THE BOOK ON WATERCOLOR

By Vladimir London
Contents:
About the Author
Introduction
1. What is Watercolor?
2. The Place of Watercolor in the History of Arts
3. What Makes Good Watercolor Artwork?
4. Art Materials
5. Arranging a Working Space
6. Preparing Supports
7. Outlines and Contour Drawing
8. The Color Theory and Its Application in Watercolor Painting
9. The Tonal Values Theory and its Application in Watercolor
10. Preserving White
11. Watercolor Painting Methods and Techniques
12. Going Beyond
13. Perspective in Watercolor
14. Finishing Stages
15. The Next Steps
About the Author
Vladimir London is the internationally published author of several
books on art, a professional artist and an art teacher. He is the found-
er and tutor of the following online video courses:

Watercolor Academy - https://WatercolorAcademy.com

Drawing Academy - https://DrawingAcademy.com

Anatomy Master Class - https://AnatomyMasterClass.com

Life Drawing Academy - https://LifeDrawing.Academy

Vladimir’s art career spans over 30 years during which he helped hun-
dreds of art students worldwide to improve their art skills. Today, you
can fully benefit from his extensive knowledge and experience in art
by reading this, the Book on Watercolor.

Enjoy this book, and at the end Vladimir will offer you a very special
bonus – complementary watercolor video lessons.
Introduction
I have written this book as a guide for my Watercolor Academy
students (https://WatercolorAcademy.com). Even if you are not a
student, if you are interested in the watercolor painting you will find
this book very useful.

In this book, you will read about what watercolor painting is and its
place in the history of arts; what makes a good watercolor artwork;
what you need to know about watercolor materials and how to choose
the right art supplies. You will learn color theory and how to use it in
watercolor painting. You will also discover the traditional watercolor
painting techniques that every proficient watercolor artist should
master.

In the following chapters, you will learn the trade secrets and tricks
that you need to practice to elevate your watercolor skills to the higher
level.

Before we begin, I want to say a few words about the place of the
watercolor medium in visual arts.

Some may think that because watercolor paints are so widely available
using this medium is as easy as simply mixing with it water and
applying on to paper. Some think that because watercolor painting is
practiced in the lower grades at school, it is a “junior” craft. Painters
in oil and acrylic might even look at it as inferior and less advanced
These beliefs are far from reality; watercolor is not the easiest medium
to master and true art skills play a vital role here.

In a way, painting in oils or acrylics require simpler techniques. The

paint dries more slowly, giving more time to think; lighter tints can
be applied at any time on any area of an artwork; mistakes can be
fixed by repainting over with opaque layers or scraping them out. It is
possible to rework the same artwork indefinitely.
None of these luxuries are available in watercolor. It is a tough and That is why I want to give you the skills and techniques of watercolor
unforgiving medium. Because every layer of paint is visible, the artist’s painting that can be used for any genre of your choice.
skill play a vital part in watercolor painting.
This book will guide you through various watercolor painting
In watercolor, it is impossible to fix errors by painting over the “not techniques and reveal many craft tips that are not taught in
quite right” areas. Every mistake will show through. Sometimes it is contemporary art institutions.
easier to start an artwork over again than trying to fix something that
went wrong. As the saying goes, it is better to see once than hear one hundred
times so if you want to learn more and watch how professional
So, if you have chosen watercolor because it is “simple” and “easy watercolor art is created step by step, you can enroll in the Watercolor
to use”, you will be surprised how much you will need to learn and Academy on https://WatercolorAcademy.com. There you can learn the
master to achieve creative success in this medium. craft by watching comprehensive video lessons.

You probably saw some colorful books that show how to paint It’s time to begin our watercolor discovery.
something in watercolor – like how to paint a flower, a cat, a landscape
or a portrait. You may even have bought some of them and after
reading them and looking at the glossy pictures still left with no
watercolor painting skills.

This book is different. Instead of employing the approach of teaching

you how to paint something in particular, this book gives you the
fundamental information, methods and techniques that will be very
useful in painting anything you see, think or imagine.

These lessons of, “How to paint something” only teach you how
to paint exactly that one thing. When you start creating your own
artwork, you are left with gaps in your art education. If you saw a
demonstration on how to paint a cat or a dog, you can’t translate it
into painting a seascape or a human figure.

Some essential elements - a knowledge of art materials, color theory,

linear and aerial perspectives, constructive drawing principles, the
rules of tonal values, coloristic gamut, and various techniques of
applying paints on paper, etc. - are universal regardless of what subject
you paint. A knowledge of those elements can be applied in every
single artwork, whether you paint a still-life, a landscape or a figure.
1. What is Watercolor?
The term “watercolor” was first used by the Italian painter Cennino
Cennini in his book “Il Libro dell’Arte” (The Craftsman’s Handbook).
This doesn’t mean, however, that the watercolor technique originates
in late 1400s - first half of the 16th century. Watercolor as a medium
was used many centuries before the early Renaissance period. I will a
briefly outline its place in the history of arts in the next chapter.

So, what IS and what is NOT “watercolor”?

The word watercolor has several meanings: it is a painting medium, a

picture painted in that medium, and the art of painting such pictures.

Watercolor as paint is made of a pigment or dye mixed with a water-

soluble binder (most often gum arabic) with addition of some other
ingredients (like glycerin, etc.) that make this paint semi-soft, elastic,
and mold-resistant. It is thinned with water to achieve a transparent
color that is applied on a support. This medium has one very distinct
characteristic – paler colors are produced by diluting the paints
rather than by adding white pigments This what makes water-color
“watercolor”.

By this definition, other water-thinned mediums like gouache or

tempera, for example, are not watercolors because lighter tints are
made by adding white. White color in watercolor artworks is attained
by leaving the support unpainted, and light areas are created by using
the natural transparency of the paints.

The most common support for watercolor artworks these days is

white paper so no color-tint can be made lighter than white paper it is
painted on.

To summarize, the name “watercolor” is self-descriptive: it is the

medium of color-tints diluted with water.
2. The Place of Watercolor in
the History of Arts
Many books, essays and articles are written on the history of art.
Because this book is the practical guide, I will only briefly describe the
place of the watercolor medium in the history of arts.

It is not well established when watercolor painting originates from.

Perhaps watercolor is as old as art itself, dating back to the Stone
Age when prehistoric man mixed earth and charcoal with water and
painted the very first wet-on-dry artwork on a cave wall.

Fast-forward 30-40 thousand years and ancient Egyptians used water-

soluble transparent paint to illustrate papyrus scrolls. They mixed
earth pigments – e.g. ochres and siennas as well as minerals such as
reds, cinnabar, blue azure, green malachite, etc. - with gum arabic and
egg white. These water-soluble paints were, technically, watercolors.
Many of these artworks survived to the present day with colors as
bright as when they were created because of the dry climate and the
hidden places where those artworks were found.

With invention of paper in China about 2000 years ago, the watercolor
medium took another path where color of paper played an integral
part in artwork. Chinese and Japanese masters also painted with
watercolors on silk. Their art often featured calligraphy as well as
contemplative landscape views, animals and pictures from everyday life.

During the European Middle Ages watercolor and body color was used
by monks to illuminate hand-written books and manuscripts. The
support was usually either parchment or vellum made from sheepskin
or calfskin. Hand-painted books were intricately illustrated with
biblical scenes, stories from saint’s lives, historical events and similar
topics.
Eventually the secrets of paper manufacturing spread from China
to the Middle East and Arabs made some improvements on the
technology. From the East, papermaking further expanded to the
European continent.

Fifteen hundred years after the invention of paper, Europe celebrated

great advances in drawing, painting and sculpture during the
Renaissance period. By this time, paper was widely available for
artists. This played an important role in the history of watercolors.

European watercolor as we know them today, have their roots in the

Northern Renaissance. The German artist Albrecht Durer (1471 -
1528) was one of the first to recognize the potentials of this medium.
He created breathtaking landscapes, wildlife pictures, topographical
and botanical watercolor artworks.

During the Baroque period, watercolor was often the medium of

choice to illustrate naturalist books, albums, scientific publications
and for the creation of hand-painted maps and architectural plans.
Watercolor was also very popular for miniature portraiture on paper,
velum and ivory.

The Flemish artist Anthony Van Dyck (1599 - 1641) further advanced
the watercolor painting technique, introducing translucent washes.
This was an important innovation where artists first allowed the color
of paper to shine through pigments and play a role in the artwork.

Such masters as Claude Lorrain (1600 or 1604/5 - 1682), Giovanni

Benedetto Castiglione (1609 - 1664), and many other Dutch and
Flemish baroque artists used watercolors.

Watercolor spread across Europe and by the end of the 18th century
in Russia, watercolor was not just a craft for artists but a part of
aristocratic education as well as a must-have skill for architects,
engineers and military officers. The English watercolor artists of the
time often travelled with researchers on geological and archaeological
expeditions to depict new worlds and discoveries. Middle-class
housewives practiced watercolor along with stitching and piano
paying. Watercolor had become a “national art”.

During the “Golden Age of Watercolor” in England watercolor became

an independent and established medium in art. Paul Sandby (1730–
1809), the father of the English watercolor, Thomas Girtin (1775–
1802), the landscape painter, and Joseph Mallord William Turner
(1775–1851) refined watercolor painting techniques to new heights.
There were many other artists who left their mark on the English
watercolor school: Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), William Pars
(1742-1782), John Sell Cotman (1782-1842), Samuel Prout (1783–1852)
to name just a few.

By the 19th century watercolor had become so popular that several

art societies had been established - the Society of Painters in Water
Colours (1804, now the Royal Watercolour Society), the New Water
Colour Society (1832, now the Royal Institute of Painters in Water
Colours), and the Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colour (1878,
now the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour). In Ireland,
the Watercolour Society of Ireland (WCSI) was founded in 1870 and in
Northern Ireland, the Ulster Watercolour Society (UWS) was created.

In Russia, the Russian Watercolor Society was founded in St.

Petersburg in 1880. Many Russian artists of the 19th century used
watercolor in their art:
Alexander Brullov (1798-1877)
Vasily Sadovnikov (1800-1879)
Ivan Aivazovskiy (1817-1900)
Aleksei Bogolubov (1824-1896)
Mikhail Klodt (1835-1914)
Vladimir Makovskiy (1846-1920)
Fyodor Vasiyev (1850-1873)
Apollinary Vasnetsov (1856-1933)
Isaac Levitan (1860-1900)
Leo Bakst (1866-1924)
Alexandre Benois (1870-1960)
In Europe, watercolor painting also became popular. It was an
important medium for artists such as Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863),
François Marius Granet (1775-1849), Adolph Menzel (1815-1905),
Stanisław Masłowski (1853-1926) and many other distinguished
painters and craftsmen.

Watercolor found its way to the American continent with the

European artists who documented the “new world” and it became
popular there in the 19th century. The American Society of Painters
in Watercolor (now the American Watercolor Society) was founded in
1866. By the end of the 19th century, artists such as Thomas Moran
(1837-1926), Thomas Eakins (1844-1916), John Singer Sargent (1856-
1925), James A. M. Whistler (1834-1903), and many others had
contributed to the American culture of watercolor.

At the beginning of the 20th century in Europe, Paul Signac (1863-

1935) and Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) developed an impressionistic
style of painting. The 20th century saw watercolorists such as the
Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), the Swiss
modernist Paul Klee (1879-1940), and the French expressionist painter
Raoul Dufy (1877-1953).

In the USA, the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism European

styles were often imitated. At the same time, many regional schools
came to life. The Cleveland Museum of Art was the center for the
“Cleveland” or “Ohio School” of painters. The California Water Color
Society was founded in 1921 (now the National Watercolor Society).

After 1950s, watercolor art in the USA suffered a decline, giving way
to abstract expressionism, amateur painters, and workshop-influenced
painting styles. Nevertheless, artist like Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009),
Philip Pearlstein (born 1924), Joseph Raffael (born 1933) and many
others continued working in this medium.

Unlike in America and Western Europe, strong art school traditions

in Russia kept the watercolor culture alive and many contemporary
artists are still pushing the boundaries of the watercolor medium
today. I will briefly mention just a few of my favorite artists below and
leave you to discover their art on the internet.

