ABOUT WATERCOLOR PAINTS

Watercolor paints are produced in two forms: pans or tubes. Pans or cakes are hard like candies and are available in two sizes: full-pan and half-pan. Tube watercolors have wetting agents added to them. The majority of painters seem to prefer tube paints. 

Price is generally a reliable indicator of the quality of artists’ colors. The more expensive they are the better they are likely to be. The dividing line between them is a little vague, but there are basically three grades: professional, hobbyist, and student.

Professional
Professional paints are made of the finest pigments and binders that are cleansed and refined to the highest standards before they are combined in carefully controlled conditions to make them into paint. Compared to other grades, professional colors (also called “artists’ colors”) have cleaner and more brilliant tone, and possess greater coloring strength. Although they are more costly, much less paint is needed with professional paints to do the job than with other grades, and with much more satisfying results.

Hobbyist
Hobbyist paints are normally of good quality and perform well. For the hobby or professional artist who paints regularly, they are a reliable and more affordable alternative to professional colors. They contain less pigment than professional paints, but enough to meet the needs of all but the most demanding painters. Selection of ingredients and production methods are not as rigorous as with professional paints, but nonetheless acceptable for many purposes.

Student
Student paints can be quite inexpensive, but are not recommended for permanent work. For the individual on a tight budget, or the student just starting out and being uncertain whether he or she will continue painting in the long-term, these may be the wisest choice in terms of economics. Unlike hobby or professional paints, little care is taken with the materials chosen and methods used in making student paints. They contain an overabundance of fillers, and often questionable adulterants are added. Many colors are “hues” (see below) or imitations, colors can be dull and pasty with minimal coloring power. The amount of pigment in a student paint can be as little half that in a hobby paint, and 1/5th or less than in a professional paint.

A Note About Color Names
The names of some tube colors may be labeled as "hue" or "extra." This indicates the color is not the true pigment names (such as cerulean blue), but is a composed of less expensive pigments intended to mimic the named color (for example: cerulean blue hue). Genuine colors usually perform better than hues, but hues are acceptable for my classes.

ABOUT WATERCOLOR BRUSHES

Water media artists use soft brushes almost exclusively.

Since they aren’t subjected to the degree of abuse that oil and acrylic brushes routinely are, watercolor brushes last an extraordinary length of time - frequently for the entire life of the artist, and often through several generations. Because their brushes survive so long, serious watercolor painters may be willing to invest large sums in at least a few outstanding brushes.

Brush Materials

For brushes that are expected to assume and retain a well defined shape and sharp point or edge, Siberian Kolinsky sable is considered the finest material for a watercolor brush. It loads plenty of paint and is highly responsive, but in large sizes can cost several hundred dollars. Kolinsky sable from other geographic regions is also excellent, but not as costly or revered as that which comes from Siberia. Red sable is much less expensive than any type of Kolinsky, but is still a good choice with its high loading capacity, good shape retention, and reasonable responsiveness. Of natural hairs, sabeline (ox hair dyed red) is the least pricey and least favored. Sabeline cannot be formed into as sharp a point or edge as sable, and wears down relatively quickly.

Brushes of synthetic materials are more economical than those made with natural hairs. They seldom can achieve as precise an edge or point, however, and do not load nearly as much paint.

Other natural hairs found in watercolor brushes include goat, sheep, rabbit, pony, wolf, and squirrel. These hairs are used for specialized brushes such as the mop, hake, sumi, and large wash that do not require a well defined shape.

Brush Shapes

Following are descriptions of the most commonly used watercolor brush types.

Round
Rounds are cylindrical with a sharp point for details, and a full belly for washes.

Script
The script is like an extra-long and extremely thin round for painting thin lines and for calligraphic effects.

Flat
Long haired and with a squared-off tip, flats make broad strokes and soft-ish marks.

Bright
Brights resemble flats, but their shorter hairs make them firmer for producing better defined marks.

Filbert
A filbert looks like a flat with a rounded tip to produce marks that are softer than those a flat makes.

Fan
The fan gets its name from its shape and is useful for drybrush techniques.

Large Wash
Looking like a large, broad flat or bright, a large wash is appropriate for laying down expansive washes on large paintings

Mop
Oval mops are made of very soft hair, often rabbit fur. Long, tapered mops may be of pony or squirrel. Mops have indefinite shapes and pick up huge quantities of liquid for producing very soft-edged washes over a wide area.

Hake
The hake is a type of large wash brush. It is made of soft, floppy hairs and is capable of brushing out smooth, even washes as well as sweeping drybrush strokes.

Sumi (Japanese bamboo brushes)
These inexpensive brushes offer a range of calligraphic and other effects.

