Basics of watercolor
What is watercolor?
Water color is an art form that creates artistic representations, usually on paper, using pigments that are water-soluble
Water color is an art form that creates artistic representations, usually on paper, using pigments that are water-soluble
Where does watercolor come from?
· Water-based pigments were used in prehistoric cave paintings
· Many Egyptian wall and funerary paintings
· Chinese painted on silk with water based inks and dyes
· Western use of the medium, watercolor evolved from manuscript illumination in the monasteries of medieval Europe
· Raphael used watercolor for the enormous cartoons
· The explorers were accompanied by cartographers and topographers who used watercolor
· 1600´s miniature portraits in watercolor on card or ivory became popular between the people
· In the 1970’s and 80’s there was a revival of interest in 19th century art on the part of collectors and academics
· Environmentally friendly watercolor is often the medium of choice in our pollution conscious age
What are the properties of watercolor?
There are 8 principal properties of watercolor you should know about
Paint: is composed of pigment particles suspended in a solution of water, binder and surfactant.
Paper: it needs to be made from linen or cotton rags that have been pounded into small fibers, instead of the standard wood pulp.
Sizing: is applied to watercolor paper so that liquid paints won't be immediately absorbed into the paper
Pigment: is basically a solid material in the form of small, separate particles that are suspended in a solution
Granulation: is the property of certain pigments where particles settle into the hollows of the paper.
Flocculation: is the tendency for pigments to be drawn together into clumps
Surfactant: is one of the ingredients in watercolor that allows water to be soaked into the paper.
Binder: using this allows the water to soak into sized watercolor paper.
· Water-based pigments were used in prehistoric cave paintings
· Many Egyptian wall and funerary paintings
· Chinese painted on silk with water based inks and dyes
· Western use of the medium, watercolor evolved from manuscript illumination in the monasteries of medieval Europe
· Raphael used watercolor for the enormous cartoons
· The explorers were accompanied by cartographers and topographers who used watercolor
· 1600´s miniature portraits in watercolor on card or ivory became popular between the people
· In the 1970’s and 80’s there was a revival of interest in 19th century art on the part of collectors and academics
· Environmentally friendly watercolor is often the medium of choice in our pollution conscious age
What are the properties of watercolor?
There are 8 principal properties of watercolor you should know about
Paint: is composed of pigment particles suspended in a solution of water, binder and surfactant.
Paper: it needs to be made from linen or cotton rags that have been pounded into small fibers, instead of the standard wood pulp.
Sizing: is applied to watercolor paper so that liquid paints won't be immediately absorbed into the paper
Pigment: is basically a solid material in the form of small, separate particles that are suspended in a solution
Granulation: is the property of certain pigments where particles settle into the hollows of the paper.
Flocculation: is the tendency for pigments to be drawn together into clumps
Surfactant: is one of the ingredients in watercolor that allows water to be soaked into the paper.
Binder: using this allows the water to soak into sized watercolor paper.
What is the difference between cold press and warm press?
Cold press watercolor paper has texture that means little bumps and groves hold in the water and pigment. It sucks up the water pretty quickly. Cold press is a good choice when you want to convey texture in your subject.
Warm press is smooth meaning no texture with this paper. This paper doesn’t suck up the water as fast as the cold press, allowing you to play around more, like re-wetting edges of pigment.
Cold press watercolor paper has texture that means little bumps and groves hold in the water and pigment. It sucks up the water pretty quickly. Cold press is a good choice when you want to convey texture in your subject.
Warm press is smooth meaning no texture with this paper. This paper doesn’t suck up the water as fast as the cold press, allowing you to play around more, like re-wetting edges of pigment.
Techniques, Colors and tools
What techniques is use while painting with watercolor?
Wet on wet; is simply the process of applying pigment to wet paper. The results vary from soft undefined shapes to slightly blurred marks, depending on how wet the paper is. The wet in wet technique can be applied over existing washes provided the thoroughly dry. Simply wet the paper with a large brush and paint into the dampness. The soft marks made by painting wet in wet are great for subtle background regions of your painting.
- I would use this technique in my artwork to create a consistent soft background in the whole paper that doesn’t create shapes
Wet on dry: is the opposite watercolor technique to wet in wet. Here a brush loaded with pigment is dragged over completely dry paper. The marks produced by this technique are very crisp and hard edged.
- I will use this technique in my artwork to create strong defining lines around shapes
Dropping in color: This technique is simply the process of introducing a color to a wet region of the painting and allowing it to blend bleed and feather without interruption.
Lifting Off: some watercolor pigment can be dissolved and lifted off after it has dried you have to wet the area to be removed with a brush and clean water then blot the pigment away with a tissue
- I will use this technique in my artwork if I have to create something in top of the original background
Washes: area of paper to be covered by the wash, then mixing sufficient pigment to easily fill the entire area. The pigment is applied to a sloping surface in slightly overlapping horizontal bands from the top down.