Contemporary Russian watercolor artists:

Oleg Pomerantsev (1948-2012)
Evgeniy Dubitskiy (1951)
Sergei Andriaka (1958)
Konstantin Kuzema (1962)
Sergey Temerev (1963)
Sergei Alekseev (1967)
Sergei Aldushkin (1967)
Elena Bazanova (1968)
Viacheslav Korobeinikov (1968)

Traditional watercolor techniques are still supported and practiced by

many talented contemporary artists worldwide. Here are some of my
favorites:
John Yardley (1933 – 2011)
Cheng-Khee Chee (1934)
Guan Weixing (1940)
David Taylor (1941)
Steve Hanks (1949 - 2015)
Sterling Edwards (1951)
Joseph Zbukvic (1952)
Mary Whyte (1953)
Alvaro Castagnet (1954)
Cao Bei-an (1957)
Woon Lam Ng (1971)

This brief history is not intended to be a comprehensive review of

watercolor art periods, styles and artists. I just want to encourage
you with the old origins of this medium, its rich traditions and some
inspirational artworks by contemporary watercolor artists.

That being said, let’s proceed to discover what makes a good

watercolor artwork.
3. What Makes Good
Watercolor Artwork?
From time to time, I receive questions from Watercolor Academy
students and readers on what the most important thing is to make
good quality professional watercolor artworks.

There are several different elements and I will list them below in their
order of importance.

Artist’s Skills
This is by far the most important quality you must strive for if you
want to achieve great results in watercolor painting. This is the only
thing that cannot be taken away. Once you learned how to paint in
watercolor proficiently, this knowledge will be with you for the rest of
your life.

Skills come with knowledge and experience.

By reading this book, you will get useful information about painting
in watercolor. Furthermore, in the Watercolor Academy video
lessons (https://watercoloracademy.com), you can watch and learn all
necessary steps of mastering watercolor techniques.

Experience, however, comes with practice. There is only one person

responsible for expanding your painting experience – you.

Skills alone cannot make watercolor artwork. You also need some art
materials.
Good Quality Watercolor Paper
I put paper above the rest of the art supplies because in watercolor it
is not only a support, it is also part of the artwork. Unlike in oil or
acrylic painting (where opaque paints cover the support’s surface), in
watercolor, the paper support shows through all layers of paint and
thus plays a visual part in the artwork’s colors and tones.

Good quality watercolor paper should be white, strong, take water

and paint well, and withstand quite extensive mechanical abrasion by
brushes and sponges.

Low grade or unsuitable paper might ruin an artwork completely.

In the chapter about art materials, I will describe in more detail what
you need to know about watercolor paper and how to choose paper
that will be good for your artwork.
Professional Watercolor Brushes
Good things are made with good tools. Professional watercolor
brushes can be quite expensive. However, going for cheap brushes
would be a false economy.

When you paint, you want to concentrate on the creative process

rather than on how to handle a low-quality brush that might not take
water and paint well, be too soft or too sturdy, do not hold a point at
its end, or even lose hairs right on your artwork.

So, go for the best brushes you can find, especially because you don’t
need many of them. It is better to have a few good ones than many
unsuitable ones. Even a limited range of watercolor brushes will give
you great results. High quality brushes will last for years if you take
good care of them.

In the art materials chapter, I will explain what you should look for
when choosing watercolor brushes and will give you some practical
advice on how to take care of them.
High Quality Watercolor Paints
The reason I put paints below brushes is because their quality is more
or less consistent and therefore more predictable.

If you go for one brand or manufacturer and know what to expect

from its professional range of watercolor paints, you don’t have to
guess next time you buy a pan or a tube of paint to replace a finished
one.

Apart from paper, watercolor paint is what is visible on the surface and
makes the artwork. Needless to say, only professional and artist grade
paints will be suitable for your works of art.

There are many watercolor paints on the market. Some of them have
fancy names and even identical names from different manufacturers
do not guarantee the same color tint.

In the corresponding chapter, you will discover all you need to know
about watercolor paints and what to go for when buying your first
professional selection of paints.

Of course, there are other art materials that every watercolor artist
needs. You will find out about them in the art materials chapter.

When I started professional art education at the age of nine, my

watercolor teacher told me a story. I will share it with you.

Many years ago, there was an artist who spent all of his life
relentlessly practicing art. He was obsessed with improving his art
skills to the best level possible. One day, when he heard that a king
would be passing in a carriage through the area he lived in, he decided
to try an experiment. He put on the worst clothes he could find, sat in
the dust on the road’s edge, made a brush from grass, and used road
dirt as paint, diluting it with water from a puddle. The passer-by king
was intrigued to see a painter working under such conditions.
He asked to look at artist’s artwork and was impressed so much that
he fired the court painter on a spot and invited the poor artist as the
new master. The story goes that the artist declined the offer because
he wanted to pursue his quest of improving art skills ever further.

This is a fictional tale but nevertheless it shows that you can have
brushes made of grass and dirt instead of paints, and still make better
art than those with less skill.

So, once again, I will point your attention to the fact that art materials
cannot make a wonderful artwork, that is down to the artist. To be the
best artist you can, you need to focus on learning the skills of the craft
and practice them persistently.
4. Art Materials
When it comes to art supplies, today the life of the artist could not
be easier with so many different manufacturers offering an endless
range of paints, brushes, supports and other materials. Nevertheless,
a beginner might find it overwhelming to make the best choice.
Often, the decision is made based on budget, emotional impulse, or
guesswork.

This chapter will give you the necessary information on what you
should consider when shopping for watercolor art materials.

Before we begin with art supplies, I must make a disclaimer. The

advice in this book is based on my experience, personal preference,
extensive research, and common sense. I do not advocate any
particular brands or manufacturers.

Other artists might have different preferences and this is totally fine.
Otherwise, there would no need in so many choices on a market.

Let’s begin with what you need to know about materials for
watercolor.
Watercolor Paper
As I explained in the previous chapter, good quality paper is the most
important art material in watercolor. That is why choosing the paper
that works best for you is essential.

Many Watercolor Academy students ask me what paper to buy,

expecting me to give them the paper brand name, weight, texture,
form, size, price and an online art store link.

I have to say that if your art teacher insists on a certain paper because
“it’s the best”, take such advice very cautiously. The choice of paper
depends on individual preferences, working habits and painting styles.
Taking on such advice will limit you to someone else’s criteria that are
not necessarily adequate for your personal artistic needs.

Before I explain what qualities of paper to look for and how to

test them, you have to be familiar with the key characteristics of
watercolor paper. These are:

• Manufacturing methods
• What it’s made of
• Quality grade
• Weight of paper
• Texture of the surface
• Tint of paper
• Paper format
• Shape and form

Manufacturing Methods

Watercolor paper is made in one of the following ways:

1. Handmade (production speed is about 80 sheets per hour)
2. Mold-made (200 sheets per hour)
3. Machine-made (23,000+ sheets per hour)
The first two types are more durable and distort less under heavy
washes, but considerable more expensive.

What it’s Made of

Paper is made out of cellulose fibers, which was historically prepared

from cotton or linen.

Some 500-year-old drawings remain in better condition today

than some artworks from the second half of the 18th and the 19th
centuries. This is because paper manufacturers “improved” production
and profit margins by adding wood pulp, clays and other fillers to bulk
it up and make it less expensive, as well as using chemicals and acids
to make paper whiter.

The composition of paper will command its durability and

permanence. Aim for 100% cotton paper. Some manufactures make
“rag paper” claiming it is cotton. Rags may be composed of some
percentage of synthetic fibers and such paper may contain up to 80%
of non-cotton fillers and wood. Pure cotton paper is strong and pliable;
it will take paints well and be resistant to the mechanical damage of
scraping, taping, masking, rubbing, etc.

Quality Grade

The best quality watercolor paper satisfies the following criteria:

• Made of pure cellulose fibers of cotton (or less often linen)
• Free of any synthetic fibers and wood lignin
• Does not contain clay or other fillers
• Free of acid with neutral acidity (pH)

All papers can be divided into two grades: that which meets the
requirements listed above - artists’ quality paper - and that which
doesn’t - the students’ quality. Needless to say, you must go for the
artists’ quality.
 The best quality paper - which will not yellow, contains no acids and
will remain flexible for centuries - is also referred to as “archival
paper”.

Rough Weight of Paper

“Weight of paper” indicates how heavy and therefore how thick it is. It
does not indicate paper quality, however.

In the imperial system, the weight of paper is measured in pounds

(lb) per 500 sheets (ream) and in metric system by grams per square
meter (gsm).

Medium weight paper of 300gsm (140lb) provides good value for

money compared to cheaper lightweight papers like 170gsm (80lb)
that curl and buckle when wet and have to be stretched, or heavy
weight of 600gsm (280lb) that is more like a board but twice as
expensive.

Cold-pressed Texture of the Surface

(NOT) There are three types of surfaces:

1. Rough
2. Hot-pressed (HP)
3. Cold-pressed (sometimes simply referred as “NOT”, which means
“not hot pressed”)

As its name suggests, rough surface comes with a prominent tooth

(texture); hot-pressed is smooth, hard and fine-grained; and cold-
pressed is between the two.

Hot-pressed
The smoother paper is, the more its surface reflects light. This makes
colors appear brighter and more saturated. The fine tooth of hot-
pressed paper makes it easier to work in small details but it can give
(HP) hard edges to brushstrokes and washes. Some artists find it more
difficult to make broad washes on hot-pressed paper.
Rough paper is better suited for impressionistic styles and loose • Royal – 20x25” (51x64cm)
brushstrokes. Its non-pressed surface absorbs water very well, helping • Elephant (UK) – 20x27” (51x69cm)
to achieve smooth washes; big tooth plays a pivotal role in granulated • Super Royal – 20x28” (51x71cm)
washes and adds interesting textural effects in dry-brush painting. • Single Elephant (USA) – 25.7x40” (64x102cm)
• Double Elephant (UK) – 27x40” (69x102cm)
Cold-pressed papers are in the middle, acceptable both for smaller • Double Elephant (USA) – 29x41” (74x104cm)
details and smooth washes. The middle-grained texture is easiest to • Antiquarian – 31x53” (79x135cm)
paint on and more versatile for different painting styles. • Emperor (USA) – 40x60” (102x152cm)

Keep in mind that the size of grain differs between various brands. The ratio of those sizes varies from 1.25 to 1.71.

Tint of Paper The metric system of paper sizes is based on the square-root-of-two
ratio. If you are not into math, just skip the next paragraph where I
In general, the whiter watercolor paper is, the better. Because no will briefly describe the benefits of this system.
white pigment can be used in pure watercolor artwork, the natural
tint of the paper is the lightest tone an artwork can have. Some paper According to the ISO 216 standard, the ratio of paper size (the length
is lighter than others. You also need to consider how the paper was divided by the width) is always constant and equal to the square
bleached – either naturally (the preferred way) or with the use of root of two, which is approximately 1.4142. The biggest size is A0,
chemicals and acids. measured 841x1189mm (33.1x46.8”): its area is equal to one square
meter. Smaller sizes are attained by cutting previous size in half, so
Paper Formats the width of a bigger sheet becomes the length of the smaller size
sheet. A0 divided in half gives A1, which has 0.5 square meter area.
Historical watercolor paper formats were derived from the British A1 cut in half gives A2 with 0.25 m2, and so on till A10, which is
imperial system standardized in 1836. Here are some of the as small as a post stamp. Such system is very handy when you need
format names that you may encounter in old literature, although to glue two sheets into one and it becomes the larger-sized standard
contemporary paper manufacturers may no longer use this sheet without any trimming.
terminology:
You will see the “Series A” sizes on paper blocks and pads:
• Quarter Sheet – 11x15” (28x38cm)
• Half Sheet – 15x22” (38x56cm) • A1 – 594x841mm (23.4x33.1”)
• Full Sheet (Imperial) – 22x30” (55x76cm) • A2 – 420x594mm (16.5x23.4”)
• A3 – 297x420mm (11.7x16.5”)
There are also other sizes in between: • A4 – 210x297mm (8.27x11.7”)
• A5 – 148x210mm (5.83x8.27”)
• Crown – 15x20” (38x51cm) • A6 – 105x148mm (4.13x5.83”)
• Demy – 17.5x22.5” (44x57cm)
• Medium – 18x23” (46x58cm)
Shape and Form

Watercolor paper is sold in individual sheets, rolls, blocks, pads, and

sketchbooks.

The best quality watercolor paper is handmade and only available in

individual sheets. One sheet may cost more than a whole block of
students’ quality paper. Sizes are often not standardized and there is a
genuine deckle edge on all four sides. The deckle is a thinned stripe of
cellulose that is left un-trimmed as an indication of the non-machine
manufacturing process.

The mold-made papers that are sold in sheets might have two genuine
deckle edges and two fake deckles along the sides where sheets have
been cut from the roll.