Brush Shopping

Brush heads are coated with a weak glue that hardens them to prevent damage during shipment. To test a brush, first remove the glue with warm water (ask the sales clerk for some). When wet, it should be possible to groom a good brush to a sharp point or edge and a defined shape. The brush should be free of loose hairs, splits, and other anomalies. Test the brush for responsiveness by bending it in the palm of your hand. When released, the brush should spring back to its original position.

Brush Care

Keep brushes in good condition if they are to perform well for a long time. Protect brush tips by storing and transporting them in an appropriate manner. Do not leave a brush standing on its tip in water or the head will become permanently bent and the tip ruined. Rinse and clean brushes thoroughly with soap and warm water when done painting.

ABOUT SURFACES FOR WATERCOLOR PAINTING

Water Media is almost always applied to paper, and the most suitable are those papers made for the purpose. Watercolor paper can be obtained that has been bleached white, or which has a “natural” buff tone.

Materials
Archival quality watercolor paper is hand or machine produced from cotton and linen rags. Handmade papers can be identified by their deckle (irregular) edges, and machine produced papers by their more mechanical textures.

Finish
Watercolor papers are either rough, with a pronounced texture appropriate to a bold style; cold-pressed, that has a moderate amount of tooth and is the most popular surface; or hot-pressed, with little tooth, making it a good choice for highly detailed paintings.

How absorbent a paper is contributes to the character of the picture. Absorbency is a result of the amount of sizing (gelatin) and the process by which it was added to the paper during production. All watercolor papers are sized; if they weren’t they would soak up paint like blotting paper. Paint applied to papers with a lot of size dry more rapidly than paint brushed onto a paper with less sizing. On a damp day, therefore, an artist may choose a hard-sized paper to help accelerate drying, and on a dry day a lightly sized paper might be selected.

Weight
Papers are labeled for weight. Long measured in pounds per ream, it is becoming common to use the more consistent gram per square meter system (gsm). Heavier papers are less prone to buckle or warp than lighter ones, take more abuse, and often require no stretching. Anything less than 140-lbs. (300 gsm) should be avoided by the serious painter, and the use of 300-lb. (640 gsm) or even 500-lb. (1050 gsm) papers is not unusual.

Lightweight papers should be stretched to prevent buckling, and heavyweight papers benefit from stretching if they are going to be worked extremely wet. Immerse the paper in a pan of clean water (a few minutes for 140-lb. or less, up to 30 minutes for heavier papers), or sponge it to get both sides wet. Lay the paper over a smooth and sturdy board and spread it out with a damp sponge to flatten it. Attach the paper around its edges to the board with butcher’s tape or staples. The paper may be used while still wet, or after it has dried.

Forms
Sketchbooks of watercolor paper are convenient for the artist on-the-go. They are available in many sizes, a variety of qualities, but only in lighter weights (usually between 90- and 140-lb.).

Blocks are expensive, but the paper doesn’t require stretching even though it is light in weight (the same range as sketchbooks). A watercolor block is composed of a stack of of paper sheets mounted to a stiff backing and glued along all edges.

Individual sheets of watercolor paper are available in a full range of weights, finishes, degrees of quality, and prices. The usual size of a full-sheet is 22" X 30".

A limited variety of watercolor paper is offered in roll form in lengths of 10 yards and longer for very large paintings.

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TOOLS & ACCESSORIES FOR WATERCOLOR PAINTING 

Brushes
Isabey, Winsor & Newton, Raphael, and Silver Brush are all lines of good quality watermedia brushes. For details about brush materials, shapes, and care, see "About Watercolor Brushes" at left. 

Watercolor 
Paper Brands 
For a comprehensive discussion of paper types and materials, see "About Watercolor Painting Surfaces" at left. 

In spiral-bound pads, I have been quite satisfied with Strathmore 400 Series and Arches watercolor papers. I have not had  as much success with Canson or with Winsor & Newton's Cotman pads.

Sheets of Arches cold-pressed and hot-pressed papers have proven themselves extremely well, and Fabriano nearly as well. I have found Lanaquarelle to be a little too absorbent for my watercolor needs, but a good surface for goauche.

Thinners & Solvents  
Watercolor paints are thinned with tap water, although ox gall or glycerin may be added to the water to make the paint "wetter".

Painting Mediums 
Gum arabic is the binder in watercolor paints. A little may be added to the water being painted with to increase the paint's luster and transparency.

To speed drying of the paint, alcohol can be added to the water.

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TUBE WATERCOLOR PAINT PRICES
AND QUALITY

Listings are arranged from the least expensive at top to most expensive at bottom. Price ranges are based on the average retail cost per milliliter of a company's paints as of September 2010.

An asterisk (*) indicates that I have little or no experience with a brand.