Contents

Introduction

1 Paint Aspects
1.1 Suppliers
1.1.1 Colour Range
1.2 How to Use Watercolour
1.3 Techniques
1.3.1 Washes
1.3.2 Wet in Wet
1.4 Quality of Paint Ranges
1.5 Tubes or Pans
1.6 Pigments
1.6.1 Types of Pigments
1.6.1.1 Inorganic
1.6.1.2 Organic
1.6.2 Granulation
1.6.3 Permanence

2 Brushes
2.1 Size
2.2 Shape
2.3 Hairs
2.3.1 Natural
2.3.2 Synthetic
2.3.3 Synthetic and Natural

3 Paper
3.1 Thickness
3.1.1 Suitability
3.1.2 Transfer
3.2 Surface
3.2.1 Hot pressed
3.2.2 Not
3.2.3 Rough
3.3 Sizes and Shapes
3.3.1 Single Sheets
3.3.2 Pads
3.3.3 Custom order
3.4 Quality
3.4.1 Rags
3.4.2 Woodpulp
3.5 Manufacturers
3.6 Colour
3.7 Sizing

4 Accessories
4.1 Palettes

5 Recomendations
5.1 Paint
5.1.1 Manufacturers
5.1.2 Boxed Set
5.1.3 Tubes or Pans
5.2 Brushes
5.2.1 Hair Type
5.2.2 Size
5.2.3 Shape
5.3 Paper
5.3.1 Weight
5.3.2 Surface
5.3.3 Dimensions
5.3.4 Quality of Paper
5.3.5 Manufacturer Brand
5.3.6 Paper Colour

Introduction
Watercolour is, without any shadow of doubt, my favoured medium for the colouration of the motifs. Quite simply, its advantages are legion, with any perceived drawbacks of no real consequence. Now, the obvious question to ask is why that this should be so. The medium's possible biggest advantage is that large scale and numerous (arbitrarily stated) motifs are ‘practical', in the sense that when colour is applied by the brush a large area is quickly covered – contrast this with a point source, such as a pencil, of which a considerable longer time would consequently arise. Yet another advantage is that as it dries very quickly, in a matter of moments, so the whole composition can be finished in a single sitting. In addition, as this is such a popular medium in general terms with other artists per se, a relatively larger number of distinct pigments and papers are made available by the manufacturers than would occur otherwise normally occur, thereby permitting a greater choice. Indeed, so great is the choice that it is impractical to try all the possibilities. Various effects, unique to watercolour, such as wet in wet and granulation are also admirably suited.

However, despite the above advantages, watercolour does have a few limitations, in that it is not really advisable to overlay colours, (as is possible with other media, such as acrylic) as this essentially ‘stirs-up' the underlying colour, resulting in a non-uniform colour, albeit with due care and attention this can be alleviated.

What follows is an 'advanced beginner's' guide, in which I discuss the various aspects of watercolour in a more in-depth way then with the generalised preceding one of essay 2.. Although a few more specialised art terms are introduced, much of what follows should still be understandable and of use for a complete beginner. As such, this is not meant to be an all-encompassing guide to such matters, of which the more technical aspects can, and indeed do, fill entire books. Rather, this is intended to give the basics thoroughly, to what I consider to an appropriate degree. An excellent introduction to watercolours can be found in the form of leaflets produced by the manufacturers themselves, freely available (literally so) in any art store. For example, a leading company, Winsor & Newton have Perfecting the Fine Art of Watercolour’, in colour, in which a whole host of technical information is available, all at an accessible level. On the web, I strongly recommend www.handprint.com, which is a mine of useful, practical information.

1 Paint Aspects

1.2 How to Use Watercolour
As such, watercolour should, and indeed must, be applied in a very 'thin' manner. Essentially, to a little paint must be added considerable water. What one should not do is use the paint direct from the tube, or with only a modicum of water. As stated previously, some lessons in such basic use would be ideal if a complete beginner. As a rough guide as to correct proportions of paint to water, a simple way of determining this is to take an inherently opaque colour, such as Indian Red (PR 101), and apply this to watercolour paper on which a indelible black line has been drawn. If the line remains transparent, then fundamentally the watercolour is being applied correctly, whilst if it is being obliterated than this is to be regarded as incorrect usage.