Watercolor paper that is sold in rolls is often cheaper per square meter
than individual sheets and can be up to 10 yards long and between 1
and 1.5 meter wide.

Watercolor blocks come in different sizes, anything between A2 and

A5 and in stacks of 12 / 20 / 25 sheets. Sheets are bound with flexible
glue on all four sides to a sturdy paperboard underneath and protected
by a cover sheet on top. These blocks are advertised as “no stretching
required”, although paper will buckle when wet, especially under
heavy washes on bigger formats. Smaller blocks are good for outdoor
painting, while it is better to cut off and stretch bigger sheets for in-
studio work. To prevent damage when separating the top sheet from
the block you can insert a palette knife in the un-gummed area and
slice along four sides. Watercolor blocks are more expensive per square
meter than individual sheets.

Watercolor pads are similar to blocks but have only one side glued.
It is tempting to simply peel sheets off by hand but like blocks, it is
better to slice sheets off with a palette knife. Paper in pads is less
expensive than in blocks because there is less gluing involves.
Sketchbooks for watercolor painting come in a wide array of sizes, 4. It should be enjoyable to work on and attractive to look at.
bounds, weights, quality and number of pages per book. They are 5. It should form strong bond between the fibers, the pigments and
good for fast disposable artworks, preliminary sketches, travelling the binder of the paints.
and outdoor painting. Get several sketchbooks but don’t become 6. It should be responsive to different painting techniques – wet-in-
a collector. Use them with the knowledge that the majority of the wet, wet-on-dry, dry-brush, take multiple glazes, etc.
sketches won’t be any good, you will only like some of them and you 7. It should be strong when wet.
will only be proud enough of a few of them to show others. 8. It should keep its size and not buckle or curl when wet.
9. It should retain its original flat surface when it dries.
It is erroneous to think that paper is less durable than a canvas or 10. It should resist physical damage both dry and wet when rubbing
wooden support. Ask any restorer and you will be surprised to learn with eraser, wiping with a sponge, scraping, blotting, removing
that many drawings, etchings and water-based paintings on paper masking tape or masking liquid, etc.
created several hundred years ago are in much better condition today 11. It should be lightfast and resistant to yellowing.
than equally old oil and tempera paintings on canvas and wooden 12. It should be archival: it should keep the original colors of the
boards. The majority of old masterpieces have suffered from decaying paints and be resistant to the deterioration of fibers, keeping its
canvas and had to be transferred to a new support - a process called flexibility with time.
lining. Properly archived and stored artworks on paper are still as
strong and bright as when they were created. You could say that it is useful to have an extensive list of “good-to-
have” qualities, but how do you begin comparing different paper
Every manufacturer of artists’ quality watercolor paper claim that their brands? There are some very simple tests you can do yourself that
product is one of the best. Unless you have a deep technical knowledge don’t require any lab equipment.
and have tested various papers from different brands, it is very hard
to tell what paper is right for you. The majority of artists make “non- Here’s how you can test watercolor paper:
scientific” decisions based on marketing, what they have heard from
other artists, brand reputation, price tag or an emotional impulse • Shake the paper sheet and listen to how it sounds. A “metallic
formed by paper size, weight, texture and color. There is, however, a rattle” indicates well-processed paper pulp prior to casting, while a
more methodical approach to choosing watercolor paper. dull muffled sound reveals a not so well prepared pulp.
• Tear a strip off the sheet and check the edge. A fuzzy edge
Here is the list of 12 most important qualities good watercolor paper indicates short and even fibers, while a hairy and ragged edge
must have: shows that the fibers are longer and more irregular. Tear a strip
along the adjacent side to check if the edge is any different; if so,
1. Watercolor paper should be bright (either white or tinted) for the paper is most likely machine-made.
translucent dried paint colors to be displayed accurately. • To check the pulp composition, burn a strip of paper and check
2. It should not change the colors of paints by making them duller the ashes. Totally white completely burnt ash means that the paper
and should have minimal effect on color saturation when paints is made of pure cotton or linen cellulose that was properly sized.
dry. Gray or dark ashes, or even unburned pieces, give away wood
3. It should take paints well without absorbing too much or blotching lignin, clays and additives or synthetic fibers.
paints, floating them on the surface. • To check flexibility, fold and unfold paper. Brittle folds with crisp
 damage and memory tell that the quality is not premium.
• Look at the paper against strong light to check its thickness and
density evenness.
• Compare paper color and brightness by placing two different
brands against each other.
• Examine with a magnifying glass and by stroking with fingertips
to compare the microscopic texture of the surface finish.
• To test lightfastness, place the paper under direct sunlight for at
least two weeks to one month. Paper containing wood lignin will
yellow.
• To examine absorbency, lick the paper surface. If it sticks to the
tongue, it is probably too absorbent. Test absorbency further by
applying water with a one-inch flat synthetic brush and check how
long it takes for the paper to absorb the water completely.
• Cover the entire sheet with water using a big flat brush or a sponge
to see how much the paper curls or cockles when wet and how flat
it gets after drying.
• Check the resistance of dry paper to physical damage by scraping
its surface (dry lifting), erasing graphite pencil marks with a
rubber eraser. Check whether masking tape lifts off fibers, and its
resistance to well-dried masking fluid removal.
• Check its resistance to damage when wet by blotting (wet lifting) -
wiping off dried paint with wet synthetic brush to the point when
paint is lifted off completely or surface is damaged. Do the same
test using a sponge. When paper dries, apply a coat of paint to
see how the surface responds to recoloring and how this top layer
looks.
• Check for backruns to test surface sizing. Backruns appear when
paint dries on the surface, meaning the paper is non-absorbent,
hot pressed or is Bristol finished.
• And, of course, how the paper takes paints. Examine washes under
sunlight to evaluate the color and brightness. Very absorbent
papers will give dull, blotchy colors. Yellowing, off-white paper will
dull green, blue or violet paints.

Artist’s quality watercolor paper is double-sided and you can test each
side. I know some artists who like to paint on the backside. Check the
watermark or/and the chop to distinguish the sides.
A couple more tests (which require equipment) can be done to see
how well paper and artwork will stand the test of time. Placing a
piece of paper for 72 hours in an oven at a 90-degree temperature will
reveal how brittle it would become after 1000 years under archival
conditions. An adequate pH acidity test would also indicate how
“friendly” paper is to acid-sensitive pigments.

Here’s a list of some watercolor paper brands with good reputations in

alphabetical order:

• Arches
• Fabriano
• Hahnemühle Aquarelle
• Hayle Mill
• Jack Richeson
• Saunders Waterford
• Twinrocker
• Velké Losiny
• Whatman
• Winsor & Newton
• Zerkall

If you are a complete beginner and have no previous experience, start

with any good brand, 100% cotton, cold-pressed, acid-free watercolor
paper with 300gsm (140lb) weight. Purchase a big-sized pad or
individual sheets; you can always cut to a smaller size if required.
Experiment and test different paper brands and types. Eventually, you
will find what papers suit your personal painting style. With time your
style will evolve and so might your paper choices.

Do not be tempted to save on paper by going for the cheapest options.

Good paper tends to be expensive and good artwork that will survive
hundreds of years requires a good support.
Watercolor Boards and Canvases
There are panels with watercolor paper or cotton canvas glued to a
board, and primed boards that take watercolor paints like paper. All
these options are more durable than paper and do not require any
stretching but are considerably more expensive.

Here’s a short list of boards to consider:

• Ampersand Aquaboard
• Fredrix Archival Watercolor Canvas Boards
• Crescent Premium Watercolor Board

If you want to experiment further, you could use wooden boards or

stretched canvases for watercolor painting. This kind of support has
to be primed with gesso and then coated with Absorbent Ground
(Golden). Treated in this way, the surface becomes porous and
absorbent, and will accept watercolor paint.

I would suggest you master watercolor painting techniques on paper

before investing your time in experimenting with boards.

Drawing Paper
Apart from watercolor paper, you will also need drawing paper.

It is not advised to draw directly on watercolor paper. You must

protect its white surface from any erasing, re-drawing, smudging or
handling with unwashed hands. Instead, make your compositions and
drawings on drawing paper first and then transfer your design to the
watercolor sheet.

Any drawing paper would do, although you will find lighter weights
are better suited to transferring over a light-box or window.

You could also consider purchasing a pad of tracing paper for

transferring drawings on to watercolor sheets with a heavier weight.

I will tell you more about transferring techniques later in this book.

Watercolor Brushes
After watercolor paper, the next most important element is watercolor
brushes.

Watercolor brushes have a simple structure – the tuft (hair or fiber),

the handle and the ferule (the collar that connects the tuft and the
handle). However, what a wide variety these three elements present!
Brushes can have natural or synthetic tufts, come in various shapes
and sizes, have different water-holding qualities and stiffness, different
length and handle materials, different kinds of ferules, and all of
these are multiplied by a large number of brush brands. This causes
a lot of confusion for beginners, and some common mistakes and
misconceptions. Here’s what you need to be aware of:

• Good quality comes at a price.

• Not all expensive brushes are of premium quality.
• Not all natural brushes are good.
• Not all synthetic brushes are inferior.
• It is better to go for a bigger brush size than you think you need.
• The brush size numbers of different brands are not consistent.
• You don’t need many brushes of different kinds.
• What brushes work for you will only become apparent with time.

I know that the statements above won’t help you to make a purchasing
decision so let’s examine what watercolor brushes are made of, what
shapes they can have, what qualities to look for, and how to test
those qualities so you could make an educated choice when buying a
watercolor brush.

A brush handle must feel comfortable in your hand. Watercolor brush

handles are generally shorter than those for oil or acrylic. They are
usually made of hard wood, which is often lacquered or varnished.
Synthetic handles are also available.

The ferule accounts for one-third of the cost of an average brush. It

has to be seamless - an extruded cylinder, which is not rolled from a
flat piece of metal - and made from copper alloys or plated to avoid
corrosion. A good grip between the handle and the ferule is essential.

The most important part of the brush is clearly the tuft, which can be
made of natural hair, synthetic fibers or a combination of both.

When it comes to natural hair you will often hear that kolinsky is
the best brush money can buy. I have to say that the term “kolinsky”
has been misused by manufacturers and no longer reflects the finest
quality it used to be. Kolinsky is the name for a rare dark brown
weasel with its natural habitat in Siberia whose tail contains strong,
springy, well-shaped hairs. The truth is, the best hairs only come from
the winter coat of the male that lives in the wild in the coldest and
harshest areas of Siberia. This means manufacturers often use cheaper,
less durable alternatives like the hair of the female of the species, and
even other animals like mink, ermine, ferrets, and polecats which can
be bred in captivity in warmer climates. All these alternatives are also
called kolinsky for marketing purposes and to improve profit margins.
So, a high price for a brush with the label, ‘kolinsky’ is not solid proof
of the highest quality.

A genuine kolinsky sable comes from a variety of weasels called

‘mustela sibirica’, whose hairs have a very sharp point at the tip and
are tapered at both ends, which gives a belly to the tuft and a point
to the end. These brushes have a good capacity, natural spring, and
are very durable and resilient. These qualities are unmatched by any
other animal hairs. The rarity of kolinsky species, difficulty of trapping
them, and the very high standards of the brush making demand high
prices. I was looking at the Siberian Kolinsky brush size 50 in one of
the art shops in London which had a price tag of over £1,200 ($1,700),
wondering how it feels to paint with such a brush. Of course, I do not
advocate going to such extremes. Smaller brushes come at cheaper
prices and we will talk about the sizes you would need later.

A cheaper alternative to kolinsky is a natural red sable. Red sable

hairs are slightly thinner, stiffer and shorter but almost as thirsty and
resilient as kolinsky.

Another kind of natural hair you need to consider is squirrel. Squirrel

brushes are very soft and thirsty; they can hold and release more
water or paint than sable brushes and have very pointy tip when wet.
Because squirrel hairs are soft, the brushes don’t have the same spring
as sables.

The best squirrel tufts are made of kazan brown squirrel hair. It
is named after Kazan, a city in Russia which is in the region of its
natural habitat. Black, gray and yellow hair come from other squirrel
species but they are shorter and less resilient.
There are also cheaper brushes made of ox, mongoose, goat, pony and
camel hair, as well as boar bristle available. I would not recommend
any of these natural brushes as the main tool for watercolor painting.

