If you want to dabble in watercolor painting, there are some essentials that you will require right away. Watercolour paint can take some time to master, but once you do, the creations are spectacular. Once you get right into it, watercolor can be a great hobby for anyone.
To start with watercolor, you need 12 colors. Using these 12 essential colors, blending for an array of choices is easy. These colors include warm and cool tones of the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and warm and cool green and earth colors. You’ll also need violet, red and black.
Unfortunately, the colors for watercolor painting are not all created equal, and you will need to brush up on some lingo, known as the Color Index Name
. So, How Many Colors Do You Need for Watercolor?
Table of Contents
Why Is Watercolor So Special?
The watercolor medium is special for many reasons. All around the world, you will find individuals who love watercolors and enjoy using this type of paint to create their works of art. What makes watercolor so memorable that so many people fall in love with it? It all comes down to the properties of the paint itself.
Transparency and Opaque
Good watercolor paintings often appear as if they are glowing on the canvas, illuminated with color. This feature can be due to the transparency of the paint itself. Each watercolor will fall somewhere on the scale of transparent to opaque.
Transparent colors, typically labeled as T, allow the white watercolor paper to reflect light through the paint and back to the viewer. This is why watercolor paintings can look like they are illuminating or glowing. The opposite is true of opaque watercolors.
Opaque hues, usually labeled with an O, block any light from shining through to the watercolor paper. And while many of these opaque colors are quite vibrant, they can appear duller since the light reflects off the paint rather than the watercolor paper itself.
Several watercolor hues will fall between transparent and opaque, known as semi-transparent, marked as ST, or semi-opaque, labeled with SO. Using watercolors with various transparency properties, you are sure to create an engaging piece that you will love.
Staining and Non-Staining
Just as the titles imply, some paint will stain the canvas, while others will not. Beginners will find it easier to start exploring non-staining watercolors and slowly include staining watercolors as they become more comfortable with the medium. Each medium has its attributes and reasons for utilizing this type of watercolor paint.
Staining watercolors absorb into the top layers of watercolor paper immediately, even before the water has evaporated. After the paint has dried, it will leave a hint of color on the watercolor paper even after you lift it, and it is harder to get back to the brilliant white of the paper.
When mixing colors, keep in mind that staining colors work best with other staining colors for best results. They are quite dominating and will take over if combined with non-staining colors.
Non-staining colors settle on the surface of the watercolor paper but do not absorb as their counterparts do. Once the water from non-staining colors has evaporated, artists can lift the pigment off the top to show the brilliant white watercolor paper underneath. It is preferable that when mixing non-staining colors, you stay with other non-staining hues for the best results.
Permanence Rating and Lightfastness
The permanence rating and lightfastness of watercolor paint are essential factors of its attributes. Often it can be not very clear when exploring these two qualities as these terms have been used interchangeably by many.
Permanence rating outlined how the pigment will react to light and various outside conditions, including moisture and temperature over time. There is no standard permanence rating, but you will find many watercolor brands showing several ratings, much like these:
- Extremely permanent
- Permanent
- Moderately durable
- Fugitive
The lightfastness of watercolor paint has a standard rating scale known as the ASTM rating for the paint pigment. This acronym is the American Society for Testing and Materials, which is recognized as a standard for the qualities of watercolor paint, along with other mediums.
The lightfastness of watercolor pigment will help determine how susceptible it will be to fading when exposed to light conditions. The higher the lightfastness rating, the longer the pigment in the paint will retain its color. A Very Good rating will determine that the paint pigment will last between 50 until 100 years; an Excellent rating is given to pigments that can last over 100 years.
What Makes Up the Colors?
First, you should be aware of the differences in each style of paint. Unfortunately, each paint brand can differ from the other, so careful consideration is needed when choosing your supplies. Watercolor paints can be significantly different if you move to a different brand that uses alternative additives or more color pigment.
Watercolor paint contains four main ingredients, known as:
- Pigment. This ingredient is the colored material that gives your watercolor paint its hue. This ingredient is insoluble in water, or practically insoluble. This way, the color will remain as you blend and paint time after time.
- Gum Arabic. This substance is a hardened sap whose purpose is to act as a binder since it dissolves in water, unlike color pigment. It can create brilliance in the paint and help retain the colors, so they do not lighten over time.
- Additives and preservatives. Watercolor requires additives and preservatives included for several reasons, including extending shelf life, durability, and maintaining the viscosity with the color. Some common additives are glycerin, honey, corn syrup, or ox gall.
- Evaporating water. Evaporating Water is used to help thin out the watercolor paint, so it is usable in the application. It will evaporate once it dries but does not have an effect on the brilliance of the color itself.
Each item has a particular purpose, which gives the paint the correct color, consistency, and durability it requires. While some of the selected ingredients can vary from brand to brand, the overall components remain.
How Do You Read the Color Index Codes?
Choosing your 12 watercolors is not hard, but you should ensure you are consistent with the brand or careful with reading labels for accurate pigment information. Once you are familiar with the Color Index Name and how the system works, you will be able to pick out precisely which hues you are looking for with ease.
The process that the Color Index uses is universal for all art supplies. It makes it easier to determine exactly which color you want rather than decipher between Aquamarine Blue Cobalt Blue.
There is a pattern to the naming convention of the Color Index. It always begins with the letter P, which stands for pigment, and the letter that follows pertains to the traditional pigment coloring scheme. For example, PY would be a yellow pigment watercolor paint. Here are the standard Color Index Codes you will find, no matter what brand you are purchasing:
- PR – Pigment Red
- PO – Pigment Orange
- PY – Pigment Yellow
- PG – Pigment Green
- PB – Pigment Blue
- PV – Pigment Violet
- PW – Pigment White
- PBk – Pigment Black
- PBr – Pigment Brown
While this may seem easy enough, the makers of watercolor paint tend to print these codes quite small on the label. You may have to search for them in very small-sized print, but they are there for your reference.
