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Colour Demystified

Materials

Windsor Newton Cotman is student grade

Watercolour Boxes

Metal travel case with water bottle

Mixing Palettes

Porcelain daisy shaped palette

Brushes

Synthetic is fine Use old brush for mixing Possible to only use round

The Language of Colour

Chromatography, George Field 1835. Research into pigments for Windsor And Newton

Pigments

Cadmiums

  • Stable and lightfast
  • Opaque
  • Notably reds, oranges and yellows
  • High colouring strength
  • Brilliant colours

Cadmium Free

  • Sulphide free with non toxic waste
  • Same performance as cadmium

Transparent and Opaque

TRANSPARENT: the white of the paper or the underlayer of paint can be seen through transparent watercolour paint.

SEMI-TRANSPARENT: watercolour will absorb most of the light but reflect a small pan.

SEMI-OPAQUE: watercolour will let through a small amount of the light.

OPAQUE: watercolour reflects all of the light and can appear matte.

Staining Colours

Staining colours are made from dyes rather than pigments. They are part of the synthetic-organic group of colours and differ from pigments in that they are completeiy dissolved in a liquid whereas pigments are suspended in a liquid and form a layer on the surface of the paper.

Dyes stain the paper, and this is why they are categorized as staining colours; they are impossible to lift off. However, the vibrancy of colour and the transparency of staining colours make them wonderful for glazing.

Granulating Colours

Some pigments leave uneven deposits of pigment on the paper leaving extra texture when dry. The water used will affect the level of granulation with hard water creating extra texture.

Quinacridones

Quinacridones have many advantages if you want to paint with intense, vibrant, transparent colour. They comprise rich golds, pinks, reds and violets that are also ideal for glazing and for creating smooth clear watercolour washes.