If price, availability and a concern for the wild animals involved are
an issue, you can consider synthetic brushes. The quality of some
synthetic fibers come so close to natural hair today that you can buy
a very good synthetic brush for a fraction of the price of its natural
counterpart. I was testing Princeton brushes and was very impressed
with the results. Some synthetic brushes are as thirsty as squirrel
and as resilient and springy as sable and keep the pointy tip very well.
In the Watercolor Academy videos, you can see different brushes in
action in different watercolor painting lessons.

Now, let’s examine brushes’ shapes.

Two of the most used shapes you will need are round and flat.

A round brush for watercolor must have a well-pointed tip when wet.
Brush sizes range from tiny at #00000 to big sizes like #20 and higher.
The average brush size is about #12-14.
 https://www.escoda.com

KOLINSKY-TAJMYR SABLE | ROUND |

POINTED

KOLINSKY SABLE | SHORT ROUND

POINTED

KOLINSKY SABLE | ROUND | CENTRAL

POINTED TIP

SQUIRREL | ROUND | POINTED

SQUIRREL | ROUND | MOP

KOLINSKY SABLE | BRIGHT

KOLINSKY SABLE | FLAT WASH

SQUIRREL | MOTTLER
Depending on the ratio of the wet tuft’s length to the belly’s diameter, Rigger brushes take their name from the historical application of
round brushes can be divided into these subsets: painting nautical rigging lines. They are long, thin, round brushes with
• Standard round (slightly more than four times ratio) a very fine pointy tip. This is an ideal tool for painting long, thin lines.
• Full bellied round (four times ratio with a fuller belly)
• Pointed round (five times ratio with a slim belly) Liner and Script brushes are similar to riggers but with a fuller belly.
They are also good for painting long lines with thicker widths.
You will need to have several round brushes: both stiffer (sable or
synthetic sable) and softer (squirrel or synthetic squirrel) hairs. Dagger brushes are “knife” shaped with very pointy tip at one side of
the edge. These brushes are good for making long lines which can vary
Flat brushes have a square or rectangular shape with a straight edge. from thin to much thicker strokes.
They can be subdivided into:
• Bright (almost a square profile with the length of tuft equal to its Detail brushes are small sized round brushes with a shorter tuft that
width) is handy for painting small details.
• Stroke (longer profile with the length almost twice the width)
• Chisel (a very short tuft) Spotter brushes have very short round tuft which is good for stippling
(painting in small dots).
There are also other specialty brushes with different shapes and sizes
that are optional depending on your needs and painting style. Fan brushes are, as their name suggests, fan-shaped painting tools
that are good for making bushy lines.
Mop brushes are round, made of soft hairs (usually squirrel), very
thirsty, and have a pointy tip when wet. Mops are good for both thin The list of brushes above is more than enough for a watercolor painter,
and wide lines and washes. However, their softness can be limiting in so I won’t describe Japanese Sumi brushes which are traditionally used
some painting techniques where a stiffer brush is required. for calligraphy and ink painting but also can be used for watercolor.
With this information, it is time to talk about what brushes you need
Wash brushes – are wide and flat, ranging from 1” to 4”, and ideal for and how to test them. As you see from the list above, there are many
wetting paper or applying wide washes over big areas. A good wash options to choose from. The good news is that you don’t need a lot.
brush cannot only be used for wide brushstrokes, but also for very
thin straight lines that are made by touching the paper’s surface with Here’s a short list of brush shapes and sizes to start with:
the brush edge.
1. Round (natural or synthetic sable):
Filbert and Cat’s Tongue are flat brushes with an oval edge, which - small #2-4
when wet in the cat’s tongue case end in a pointy tip. Such brushes - medium #8-10
have their place between round and flat and can produce both wide - large #12-16
strokes and thinner lines.
2. Round (natural or synthetic squirrel):
Angle brushes (both flat and wash) are flat-shaped with an angular - medium #8-12
edge, which makes it easier to paint at an angle in comparison with - large #12-16
straight-edged brushes.
3. Mop (natural or synthetic squirrel):
- medium #8-12
- large #12-16

4. Flat (synthetic):
- small 1/4”-1/2”
- large 1”- 2”

You can add other shapes to your brush-set as your painting technique
develops and you feel the need for other brushes.

The size of your brush depends on your painting techniques and the
size of artwork. The good rule is to go for a bigger size than you think
you would need. Well-pointed tips can produce small details and thin
lines even with big-size tufts. Avoid the amateurish mistake of self-
taught artists who paint 22” artworks with a #4 brush. Professional
watercolors are painted with big-size brushes.

A good brush will display the following characteristics – have a

clean shape when wet; have a large water or paint capacity; have a
continuous flow in releasing paint; have a variable release depending
on the brush angle; it will wick water from paper when semi-wet;
it will paint crisp lines with the tip; have a uniform spring; have a
high quality hair or fiber; it will not shed or lose hair; it will be easy
to clean; it will feel balanced in the hand; have a moisture-resistant
handle; be durable, elegant and pleasing; and be good value for money.

Let’s talk about how to test those qualities.

When you buy a brand-new brush, most likely it will be covered in

starch or gum arabic coating to prevent physical damage to the hair.
Do not soften it up with fingers when it is dry. Instead, wet the brush
in moderately warm water. After several minutes of rinsing, work the
tuft very gently with clean fingers and rinse thoroughly several times
to get rid of the remaining starch.
1. Check the brush shape. Wet the brush and shake it sharply up 7. Observe the brush spring. The tuft should work as one unit without
and down with the tuft pointing downwards. A round brush should hairs splitting in different directions. Kolinsky sables should spring
become a very symmetrical belly and needlepoint tip; a flat brush into the original shape with a symmetrical belly and a pointy tip every
should take a clean, unbroken, chisel-like rectangular shape. All the time the brush is lifted from the paper, ready for the next brushstroke;
hairs or fibers should form one unified mass with no hairs sticking soft squirrel should attain a well-pointed tip.
out.
8. A good brush should not shed hair. Some loss of hair or fiber is
2. Check the capacity of the brush. Hold it horizontally and count how acceptable when the brush is brand new but if it continues to shed, it
many drops of water it can take before dripping. Change the angle to can be an annoyance.
45 degrees and repeat the exercise. Compare different hair-types and
brands of the same size of brush with each other. 9. A good hair tuft is easy to clean. Usually, simply rinsing in water is
enough to get rid of all pigment.
3. Check how the brush releases paint. Shake the fully loaded brush
to see how much water comes out on the dish or palette. Load the 10. The brush should feel comfortable and balanced in your hand. You
brush with paint and make extended brushstrokes to see how long a can actually test this in the art shop. Grip various brushes as if you’re
single charge of paint lasts and how evenly the paint is released. Check about to paint and check how the different handles feel in your hand.
for puddles of paint at the beginning and end of each stroke. When A brush should look elegant and pleasing, and should be pleasurable
the brush has exhausted the load, dip it in another color paint. Make to work with.
brushstrokes and check if/when the first color will re-appear. If it
does, it means the brush didn’t release the first paint well. 11. Good handle should have a hard protective coating of lacquer or
varnish, which protects the wood from water. Plastic handles don’t
4. Check how the paint is released depending on the angle of the require such protection.
brush. Apply brushstrokes holding the brush vertically, at a 45-degree
angle and almost horizontally. Compare how paint is released, 12. The durability of a brush will become apparent only after extensive
whether there are any puddles of paint at the beginning and end of use. With good care, some brushes will last for more than 20 years
strokes and how long one load lasts depending on the angle of the while others lose their shape and hair in few months. Good value for
brush. money is based on the ratio of how good and durable the brush is to
its price. So, a high price for a very good brush would be more cost
5. Check how the brush wicks water from paper. Apply water or paint effective than buying cheaper but lower quality brushes.
to paper in a juicy stroke, gently squeeze the tuft with fingers or blot it
with paper or a napkin and absorb the paint from the paper with the Good brushes are expensive, and you have to handle them with care.
semi-wet brush. A good brush should work like a sponge. Here are few simple do’s and don’ts of handling brushes:

6. Check how the brush performs in painting. Paint thin lines with the 1. Wash brushes after each painting session. It is up to you if you want
tip, fat strokes with the belly, vary pressure and angles, do straight and to wash your palette, yet you have to wash brushes after each painting
curvy brushstrokes, lines, dots, washes – any painting style you know session. Usually, rinsing the tufts for few minutes in moderately warm
to see the brush performance. running water does the job. Soap is not required; if you must, use only
pH neutral washing liquid.
2. Do not keep a brush standing in water on its tuft, even for a short 10. Round brushes are usually sold with clear plastic protective
time. This will ruin the brush. This applies to both natural and cylinders. It is a good idea to place those tubes on the brushes when
synthetic brushes. they are not in use. Keep in mind that the brush must be fully dry
before putting the plastic protector on.
3. Do not dip or rinse a brush in water deeper than its ferule. No water
should come in contact with the wooden handle. When wet, the wood 11. Do not use bamboo wrappers to store and transport brushes as the
expands and loses its grip on the ferule. It also damages the coating of hair can get trapped between bamboo sticks and damaged. Use cotton
the handle: the expansion and contraction of wood can cause physical wrappers instead.
damage. The same rule applies to plastic handle brushes to prevent
any moisture from getting inside the ferule. 12. Airtight plastic containers (like those for spaghetti) are very good
for protecting brushes from physical damage, high humidity, insects
4. Do not use expensive brushes for diluting dried pan paints; instead, and moth. Do not place damp or moist brushes into such a container
use stiffer and cheaper brushes for preparing paints and expensive to prevent the growth of mold.
brushes for painting.
If you are a complete beginner and still wondering what to purchase,
5. Do not pull the hair with fingers, blotting paper or towels. Squeeze choose any good brands like Princeton for synthetic or Escoda for
the tuft gently instead. natural hair and get at least three brushes:
• Round – synthetic kolinsky sable #8
6. Do not cut the tuft with scissors or a knife to “improve” its shape. • Mop - natural or synthetic squirrel #12 or 14
• Flat – synthetic 1”
7. Do not use watercolor brushes for any other mediums, especially oil
or acrylic. This would make them unsuitable for watercolor painting This would be a good start as almost any watercolor artwork can be
after the first improper use. done with very few brushes.

8. Do not use good watercolor brushes for the application of masking

fluids. This will instantly ruin a brush. Instead, buy a very cheap
disposable synthetic brush and wet it with soap before dipping in
the gum. It should be cleaned immediately after use. You could also
use a matchstick, a tightly rolled paper-stick or anything similar for
application.

9. Dry wet brushes horizontally. Do not place them vertically in a mug

or container with the tuft up. This prevents water going into the ferule
and pigments sinking down and accumulating next to the ferule,
which will eventually affect the brush shape. When painting, place
wet brushes on a brush holder or cloth. When drying washed brushes,
place them tilted with the tuft down.
Watercolor Paints
Watercolor paints are the third necessary ingredient for good
watercolor.

I often receive the question, “what are the best watercolor paints?” As
with paper and brushes, it depends on your artistic needs, painting
style and preferences.

There are art teachers who insist on certain paints and give an exact
shopping list with links to purchase art materials online. That is
either amateurish advice or brand advocacy. I would warn to take
such suggestions cautiously because your color palette should depend
on your painting style rather than on someone else’s marketing
objectives.

First, let us clarify the terminology which is so often misused in

YouTube videos and even in some art courses. Paints, colors, dyes and
pigments are very different things. Color is a physical characteristic of
reflected light. The color of paint comes from either pigment or dye.
Pigments are microscopic particles that do not dissolve in water; they
are suspended in the paint vehicle. Dyes are completely soluble and
bind directly with the support (paper). Paint is the mix of pigments or
dyes with the binding medium.

There are hundreds and hundreds of paints on the market; many have
similar names but different colors, similar colors with different names,
brand proprietary names, as well as various “poetic” names. The huge
number of well-known and more obscure brands further complicate
all this confusion. To clarify the situation, we need to talk about
pigments, not colors.

In this chapter, you will see the pigment names paired with their
codes (in brackets) to avoid any misinterpretations. I will only mention
good quality permanent pigments, unless it is stated otherwise. When
shopping for paints, look for those numbers printed in small letters. It
is better to go for single pigment paint rather than a mixture of two or
more pigments.

To make an educated decision when shopping for paints, you will

need to know what watercolor paints are made of, what qualities they
possess, and how to test those qualities.

Watercolor paints are made of pigments mixed with the paint vehicle.
The paint vehicle keeps the pigment particles suspended and binds
them to the paper. It can account for more than 90% of the paint
volume and consists of water, binder (traditionally gum arabic, but
some manufacturers use synthetic glycol), plasticizer (glycerin),
humectant (traditionally honey, now often cheap corn syrup), filler
to bulk up the paint (usually dextrin), plus various additives like
dispersants and fungicide. The paint vehicle influences how quickly
the paint dissolves in water, its viscosity, the flexibility of the painting
layer, and drying time.

