Preservation of moist watercolours in pans
These colours are freely soluble and will become too soft for convenient use if allowed to absorb an excess of moisture. To avoid this, the box should not be put away after use until the colours have dried to their original consistency. This is most essential in damp and humid climates.
Do not dry by applying heat. It is sufficient to leave the box open in a warm, dry, dust-free atmosphere for a few hours. In circumstances where this is impossible, as with outdoor sketching, the drying out should be attended to at the earliest opportunity.
Replace used colours with fresh pans or colour cut from pans. In view of their liquid consistency, colours from tubes are not recommended for this purpose; but if they are used, the box must always be used in a horizontal position.
In most tropical climates, it is advisable to keep in the colour box a piece of blotting paper sprinkled with any good disinfectant. This will assist in preventing the formation of mildew.
Slow drying colours – No special colours are needed for use in hot climates, but where considered desirable, drying can be retarded by the addition of a few drops of glycerine to the mixing water.
Colour mixtures
Every colour has 4 qualities …
1. Hue – e.g. red, blue, yellow.
2. Value – light or dark.
3. Chroma or purity – i.e. the extent to which the hue is free from any white constituent.
4. Temperature, i.e. the degree of warmth or coldness from an aesthetic point of view. The distinction between "warm" and "cold" colours is purely artistic and has no physical basis.
We mix colours to modify one or more of these qualities.
When matching a colour choose the nearest you have to it and modify it by the mixture of only one other colour if possible. The mixture of three or more colours will sully them considerably.
Water colours are lightened by the addition of water or white. The former, as a rule, gives a more transparent effect, by allowing more of the white of the paper to shine through the paint. The latter gives an opaque colour – body colour. An opaque added to a transparent colour necessarily produces a more or less opaque mixture.
It is easier to decrease than to increase the brilliance of a colour – therefore work with brilliant colours.
A colour is "degraded", or partially neutralised or greyed, by the addition of black, brown, grey or neutral colour or by mixing some of its "complementary" or opposite colour with it. Roughly the main complementaries are yellow and violet, orange and blue, and red and green.
Colour can be "local" or "atmospheric". The house painter uses local colour; the painter, especially the landscape painter, uses atmospheric colour, i.e. local colour modified by atmosphere. Local colours appear more neutral the farther they are away – perspective of colour.
Local colour is modified by light, atmosphere (distance), texture and reflection. To some extent every object is a mirror reflecting something of the colours of nearby objects.
The early watercolour painters laid in their shadows first with a neutral or shadow colour. When this was dry, they washed their local colours over it. The more recent practice is to prepare separate mixtures for the shadow practices.
Colour can be "flat" or "graduated". The former is uniform, the latter lighter and darker, warmer and cooler, brighter and duller, and varies in hue in different strengths. "Broken colour" is colour varied by the introduction of another colour broken into it.
Colours may be mixed on the palette or on the painting ground, e.g. paper or card. On the palette the colours may be mixed to a uniform hue. On the painting ground two or more colours may be allowed to run or fuse together, or are worked together without preliminary mixing on the palette. Or one colur may be laid over another.
If this latter method is applied to watercolour painting it is usual for the first colour to be "washed over" with plain water as soon as it is dry, in order that no loosely held pigments may nix with, and sully, the succeeding wash.
The range of colours chosen by any particular painter as those most suitable for his special type of work is usually spoken of as his "palette", although strictly speaking, the term belongs to the portable surface provided with a thumbhole, on which colours are laid ready for use. While, however, we know the "palette" used by the greatest masters, it should not be assumed that by adopting the same set of colours we can arrive at the perfection attained by any of these great artists.
To gain experience in colour mixing, the palette should include as few colours as possible. The result obtained by mixing colours together necessarily depends on the proportions in which they are blended, and the precise hue required can only be arrived at by experiment. Where the constituents of a mixture differ in strength one should start with the weaker colour, and then gradually add the stronger one until the desired result is obtained.
The three "Primary" colours, from the colour mixer's point of view, are Yellow, Red and Blue. They are so called because by mixing paints of these three hues all other hues may be obtained and that the same result cannot be obtained from paints of any other three colours. In the three colour printing process, where the conditions of colour mixing are much the same as with the artists' paints, the best results are arrived at by using 1 a pure Yellow, 2 a rather bluish Red (like Carmine) and 3 a somewhat greenish Blue (of Prussian Blue type).