1.3 Techniques
Watercolour can be said to have two main techniques, known as washes and wet in wet. These are noticeable different in their effects, and both have their uses when appropriate:

1.3.1Washes
The use of a wash techique is basic to the utilisation of watercolour. At its simplest, this involves the application of colour in an even application. Examples of this usage are much favoured by myself. Also possible are gradated effects, whereby the colour begins strongly and then subtly fades. A variation on this theme is the merging of two colours of a similar saturation.

1.3.2 Wet in Wet
Wet in Wet is a technique unique to watercolour, whereby this involves letting two colours run together on the watercolour paper, whereupon a blending of sorts occurs, which cannot otherwise be produced with other media. As such, this technique can be a bit “hit or miss” with the results, due to various factors, such as water amount, pigments and the choice of paper all being involved. Example using such a technique is Birds 1, No.2; Birds 5 Nos. 4 and 5; Fish 2 No.2.

1.4 Quality of Paint Ranges
Watercolour is produced in three different ranges, as stated previously, and so consequently, for reasons as given, only the artists and students ranges are to be considered, with artists preferred.

1.5 Tubes or Pans
Watercolour can be obtained in two forms of vessel, in pans or tubes, these fundamentally differing, with the tube being of a semi-liquid paint, whilst the pan is solid. As such the pigment remains the same, albeit the pan type requires a further manufacturing process to prepare it as a solid state. As such, artists generally prefer one to the other, depending on personal preferences, and so either is not ‘better' than the other. However, the general preference is for the tube type, these being far more convenient than pans, as with the latter the colour has to be released by brush, which, especially for when large quantities of paint are required, can be a bind.

Different sizes of tubes and pans are available, with the tubes typically containing 5, 10, or 15ml quantities of paint, whilst the pans are available as half or full pans. As might be expected, the larger sizes are economic in relative terms, with the 15ml tube at only twice the price of a 5ml. However, as the larger sizes are relatively expensive, especially so for certain pigments, I would not initially recommend what at first sight would be the obvious, 'better' option in economic terms. Instead, the 5ml will suffice for immediate purposes. As a general guide, you will find that some colours are used more frequently than others (indeed, I still have examples of the smaller 5ml yet to be exhausted) of which when certain colours have been exhausted, and therefore found to be of use, it will then be found economical to purchase the larger sizes.

1.6 Pigments

1.6.1 Types of Pigment
Although not of immediate concern for the beginner, of interest are the two types into which pigments can be classified, namely inorganic and organic of which both have natural and synthetic subdivisions.

1.6.1.1 Inorganic
These pigments are derived from compounds that were never part of living matter, and so consequently do not contain carbon. Examples include cadmiums, cobalt and earth colours.

1.6.1.2 Organic
These pigments are derived from living substances or that was once part of a living thing, and thus contains carbon. Examples include quinacridones, phthalocyanines and perylenes.

1.6.2 Granulation
Although not of immediate concern to the beginner, some watercolour pigments show a characteristic of what is termed granulation. This is an aspect of painting that of which this medium is arguably the best for showing these inherent properties. Granulation occurs when the pigment particles settle in the paper, which when dry thus causes a mottling effect. As such, this is a consequence of the paints 'nature', and so should not be regarded either as a 'defect' or in any way 'superior'. Furthermore, even within granulating pigments different effects occur, with what is known as flocculation. This occurs when the pigment particles 'rush' together in huddles, resulting in yet another mottling effect, albeit the differences between the two are subtle. Some artists like these effect, whilst others do not, all of which can be employed to advantage as according to preference.

As a rule as to which colour types will granulate, the 'traditional' inorganic pigments, cobalt’s, and earths will be found to do so. The more 'modern' ones, organics, such as quinacridones and phthalocyanines do not. Further, more specific details can be found on the manufacturers leaflets, of which every colour is stated to be either granulating or not.