Some brands, like Old Holland, have a higher proportion of pigment

which gives better quality paints, but is reflected in prices. Some
brands cut costs by adding more filler or extender to the paint vehicle,
especially in student grade paints.

All pigments can be divided into natural or synthetic, and organic

or inorganic. Natural organic pigments are derived from animal and
plant substances: they are prone to fade and are no longer used for
watercolor paints. The same goes for synthetic organic pigments,
which are man-made carbon-based substances. Natural inorganic
pigments come from metals and earths but can be very expensive.
That is why synthetic inorganic pigments (chemically engineered from
metals and earths) are used for manufacturing more than 80% of
contemporary watercolor paints.

The color of the pigment determines the color of paint. However, the
colors you see in pans or squeezed out of tubes will not be the same
on paper. Depending on the pigment concentration, the color on paper
can vary from the top tone (masstone) to the well-diluted with water
undertone (tint). Undertones have lighter value, lower chroma (less The tinting strength of a pigment (or its colorant power) determines
saturated color), and often produce a hue shift (slightly different color). how much of the pigment is needed to produce the required color
intensity. It also defines how much the pigment will dominate in a
The size of pigment particles plays a critical role in paint mixture with other pigments.
characteristics. Pigments with smaller particles go deeper into the
fibers of paper, have a higher tinting strength, stronger staining, and The staining power defines how resistant a certain pigment is to
are more transparent and more inclined to backrun than pigments lifting. This quality makes watercolor painting “unforgiving” as some
with “large” size particles. passages of paint can be difficult to correct by diluting with water
and whipping or bloating. Staining happens when very small particles
Here’s a short list of pigments with different particle sizes. of pigment get into the fiber of paper, gripping the surface both
mechanically and electrostatically. Of course, the paper surface and
Coarse pigments with particles larger than 5 microns: internal sizing plays a certain role in this process. Rough cold pressed
• Cobalt blue (PB28) papers will absorb paint more readily than sized hot-pressed papers.
• Cerulean blue (PB35) Some mediums can also influence staining. For example, humectant
• Viridian (PG18) makes pigment particles penetrate the paper more deeply, while gum
arabic keeps the paint on the surface.
Pigments with medium size particles (5 … 1 microns):
• Ultramarine blue (PB29) Another essential quality is transparency. Transparency (as opposite
• Cadmium red (PR108) to hiding power) determines how well the blank background shows
• Yellow ochre (PY43) though a dried layer of watercolor paint. Transparency happens when
• Cobalt teal blue (PG50) light reflects on the support between the particles of the pigment and
depends on the particles size and the tinting strength. It is indicated
Fine particles (1…0.5 micron): on the paint label as shaded, half-shaded, crossed, and empty
• Cadmium yellow (PY35) square, indicating fully opaque, semi-opaque, semi-transparent and
• Venetian red (PR101) transparent paints respectively.

Very fine pigments (under 0.5 micron): Here’s the list of some pigments from very transparent to more
• Prussian blue (PB27) opaque:
• Phthalocyanine blue (PB15:3) • Phthalocyanine blue (PB15:3)
• Phthalocyanine green (PG7) • Phthalocyanine green (PG7)
• Lamp black (PBk6) • Ultramarine blue (PB29)
• Prussian blue (PB27)
One of the very important characteristics of paint is lightfastness, • Viridian (PG18)
or the permanence of color. Lightfastness is the resilience of color • Ultramarine Violet (PV15)
to prolonged exposure to natural light. Lightfastness from strong to • Cobalt blue (PB28)
very weak is indicated in roman figures from I to V. Avoid any paints • Cerulean blue (PB35)
graded lower than I (excellent lightfastness). • Lamp black (PBk6)
• Burnt sienna (PR101) This quality depends on the manufacturing process and chemical
• Raw umber (PBr7) properties. Dispersability influences how a drop of paint expands in
• Raw sienna (PBr7) all directions on paper. Some dispersants, like ox gall can increase this
• Cadmium yellow (PY35) quality.
• Burnt umber (PBr7)
• Bone black (PBk9) With the various attributes of watercolor paints listed above, it is time
• Cadmium red (PR108) to describe some simple experiments you can do to test the qualities
• Venetian red (PR101) of pigments and paint vehicles.

The pigment specific gravity is the weight of the pigment in water. To compare two or more brands of watercolor paint you don’t need any
It is unrelated to the particle size but depends on the density and special lab equipment: just the paints, a palette knife, a synthetic flat
mass of the particles. The heavier the pigment, the faster it will sink 1” brush, saucers, glasses, watercolor paper, a clear acetate sheet and
in solution. Here’s a list of some pigments in order from very light to water.
heavy weights:
• Phthalocyanine blue (PB15:3) 1. Start with mixing a small amount of paint in a glass of water. Check
• Lamp black (PBk6) the dispersability (how easily paint dilutes); clumping (any undiluted
• Prussian blue (PB27) particles sticking together), tint strength (how strong the color is),
• Phthalocyanine green (PG7) presence of brighteners (any lighter clouds), and the transparency of
• Ultramarine blue (PB29) the mix. Repeat this exercise with the same color of different brands,
• Bone black (PBk9) mixing an identical amount of paint in another glass. Note any
• Raw sienna (PBr7) differences between two. For each test, write the results down to keep
• Raw umber (PBr7) the track.
• Burnt sienna (PR101)
• Burnt umber (PBr7) 2. Now, leave the two glasses next to each other undisturbed for one
• Viridian (PG18) week. Check every morning how the pigment has separated and the
• Cobalt blue (PB28) sediment has settled on the bottom of the glass. Note which mix
• Cadmium yellow (PY35) settles faster, indicating either a heavier pigment or bigger particle
• Cerulean blue (PB35) size.
• Cadmium red (PR108)
3. For the next test you will need hot pressed (smooth) watercolor
Heavy pigments with bigger particle sizes tend to settle as sediment in paper. Squeeze a small amount of paint from the tube onto the
mixes, so every time the brush is loaded with paint, the mixture needs paper and smear it with a palette knife in one energetic movement
to be stirred. Usually such pigments also have lower tinting strength. as if spreading butter on bread. Clean the palette knife and repeat
with another paint. Check the granularity (pigment texture), tinting
And finally, the last attribute of watercolor paint I’ll mention here is strength and any variations in color. Also, observe any irregularities in
dispersability, which is how easily a pigment can be mixed in water. the paint vehicle.
4. For the next test you will need a cold-pressed (or ‘not’) watercolor Compare how the paint dissolves and what variations of colors it
paper. Draw a rectangle with a pencil and mark a solid line with releases.
permanent black marker. Make a strong mix of paint in a saucer and
apply a wash of paint inside the rectangle. With cotton swab or paper 9. To check the paint vehicle, you can dry and re-wet similar paints
tissue, absorb a line of paint while wet to check the bloating properties of different brands. Make a strong mix of paints in saucers and leave
of the paint. While the paint is still wet, apply a brushstroke of clean to dry untouched for several days. When the paint is completely dry,
water at the bottom end of the rectangle. This will cause a backrun: check whether it is glossy or matt (a glossy surface indicates a higher
check its size. Repeat the exercise with another brand of paint. When proportion of gum arabic), look for discoloration (any clouds show
the paint dries, check the layer’s transparency – how well the black separation of the vehicle ingredients), check if the surface is smooth
line shows through. Use paper tissue wrapped around your finger and or cracked (cracks indicate a low proportion of humectant). Re-wet the
rub the swatch. Check how strong the binder is by how much pigment paint, and stir with a brush to observe whether paint dissolves evenly
transfers to the tissue. Rub a line with wet cotton swab or a stiff brush and quickly or breaks into bits, which is a sign of a low proportion of
to dilute and lift the paint. Check the staining power of the pigment binder, plasticizer and humectant. Draw a square with clean water on
both in wet and dry lifting. stretched watercolor paper and pour paint from the saucer into this
square to achieve a thicker layer than can be painted with a brush.
5. With clean water, draw a square with a flat brush. Apply paint Repeat with other samples. Leave puddles to dry. Check how even the
at one side of the square to check the “wet on wet” dispersability color is. In a thick layer, heavier particles will settle at the bottom,
attribute of the paint. which leaves lighter content at the top. Variations in colors and tones
would reveal the presence of fillers and brighteners. To test how strong
6. To check the masstone and undertone, draw a rectangle with pencil the binder is, rub dry swatches with paper tissue. Paints that do not
and make a gradated wash starting from strong color and gradually rub off, have smooth dried surfaces, show the least discoloration and
ending with very light tint. You will find a step-by-step description splotching, as well as re-wet quickly and evenly have superior quality.
of how to make gradated washes in the “Watercolor Painting
Techniques” chapter of this book. Compare the colors of the top tones 10. To check for white brighteners and extenders, do the “black
and any color shift in tints by placing two washes of the same paint background” test. Take a black acrylic or clear acetate sheet and mix
from different brands next to each other. a puddle of paint with a brush directly on the sheet. Let it dry. Check
how the dried paint looks on black (clear acetate sheet has to be
7. To check lightfastness, make a range of swatches and cover half of placed on top of black paper or dark background). Good quality paint
every swatch so only the remaining half can be exposed to light. Place will look even and dark. Any brighteners will appear as lighter clouds.
the sheet with the swatches in direct sunlight for several months to
see whether any fading occurs after prolonged exposure. This is the 11. And finally, because the purpose of paints is to be used in artwork,
longest test you would do, but it is worth the wait to eliminate paints paint with them to see and feel how certain paints and brands
and brands from your palette that will not stand the test of time. perform.

8. To test how different brands of paint dissolve in water, place small With the information about pigments and paint vehicles you’ve
amounts of paint squeezed from the tubes into water-filled saucers. learned above, it is time to talk about colors. The range of colors an
Do not stir and leave the samples undisturbed for a couple of days. artist uses is called a “color palette”.
It might be tempting for a beginner to go for a multitude of colors. • Viridian (PG18)
The truth is, good watercolor artwork can be painted with a very • Chromium oxide green (PG17)
limited palette, which can produce a wide spectrum of colors. In
the Watercolor Academy (https://WatercolorAcademy.com), you can Good permanent Earths:
see how some artworks have been painted with only one pigment • Raw sienna (PBr7)
(monochrome), two pigments (duo-chrome) and three pigments. For • Quinacridone gold (PO49)
example, burnt sienna (PBr7) and ultramarine blue (PB29) can be • Gold ochre (PY42)
used to make a very colorful and creative artwork. This two-color • Yellow ochre (PY43)
palette can be extended with yellow ochre (PY43) to become even • Burnt sienna (PR101)
richer in color nuances. This three-color palette is sometimes referred • Venetian red (PR101)
to as the “Velázquez classical”. There are professional watercolor • Raw umber (PBr7)
artists who paint exclusively with three pigments. • Burnt umber (PBr7)
• Indigo (PBk6+PB60) – convenient mix of two pigments
Of course, you might want to have a wider color range than three • Perylene black (PBk31)
pigments. Most paints are manufactured from about 100-120 • Lamp black (PBk6)
pigments, which can be restricted to under 40 pigments with good • Bone black (PBk9)
lightfastness and color qualities. Below, I will list some of those
pigments: Most of colors I use come from that list. It doesn’t mean, however, that
you have to limit yourself to those pigments. From time to time, you
• Cadmium yellow (PY35) may want to test other colors and you may find them more suited to
• Cadmium yellow deep (PY35) your painting style.
• Cadmium orange (PO20)
• Cadmium scarlet (PR108) Watercolor paints come in half- and full-size pans and in tubes. Paint
• Cadmium red (PR108) in pans is semi-moist and in tubes is more ‘liquid’. A set of pans is
• Cadmium red deep (PR108) easier to travel and paint outdoors with, while paint from tubes is
• Perylene violet (PV29) easier to mix for larger-scale artworks. You might want to have both
• Quinacridone rose (PV19) pans and tubes at your disposal.
• Cobalt violet deep (PV14)
• Ultramarine violet [RS] (PV15) If you are a complete beginner and need an advice where to start, here
• Ultramarine blue (PB29) are three criteria to keep in mind when shopping for watercolor paints:
• Phthalocyanine blue (PB15:3)
• Iron [prussian] blue (PB27) 1. Choose only artists’ quality watercolor paints from the most
• Cobalt blue (PB28) reputable brands like Daniel Smith, Da Vinci, Holbein, Maimeri, M.
• Cerulean blue RS (PB35) Graham & Co., Old Holland, Rembrandt, Utrecht, Winsor & Newton
• Phthalocyanine turquoise (PB16) and some others.
• Manganese blue (PB33)
• Cobalt teal blue (PG50)
2. Give preference to single-pigment paints instead of mixes of several
pigments.

