What is Watercolor: The Beginner's Handbook
The Definitive Guide to Watercolor for Beginners: What It Is, How to Use It, and Essential Supplies
Watercolor painting is an extremely popular painting technique today, and not without reason. Watercolor, with its lightness and fluidity, is one of the most accessible yet sophisticated artistic mediums available.
Whether you are a novice looking for a relaxing way to color printed pages or an experienced artist seeking a new expressive technique, watercolor offers a world of possibilities.
In this comprehensive guide, we will uncover what watercolor is, explore its essential supplies, and detail the fundamental techniques so you can start painting today.
1. Introduction
Watercolor is a medium that captivates with its delicacy and the way water acts as a creative element, not just a diluent. It is loved by beginners for its portability and easy cleanup, and by professionals for its ability to create expressive illustrations, ethereal landscapes, and, of course, soft results on coloring pages. Its versatility allows it to be used in everything from quick sketches to detailed works of art.
2. What Exactly Is Watercolor?
Watercolor is, by definition, a water-soluble paint. Its basic composition consists of finely ground pigments mixed with a binder, which is usually gum arabic. This binder allows the pigment to adhere to the paper when the water evaporates.
The most distinctive characteristic of watercolor is its transparency. Unlike opaque paints like acrylic or gouache, watercolor allows light to pass through the layer of color, reflect off the white of the paper, and return to the observer's eyes. It is this interaction with the paper that gives watercolor its unique brilliance and luminosity.
3. Types of Watercolor Paint
There are several forms of watercolor paint presentation, each with its advantages and specific uses.
3.1. Pan Watercolors (Dry Cakes)
These are the most common for beginners. They come in small dry blocks (pans or "cakes") and are activated by touching a wet brush to the paint's surface. They are extremely portable and ideal for sketching and coloring pages, as they offer good control over the amount of paint.
3.2. Tube Watercolors
This is the most concentrated form of the paint. Tube watercolor is creamy and contains less binder, making it ideal for artists who need large amounts of mixed color or for creating large, expressive washes on bigger pieces.
3.3. Liquid Watercolors
Generally dye-based, these paints are extremely vibrant and come ready to use. They are popular in illustration and graphic design, but it is important to note that many do not have the same lightfastness as traditional pigment-based watercolors.
3.4. Student Grade vs. Artist Grade
The difference between student-grade and artist-grade paints lies primarily in pigment load, vibrancy, and lightfastness.
| Characteristic | Student Grade | Artist Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pigment Load | Lower, with more fillers | High, pure pigments |
| Vibrancy | Good, but can be less intense | Excellent, rich and deep colors |
| Lightfastness | Variable, may fade over time | High, ideal for final works of art |
| Price | More affordable | Higher |
| Recommendation | Practice, studies, and watercolor for beginners | Professional and long-lasting work |
4. Watercolor Characteristics
Understanding the unique characteristics of watercolor is essential to mastering the technique.
4.1. Transparency vs. Opacity
Transparency is the soul of watercolor. The brightest white in your painting should be the white of the paper. Color is built through thin, transparent layers (glazing), allowing the underlying colors and the paper to shine through. Opacity is only achieved with the use of gouache or with low-quality paints that contain opaque additives.
4.2. Granulation
Granulation is a visually interesting texture that occurs when pigment particles clump together and settle unevenly on the paper, rather than spreading uniformly. This creates a sandy or stony effect, which is beautiful for landscapes, skies, and for adding texture to elements in coloring pages.
4.3. Staining vs. Non-Staining Colors
This distinction is crucial for error correction and mixing techniques:
Staining vs Non-Staining Watercolor Pigments — Comparison
| Color Type | Common Examples | Main Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Staining | Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green, Alizarin Crimson | Penetrate paper fibers, difficult to remove. |
| Non-Staining | Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna | Stay more on the surface and can be easily "lifted" with a damp brush or paper towel, making corrections easier. |
| Color Type | Common Examples | Main Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Granulating | Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna, Hematite | Creates textured, grainy effects as pigments settle. |
| Non-Granulating | Phthalo Blue, Quinacridone Rose, Hansa Yellow | Smooth, even washes without visible texture. |
Transparent vs Opaque Watercolors — Comparison
| Color Type | Common Examples | Main Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent | Quinacridone Rose, Phthalo Blue, Hansa Yellow Light | Allows light to pass through, perfect for glazing and luminous layers. |
| Opaque | Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Cerulean Blue | Blocks more light, giving solid and dense coverage in the wash. |
5. Essential Watercolor Supplies
To start your watercolor for beginners journey, you don't need much, but the quality of some items is non-negotiable.
