our core range.
3) Stencils
This guide shows you how to create precise contours and spatial depth:
- Make a template: Draw your balloons on slightly heavier paper and cut them out. Don't use thick cardboard so you can easily wipe right up to the edge later.
- Applying the paint: Position the stencil and sprinkle it with the desired color. Massage the pigments in thoroughly until the surface is smudge-proof. This ensures that the contours remain sharp, even if balloons overlap later in the picture.
- Cleaning: Remove the stencil and gently brush off any loose paint powder with the edge of a cotton pad without applying pressure to the surface.
- Repeat: Place the template in the next position and proceed as described in steps two and three until all desired balloons have appeared on the paper.
- Create the background: Sprinkle sky blue around the balloons and blend it with fine circular motions. Only go as far as just in front of the balloons so that they have a light aura. This makes the image appear more dynamic.
- Fixing the background: Once the sky is finished, massage it firmly into the paper using a cotton pad and also with fine circular movements.
- Draw the strings: Draw the strings using the colored pencils or a colored pencil. Make sure to draw them slightly lighter behind the balloons to create spatial depth.
- Add highlights: Erase highlights from the balloons if needed. Pay attention to the direction from which the light source should come. Alternatively, you can leave a lighter area while erasing.
4) Night scenes
Follow these eight steps for your night vision:
- Preparation: Place a protective layer such as newspaper under your drawing paper. Cover the area for the moon with a round paper disc or a suitable object.
- Create a daytime scene: Initially, design the sky, landscape, trees, and water as a bright scene in light blue. It shouldn't look nighttime yet. It's important that you leave out the area in the water where the moonlight will later shine.
- To set the primer: Thoroughly work the lighter colors into the paper with your fingers and perform a smudge test to be sure. Remove any excess powder gently using the edge of a cotton pad.
- To create a nighttime atmosphere: Now spread the night across your entire picture. Sprinkle all colored areas evenly with dark blue pigment powder and work this dark veil in well with your fingers. The outlines will remain visible underneath and will be revealed later.
- Polishing: Remove excess powder with the cotton pad and polish the surfaces firmly. Only remove the cover from your moon once the night scene is evenly applied to the paper.
- Adding figures: Place sharply defined figures, such as a small gnome, into the scene using a homemade stencil. Erase the dark color within the stencil and recolor it with fresh powder. Draw fine details like twigs or grasses directly with the colored pencils or a colored pencil.
- Add highlights: Use an eraser or eraser pen to selectively highlight the moonlight on branches, the landscape, and the figures. Carefully brush away the eraser residue with the edge of a cotton pad.
- Final touch: Gently trace the erased highlights with a pale yellow paint stick. Also, very subtly paint the moon and the reflected light in the water with pale yellow and work the paint in so that it is smudge-proof.
5) Erasing and drawing
This design combines precise lines with the soft seccorell technique. This is how the colorful plumage is created:
- Preliminary sketch: First, lightly sketch the peacock using colored pencils or a colored pencil. The outlines, and especially the bright ovals in the plumage, must be drawn boldly. This ensures that these areas will not take on color when the background is later blended.
- Coloring: Once the drawing is complete, you begin coloring the areas. Use the bright colors to give the body and feathers their characteristic brilliance.
- A special trick: There's a pro tip for the small dots on the headdress. Take some pre-ground color powder with a damp cotton swab and press it directly into the picture with a twisting motion.
- Fixing: Work all colors very thoroughly into the paper with your fingers until the surfaces are absolutely smudge-proof.
- Sharpen the contours: Use an eraser or an eraser lead holder to refine white highlights and precise outlines. You can then redraw the colored lines or add further details.
This picture was created using the eight colors from the basic paint box. You can find many more creative possibilities in our examples .
6) Coloring and painting
This technique shows you how to make complex patterns glow while keeping the colors absolutely pure:
- Design selection: Choose a mandala design for your project. Laser copies are excellent, in addition to your own drawings or letters. Since their outlines don't absorb color, your image will retain exceptional clarity.