3. Buy only Grade I lightfastness paints.

If you are wondering what my palette is, it’s about 12 paints, but do
not take it as a direct suggestion, because your painting style and
therefore choice of paints might be very different to mine:

• Cadmium Yellow Pale (PY35)

• Cadmium Red (PR108)
• Ultramarine Blue (PB29) – French Ultramarine
• Phthalocyanine Blue (PB15:3) – Winsor Blue (Green Shade)
• Iron [Prussian] Blue (PB27)
• Cobalt Blue (PB28)
• Cerulean Blue RS (PB35)
• Cobalt Teal Blue (PG50)
• Viridian (PG18)

Earths:
• Raw Sienna (PY42)
• Yellow Ochre (PY43)
• Burnt Sienna (PR101)

Alternatively, you can go for a palette presented on the image here.

One final word about pigments. By the nature of watercolor you do not
need white and black pigments, even though they are available on the
market. The white in watercolor comes from the color of the paper and
the black always looks better when it is mixed from complementary
pigments.
Watercolor Mediums Ox Gall

Ox gal improves paint flow by breaking water surface tension. It can

Various watercolor mediums can be used for mixing paints to alter be used for better mixing and spread of paints on paper.
their characteristics or to protect or prime paper.
Granulation Medium
Unlike in oil painting, using additional mediums in watercolor is
optional because the gum arabic binder that is already present in pan Heavy pigment paints tend to granulate in washes. To intensify this
or tube paints is sufficient for painting. Nevertheless, I will list some natural effect, a granulation medium can be used. You will find out
watercolor mediums that are available from Winsor & Newton and more about granulation and how to use it in the “Watercolor Painting
other manufacturers for educational purposes. Techniques” chapter where I describe the “granulated wash” method.
First, let’s examine mediums that are mixed with paints. Texture Medium
Gum Arabic The texture medium contains small particles that add texture to
colors.
Gum arabic can be added to paints in small quantities to intensify
colors. It prolongs drying time and improves covering properties. Iridescent Medium
However, adding too much gum arabic may result in a shiny surface
and the paint layer cracking. An iridescent medium contains glitter particles that give a pearlescent
effect to paints. In my opinion, it is more suited for arts-and-crafts
Gum arabic is available as a ready-to-use liquid. Some art suppliers projects than for professional watercolor painting.
also sell it as dry crystals, which can be dissolved in distilled water
and filtered for impurities through a paper towel or blotting paper. Now, let’s look at some mediums that are applied to the paper.
Watercolor Medium Masking Medium
Similar to gum arabic, watercolor medium enhances colors, making Masking fluid does exactly what it says on the label: protects the
them more luminous, and can also add a glossy shine to an artwork. It paper from water and paint. This rubbery liquid comes in transparent
is more water resistant and therefore harder to wash out. It should be or colored forms and can be applied with a brush or stick. It is a
used with care as it might affect paints that react to acid, ultramarine temporary masking solution because the protecting film can be easily
for example. removed as long as it has not been left on the paper for too long.
Blending Medium Permanent Masking Medium
A blending medium takes its name from its property of prolonging A permanent masking medium does the same job as masking fluid.
drying and giving more time for blending. However, as its name suggests, it cannot be removed from the paper.
In the “Protecting White” chapter of this book, I will describe in detail When painting outdoors, a plastic container would be a better choice
the pros and cons of masking. You may refer to that chapter before to a heavier and fragile glass.
making a decision whether you need any masking mediums.
A mixing palette is another must-have item.
Lifting Preparation
A professional watercolor artist spends as much time preparing
The lifting preparation medium primes the paper so it is easier to lift mixes of paints as actually painting, and so choosing a good palette
or wash out dry paint with a wet brush or sponge. Application of this is essential. It needs to be white to imitate the color of paper and
medium makes correcting mistakes easier. durable.

Prepared Size Usually boxes with watercolor pans have one or several metal or
plastic palettes integrated. This is especially handy for outdoor
Cold pressed (or ‘not’) papers tend to absorb paint more than hot painting. When working in a studio, it is better to use a separate
pressed. To reduce absorption, prepared size can be applied. It also bigger palette. The best choice is a white porcelain watercolor palette.
improves paint lifting and washing out. They usually come with partitions for paints that are squeezed from
tubes. White porcelain plates or a butcher’s tray can also be used as a
Once again, I want to state that all the watercolor mediums described cheaper and easier-to-find alternative.
above are totally optional and would suggest to work on your art skills
rather than look for a “magic” ingredient that will make a perfect Porcelain is ideal for mixing watercolor paints. Its surface reflects light
watercolor artwork. the same as white paper does, so it is easier to see the color-tint as it
would appear on paper while mixing it on the palette. Unlike a white
Other Materials plastic palette, porcelain won’t be stained by dye paints and is easy to
wash back to its original white state.
There are some other materials that you will need to set up your When talking about palettes, I’m often asked by Watercolor Academy
working place. I will list them in no particular order, and mention students how many and what size they need. It depends. Get at
which are necessary and which are optional. least two. If you use plates as palettes you may find it handy to hold
squeezed paints on one plate while mixing on another one. This way
The must-have item for watercolor painting is a water bucket. the puddles of mixes won’t flow into the clean paint and taint it. Some
Although any water-holding container would do, ideally you need a big artists use two palettes for mixing cold and warm colors separately.
glass jar that holds above two liters (half a gallon) of water. In a glass Regarding the size, it depends on the scale of artwork you make and
jar, it is easier see how dirty water is and when changing it is required. number of paints you use. It is better to buy a bigger palette than you
The big size of the container will reduce the frequency of changes think you will need.
which will give you more time to concentrate on painting.
It is down to personal preference whether to wash palettes or not. I
In the studio, where the space permits it, I use not one but two water know artists who reuse old tints from artwork to artwork and never
buckets: one for washing dirty brushes and another for taking clean wash their palettes.
water for mixing paints.
 Other inexpensive art materials that will be needed are pencils and
Some art teachers advise to use paper as a palette. This has only one erasers to make preliminary sketches, drawings, and under-drawings.
advantage: colors are seen as they would look on paper. However, this A few graphite pencils – for example, HB and 2B plus a white rubber
is outweighed by many drawbacks, e.g. only small amounts of tint and some kneaded erasers will be sufficient.
can be mixed, separated particles of soaked paper fibers might get
into the mix, diluted paper sizing will get into the paint, part of the In addition to graphite pencils, you could also purchase a couple of
paint will soak into paper palette, and also, it is a false economy as non-water-soluble colored pencils in red and light blue. These pencils
eventually the cost of the paper used for mixing will exceed the cost of are optional. They can be used for making or transferring drawings
a hard palette. My advice is to use a proper palette to mix paints and a onto watercolor paper. This process is described in detail in the
separate piece of paper to test mixed colors. “Outlines and Contours Drawing” chapter.

White porcelain saucers or coffee cups can also be used when a larger To stretch watercolor paper for painting you will also need a roll of
amount of pre-mixed paint needs to be prepared. Depending on the two-inch wide masking tape or gummed paper tape.
painting technique, you may need one to four saucers at a time.
A scalpel or pencil knife is always handy to have for sharpening
Get some paper towels or blotting paper to absorb excess water or pencils and cutting paper.
paint from watercolor paper and brushes. Butter muslin can also be
used for the same purpose. Some artists use a clean cotton towel to For cutting paper, you might also get a cutting mat and a metal ruler.
absorb water from paper and another for wiping brushes.
A hair dryer is handy if you need a wet surface to dry faster. You
Another item you may find handy is a sponge. It is used for wetting can easily do without it though, because watercolor is a fast-drying
paper, absorbing water from paper and brushes, wiping-out and medium anyway.
washing-out paints. Greek natural sponges are more expensive than
synthetic ones but have an organic pattern that can be used for A palette knife in watercolor painting is not needed for mixing paints
painting. or applying mixes on paper. Nevertheless, if you have one it can be
used for cutting sheets of watercolor paper off the block or for wiping
As we are talking about absorbing water and paint from brushes, I lines of wet paint from paintings. It won’t be used often, though, and
will also mention that apart from blotting paper, towels and sponges, is totally optional.
an artist may use their fingers to control the amount of liquid on the
brush. Squeezing water with fingers gives an accurate sensation of Another item that you don’t need to have but might find handy is a
how wet the brush is. mahlstick. It is a wooden stick or plank that can be used as a “bridge”
over wet artwork to rest the hand with a brush while painting. It can
Needless to say, sipping water from the brush is an absolute NO-NO. also be used as a ruler to paint long straight lines.
Young students sometimes get into this habit. Despite how “clean” a
brush might appear, traces of the toxic paint can remain on it and will
slowly do harm to a child’s health.
5. Arranging a Working Space
A watercolor artist can paint in a studio or outdoors. In both cases,
efficiently arranging a working space will help workflow go more
smoothly.

A good artist studio should have ample natural light and windows
facing north. This means direct sunlight will not interrupt the painting
process and the light will be more or less unvarying throughout the
day.

A painting easel or table should be placed close to a window so an

artist faces the window and nothing casts a shadow on the artwork.

A two or more window studio is ideal for drawing and painting still-
life or model from life. In this case, the first window should be to the
left of the easel and the model should be lit from the other window.
This position is suited for a right-handed artist because the shadow
from the hand would not be cast over the artwork. For a left-handed
artist, it should be reversed, placing an easel so the light will come
from the right-hand side.

To prolong working hours outside daylight, good natural-white

spectrum lightbulbs or LEDs have to be positioned above the working
space so the light won’t reflect from the wet paper surface into the
eyes.

When the main decision of where to place the easel or table is made, it
is time to arrange everything else. I will describe it for a right-handed
artist. If you paint with left hand, just reverse the arrangement.

Paints (either in pans or tubes), mixing palettes, water bowl, saucers

or cups, pencils and brushes must be placed on a table to the right of
the easel. Keep the palette closest to you, then paints, water, and the
rest. To the left, you can place the less essential materials like paper
towels, sponge, mahlstick, etc.
Nearby place a hair dryer, if you use one for drying wet paper, and a
cotton towel.

Keep the same layout of items, including orientation of the paints, so

you get used to it and can take whatever you need almost with your
eyes closed. This will help you to concentrate more on painting rather
than looking for a specific brush or searching for a sponge when you
need it urgently.

It is a good habit to place painting brushes in an order and keep this

order during the entire painting routine. You can arrange the brushes
as follows – keep wet brushes horizontally, ranging from big to small
sizes, round separate from flat ones. Dry brushes can be placed
vertically, hairs up, in mugs or jars, once again separating the rounds
and flats. This way, you will instantly be able to find the needed brush
where you left it.

The same goes for paints. You will find it much more convenient to
have paints (either squeezed from tubes or arranged in pans) in the
same order every time you paint. With time, you will get used to
a certain order of paints and taking the required color will become
almost automatic.

I often get the same question from Watercolor Academy students:

what order should colors be arranged in their pan-boxes or on a
palette. There is no strict rule here. However, professional artists like
to keep a good order of paints. The usual arrangement is to separate
warm and cold colors as well as earthy colors.

In my 24 color-set box, the pans are arranged into two rows. The
warm row contains the yellow, orange, red, and earth paints and
the cold ones include the green, blue, violet and neutral paints.
Within every color, the paints are also arranged according to their
“temperature”.

Some artists place paints in accordance to the color wheel or a rainbow

spectrum. Similar color dyes can also be grouped together, and
likewise with pigmented paints.
Whatever your choice is, stick to it and learn the placement of your up. It makes it easier to take a few steps back and assess an artwork
colors. from a distance.

Of course, when painting outdoors an artist has to compromise on the When painting “en plein air”, try to find a place in a shadow so your
luxuries of a studio. I have two setups for painting “en plein air” – the artwork won’t be lit by direct sunlight because it will affect your
light version and the more equipped one. judgment of colors and tonal values.