5.1. Paper
Paper is the most important material. Common printer paper cannot handle water and will warp. Look for watercolor paper with a minimum weight of 300g/m² (140lb).
| Paper Type | Characteristic | Recommended Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Press | Smooth surface | Detailed illustrations, pen and ink |
| Cold Press | Medium texture (most common) | Versatile, good for beginners and washes |
| Rough | Coarse, prominent texture | Granulation effects and landscapes |
For coloring pages printed at home, use a high-weight paper (above 180g/m²) that is compatible with your printer.
5.2. Brushes
A good watercolor brush must retain water. Round brushes are the most versatile.
• Synthetics: More affordable and durable, ideal for beginners.
• Natural Hair (e.g., Sable): Retain more water and release color more controllably, but are more expensive.
Start with three sizes: a fine one (for details), a medium one (for filling), and a large one (for backgrounds).
5.3. Palette, Water & Paper Towels
Use a ceramic or plastic palette to mix your colors. Keep two water jars: one for cleaning the brush and one for mixing with the paint, ensuring your colors remain clean. Paper towels are essential for controlling brush moisture and for the lifting technique.
6. Basic Watercolor Techniques
Mastering these techniques is the first step for any watercolor for beginners artist.
6.1. Wet-on-Wet
This technique involves applying paint to an area of the paper that is already damp with clean water. The result is a soft, unpredictable blend, ideal for backgrounds, skies, and dreamy textures.
6.2. Wet-on-Dry
Wet paint is applied to dry paper. This technique offers maximum control, resulting in sharp edges and defined colors. It is the perfect technique for adding details and for coloring specific shapes on coloring pages.
6.3. Lifting and Layering (Glazing)
• Lifting: Using a clean, damp brush or a paper towel to remove color from an area, lightening it or correcting a mistake. Works best with non-staining colors.
• Layering (Glazing): Applying a transparent layer of color over a previous layer that is completely dry. This builds depth and saturation without losing transparency.
7. Why Watercolor Works So Well with Coloring Pages
Watercolor is the perfect match for coloring pages, especially when you need a versatile material to add effects, transparencies, and even textures.
The result is even better when combined with other materials, such as colored pencils, pastels, markers, ink pens, among others. The transparency of watercolor allows the illustration lines to remain visible, while the color fills the spaces with an ethereal lightness. It is ideal for details like florals, whimsical drawings, and cute characters, painting larger areas, background paintings, where the smooth blending of colors is a great advantage.
By starting your paintings with watercolor and then moving on to another material, such as colored pencils, you also gain speed, as watercolor allows you to quickly fill large areas. Afterward, you can use colored pencils or another material to intensify colors, create textures, improve effects, etc.
8. Common Mistakes Beginners Make
Avoiding these common mistakes can accelerate your learning curve:
8.1. Using Thin Paper: Causes warping and makes water control difficult.
8.2. Overworking the Same Area: Touching the paint while it dries destroys the paper surface and results in "muddy" colors.
8.3. Adding Too Much (or Too Little) Water: Balance is key. Too much water causes puddles; too little water results in opaque colors.
8.4. Not Waiting for Layers to Dry: Applying a new layer before the previous one is completely dry will cause the colors to mix undesirably.
9. Tips for Beginners
• Start Simple: Use a palette of 6 to 12 basic colors.
• Practice Gradients: Learn to make the color go from dark to light in a single stroke.
• Use Test Swatches: Always test the color and concentration on a separate piece of paper before applying it to your final work.
• Try Painting on Coloring Pages: It's a great way to practice brush control and the wet-on-dry technique without the pressure of creating a drawing from scratch.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need expensive paints? | No. Start with a good quality student-grade set. Invest in good paper first. |
| Can I use watercolor on regular printer paper? | Not recommended. Printer paper warps and does not allow the paint to flow correctly. |
| How much water should I use? | It depends on your objective—greater opacity, texture, transparency, or the technique applied. Use enough for the paint to flow smoothly, but not so much that it forms uncontrollable puddles. |
| Why does my paper warp? | Your paper has a low weight (less than 300g/m² or 140lb) or you are using excessive water. |
11. Conclusion
The watercolor for beginners journey is one of discovery and patience. We encourage you to start with small studies and embrace the unpredictable nature of water. Remember, the Umbrella Art Studio offers free, printable coloring pages that are a fantastic starting point for practicing your new watercolor skills.
Explore more tutorials and step-by-step guides on our blog and let the lightness of watercolor transform your art! We recommend reading our article on Floral Coloring Pages: Relaxation, Creativity, and Therapeutic Benefits.
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