Watercolor Pigments
EXPLORING THE PROPERTIES OF YOUR PAINT
For many of us, watercolor was the first paint we ever tried. But how unaware we were of its complex nature! Each color actually behaves differently depending on the characteristics of its pigment. Whether synthetic or naturally occurring, pigments vary in the way they lay on the paper and interact with one another. Get to know the pigments in your palette, and you’ll gain more control over your washes.
Here are some of the ways watercolors are characterized and labeled:
• Staining pigments (such as alizarin crimson) are more permanent than non-staining (such as Naples yellow). When applied to paper, staining pigments are nearly impossible to lift or dab away completely.
• Watercolors are either transparent or opaque. Transparent colors (such as cobalt blue) allow light to penetrate and reflect the white of the paper, whereas opaque colors (such as cadmiums) have pigments that block light. To maintain a luminous look in your finished work, use opaque colors in small areas and in small amounts.
• Some colors (such as ultramarine blue) have larger pigment particles that clump together and sink into the grooves of the paper, producing a lightly textured, hazy appearance. This is called granulation.
• Watercolors are rated by lightfastness—the ability of a pigment to resist fading over time. Fugitive paints have a high lightfastness rating, as they fade faster than non-fugitive paints. —ETG
TRY THIS!
Using all the watercolors in your palette, create “interaction charts” by mixing each color with every other color. Simply stroke two different colors side by side and slightly overlap the edges; then watch the pigments intermingle. You might run into some exciting results!