The three "Secondary" colours, Orange, Green and Violet, are obtained by mixing two of the Primaries. And finally the so-called "Tertiary" colours are the result of mixing two of the secondaries; but since, when we perform this operation, no fresh hue can be produced, and we merely obtain a duller variety of one of the primary or secondary colours, the term is now obsolete.
Greens are made by mixing yellows, or oranges, or browns with blues.
Purples and Violets by mixing red or crimson with blue.
Browns are orange mixed with blue or green or grey.
Greys result from mixtures of three primaries or two secondary colours.
Yellows require the greatest care as yellow sullies very easily. Reducing the brilliance or tone of a pale yellow by adding black gives it a greenish hue. To darken yellow, whilst retaining its warmth, use brown instead of black.
When, with a limited palette, you can match the local colours of objects of a flat or uniform hue, learn to graduate the colour to suggest modelling. Then place near the coloured object another of a different hue and try to render the reflection of one object in the other by interchanging their colours. Finally, learn to modify local colour by atmosphere, placing, as far away as possible, an object the local colour of which you have already mixed and match the colour as it appears in the distance.
A good way to acquire experience in colour mixing is to copy a painting as exactly as possible. The mixtures specified below must be looked upon as preliminary suggestions which by no means exhaust the possibilities. Make these mixtures and then try to produce the same colours by other mixtures.
White has been excluded from watercolour mixtures, though its moderate use with colours often adds to their subtlety.
The addition of a very little of another colour to the suggested mixture sometimes increases their subtlety, but at the risk of making them duller, on the general principle that every additional colour added to a mixture is a step towards blackness.
The subject is more fully discussed in Notes on Colour Mixing by Hesketh Hubbard, published by Winsor and Newton, 1948.
Some suggested colour mixtures
The basic colour of the mixture is mentioned first; generally only small quantities of the second and third colours should be added.
Landscape
Skies
Cool Grey – Cobalt Blue and Vermilion; Cobalt Blue and Light Red.
Warm Grey – Cobalt Blue, Light Red and Yellow Ochre.
Dark Grey – Winsor Blue and Indian Red.
Blue – Cerulean Blue; French Ultramarine graduated through Cobalt Blue to Cobalt Blue mixed with Vermilion or Rose Madder Genuine at the horizon.
Light Clouds – Cobalt Blue or French Ultramarine and Indian Red; Cobalt Blue, Light Red and Yellow Ochre; Lamp Black and Raw Umber.
Moonlight – French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna; French Ultramarine, Rose Madder Genuine and Viridian.
Grass – Viridian and Raw Sienna; Viridian and Cadmium Yellow Pale (bright, sunny green); Viridian, Yellow Ochre and Vermilion; Yellow Ochre and French Ultramarine; Winsor Blue and New Gamboge; Winsor Blue and Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre.
Foliage – Viridian and Cadmium Yellow; Viridian and Raw Sienna; Viridian and Burnt Sienna; Viridiad and Burnt Umber; Cadmium Yellow and Light Red or Burnt Sienna (autumn foliage).
Tree trunks – Viridian and Indian Red; Burnt Umber and Cobalt Blue; Indian Red and French Ultramarine.
Distances – French Ultramarine and Rose Madder.
Broken foregrounds (earth showing through) – Indian Red and Yellow Ochre; Rose Madder Genuine and Viridian; Indian Red and French Ultramarine.
Weeds in foreground – Viridian and Raw Sienna; Winsor Blue and Raw Umber.
Roads and paths – Yellow Ochre and Light Red; Yellow Ochre and Rose Madder Genuine; Burnt Umber, Cobalt Blue and Viridian; Payne's Gray.
Buildings
Red brickwork – Light Red and Burnt Umber.
Stonework – Raw Umber and French Ultramarine; Raw Umber and Lamp Black.
Animals
Sheep – Yellow Ochre and Indian Red.
Cattle – Burnt Sienna and Indian Red; Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine; Raw Sienna, Rose Madder Genuine and Sepia.
Brown horses – Burnt Sienna and Indian Red; Burnt Umber, Indian Red and Ivory Black.
Seas
Stormy waves – Cobalt Blue and Raw Umber.
Tough of waves – Viridian and Rose Madder Genuine.
