Watercolor paints. Basic concepts

The concept of "watercolor" has several meanings. The first is the kind of painting with water-soluble paints. In other words, paints that dissolve in ordinary water, forming a semi-transparent substance with a small amount of coloring pigment. This allows you to create an incredible effect of lightness and fine color gradation. From this, the name of a certain process in the technique of painting - watercolor.

Even watercolor is considered, directly, works that are done with water-based paints. A characteristic feature of this painting is that at the time of writing, the use of whitewash is excluded. This function is performed by the white color of the paper, which is not painted over or covered with a translucent paint layer.

Watercolor paints, thanks to their features, allow you to create unique paintings. Their distinguishing feature is mainly in the transparent thin layer of paint that remains after the water dries on the paper.

With all the variety of types of existing materials, watercolor paints are rightfully considered to be one of the oldest and most varied painters and graphics of various schools. Scholars-art historians know works that coincide in time with Egyptian papyri and hieroglyphics. In the art of ancient Byzantium with the help of watercolors illustrated liturgical and ecclesiastical books. Over time, it began to be used for podmalevkov and painting pictures on the boards. Painters of the Renaissance used this kind of paints for sketches for fresco and easel works. Until now, a large number of works painted with watercolors, such masters as Raphael, Rubens, Lessyur and many others have survived.

Due to the relative simplicity in use, watercolor paints have become widespread in the visual arts.

The composition of these paints, like many others, includes finely ground pigments, and as a binder component, various types of plant-based glue are added in small amounts. Even in certain proportions the composition includes honey, wax, glycerin and some types of resins. Thanks to these components, the paints have plasticity, hardness or softness and other necessary properties. Often such colors are produced in the form of hard handkerchiefs, placed in a special container, and semi-liquid or soft - in tubes. Buy watercolor paints for professional painting can be in any art store.

Among the domestic manufacturers of paints, it is especially worth mentioning OAO Gamma and ZKH Nevskaya Palitra. The latter among artists were named as "watercolor paints" Leningrad ". They are available in container-cuvettes of 2.5 ml or in tubes of 18 ml. The assortment of this brand includes the series "White Nights", "Ladoga" and "Sonnet". The best colors for "Gamma" is the series "Studio". The quality of the products of both factories meets high standards and is not inferior to many foreign manufacturers.