When travelling light, especially abroad, I always take at least the I strongly encourage Watercolor Academy students to draw and paint
minimum amount of art materials necessary to make drawing and outdoors. This is the best way to learn from nature, make sketches
painting sketches on location. This includes a couple of graphite from life, and prepare preliminary creative material for longer in-
pencils, a red sanguine or red-chalk pencil, a thin permanent marker, studio studies.
a black gel-pen, a small box of watercolor paints, three round brushes
(one squirrel and a couple of sables), a couple of binder clips, a small
scalpel blade, a plastic container for water and a couple of A5 or A4
sketchbooks (one for drawing and another for watercolor). All of this
fits into a small bag and is very easy to carry around.

There is not much to arrange in the “light” version. Often, I hold the
sketchbook with the clipped pages in hand. Sometimes, when I am
sitting in an outdoor café, I can place the watercolor sketchbook on a
table, positioning some random item underneath to have the painting
surface tilted.

Under such conditions, I often do fast watercolor sketches using the

“outline-and-wash” and alla prima methods, which are described in
the “Watercolor painting techniques” chapter of this book.

You can see me in action, painting in watercolor in various places

around the world in the Watercolor Academy video lessons
(https://WatercolorAcademy.com).

When painting outdoors a short proximity from my studio, I like to

have more comfort and bring t a foldable drawing table to the location
(which is improvised from a plywood board and photo tripods), more
paints and brushes as well as heavier and bigger porcelain palettes.
I also use bigger (A4-A3) pre-stretched watercolor paper and spend
more time on each artwork. Under such conditions, I paint standing
6. Preparing Supports
In this chapter, you will learn how to prepare watercolor paper for
painting.

During painting, the paper will come into contact with water, and
sometimes a lot of it. When wet, paper expands. The expansion of
the paper depends on its quality and the degree of wetness. Unevenly
soaked paper will buckle, forming hills and valleys. Painting on such
a wavelike surface is not ideal because paint will flow from the hills
into the valleys, forming small puddles. It is challenging to work under
such conditions, especially when trying to make even washes.

Art students often ask me how to prepare a watercolor painting

support. Should the paper be left loose or be fixed firmly to a board?
It depends. If you are doing a quick, small (A5 for example) sketch
on 300gsm or event thicker paper, then stretching the paper is not
necessary. Small paper can be clamped to the board with binder or
bulldog clips. You can also wet the paper and pin it to the board in the
four corners with pushpins.

There are blocks of watercolor paper with all four sides glued into the
pack. These ready-made supports which will not form hills and valleys
are watercolor boards. They are much more expensive than paper so
you must decide whether the price is worth avoiding the hassle of
stretching.

Some premium quality heavy papers (450 or 600gsm) will take water
without buckling. They might bow slightly but do not form hills and
valleys. However, if you intend to paint on a bigger 300gsm or thinner
paper, it has to be prepared properly.

There are many methods to prevent the paper from buckling when
painting. The most common approach used by watercolor artists is
stretching the paper mechanically. This can be done in various ways.
I will describe the most used methods below and discuss their pros surface absorbs paint faster and deeper, making painting process more
and cons. challenging and end appearance of an artwork duller. Let excess water
run down. The paper surface has to be wet, but free of puddles and big
Some watercolor papers are single-sided. Whatever method you go for, drops, when placed on the moist board. Excess water can be absorbed
make sure that the correct side is used for painting. with a sponge. It is important to make sure that no are puddles left
both on the top surface and underneath. Work the surface with a
Gluing with Paper Tape clean sponge to draw surplus water out.

It is time to stick the watercolor paper with the tape. Wet a pre-cut
This is an inexpensive and quite simple methods of attaching piece of the tape by dipping it into the water or spraying with an
watercolor paper to a board. atomizer. Place the tape along the long side of paper, overlapping about
half of its width with the paper’s edge, and press the tape down.
The simplest and fastest way is by using self-adhesive masking tape
over the edges of the sheet. The tape will not stick to wet paper and When wetting gummed tape, do not soak it because the glue can be
board and therefore has to be applied on a dry surface. This method is washed away. Also, make sure that no drops from the tape fall on the
good for holding paper in place. However, it won’t prevent paper from painting surface. Such drops will prevent the paint from laying evenly
buckling when wet. Also, when the edges of the paper become wet, and spoil the final artwork. Any accidental drops of water from the
the masking tape might unstick and the paint will flow under it. tape have to be wiped immediately with a clean sponge.
Another way of fixing paper is with gummed paper tape. Traditional I start gluing with one of the longer sides of the paper, then a shorter
two-inch brown packaging tape will do. It is better to pre-cut the four one, followed by a long side once again, to finish with the remaining
pieces of paper tape about four inches longer than the paper sides with short side. This whole process has to be done in one go without
scissors, so later you won’t be handling the roll with wet fingers while interruptions. Instead of handling the wet gummed tape over the
wet watercolor paper dries unnecessary. board, I rotate the board 180 degrees (halfway) after two of the four
sides are glued. This is to turn the unglued sides closer to the bucket
For this method, the plywood board has to be thick enough (about of water where the tape is wetted.
half an inch) not to bend and bigger than the paper. Thin plywood
might bend when the drying paper is contracting. Do not use the same sponge to absorb the excess water that comes
from underneath the paper tape to wipe the paper surface. A sponge
First, the surface of the board is moistened. Then, water is applied contaminated with glue will spoil the working area of paper.
on both sides of the paper with a wide, flat brush or a natural sponge
in several coats. It takes a few minutes for 300gsm paper to expand Leave the board horizontally for few hours until the paper and tape
fully. Heavier paper might take up to ten or fifteen minutes. Hot- are completely dry.
pressed papers can be soaked in water longer to make their surface
more accepting of the paint. There is a fine line between wetting and The biggest disadvantage of this method is that it doesn’t work every
soaking paper. You need to avoid over-soaking or it will dilute paper time. Sometimes tape won’t stick to the watercolor paper when it
sizing. When this happens, the paper becomes non-springy and its dries, and you have to start from the beginning. Wetting paper again
will wash away more sizing, so experimenting with it indefinitely is
not recommended.
Stapling to the Board or Stretchers
Stapling paper to the board is the most secure way to fix it without
To avoid this, you can tape the paper down and staple the edges of
gluing. A wooden board or a panel must be sturdy enough to give
paper to the board through the tape.
good support without bending. I use 50x70cm 18mm thick boards for
stretching full sheets of paper (55x76cm). This dimension allows about
You also need to know how to take your finished watercolor artwork
3 cm on each side to be wrapped over the board edges and stapled on
off the board. When you done with a piece and the paper is dry, you
the backside.
can cut the brown tape with a scalpel along the watercolor paper’s
edge. This way, you can keep the remaining brown tape attached to
Before stretching, paper should be dampened on both sides as
the artwork, as it will reinforce its edge and be hidden by a frame
described above. First wet the front side, then turn the paper over and
mount. Alternatively, you may take the gummed tape by wetting it
wet the back. Wait for several minutes for the paper to expand and
accurately, leaving for a few minutes for the glue to soften up, and then
place the wooden board on top. Start stretching the paper by wrapping
take off the tape by simply pulling it upwards and sideways away from
its edge in the middle of the longest side and stapling it to the board.
the paper, so no drops of glue can fall on the panting surface. Clean up
Then, fix the middle on the opposite side. Make sure that paper is
the board with a palette knife to remove the glue and finish cleaning it
totally flat under the board.
with a wet sponge afterwards.
Now, fix the middle edges of the short sides. Thereafter, staple the
Another way of stretching wet paper is by gluing it to a wooden panel
long side, going from the middle to the corner and leaving about 5cm
with PVA glue along its four edges. The board size must be one inch
between each staple. Leave about 10cm unstapled before the corner.
smaller than the paper size, so the half-an-inch margins can be folded
Fix the opposite side, this time pulling paper slightly, making sure it is
and glued to the side surfaces of the panel. When the paper dries, it
totally flat under the board. Staple the short sides after.
shrinks. The PVA glue holds it well and under tension the surface of
paper becomes perfectly flat and stretched. This tension prevents the
Finally, fold the paper corners around the board and staple them in
paper from buckling when wet.
pace.
I use this method for stretching big papers and it works every time.
Some books suggest stapling all four sides simultaneously from the
The advantage of a strong glue is also its disadvantage when it comes
middle to the corners, the same as stretching a canvas. I do not see the
to taking the artwork off the panel. PVA does not dilute and so the
benefit in doing that because paper holds its rectangular shape even
artwork has to be cut off with a scalpel. The remaining strips of
when wet and will not be distorted diagonally like unprimed canvas. It
watercolor paper can be left on. Next time, I will just glue new paper
also takes more time and effort to stretch paper that way and the more
on top.
you handle the board, the higher risk of accidentally damaging the wet
paper.
If gluing doesn’t sound clean and easy, there are other ways to stretch
wet paper.
When the paper is stapled to the board, turn it over and leave it for
several hours to dry completely.
Smaller paper sizes, like the Half Sheet or the Quarter Sheet can also
be stretched by stapling to the front side of a big board or to smaller
Painting on Wet Un-stretched Paper
boards that accommodate stapling at the back.
The stretching methods described above are great for longer artwork
when you plan to paint in multiple layers of washes and glazes, doing
In a similar way, watercolor paper can be fixed to wooden stretchers
several sessions and letting paper dry and wetting it again many times.
by folding and stapling its edges to the backside. The stretchers that
are made for canvas can als be used here. Stretchers are lighter than a
However, if your preferred technique is fast wet-in-wet alla-prima then
solid wooden board but the paper is unsupported from the backside,
you will find the next method very helpful. Instead of fixing paper
like a drum skin. This is fine as long as you do not press hard with a
mechanically with glue, pins or staples, you can paint on loose sheets
pencil or a hand on the paper surface.
without them becoming buckled.
To give extra support, you can add an equal sized thin plywood board
How to paint on un-stretched paper is demonstrated in multiple video
between the paper and the stretchers. Despite being thin, the board
lessons from the Watercolor Academy course
won’t bend because the paper tension will be held by the stretcher
(https://WarercolorAcademy.com).
bars. This backing gives extra support for the paper.
Before I describe this method, we need to agree on some terminology.
When stapling, do not over-stretch the paper. If too much tension is
For the purpose of this book, I will use the following degrees of paper
applied, the paper may split when it dries.
wetness from very wet to “bone-dry”:
• Soaked
You can take the finished artwork off by cutting paper along the
• Shiny
stretcher’s bars. Make sure you leave at least half an inch of white
• Satin
paper to be hidden by the mount of the picture frame.
• Moist
• Damp
• Dry
Using Commercial Stretchers
The method is based on the adhesiveness of wet paper to the smooth
There are commercial stretchers that are specifically made for waterproof surface of a glass, a sheet of plastic or a rubber cutting
watercolor. They come in different designs and do the job quite well. matt.

Mechanically, these stretchers hold paper by the force of friction, Here is how it works. You need a sheet of plastic bigger than the
clamping paper along the edges. The paper has to be moistened before paper size. A cutting rubber matt works equally well. It can be fixed
being fixed. Once disassembled they release the paper, leaving crisp to a plywood board or an easel board with duct tape to be steadier.
folded marks along the sides. First, wet the plastic with a wide flat brush. The water will collect into
drops; that’s OK. Place the watercolor sheet working side down. Wet it
Commercial stretchers, however, are quite expensive. The biggest with a flat brush, making sure no gaps are left dry. Turn the paper over
disadvantage is that you need to buy more than one if you plan to do and moisten its front side. Keep spreading the water, so there are no
watercolor artwork in different sizes.
puddles left on top. Give it a few minutes to expand. It might buckle
during this process. Lift one side of the paper sheet off the board and
wet its backside with a flat brush once again. Slowly place the sheet
on the board, pushing the excess water out by brushing the front side
with a flat brush or a sponge. Do the same for other side as well.

When paper is shiny-wet with no puddles on top or under the sheet,

let it dry for a few minutes. While drying, the paper surface will first
become satin and then moist. Depending on your painting technique,
you may want to begin painting wet-in-wet when the paper is satin
to achieve soft gradations of washes or diffused brushstroke edges, or
wait until the paper is moist to have more control over brushstrokes.

While painting, keep an eye on paper wetness. Moist paper has a

matt surface but feels cold as the water evaporates. It will stick to the
plastic board, keeping the paper surface flat because there is moisture
between the sheet and the board.

From time to time during the painting process, you may wet the paper
slightly using an atomizer or lift the sheet from one side and wet the
backside with a flat brush and then repeat from the other side. Under
normal humidity levels, the paper will stay moist for about an hour
or longer, giving you plenty of time to paint before re-wetting the
backside of the paper.

