1. Watercolor
Carty Visual Art I 2013

2. Terms
Transparent: can be seen through- allows the penetration of light
Opaque: cannot be seen through- prohibits the penetration of light

3. Terms continued
Charged Brush: brush is holding full capacity of paint- strokes look juicy
Dry Brush: brush has been wiped repeatedly leaving only small amount of paint- strokes look streaked and dry

4. Techniques Wet-on-wet: wet paper, charged brush
Wet-on-dry: dry paper, charged brush
Dry-on-wet: wet paper, dry brush
Dry-on-dry: dry paper, dry brush

5. Resists
Resists are used to preserve the white of the paper- they are substances which resist the paint and cause it to not adhere to the painting surface

6. Types of Resists Wax paper Parafin White wax crayon or candle
Masking tape
Rubber cement
Maskoid or other commercial resist product

7. Parts of a brush

8. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Flat: bristle, hair, or nylon
Flat end (chisel point)
Long belly
Flay ferrule

9. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Bright
Flat end
Short belly
Flat ferrule

10. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Filberts: bristle
Oval point
Flat ferrule

11. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Oval wash (mop): hair
Oval point
Flattened ferrule

12. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Rounds: bristle, hair, nylon
Pointed tip
Round ferrule

13. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Fan blenders: bristle (and hair)
Fan shaped
Rounded, flattened heel on ferrule

14. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Hake: Japanese wash brush, soft hair
Slightly fanned
Stitching to hold hair
No ferrule

15. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Lettering brush
Flat point
Very long hair

16. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Dagger: (bristle), hair
Dagger or sword type point
Very long hair
Round ferrule

17. Types and Shapes of Brushes
Hardware utility brush: bristle or nylon (large washes)
Flat
Short handle

18. Composition of Brushes
Bristle: stiff, hog’s hair, “boar”
Nylon: plastic, synthetic
Hair
Red sable: the best, actually made from hair of the Kolinsky or Tartar Martin from Siberia
Sabeline: dyed ox hair
Camel: squirrel hair

19. Sizes of Brushes
Round Brushes- “0000” smallest, 12 is usually largest available
Flats and Brights- ¼ smallest, 1 usually largest (occasionally up to 2)

20. Paper Basic Composition
Rag: ph balanced, long lasting, highest quality, often hand made
Sulfite: wood pulp, non ph balance leading to decomposition, yellowing, brittleness, much less expensive, machine made

21. Parts of Paper

22. Weight of Paper
Determined by “ream weight” or weight of 500 sheets of that paper in standard size
Ex. 350 lb. paper means that 500 sheets of that paper weigh 350 lbs
Standard weighs run 80 to 400 pounds
In watercolor, it is considered best to stretch all but heaviest papers of the aquarium papers
Paper is sized with glue which is usually removed by moistening when watercolor painting. Blotters are made from unsized paper

23. Special Effects
Salt- sprinkled into wet paint causing granulated, textured, starburst effect

24. Special Effects
Sponges (natural are preferable)- can be used to lift or add color, create textured effects

25. Special Effects
Tissue paper- used to lift color

26. Special Effects
Razors, knife blades- used to pick out of lift small areas of color, or scratch out white lines

27. Special Effects
Sticks, pallete knives etc.- used to apply paint of texture

28. Special Effects
Splatter effects- using stiff tooth brush or atomizer

29. Watercolor Paints Types
Pan colors: pigments are often inferior, less intense (just dyes)
Tube colors: preferable, more versatile, more intense, more permanent

30. Watercolor Paints
Composition: pigment + gum arabic + (glycerin) + water
Gum arabic is the binder
Pigment is the colorant

31. Watercolor Paints Pigment Sources Inorganic Organic
Synthetic mineral- chemical
Natural mineral- “earth colors”
Organic
Animal
Vegetable
Synthetic organic colors

32. Watercolor Paints Pigment Types Opaque Transparent Staining (light)
Non-staining (heavy)

33. Granulation Theory of Watercolor
Stain: fine particles, sink slowly because they are light enough to stay suspended or float- they spread or diffuse- they will penetrate into pores of paper- create permanent stain
Ex. Thalo Colors

34. Granulation Theory of Watercolor
Semi-Staining: go down less slowly- particles are less fine so they do not penetrate as rapidly into pores of paper

35. Granulation Theory of Watercolor
Non-Staining: particles are heavy and sink faster because they are larger they do not penetrate pores of paper

36. Granulation Theory of Watercolor
Granulation is created by a combination of thick (heavy) with a thin (light) Pigment
Light pigment will diffuse on the damp paper creating a “halo” stain around the heavier pigment
Pigments separate on the paper and to not stay well-blended
Ex. Thalo Blue and Burnt Sienna, or Thalo Green and Vermillion

37. Transparent Pigments Stains Light Pigments Semi-Stains Heavy Pigments
Sap green
Brown madder
Rose madder
Alizarin crimson
New gamboge yellow
Sepia
Semi-Stains Heavy Pigments
Hooker’s green(light and dark values)
Anthwerp blue
Payne’s Gray
Aureolin yellow
Lemon yellow
Yellow ochre
Burnt Sienna

38. Opaque Pigments Semi-Staining Light Pigments
Cadmium red
Cadmium orange
Cadmium yellow
Raw sienna
Naples yellow
Indian red
Windsor emerald
Cadmium scarlet
Non-staining Heavy Pigments
Vermillion
Manganese blue
Ultramarine blue
Cobalt blue
Cerulin blue
Chromium oxide green
Chinese white
Ivory black

39. What not to do…
Muddy colors- created by mixing or over-layering heavy opaque colors
Balloons- hard edges created by uneven drying (use a hairdryer!)
Overworking

40. Additional Information
Glazing- applying a wash over dry paint
Different meanings of “pallette”
Surface used for mixing paint
The selection of colors used in a painting
The selection of colors generally used by an artist in his or her work
Paint the essential, paint broadly, paint details last

41. Sequences of Painting Three approaches to establishing a composition
Paint center of interest first, progress to least important last (difficult to do in watercolor)
Dark to Light: lay in darks first to achieve unity quickly, dangerous but effective
Light to Dark: lay in light values first, progress to darkest last, a safe conventional approach