1.6.3 Permanence
Although the permanency of pigments is not an issue that should not immediately concern the beginner, this matter should be addressed when contemplating finished work. As watercolour is applied in thin, transparent washes, such a thin paint film is thus more susceptible to fading, in contrast to, say, oil paint, which is of a more substantial nature, and so thus has inherent protection. As such, each pigment has different qualities of resistance to fading when exposed to light. Indeed, the difference can be most marked, with some fading in a matter of weeks, whilst others will last for centuries. Consequently, if displayed, this should be out of direct sunlight. Ideally, only those pigments that can be regarded as 'permanent' should be utilised. As such 'permanence' is somewhat subjective, with differing views as to what this term should be defined as permanent - for example, when exposed to daylight, should there be no fading after 1, 10, 100 years? In previous years, watercolours especially were renowned for fading, caused in the main by the manufacturers utilising inappropriate pigments. However, pleasingly, in recent years this issue has been addressed, with fugitive pigments being replaced with lightfast alternatives, as well as the introduction of new pigments, developed for other industries that are an improvement over the previous standards. All of the major manufacturers produce leaflets (freely available in art stores) setting out which pigments are to be considered as lightfast, for which I refer the reader. Indeed, although the reading of their leaflet is advisable in this matter, even this is not strictly necessary, as one major manufacturer, Winsor & Newton has 93 out of their range of 96 colours classified as permanent.

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2 Brushes
Of some importance is to select the ideal brush for this medium, as simply picking up any convenient one will not do. Indeed, even within watercolour there are specially designed brushes, of size, shape and hair for specific purposes, discussed below:

2.1 Size
Concerning the size of the brush, as both relatively large and small (detailed) areas will need to be coloured, such matters dictate the choice of brush size. Brush sizes are denoted by a series of numbers, with the smallest (sometimes consisting of a single hair, used for miniatures, although a beginner would not utilise this immediately, if indeed subsequently) titled 0000 rising to 0, 1, 2, 3... up to 24 for larger brushes. Consequently, a single brush is insufficient, of which a range of brushes is thus required for different purposes. For the beginner, a range of three would suffice, with more brushes to be added later.

2.2 Shape
The shape of the brush is variable, with different types available, such as round (which is pointed at the end), cats tongue or wash (which are chisel shaped), to name but few. Again, these are designed for specific purposes. Generally, the ‘round' types are to be preferred.

2.3 Hairs
The hairs utilised in watercolour brushes are of two types, of natural (taken from an animal) and synthetic (man-made) hairs. Both of these types can be, and are, combined. All types, depending on circumstance, will be found suitable. However, there are various nuances on this, as detailed below:

2.3.1 Natural
Natural hair brushes are unequivocally to be regarded as the best in terms of quality, being far superior to synthetic. However, natural hairs differ in their inherent quality, with hair form different animals, such as sable, squirrel and pony being commonly available. Of these, sable is by far the best, as it is superior in both ‘holding capacity' and ‘soaking up' qualities as mentioned above. Squirrel and pony hairs do not possess these capabilities to the same degree, and are thus of markedly inferior quality. Indeed, these types of brushes lack 'body' or resilience, resulting in a brush, that for controlled work, is simply not appropriate. However, a decided drawback to sable is that of cost, of which numerous factors, such as the rarity of the animal, and its abode (in Russia) contribute to a most expensive, if not exorbitant price in the larger size of brush.

2.3.2 Synthetic
Synthetic hairs are to be regarded as inferior to natural hair in terms of their inherent respective qualities. Put simply, these cannot hold as much paint as the natural ones, as well as their inability to ‘soak up' paint when applied, of which this will be found to be a necessary requirement. As regards watercolours, synthetics were introduced for reasons of economics, as the best of the natural hairs, sable, is somewhat expensive, and in the larger sizes is exorbitantly so. However, as regards the larger size brushes, such as 14 and upwards, for covering large areas where precision is not a factor, these are indeed appropriate, and it will not be found necessary to spend disproportionate sums as regards to top quality sable brushes.