To prolong drying time, you can use a thin, wet piece of cloth. This
would preferably be a butter-muslin, as they can hold drops of water
between their threads. The piece of cloth has to be slightly bigger than
the paper size. Of course, the paper will eventually dry and may curl
or buckle. When artwork is thoroughly dry, you can place it under a
weight overnight to flatten it.

There are many techniques that can be used to paint on un-stretched

satin or moist paper, including wet-in-wet washes, dry-brush on moist,
wiping out, stippling, etc. Different painting methods and techniques
are fully demonstrated in the numerous Watercolor Academy video
lessons (https://WatercolorAcademy.com).
7. Outlines and Contour
Drawing
There is an old saying that goes, “good painting is drawn well.” Every
fine artist wants to be creative and original. However, not everyone
can freely express their creativity because of inadequate drawing skills.
If you feel that you may benefit from learning the fundamental skills
of traditional drawing, you can enroll in the Drawing Academy course
(https://DrawingAcademy.com) where you will find video lessons
on the most essential aspects of drawing like constructive drawing
principles, the rules of perspective, golden proportions, composition,
human anatomy and proportions, and so on. If your ambition is to
create realistic portrait and figure art, you will find the Life Drawing
Academy course particularly helpful (https://LifeDrawing.Academy).

One of the questions I am frequently asked is how to transfer a

drawing onto watercolor paper.

There are many right and wrong ways to do it. I will briefly mention
what to avoid and then describe in detail what methods work best.

Preserving white paper is one of the most important elements in

professional watercolor. I dedicated a separate chapter in this book to
this topic.

Before starting painting, you want to keep the paper as clean as

possible. That is why it is not a good idea to search for inspiration
by doodling and sketching directly onto watercolor paper. Making a
drawing might involve compositional changes, fine-tuning shapes and
proportions and looking for better lines. Such a process may result in
erasing and re-drawing or leaving a mess of unwanted lines.

Erasing graphite lines can damage the surface of the paper, which will
become very apparent during painting because the erased patches can
take paint differently. Muddles of lines and marks do not add a fresh
look to an artwork. Finally, while drawing, you can also leave invisible
fingerprints on the surface. Human fingers always have a very thin
layer of grease, which, once transferred onto the paper’s surface, can
affect how it absorbs paint.

The solution is to do all preparatory drawings separately and then

transfer the final drawing onto a clean watercolor paper sheet.

When you have done all your small compositional sketches, it is

advisable to make a final preparatory drawing in full size. You can do
it as detailed as you want or just mark main masses and shapes. Use
thin paper for this cartoon. The word “cartoon” here means a full-size
preliminary design for a painting.

The method of transferring contours and outlines from a cartoon to

the watercolor paper depends on how thick the paper is.

Papers with 300 gsm or lower weight are transparent enough to use a
lightbox or a window to transfer the drawing. First, fix the cartoon to
the watercolor paper with self-adhesive tape and place it on the light-
box or a window and carefully copy the contours and outlines onto the
watercolor paper with a graphite pencil. Make sure to wash your hands
with soap to remove the grease from your fingertips before handling
watercolor paper extensively.

Here’s a good tip. For transferring your drawing, use two grades of
graphite pencils – 2H and 2B, for example. Outline the lighter areas
of the artwork with a harder pencil, and use a softer, darker grade for
the shaded places. The light graphite lines will not be very visible in
lights under the transparent layers of paint, while darker lines will not
disappear after the first washes with less tinted paints.

It is important to only apply light pressure with the pencil to avoid any
indentation on the paper surface. The mechanical damage would be
visible when the paint flows into the line dents.
Usually, graphite outlines are good enough for transferred drawings. Turn the tracing paper once again and erase the first drawing. Place
If you have a light-box and want to become more advanced, here is a the tracing paper on top of the working side of the watercolor sheet,
technique that is not taught in contemporary art institutions. Instead so the graphite marks face the paper’s surface. Fix the tracing paper in
of using graphite, which might remain visible in finished watercolor two corners with self-adhesive masking tape folded to the back of the
artwork, you can draw with watercolor paint or ink. For this method, watercolor sheet. Now, repeat the outlines once again. You can do so
use a thin, well-pointed brush (sable or good quality synthetic) and at with a well-sharpened graphite pencil or even a pen. Check how the
least two colors – light blue and orange or red. Outline the light areas outlines are being transferred onto the watercolor sheet. You can vary
of the drawing with the pale blue tint and use red or orange tint for your pencil pressure if required. While outlining, lift the tracing paper
the darker places. In the next paragraph, I will explain the reason for from one side to see if any of the lines are left un-transferred.
these color choices but you can skip it if science is not your thing.
Repeating the drawing on both sides of the tracing paper was
The cold spectrum of light (blues and violets) have shorter necessary to avoid a mirror image when the drawing was turned to
wavelengths than warmer (orange and red) colors have. This means face the watercolor sheet. Erasing the first drawing makes it easier
the light-blue outlines reflect shorter waves which will be dispersed to see what lines were outlined and which parts of drawing were left
more by the top layer of pigments than the longer waves of warm untouched. It also keeps your hands clean. If you use colored pencils
colors. That is why blue lines are less visible in light areas than orange instead of graphite, blue and red are good for outlining lighter and
lines. Also, light-blue lines might disappear completely in darker areas darker areas respectively.
after just few washes of paint. If I didn’t bore you with all of this this
technical information, here’s another interesting fact. The same works I find this method a bit tedious because the same drawing has to
for sounds. Some bushmen tribes in Africa developed two languages: be outlined several times. To speed up the process, you can do the
one for normal communication and another for hunting. They use following. Take the cartoon and place it with the drawing facing down.
deeper sounds in everyday life; but when hunting, switch to clicking Put the tracing paper on top and fix it to the cartoon with a couple
sounds with a higher pitch. These sounds have shorter wavelengths of pieces of masking tape. Outline the drawing in graphite or colored
and travel shorter distances in savannah, so hunters can get closer to pencil onto the tracing paper over a window or lightbox. Now do the
wild animals undetected. Let’s get back to watercolor. transfer from the tracing paper to the watercolor sheet as described
above. This way, you saved yourself one step of outlining and erasing
If you find that the drawing is not visible on a lightbox or window it while preventing image mirroring.
is because you have heavier and thicker watercolor paper and a denser
drawing paper for the cartoon. There is another method which can There are other ways of transferring drawings, including square-by-
be used. This method also works for watercolor paper that has been square outlining, using projectors, etc. I advocate my art students work
already glued or stapled to the board. hard on improving their drawing skills rather than looking for ways of
copying. Tools can be taken away but your drawing skills are for life.
For this, you will need tracing paper the same size as the drawing.
Place it on top of the cartoon and outline all the lines in graphite A fine professional artist is able to draw directly on the watercolor
pencil. Turn the tracing paper over and outline the same drawing on paper from a model or nature with a thin brush in cold and warm
the reverse side. This can be done with a graphite pencil or colored tints.
pencils.
Another advanced method is to draw with clear or slightly tinted
water washes. You will find a description of this method in the
“Watercolor Painting Techniques” chapter later.

The highest level of mastery is when an artist doesn’t need a

preparatory drawing and starts in full color using the alla-prima
technique.

You will find video lessons on how to transfer drawings from the
sketch to the paper as well as how to draw with a brush and do alla-
prima without an under-drawing in the Watercolor Academy course –
https://WatercolorAcademy.com
The following chapters are available to the Watercolor Academy course memebrs:

8. The Color Theory and Its Application in 12. Going Beyond

Watercolor Painting Description of some unconventional watercolor painting methods
and techniques inlcuding Sponge Wash, Using Body Colors, Using
This chapter tells about Color, Hue, Saturation, Chroma, Pigment,
Gum Arabic, Using Glycerin, Using Sea Salt, Using Charcoal, Using
Dye, Paint, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colors, Color circle,
Drawing Inks, Using Pastel, Using Flour Paste, Painting on Creased
Cold and Warm colors, Tonal values, Tint, Shade, Balance, Harmony
Paper, Masking and Pouring Paints, Spraying Paint Through Stencils,
of colors, Contrast of hue, Light-dark contrast, Cold-warm contrast,
Washing Out Paint with Stencils
Complementary contrast, Simultaneous contrast, Contrast of
saturation, Contrast of extension
13. Perspective in Watercolor
9. The Tonal Values Theory and its Application This chapter explains the rules of the Linear Perspective, Aerial
in Watercolor Perspective and Light perspective

Explanation of tonal values: Highlight , Light, Local light, Light mid-

tone, Middle mid-tone, Dark mid-tone, Form shadow, Core shadow,
14. Finishing Stages
Dark accent
To get the full Book on Watercolor, enroll in the
10. Preserving White
Watercolor Academy course
Discover three ways to preserve white
https://WatercolorAcademy.com/pricing
11. Watercolor Painting Methods and Techniques
The must-know information about traditional watercolor painting
methods and techniques including Plain Wash, Bead Wash, Gradated
Wash, Granulated Wash, Saw Wash, Variegated Wash, Wiping Off
and Washing Out, Glazing, Wet-into-Wet, Wet-on-Dry, Dry-brush,
Grisaille, Grisaille with Glazing in Color, Drawing with Clean Water,
Alla Prima, Pen-and-Wash, Wash-and-Outline, Stippling, Scumbling,
Retouching
15. The Next Steps
It took me several years to write this book, sharing my knowledge and
experience in watercolor that spans over 25 years. I do hope you found
the information in this book helpful. If you have any suggestions or
questions, please send an email to [email protected]
and I will be happy to help.

A good painting is well drawn. If you feel that your drawing skills
need to be improved, you can check the Drawing Academy –
https://DrawingAcademy.com

Drawing Academy is a very comprehensive course, yet friendly for

beginners. In this course, you will learn how to draw anything you
see, think or imagine. It is based on the fundamental knowledge of:
• Constructive drawing principles
• The rules of linear and aerial perspective
• The rules of composition
• Golden proportions
• Traditional techniques of rendering tonal values
• Human body anatomy and proportions
• Knowledge of various drawing materials and techniques
• And much more

If your goal is to become a good figure artist and be able to draw

realistic figures and portraits from life and imagination, you must
know human anatomy. Learning anatomy might feel like a daunting
task but with the Anatomy Master Class it is much easier than you
think - https://AnatomyMasterClass.com

This course was created for artists like you who want to learn anatomy
for artists fast and be able to portray people with the necessary
knowledge about what shapes a human body. This course is unique:
it was created in a way that is very easy to learn. In fact, you don’t
have to memorize the hundreds of bones and muscles, the intricacy
 of the joints and the muscle insertions. The course presents only the
facts and information that are essential to an artist. All body parts are
referred to by their common names, so you don’t have to learn difficult
Latin terms.

A knowledge of anatomy and constructive drawing will be very helpful

if you want to portray people. How to draw realistic portraits and
human figures is fully explained and demonstrated in the Life Drawing
Academy - https://LifeDrawing.Academy. This online academy offers
two courses:
1. Life Drawing Academy Online Course
2. Life Drawing Academy Correspondence Course

The Online Course is a self-taught, self-paced course where you will

have a lifetime access to 52 video lessons on how to draw portraits and
figures from life, memory and imagination. This course also comes
with the personal support from the Academy tutors, which includes
your artworks critiqued, answers to your art questions, and advice on
how to improve your art skills.

The Life Drawing Academy Correspondence Course is the ultimate

choice if you would like to receive personal art tutoring which is
custom tailored to your skills and needs. This is as good as having
personal art teachers who will teach you proficient drawing skills
on a one-to-one basis, covering all aspects of drawing skills and
demonstrating by their own example how to draw the professional
way. This course comes with up to 100 drawing tasks that are
specifically designed to develop your current level of drawing skill to
an advanced level.

To see how Life Drawing Academy courses will help you elevate your
skills to the next level, visit https://LifeDrawing.Academy.

Old Masters Academy

If your ambition is to paint in oil, the Old Masters Academy will help
you to discover the traditional painting techniques that were used by
the great masters - https://OldMasters.Academy
In this Academy, you will learn how to paint like the Old Masters
using modern materials by watching the step-by-step process of oil
painting, from imprimatura and the under-drawing to dead layers,
color layers and finishing glazings. The course tutor, Natalie Richy,
will show you how multi-layer artworks are created from a clean
canvas to the varnished painting.

The man is like a flower; he is either growing or dying. As long as you

are learning, you are growing.

I wish you a restless curiosity in learning new things and a

burning desire to improve your art skills.

To your creative success,

Vladimir London