Big waves – Viridian and French Ultramarine for deep water; more green when nearer to shore; pure Viridian for green seen through extreme tip of waves against the light.
Green reflections under boats in sea water – Viridian with a little Raw Sienna.
Tanned sails or boats – Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber; Indian Red and Burnt Umber; Light Red and Burnt Umber.
White sails – Thin wash of Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna.
Warm, sandy beach – Raw Umber, Rose Madder Genuine and Cobalt Blue.
Rocks – Burnt Umber and Cobalt Blue; Burnt Umber, French Ultramarine and Viridian.
Seaweed on rocks – Burmt Sienna and Viridian.
Green weed on quayside – Viridian and Raw Sienna.
Anti-fouling composition on ships – Light Red.
Smoke – Cobalt Blue and White; French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna.
Figure painting
Flesh – Rose Madder Genuine and Yellow Ochre; Indian Red and Raw Sienns; Wermilion and Yellow Ochre.
Darker shades – Indian Red and Raw Sienna.
Green hues – Viridian and Light Red.
Greys – Indian Red and Ivory Black.
Strong shadows – Indian Red and Raw Umber.
Fair hair – Burnt Umber and Raw Sienna; Indian Red and French Ultramarine (in depths of hair).
Flowers
A wider range of bright colours is required for flower painting. The following might usefully be employed – Aureolin, Cadmium Orange, Cobalt Violet, Hooker's Green Dark, Manganese Blue, New Gamboge, Permanent Blue, Permanent Magenta, Permanent Rose, Scarlet Lake and Winsor Green.
All the mixtures mentioned can be made from the following permanent or reasonably permanent colours. As he/she progresses the painter should be able to reduce their number …
*Burnt Sienna,
*Burnt Umber,
Cadmium Yellow,
Cadmium Yellow Pale,
*Cerulean Blue,
*Chinese White,
*Cobalt Blue,
French Ultramarine,
*Indian Red,
*Lamp Black,
*Light Red,
New Gamboge,
Payne's Gray,
*Raw Sienna,
*Raw Umber,
Rose Madder Genuine,
*Sepia,
Vermilion,
*Viridian,
Winsor Blue,
*Yellow Ochre.
*Denotes absolutely permanent colours.
Winsor and Newton Artist's Watercolours
Lemon Yellow – Cool, toward green. Somewhat opaque; very little staining; slight sediment. Very cool, veering towards green. Can be washed off most papers completely. Weak in tinting strength, it almost disappears in mixture with other colours.
Cadmium Yellow – Almost centre of yellow on colour wheel. Slightly opaque; some staining. Close to a true yellow on the colour wheel, neither towards green or orange. It holds its tinting strength well in mixtures. A good all-round yellow.
Cadmium Yellow (Pale, Medium, Deep) – Warm (all). Some opacity (all); all have some sediment, although there's still a stain left after you wash them off. Good, warm, permanent work-horse colours. They mix well, adding a little opacity in maximum intensity washes. The Deep seems almost orange in a rich mix. Pale with Intense Blue gives yellow-greens.
Gamboge and New Gamboge – Warm. Somewhat staining; fairly transparent – New isn't as transparent as the original Gamboge. Good for mixing the greens of foliage with Intense Blue.
Cadmium Orange – Warm. Somewhat opaque; a lot will wads off, but a definite yellow-orange stain will remain; some sediment. Looks like the perfect orange – neither warm nor cool – as it comes out of the tube, but it tends towards yellow in mixtures and dilution. Best of oranges available.
Cadmium Red – Pale and Deep – Warm. Both opaque; some staining when washed off; some sediment. Like the Cadmium Yellows, the Cadmium Reds are good and permanent colours, somewhat opaque especially in maximum intensity. Cadmium Red Light makes good oranges when mixed with yellow. Cadmium Red Deep does not make bright, clear violets when mixed with any of the blues.
Scarlet Lake – Warm, but past true red and a bit towards violet. Very transparent; stains; very little sediment. A brilliant red, redder than Alizarin Crimson, clearer than the Cadmiums, it mixes well with all colours holding its own while influencing all mixtures.
Alizarin Crimson – Warm, but on the violet side. Very transparent; stains with a vengeance; little sediment. Another work-horse colour that serves well as an all-round red, towards violet. Mixes well, but tends to overpower weaker tint colours … use with discretion in such cases. With Intense Blue it makes rich, intense darks and luminous violets.