2.3.3 Synthetic and Natural
To strike a balance between cost and quality, synthetic and natural hairs are also available combined in a single brush. As might be expected, these are thus intermediate in quality between the two types.

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3 Paper
An important aspect of undoubted importance for watercolour is that of the paper the paint is applied to. Quite simply, it is essential to utilise paper specifically manufactured for watercolour and not any other, such as cartridge, squared or layout paper.

Oddly, despite Escher generally favouring watercolour for the colouration of his drawings, he chose not to use appropriate paper for this medium, as throughout these were drawn onto squared paper, a type of paper more appropriate for line work rather than the addition of watercolour and ink. When paint is so applied to such thin paper, buckling and pooling of colours occurs, resulting in an unappealing appearance. However, as these were not regarded as works of art in their own right, the choice of support was not critical, although with his knowledge of art it is perhaps surprising that at some point beyond his ‘early days' he did not desire to utilise more appropriate paper.

Paper can for discussion purposes be subdivided into distinct aspects:

3.1 Weight
Traditionally the weight (an industry standard term), or in everyday terminology the thickness of the paper was indicated by the weight of a ream (500 sheets) of that particular paper in a particular size. However, this can be misleading, as a large sheet of paper may not be as thick as its ream weight implies. To avoid such matters a metric system was introduced, in which the weight of a square metre in grammes (gsm). This way, the heavier the paper, the thicker it will be. When purchasing paper, both forms will be shown, with the grammes in brackets, for example ‘10 sheets 140 LBS, (300 GSM)’. Weight can vary, with 75, 90 140 and 300 LB being commonly available. The weight or thickness or is of consequence in two distinct ways:

3.1.1 Suitability
It should be thick enough to withstand the application of watercolour, as paper of a light weight will buckle, leading to the paint pooling and drying in an uneven manner, with an unwanted blotch-like appearance.

3.1.2 Transfer
As my favoured method of transfer the tessellation is by tracing, the thickness of the paper must not be too thick, as otherwise this will make the task of this impossible, as it would not be possible to see the lines of the drawing on the underlying outline on squared paper.

Consequently, there has to be a trade off between the above two conflicting desires.

3.2 Surface
The paper itself is made of three different degrees of surface texture, these being designed for distinct effects, with industry standard terms that to the beginner would not be of the greatest clarity, described as: hot pressed, cold pressed (sometimes known as 'not') and rough, which essentially equate to ‘smooth, medium and rough' in everyday terms:

3.2.1 Hot Pressed ('Smooth')
Hot pressed has a smooth surface, caused by a hot press (of sheets of metal) being applied to the paper.

3.2.2 Cold Pressed or Not ('Medium')
Cold pressed or Not (which simply refers to the paper not being hot pressed) is intermediate between smooth and rough, caused by less pressure being applied in the pressed stage.

3.2.3 Rough ('Rough')
Rough is, as the name suggests, rough, with easily visible texture, achieved by drying the sheets between rough felts woollen felts, the paper not having been pressed in any way.

3.3 Sizes and Shape of Paper
Paper of all conceivable shapes and sizes is available, of which two basic types can be discerned:

3.3.1 Single sheets
These are typically sold in a 30x 22” size, with what is known as a deckle edge, in which the paper thins out towards the edges. This arises as a process of the paper's manufacturing, and should not be thought of as 'inferior' to a more 'orthodox' paper that has a common consistency of thickness throughout.

3.3.2 Pads
Here a broader range is available, with pads from ten to thirty sheets, from A5 to A1 sizes, along with their imperial cousins, 7x5� to 20x16�. In addition, other formats are produced, for example, �panorama', a long and narrow paper, and a square format are also available, both of various dimensions within their respective formats.

3.3.3 Custom Order
Although the above shapes and sizes will be found to be sufficient, it is also possible to order direct (albeit at a premium price from the mill) paper of specific size outside of the more orthodox sizes as above. For example, a composition of a long length, such as Escher's Metamorphosis II, consisting of an image approximately 13 feet x 7", a 'long roll' of such dimensions is obtainable that demands such specifics. However, such matters should not immediately concern the beginner. Indeed, I have yet to require anything of this nature.

