The Winsor and Newton company began with the partnership of a scientist, William Winsor and an artist, Henry Newton, in 1832. They developed the first glycerine based, moist watercolor cakes which they started selling to other artists in 1835. Prior to this, artists either had to buy their paints from a “colourman” or had to grind their own pigments and mix them with various mediums, such as gum arabic.