![]() ![]() If this isn’t possible then I try to get the next best characteristics. ![]() When picking a new color the first things I look for are good transparency and single pigments. You may find it difficult to find paints that perfectly match all your criteria at once. But I do use them when I specifically want a granular texture! I suggest you experiment to find out what you like. As far as possible I prefer paints that are not too granular because I find granular paints more difficult to handle. I also chose paints with “ excellent” or “ very good” lightfastness because I don’t want my paintings to fade ! Granularity is more of a personal preference. I find that opaque or multi-pigment paints have tricky handling qualities. They mix well together and don’t create “mud”. Single pigment, transparent paints provide the most saturated and intense versions of any color. When choosing paints I look for colors that fit the following criteria: Ok… Now imagine you’re looking at a manufacturer’s paint chart. This is a characteristic of the pigments themselves. Granular pigments react this way because they are larger, heavier, and more irregular in shape than other small, fine pigments. This appearance is due to the uneven distribution of pigment particles on the paper surface. Granular paints tend to have a grainy texture when dry. Watercolor paints are rated using the ASTM scale (American Standard Test Measure) which ranges from “excellent” to “very poor”. Lightfastness is a rating of how much a particular paint will fade or discolor over time when exposed to light. Look at the transparency rating when comparing watercolors – Paints are usually categorized as “transparent”, “semi-transparent”, or “opaque”. Of course, all watercolors can be made transparent by diluting them with water, but certain pigments hide the underlying paper (or previous wash of color) more than others. TransparencyĬertain watercolors are more transparent than others. For example, if the paint label says “PB28” this means it contains “Pigment Blue number 28”, which is commonly used to make cobalt blue. Pigments are identified by a color index code. The ingredients used to make paint include one, two, three, or sometimes more pigments. Let’s take a quick look at these characteristics so you understand what they mean… Number of pigments ![]() To find this information you’re going to have to read the paint labels, or do a bit of research on the manufacturer’s website. When you select your paints, the characteristics you need to take into consideration are the following: And that means you need to understand a few basics about the characteristics of watercolor paint. I don’t think you should select your watercolors without knowing a little bit about what you’re buying first. Is it a good idea to choose your paints at random? So in the following lines I’ll give you the simple truth about what you need to look for when selecting watercolor paints.Īnd I’ll give you the complete list of colors in my palette and tell you why I chose them.Īrmed with a few good insights I hope you’ll feel confident about choosing the watercolors which best fit your needs. You want to pick the perfect watercolors to get the most out of your painting experience. ![]() It can be pretty confusing trying to compare different brands, colors, and all the various characteristics of this beautiful art medium. I have to admit…when I first started watercolors I agonized over my choice of paints. But none of them seem to tell you “how” to choose what’s best for your needs.Īnd frankly, most of those reviews seem to have been written by people who probably haven’t picked up a paint brush in their life ! Here’s the thing…There are lots of “reviews” about which are the best watercolor paints on the market. ![]()
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