Under-painting: is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Under paintings are often monochromatic and help to define color values for later painting. There are different types such as verdaccio and grisalle. Verdaccio is the mixture of black, white, and yellow pigments resulting in a grayish or yellowish and Grisaille is a painting usually in shades of grey
Wet on wet; is simply the process of applying pigment to wet paper. The results vary from soft undefined shapes to slightly blurred marks, depending on how wet the paper is. The wet in wet technique can be applied over existing washes provided the thoroughly dry. Simply wet the paper with a large brush and paint into the dampness. The soft marks made by painting wet in wet are great for subtle background regions of your painting.
- I would use this technique in my artwork to create a consistent soft background in the whole paper that doesn’t create shapes
Wet on dry: is the opposite watercolor technique to wet in wet. Here a brush loaded with pigment is dragged over completely dry paper. The marks produced by this technique are very crisp and hard edged.
- I will use this technique in my artwork to create strong defining lines around shapes
Dropping in color: This technique is simply the process of introducing a color to a wet region of the painting and allowing it to blend bleed and feather without interruption.
Lifting Off: some watercolor pigment can be dissolved and lifted off after it has dried you have to wet the area to be removed with a brush and clean water then blot the pigment away with a tissue
- I will use this technique in my artwork if I have to create something in top of the original background
Washes: area of paper to be covered by the wash, then mixing sufficient pigment to easily fill the entire area. The pigment is applied to a sloping surface in slightly overlapping horizontal bands from the top down.
Under-painting: is an initial layer of paint applied to a ground, which serves as a base for subsequent layers of paint. Under paintings are often monochromatic and help to define color values for later painting. There are different types such as verdaccio and grisalle. Verdaccio is the mixture of black, white, and yellow pigments resulting in a grayish or yellowish and Grisaille is a painting usually in shades of grey
What is the difference between Tints and Shades?
Tints: are used in feminine environments. Creating painting pastels colors that are used or in the focal point or in the entire painting.
Shades: are used in masculine environments or for dark accents in art.
Tints means to add tone that is when white is added to a color in the color wheel to create a lighter version. While shade, the result of shades are when black is added to a color in the color wheel to create a darker hue
Tints: are used in feminine environments. Creating painting pastels colors that are used or in the focal point or in the entire painting.
Shades: are used in masculine environments or for dark accents in art.
Tints means to add tone that is when white is added to a color in the color wheel to create a lighter version. While shade, the result of shades are when black is added to a color in the color wheel to create a darker hue
What you need to know about the color wheel?
Primary colors: are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors
Secondary colors: is a color made by mixing two primary colors in a given
Intermediate colors: is formed when a primary color is mixed with an adjacent secondary color
Analogous colors: are groups of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel
Complementary colors: are pairs of colors which, when combined in the right proportions, produce a neutral color; white, grey, or black. When put together they create the strongest contrast and reinforce each other.
Tints: are used in feminine environments. Creating painting pastels colors that are used or in the focal point or in the entire painting.
Shades: are used in masculine environments or for dark accents in art.
How to successfully choose a color scheme?
It is important to use a palette to observe colors and which they blend with. Colors need to be balanced especially when applied shades and tints. I will also recommend using analogous colors because they match. Another advice is to use complementary colors because even though they don’t match they create perfect balance. For my project I will be sing complementary colors to show contrast but at the same time maintain it balance and not shifting towards any color.
Primary colors: are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors
Secondary colors: is a color made by mixing two primary colors in a given
Intermediate colors: is formed when a primary color is mixed with an adjacent secondary color
Analogous colors: are groups of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel
Complementary colors: are pairs of colors which, when combined in the right proportions, produce a neutral color; white, grey, or black. When put together they create the strongest contrast and reinforce each other.
Tints: are used in feminine environments. Creating painting pastels colors that are used or in the focal point or in the entire painting.
Shades: are used in masculine environments or for dark accents in art.
How to successfully choose a color scheme?
It is important to use a palette to observe colors and which they blend with. Colors need to be balanced especially when applied shades and tints. I will also recommend using analogous colors because they match. Another advice is to use complementary colors because even though they don’t match they create perfect balance. For my project I will be sing complementary colors to show contrast but at the same time maintain it balance and not shifting towards any color.
What does it mean to layer in water color?
Layering means painting over a previously painted color. This will result on a darker tone and will also add detail and texture to the final art product. You can add as many layers as you wish as long as you don’t lose the original idea or shape.
Layering means painting over a previously painted color. This will result on a darker tone and will also add detail and texture to the final art product. You can add as many layers as you wish as long as you don’t lose the original idea or shape.