Watercolor As One Of The Most Popular Medium Of Painting
Watercolors had been utilized by artists all over the world for many centuries. It is as a way of expressing their emotions through painting. It is a kind of paint that is composed of a water-soluble pigment. They vary greatly in value, ranging from light colors to dark, as they are soluble in water. It is said that the use of the medium has started way back the paleolithic Europe but the history of it as an art medium only began in the Renaissance.
The most important traditions in watercolor paintings are said to be botanical and wildlife illustrations. Watercolor painting is said to spread during the 18th century because of some factors. First, people who belong in the elite and aristocratic families valued watercolor painting as one of the incidental adornments of a good education.
Next, it also became useful as an effective way to depict properties, terrain, fortifications and to illustrate public works for surveyors, mapmakers, military officers and engineers. The advent of the heavier and more heavily wove papers and brushes are some examples of innovations brought about by the popularity of watercolors.
There are four basic ingredients in watercolor paints. Pigment is the most important. It gives color to the paint. Natural minerals were the earliest known pigments. Arabic gum, on the other hand, is the one responsible for holding the pigment in suspension and fixing it to the painting surface. To change the viscosity, hiding, durability or color of the pigment, additives must be added. Lastly, a solvent is needed to thin or dilute the paint for application.
In the past, using watercolors required a lot of labor as they were available in small blocks that needed to be wet and rubbed out in water. Today, the modern commercial watercolor paints are available in two forms. The first type is sold in collapsible metal tubes in standard sizes. The other one is called pan paints that are available in two sizes. These commercial watercolor paints are made in two grades. Some paints are formulated with fewer fillers. They are called Òartist quality paints. Having fewer kaolin or chalk makes the watercolors have richer colors and vibrant mixes.
On the other hand, some paints are formulated with less pigment. These paints are called student grade paints. Watercolor painting is done in several techniques. Wet and glazes is a basic technique. To disguise or efface individual brush strokes in the painting, a diluted paint is applied to produce a unified area of color. This is wash. To apply one paint color at the top of a previous paint layer is called glaze.
Another technique is wet and wet. This technique is considered to be one of the most distinctive features of watercolor painting. The application of paint or water to an area of the painting which has already been applied with either paint or water is how this technique is done. For precision and control, ÒdrybrushÓ is the best technique to use. Building up or mixing the paint colors with short precise touches that blend to avoid the appearance of pointilism is the objective of the technique.
In the end, whatever the technique the painter prefers, watercolor still remains as one of the best art medium available in bringing life to art pieces.
