Watercolour Terminology 101
Paint characteristics differ wildly across brands, pigments used, and binder composition, all of which have an influence on how your watercolour performs. Having some knowledge of these characteristics allows the artist to choose the best colours for their painting. The majority of these characteristics can be altered through a combination of blending colours and watercolour techniques such as glazing and lifting.
Transparency, staining capabilities, and the granularity of a pigment are all characteristics artists can leverage to create successful paintings. Below we explore the variations of these characteristics in relation to our handmade watercolour paint.
*Our evaluations were performed on 300 lb. Arches cold pressed watercolour paper.
Transparency
If something is transparent, you can clearly see through it. By its very nature, watercolour paint IS transparent, since even the opaquest colours can be diluted enough to create a light wash of colour. We have designated the following levels of transparency - transparent, semi-transparent, and opaque - based upon the performance of a colour under average conditions.
Transparent: Colours labelled transparent are colours that can easily be seen through. This means anything lying beneath this colour will be seen clearly despite the concentration of it. For example, a wash using Felsite, a very transparent colour, would easily show any detail underneath it. Transparent colours are wonderful for layering in glazes to create depth, dimension, and luminosity.
Semi Transparent: This is the category that most of Stoneground’s watercolour paints fall into. Semi-transparent colours are more difficult to see through than transparent ones, however attention to the amount of water used can help an artist alter the transparency of these colours on their own. More water used means more dilute colour, and therefore can increase the transparency of a semi-transparent colour.
Opaque: Our opaque watercolours are ones that cover almost everything beneath them regardless of the concentration of colour. Applying opaque colours such as Dioxazine Purple or India Red will render anything beneath them hidden unless enough water is used to dilute the colour.
Staining
The degree to which watercolour paint will stain the surface of paper is a factor artists should consider. Staining capabilities vary between pigments, but generally colours with very small pigment particles, such as Phthalos and Quinacridones, stain more heavily than those with larger particles, such as Pipestone or Antica Green Earth. Variations in paper can also influence the staining potential of a particular colour.
Non-Staining: These are perfect for using in a wash or for lifting out highlights, such as leaf veins. Non-staining colours tend to be quite light in their intensity and are a great choice to use over other colours when glazing. As a rule, non-staining colours can quickly become overpowered and should not be applied first unless being used as a white. If removed from your painting surface, these colours leave little to no trace on the paper.
Semi-Staining: Semi-staining watercolours generally leave some colour behind on the paper regardless of how much you try to lift it off. The majority of Stoneground’s handmade watercolours fall into this category.
Staining: The word literally means ‘to suffuse with colour’, and that is exactly what our staining watercolours do. Colours in this category are difficult to remove from the paper itself. Bright modern pigments are generally more prone to staining than more muted, traditional ones.
Granularity
The final category we use to define pigment characteristics is granularity, meaning how grainy, or granular, the paint is when dry.
Non-Granular: Our non-granular colours tend to apply completely smooth without any grains or texture noticeable on the paper.
Semi-Granular: These colours have occasional small grains, and are very useful to convey subtle textures and visual contrast in watercolour paintings. These small grains can appear as random tiny dots within a wash and are more noticeable on cold pressed papers since the grains sink into the dimples on the sheet.
Granular: Our granular colours are ones that consist of small pigment grains that are often left on the paper after use. Granular paints are some of the most effective pigments to use when artists want to vary texture, or create drama and interest. These colours tend to lift well and can be combined with other colours easily to adjust the granularity of mixtures.
Transparency, staining capabilities, and the granularity of a pigment are all characteristics that can help artists create successful paintings, but don’t let them become road blocks. Our goal is not to intimidate those of you new to watercolour with countless definitions, or to take away from the pure enjoyment that should be had when you put paint to paper, but to serve as a guide for those who appreciate such information, and for those looking to learn more.*
* Eric is self taught and admittedly never paid attention to any of these things until recently, while Jenny can’t get enough of comparing and evaluating pigment and paint. To each their own!