3.4 Paper Quality
Essentially, there are two distinct types of paper quality, those made of rags, which despite the apparently derogatively terminology is of the best quality, and photographic woodpulp, which although somewhat of a lower quality will still be found to be appropriate. Both of these are what are termed as acid free, whereby all the inherent acid from the raw material is removed during the manufacturing process, thereby preserving the paper (contrast this with newsprint, which is not acid free and will noticeably yellow in a matter of months and will eventually self destruct). Both are of inherent good quality.

3.4.1 Rags
This is intrinsically of the higher quality, made from cotton and linen. This type is sold as separate sheets, at a relatively expensive price. For the beginner, this type is not essential in any way, as the alternative of woodpulp, discussed below, will be found more than appropriate.

3.4.2 Woodpulp
Although of a lower inherent quality, this paper none the less has much in its favour. Paper of this type is buffered with calcium carbonate for archival permanence, of which from personal experience, with examples from fifteen years ago I can see no deterioration of the paper. An example of this type would be Bockingford. Furthermore, this type of paper is more readily affordable than with the 'rag' type as discussed above.

3.5 Manufacturers
Essentially, one is spoilt for choice for paper, with many different companies (paper mills) producing their own types, all of which have subtle differences. Major manufacturers include Arches, Fabriano, RWS (Royal Watercolour Society), Two Rivers, Saunders to name but few. Indeed, one is spoilt for choice. Although some of these are foreign (with the thought in mind that they would be inconvenient to obtain) they are still readily available in any specialised art store. The manufacturers then produce their own ranges, with brand names such as Bockingford or Langton.

3.6 Colour
As a rule, white is to be favoured, as with a noticeably coloured paper the inherent properties of the colour would be affected when applied. Furthermore, noticeably coloured paper for watercolour is simply not produced. However, paper of colours not only of the usual white are indeed available, generally of ‘pastel' or ‘off-white' coloured types, commonly described as oatmeal, sand or cream. As such, these are to be regarded as an occasional option, and need not immediately concern the beginner.

3.7 Sizing
Of necessity, paper has to be sized during the manufacturing process. This is accomplished by adding gelatine to the raw material (pulp), as without this the paint when applied by the artist will be absorbed too quickly into the paper, resulting in a most unappealing finish. Examples of paper of this (unsized) type are Chinese calligraphic papers. By common practise, a standardised quality has been established, albeit different degrees of this can occur. Therefore, if contemplating a new paper, experiments should first be undertaken as regards suitability before a major work is commenced. Although a quality rag paper may be assumed ideal, as sizing can vary it is as well to first try out. Again, for a complete beginner, such matters will not be of immediate concern.

4. Accessories

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4.1 Palettes

A variety of pallets are made for watercolour, either of porcelain or plastic, of various sizes, shapes, inclines and compartments. Essentially, the choice of palette is very much as according to personal preference, with some artists not using the manufactured ones, content to use vessels found around the home, such desert dishes or even butchers trays. However, this is not always ideal, especially for watercolour, as it is importance is that the vessel, whatever it is, is coloured white. The reason for this is that when the watercolour wash (a transparent medium) is so placed inside, any coloured vessel would result in the colour not being seen in its true state. Consequently, the strength or intensity of the colour could not be assessed. Therefore, all commercial palettes are thus coloured white. Although it is possible to �get by' with white dishes or trays, when using these implements one is restricted to single colour use before having to rinse out the vessel for a new colour. Although it is obviously possible to have as many dishes or plates as required readily to hand, such a procedure leads to what I consider as unnecessary clutter. In contrast, all the commercial palettes have a number of wells, with a typical palette having ten such paint compartments. As such, the utilisation of such a palette, for such a relative small additional expense is worth having, saving so much inconvenience.