Ultramarine – ordinary and French – Cool, slightly towards violet. Transparent; practically no staining if carefully lifted off good paper; some sediment. A wonderful, permanent, indispensable colour, long a 'must' in every paint box. French is slightly warmer than ordinary. Holds its own in most mixtures, never seeming to 'seize' or dominate other colours, out-of-proportion to its quantity. Combined with the earth colours to produce wonderful sedimentary, granular washes – with Light Red it produces a grainy or mottled effect.
Cobalt Blue – Cool, close to centre of blue position on colour wheel. Somewhat opaque; practically no staining, as Ultramarine; some sediment. Close to a true blue, but not as intense as one should be. Very permanent, but a little weak in tinting strength when combined with stronger colours. Excellent for glazes to produce atmospheric effects. Used as a wash in distant parts of landscapes to convey recession. Mixed with Yellow Ochre for greens.
Cerulean Blue – Cool, slightly towards green. Quite opaque; practically no staining; fair amount of sediment. An old, reliable and permanent colour, which like Cobalt, is useful in glazing to obtain atmospheric effects. Its name comes from the Latin word 'caeruleus' – sky blue. Will settle into the grain of the paper, creating textural effects.
Intense Blue – Cool, slightly towards green. Very transparent; very staining; no sediment. A powerful blue, edging towards green. Dominates every colour its mixed with unless care is taken. Add this blue a little at a time, with lots of water in skies. Mixed with Gamboge, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna for greens.
Viridian – Cool, slightly towards blue. Transparent; leaves some stain; some sediment. A permanent, reliable middle green. Doesn't dominate other colours like Intense Green. A good all-round green.
Intense Green – Cool, nearly on centre of green on colour wheel. Very transparent; very staining; no sediment. Very potent in tinting strength, will dominate and stain every colour its mixed with … so use with caution, a little at a time!
Hooker's Green Dark (and Light) – Cool, but leans towards yellow a little. Transparent; some staining; very little sediment. A popular colour, especially for painting foliage. Many mix greens from various blues and yellows. Hooker's green Light is less permanent.
Yellow Ochre – Nearly centre of yellow on colour wheel as a grayed yellow. One of the most opaque of all watercolours; no staining, can be almost completely washed off the paper; sedimentary. A real 'must' for most artists. Soft and never dominating, it's still a most useful colour that mixes well with all other colours, and adds a subtle glow to passages by itself. Excellent in glazing over more 'staining' colours. Mixed with blue it gives semi-opaque greens.
Raw Sienna – Nearly centre of yellow on colour wheel as a grayed yellow. Fairly transparent; stains slightly; some sediment. An alternative for Yellow Ochre. A very permanent earth colour – a grayed yellow on the colour wheel. Good mixed with reds and browns for autumn landscapes. Mixed with Intense Blue to make rich greens and deep olives.
Burnt Sienna – Warm. Transparent; stains slightly; some sediment. The reddest of all the earth colours. Permanent. A marvellous mixer … one of the most useful of all the colours. Good for autumn. Mixed with blue to make rich greens.
Raw Umber – Cool. Slightly opaque; no staining; some sediment. Varies from green to yellow, depending on brand. This old reliable earth colour is a grayed yellow-green, usually slightly towards yellow.
Burnt Umber – Warm. Fairly transparent; leaves a little stain after being sponged off; some sediment. Very permanent, warm reddish colour by itself. It tends to deaden some other colours, especially if the mix is more than two colours. Mixed with blue to create greys. A touch of it tales the rawness out of a bright blue.
Payne's Gray – Cool. Transparent; slightly staining; a little sediment. A great favourite with beginners. It tends to dry a great deal lighter in value than it looked when wet. Equally good, or better, grays can be mixed with complements. Can be made from Intense Blue and Burnt Umber.
Lamp Black – Cool. Somewhat transparent in dilution; moderate staining. Permanent, cool and weaker than Ivory Black. Made from pure carbon, usually with soot as the source.
Ivory Black – Warm. Somewhat transparent in dilution; very little staining. Most used black by painters. Very permanent … now made from animal bones, originally from burnt ivory. Mixed with yellows for greens, or a touch to tone down a too brilliant blue.