Some makers of watercolor paint, including M. Graham and Winsor, and Newton, have made these index codes available online for you to search beforehand. You can save yourself time at the craft store searching for tiny Color Index Codes by searching ahead of time.
Some of the more popular chosen colors for palettes include:
- PR108
- PY43
- PG7
- PR122
Once you become more comfortable with the color index codes and the brand of watercolor paint you frequently use, your favorite numbers will become second nature to you. It will take no time at all for you to know precisely what you need when visiting your local craft store.
How Do I Choose My Colors?
So, you are ready to choose your colors and begin watercolor painting. Once you step into the craft store, you could be overwhelmed with the options to buy painting kits designed for beginners. These specialized kits can contain anywhere from 25 up to 50 or more different watercolors.
While it may seem that having more colors will be beneficial, you are more likely not to use all of those colors once you get started.
Many seasoned painters have a small palette of colors they continuously use and add a few extras now and then, depending on their current project. The primary colors of red, blue, and yellow are a great start, but there are good reasons why your palette needs to include more than just the primary colors.
Time-Consuming and Expensive
Even though it is possible to create many different combinations of colors with just red, yellow, and blue, it can be extremely time-consuming to mix and obtain the hue that you want. Watercolor paints are quite expensive, and you do not want to be using most of your primary colors to mix and find alternative colors. Save your money and opt for more than just the three primary colors.
Overall Dull Look
Often you will find that if you are mixing primary colors, the result is not as brilliant and vibrant as you would like to have. By incorporating a 12-color palette, you can find the best color combinations that will give you the vital effects you are seeking.
A palette of these 12 is the best starting point for any painter, beginner or advanced.
As we outlined earlier in this article, the 12 watercolors you need are:
- Warm Red
- Cool Red
- Warm Yellow
- Cool Yellow
- Warm Blue
- Cool Blue
- Warm Green
- Cool Green
- Violet Red
- Warm Earth Tone
- Cool Earth Tone
- Black
This list of 12 is not the only combination, mind you. Many artists will find their favorites, where some painters will prefer to mix the black themself and replace it with another color. How you build up your basic palette will come with some time and experience with the colors.
You may also wonder why there is no white included in this list, as it could be beneficial. The watercolor painting techniques do not require white as the paint is quite transparent, and the canvas is white. Albeit, some artists prefer to use white in their palette, and that is completely fine too. There are many methods of watercolor painting, and you will find yours after some time as well.
Tubes or Pan Colors: Which Is Better?
Watercolors come in two distinctive forms, tubes and pans. There are advantages to each material, and what works best for you will depend on several factors. Two trendy brands of watercolor paints are Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith. These brands will let you purchase individual colors, sets, and other supplies for all your painting needs.
Tubes
Watercolors that come in tubes are liquid paint. This form of paint makes mixing colors easier, especially for a beginner. Using tubes is also advantageous when creating large projects since they are easier to use on a large scale.
While this may seem like the best option for you currently, there are some disadvantages to using watercolor paint tubes that you should be aware of.
Tubes will tend to dry out quickly, and if they are being rewetted too often, the durability and consistency can falter. Watercolor tube paint can get very messy and can be hard to use when traveling. Additionally, it is quite easy to use too much paint without even realizing it if you are not careful. Doing this will end up costing you more trips to the store for more watercolor paint more often.
Pans
Pans are known for their easy portability since they come in solid blocks of paint color and will need to be activated with water before use. Many artists will use pans when painting outdoors. This form of watercolor paint can last a great deal longer than tubes as you will have a hard time using too much.
Alternatively, you will need to be mindful of the drawbacks of pan colors. The included color pigment in pan colors is only available in partial amounts each time you use it. This limited ability is not the best choice for large-scale projects.
Many artists will have their favorite medium, which they use consistently, but both tubes and pans can be beneficial, depending on the situation. If you are a beginner, it is best to try both types of watercolor paint and find how each will react for you.
Numerous individuals will use both mediums for projects, so do not feel restricted and have to choose between one or the other. Use as much or as little of the available supplies to create your art!
Should You Use Student Quality or Artist Quality?
With many art supplies, you will find the availability of student quality and artist quality supplies. Each quality type of watercolor paint has a significantly different composition, so research is needed to choose your watercolor paint.
Student Quality
When exploring student quality watercolor paints, you will notice some apparent differences. Student quality paints are less expensive, making them affordable for beginners who are just starting and learning how to work with watercolor.
Student quality colors have less pigment color in them, making them have less permanence. This more affordable option also contains more synthetic fillers and binders, which help keep overall costs down.
Artist Quality
Also known as professional quality, artist-quality watercolor paints are priced significantly higher than their alternative. Although considering, there is a good reason for this. Artist quality paint contains more pigment color and is available in a much broader range of color schemes. Individuals can find it easier to produce more subtle colors and transparency when using this grade of watercolor paint.
If you are newly starting out learning the ropes with watercolor paints, you should begin with student-quality paints. One benefit of starting with lower-quality paints is to keep your costs down while you hone your talent. As you progress, opt for artist-quality paint supplies when your confidence builds as you perfect your techniques.
Final Words
Starting your journey with watercolor is exciting. With a palette consisting of these 12 colors, you can explore the world of watercolor and transition from a beginner in no time at all. Remember to use warm and cool colors in your palette of red, yellow, blue, green, and earth tones, and add a violet, red and black hue to complete your set.
Watercolors are quite versatile, and you can make beautiful creations to enjoy for years to come. By researching the various compositions, color hues, and watercolor mediums, you can find which works best for you.