- Applying the color: Sprinkle each segment of the mandala with color powder one after the other and thoroughly massage the pigments into the paper with your fingers.
- Maintain color purity: Use a separate finger and the corresponding area on the paint block for each color. This ensures that your colors always remain clean and vibrant.
- Custom mixes: Create any desired mixed tones, such as brown or gray, directly from the primary colors. Particularly harmonious transitions are achieved when you mix different pigments directly on the paper while they are still in powder form.
- Fixing: Finally, polish each colored area individually with a cotton pad. This step permanently fixes the pigments in the paper and gives the mandala its shine.
This example can be wonderfully applied to letters or school notebooks.
7) Mixed techniques
This design impresses with the strong contrast between a bright background and a dark silhouette.
- Preparation: Choose your painting surface. If you are using cardboard covered with canvas, smooth the surface beforehand with fine sandpaper. You can start immediately on regular paper.
- Creating the background: Apply the Seccorell colors for the sky from light to dark and massage them in thoroughly. Leave the sun area untouched while wiping or erase it later. Finally, polish the surface with a cotton pad until it is completely smudge-proof.
- Placing the skyline: There are several ways to create the dark silhouette. You can use a stencil and color the areas black, or cut out the buildings from black paper and glue them on. Drawing them directly with wax or felt-tip pens is also possible. On canvas, a warmed wax crayon creates great effects.
- Sharpen the contrasts: A well-covered, dark foreground is essential to make the skyline stand out strongly against the sky. For fine lines or final touches, it's best to use a dark colored pencil or a colored stick. This motif lends itself beautifully to being rendered using the eight primary colors.
8) Wood, stone and more
Seccorell adheres beautifully to many natural surfaces. Here's how to transform simple found objects into miniature works of art:
- Preparing the color powder: First, rub the required pigments into a small pile on a smooth surface or scrap paper.
- Application: Take the powder with your fingertip and gently massage it directly into the surface of the pebble. The warmth of your fingers will help the pigments bond optimally with the stone.
- Discover diversity: This technique is ideally suited for many other natural materials such as untreated wood, snail shells, mussels or even light-colored feathers.
- Surface test: Since every natural form is different, we recommend testing the color absorption on a small area beforehand. The finer the surface structure of the material, the silkier and shinier the result will be.
9) Lanterns
These lanterns are a beautiful addition to any decor. What makes them special is the natural vibrancy of the colors in candlelight, all without the use of oil.
- Preparation: For this project, use our special table lantern drawing pads from the art supplies section. The papers are already pre-cut to size, and simple folding instructions are included with each pad.
- Design: Paint your designs onto the still flat sheets of paper. As usual, work the pigments in thoroughly with your fingers to achieve an even and vibrant color effect.
- Natural transparency: A major advantage of the Seccorell technique is its light transmission. The incorporated mineral pigments make your lanterns beautifully translucent without the need for additional oil treatment of the paper.
- Finishing: After polishing the colors, simply fold the lantern according to the instructions. In no time at all, you'll have enchanting light objects for festive occasions or your home.
10) Magic Pictures
This technique causes amazed faces, as images or texts appear on the paper as if from nowhere.
- Prepare for invisibility: Using a white colored pencil or a white paint stick, transfer text or a drawing onto the paper. Apply enough pressure so that the pigments form a protective layer. Your design will initially remain almost invisible on the white paper.
- Alternative engraving: Instead of a pen, you can also use a hard, blunt object such as a knitting needle, a key, or a closed ballpoint pen. By pressing firmly, you engrave your design directly into the paper's texture as a fine indentation.
- Magic effect: Now rub any Seccorell color liberally over the prepared area. As if by magic, your design will now appear bright against the colored background, since the engraved grooves or the white underdrawing will not absorb the new color powder.
- To fix the paint: Thoroughly massage it in with your fingers and then firmly polish the surface with a cotton pad. This will fix your artwork and make the secret message permanently visible and smudge-proof.