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5. Recommendations

Although the above may be somewhat daunting in length to the beginner, with many different aspects discussed, many of these are �technical' matters pertaining media per se, which the beginner (and the more advanced artist) does not have to take into consideration as regards practicalities e.g. obtaining raw material, making paper or brushes. What is of more concern to the beginner is when matters of choice have to be made, e.g. which paints, brushes or papers. Having thus discussed aspects of media choice in a generalised above, for each of the sections above I would recommend the following:

5.1 Paint

5.1.1 Manufacturers
Of the major manufacturers, I have not found any real difference in terms of quality, of which the Artist and Student ranges by, for example, the companies Winsor & Newton and Daler Rowney will be found to be both suitable and widely available.

5.1.2 Boxed Sets
A boxed set of 12 colours would be ideal, this being neither too few nor too many to cope with. Although it may appear tempting to obtain all the paints in a range, this would be somewhat overwhelming.

5.1.3 Tubes or Pans
As regards tubes or pan, I greatly prefer the tube type, as it is so much more convenient than with pans. Quite simply, the required paint quantity can quickly be accessed, whereas with pans, especially so for a large requirement of colour, would take an inordinately longer time to prepare.

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5.2 Brushes

5.2.1 Hair Types
Synthetic brushes will suffice, albeit �progression' to higher quality (sable or sable/synthetic combinations) brushes is advisable upon the initial attempts. Inferior natural hair types such as squirrel or pony are simply not acceptable in their inherent quality.

5.2.2 Size
A suitable range would be of, say, three brushes, sizes Nos. 1, 7, and 14. Brushes between the above sizes can be added later.

5.2.3 Shape
The shape of the brush is most important, with those of the �round' type to be favoured. This type of brush is the workhorse of everyday use. Wash brushes have occasional use, but in comparison to the �rounds' are used most sparingly. �Speciality' brushes as discussed above, such as miniatures or riggers need not concern the beginner. Indeed, I have not required their use yet.

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5.3 Paper

5.3.1 Weight
The weight or thickness of paper is most important, with those in the 90-140 lb range favoured, these being the ideal compromise between the two conflicting factors of durability and opaqueness as discussed above. Put simply, any paper under 90 lb is too lightweight to withstand buckling, whilst that above 140 lb is essentially not translucent enough to see the working drawing which is to be traced through.

5.3.2 Surface
Although all types of surfaces can be used, I prefer those with a slight texture or �tooth'. The smoothest surface is somewhat �slick', with the paint being less controllable, although from this it should not be thought that there is a chasm in differences between the papers. Occasionally the 'rough' paper is too rough, especially so for the subsequent inking-in, whereby the line is thus distorted to a degree due to the nature of the paper.

5.3.3 Dimensions
The dimensions of the paper should be chosen in mind with the working drawing, and should be approximately commensurate e.g. if the working drawing measures, say, 10 x 6� then a 16 x 12� size would be suitable, thus giving a border neither too small or large. In general, both metric and imperial are appropriate, these being of different aspect ratios (albeit not differing wildly). Such matters of choice are a decided assistance, as it will be found that one is better than the other, depending on the working drawing. Of dimensions, metric A3, A4 and imperial 20 x 16�, 14 x 10� are ideal, whether used either as an �all over' or a proscribed format, such as '3 x 3' or �4 x 4', which I favour.

5.3.4 Quality of Paper
As such, it is essential to utilise paper made for the express purpose of watercolour, namely with rag and photographic woodpulp types. Other types of paper (such as cartridge, which although is on occasion described as suitable for watercolour is actually not so) are simply inappropriate.

5.3.5 Manufacturer Brand
Bockingford and Langton (the latter to a lesser degree, both of photographic woodpulp types), are my everyday choice, in pad form. To give some guidance as to usage, approximately 95% of the examples shown on the website utilise Bockingford paper. Furthermore, an advantage of such paper, relevant to the beginner is that it is more economically priced in comparison with rag papers. Although it is difficult to compare so many different factors, approximately five sheets of Bockingford paper can be obtained for the price of a single rag sheet.

5.3.6 Paper Colour
White is to be preferred, as if the underlying support colour differs, this will thus not show the �true' colour of the paint, as it will be subtly affected by this. Although �off-white' colours are available, such as �sand' or �cream', these should be regarded as an optional extra, aside from the basic workday white. Certainly, I have not found the need to utilise paper of this type.