Watercolor Painting: All You Need to Know

Introduction & Brief History

Watercolor is a popular painting method that produces beautiful artworks. Watercolor paintings are ancient, likely originating from Europe's Paleolithic Age. Its history as an artistic medium stretches back to the Renaissance, around the 15th century. Albrecht Dürer, a Northern German Renaissance painter known for his stunning watercolors of flowers, animals, and landscapes, is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of watercolor painting. Hans Bol founded an influential watercolor painting school in Germany during the Dürer Renaissance.

Composition of Watercolor Paints

Watercolor paints are made up of four major ingredients: glycerin, bovine bile, honey, and preservatives to vary the viscosity, concealing power, stability, or color of the pigment carrier mixture. Water is used as a solvent to reduce the thickness of the paint before application.

Specific Properties of Watercolor Paints

Watercolors are made up of pigments and binders that are water-soluble. Artists can use watercolors to produce unique paintings that creatively express their imagination. One of the most appealing features of watercolor is the ability to achieve transparency and shine by adding layers.

Key Features of Watercolor Paints

Any painting media that employs water as a solvent and may be applied with a brush, pen, or spray is referred to as "aqueous medium." Most inks, watercolors, tempera, casein, gouache, and contemporary acrylics fall under this category.

Suitable Surfaces or Media for Watercolor Paints

Watercolor paper is the most common and traditional carrier medium for watercolors. Other supportive mediums include papyrus, bark, plastic, parchment, leather, fabric, wood, and watercolor canvas (coated with gesso specially developed for watercolors).

Additional Specialties of Watercolor Paints

Tube and pan watercolors are the two types of commercial watercolors available today. Most paints now come in collapsible metal tubes with a viscosity similar to toothpaste, which must be diluted with water before use. Pan paint comes in two sizes: whole pans and half pans.

Toxicity and Vegan-Friendly Properties of Watercolor Paints

When watercolor paint comes into contact with skin, it is generally considered safe. However, if you have sensitive skin or are allergic to certain chemicals, you may experience irritation or rashes. Always read the ingredients before purchasing any watercolor paints. Some of the binders used in watercolor are derived from the proteins and fats of animals, making some of them non-vegan.

Supplies You Need to Start Watercolor Painting

To get started with watercolor painting, you'll need a few essential supplies:

• Watercolor Paints: Choose a set of quality watercolor paints in tubes or pans. Start with a basic set of primary colors (red, blue, yellow), black, and white, and expand as you gain experience.
• Brushes: Get a variety of brushes designed for watercolor painting, including round, flat, and detail brushes. Natural or synthetic brushes work well with watercolors.
• Palette: Use a palette for mixing your watercolor paints. You can choose a traditional palette with wells or a flat mixing surface.
• Watercolor Paper: Choose high-quality watercolor paper, preferably 140 lb (300 gsm) or higher, to prevent warping and ensure the best results.
• Water Containers: Have two water containers: one for rinsing brushes and one for clean water to mix with paints.
• Paper Towels or Rags: Keep these handy for blotting brushes and cleaning up spills.
• Masking Tape: Use masking tape to secure your paper to a board and create clean edges.
• Board: A sturdy board to tape your paper onto, preventing it from warping as you paint.
• Pencil and Eraser: For sketching your design before painting.
• Palette Knife: Useful for mixing paint and creating texture.

Conclusion

Watercolor painting has a rich history and remains a popular choice for artists due to its ability to create stunning, transparent artworks. Composed of pigments and water-soluble binders, watercolor paints offer unique properties that make them versatile and appealing. Suitable for various surfaces, watercolors can be used to achieve a range of effects and finishes.

While generally safe, some watercolor paints contain animal-derived binders, making them non-vegan. For those looking to start watercolor painting, essential supplies include quality watercolor paints, suitable painting surfaces, and other tools such as brushes and palettes.

GranNino provides an excellent platform for artists to host and store their watercolor paintings for free. With unlimited storage, online art galleries, and social features, GranNino offers a supportive community for artists to connect and showcase their work. Learn more about the services on GranNino.

By understanding the history, composition, properties, and techniques of watercolor painting, artists can fully harness the potential of this beautiful medium to create stunning works of art. Happy painting!