Watercolor Questions and Answers

What are the advantages of painting with watercolors?

Watercolors are water-based, so they dry very quickly. This makes painting at a variety of locations more convenient. They are also easy to clean up, as they are water-soluble.

What are watercolors made of?

Watercolors are made of pigment mixed with the binder gum arabic. Gum arabic, a non-toxic, natural product, is water soluble, slightly acidic, and a relatively weak binder.

What is the difference between professional and student grades?

Student grade paints offer a smaller selection of colors, and substitute synthetic hues for the more expensive traditional colors. Colors contain a higher proportion of filler. They are less expensive because they do not have the same level of purity or permanence as professional grade watercolors.

Why do painters thin watercolors?

Because of the weakness of the binder, it is important to thin out watercolors, as they will crack if applied too thickly.

What is the difference between pan and tube watercolors?

Pan watercolors are solid blocks of paint. Add water using a wet brush, and they are ready to be used. They are perfect for location painting outdoors.

Tube watercolors are generally more popular in North America. They have a pasty consistency, and should be diluted with water on a palette for easy mixing. If tube watercolors have dried on a palette, they can be used by rewetting the paint with your brush or spray bottle.

Are pan watercolors for serious painters?

In North America most painters prefer tube colors, and pan colors are sometimes incorrectly labeled as a student or scholastic painting medium. In Europe, pan colors are very popular because they are so easily transportable, perfect for painting landscapes in plein air. Just as with tube colors, both student and professional grades are available in watercolor pans.

Which white should I choose?

Traditionally it is felt that any white in a watercolor should be the white of the paper showing through. White is used for tinting other colors, to create lighter shades. However, many companies offer an opaque white, generally called Titanium White, and this can be used for various effects.

The best answer is that you may want to use both whites. Use the Chinese White for mixing and tinting, and the Titanium White for adding details in white over a colored background or wash.

How do I start painting?

With watercolors you should always work from light to dark. Adding light colors later can be difficult. Watercolor painters traditionally use "washes" of color. A wash is a thin layer of paint spread over a large area of the painting. Washes are applied one on top of the other (allowing one to dry before applying the next), in order to create depth of color and to add detail.

A wet-on-wet technique can be used where a second or even a third color is added while first wash is still wet. You can also use a more direct technique and simply lay the wet paint onto the dry surface, without building up layers.

Dick Blick offers many books and media products to help beginning watercolor painters get started. See our section, Books and Media, Watercolors.

What surfaces are suitable for watercolor painting?

The most common is watercolor paper, but other surfaces such as vellum, parchment, clay mineral panels, sumi rice paper, or thin fabrics such as silk can be used.

Why use a special watercolor paper rather than an ordinary paper?

Watercolor paper is specially made to be resilient, and to absorb water evenly and slowly. Because watercolors are transparent, the surface takes on enhanced importance. It is thicker and heavier than ordinary paper and has more texture. The type and amount of sizing in the paper controls water absorption.

Why use a professional grade watercolor paper?

Professional grade papers are acid and lignin free, made of cotton fiber rather than cellulose. They are both stronger and more enduring. With proper treatment, a painting on professional paper can last hundreds of years. The paper's texture and surface is brought out by the transparency of watercolor paints, and is one of the desirable qualities of a fine watercolor painting.

Why do artists "stretch" watercolor paper?

Watercolor paper generally has to be stretched before use. This is especially true with lighter weights of paper, which will otherwise buckle after absorbing water. After wetting and then stretching the paper, allow it to completely dry before painting to prevent it from rippling.

You can paint directly onto paper without stretching it, but it would be better to try this using a heavy paper that can absorb a fairly large amount of water without wrinkling.

What brushes should I use for watercolor painting?

There are many watercolor brush options available and you can find a wide range of brushes to suit your individual needs on our Watercolor Brushes page. Although watercolorists have traditionally used natural fiber brushes, the best quality natural fibers have become rare and expensive. A variety of high quality synthetic brushes are now available.

The highest quality natural fiber brushes for watercolor are Kolinsky, then pure red sable brushes. The hair on both is very soft and springy, and can hold a great deal of color while still able to create very fine points.

How do I care for brushes?

Clean watercolor brushes by rinsing them thoroughly then wash them with a mild shampoo in warm water. Allow them to dry laying flat. Always reshape your brush before storing as this prevents damage to bristles and prolongs usefulness of brush.

You'll find more information about cleaning and caring for brushes in our brushes section, as well as a variety of products for cleaning, conditioning, and storing brushes.

Can I fix mistakes on a painting?

It is possible to remove specific pieces of a painting or mistakes. Simply blot the wet area with a tissue. If the paint has dried, re-wet it and blot. Dried paint can be lightened, but it will probably not be entirely removed, especially if the pigment is a "staining" pigment.