Watercolor is a challenging and simultaneously fulfilling form of art. Like any other art form, there are obstacles to overcome and methods to learn, which keep you constantly working and striving to master watercolor. So, let’s talk about why your watercolor may be drying on paper so fast.
Your watercolor dries on the paper so fast because there isn’t enough water added to the mixture. Increasing the amount of water will decrease the drying time. However, watercolor drying time also depends on the type of brush you use, the pigmentation, your environment, and the type of paper.
The rest of this article will go over the main reasons why your watercolor dries on the paper so fast, and the various steps you can take to prolong the drying process, if that’s what you prefer. So, let’s get started with 5 Reasons Why Your Watercolor Dries on the Paper So Fast:
Table of Contents
There’s Too Little Water in Your Watercolor Mixture
One thing that can make your watercolor dry very quickly on paper is using less water
. Now, there are many reasons you may be using less water with your watercolors. For example, adding too much water can make the colors look pale and washed out. Alternatively, you may prefer painting on a dry paper surface rather than a wet one.
Whatever your reasoning, it’s important to understand how using less water can impact the time it takes for your watercolor to dry. So, if you’re wondering why it’s drying so fast, consider how much water you use.
If you want your watercolor to dry more slowly, consider painting on paper that’s already wet. This will help the watercolor take longer to dry as more water will be present. Otherwise, you may need to change how much water you add to your watercolors, even though it may alter the color itself.
Your Brushes Are Absorbing the Water
The speed at which your watercolor dries may also have to do with your brushes. This may seem strange, but it’s fairly common. Some brush materials absorb water. This can cause your watercolor to have less water in it, as the brush will absorb some of it. As you may expect, this can cause the paint to dry faster because it contains less water.
Natural-bristle brushes may seem like a great option, but they aren’t the best choice for watercolor. This is because they absorb water, which will dry out your painting faster. Therefore, you should stick with synthetic brushes for your watercolor, as they won’t absorb water. This can impact how quickly your paint dries as well as the overall color of the paint.
The Watercolor Pigment Dries Fast
Watercolor paint has three main ingredients: the paint itself, water, and a binding agent to allow them to mix. These three ingredients interact in different ways as they dry, which is why watercolor can look different when it’s wet compared to dry.
In the same way it affects the color, pigmentation can also affect how long it takes for the watercolor to dry, as the ingredients in some colors will cause the paint to dry faster than others.
The overall time it takes for watercolor to dry varies greatly depending on how much of each ingredient the paint contains, and depending on the color, or pigment, you’re using will determine how long it takes to dry.
More water in your paint increases the drying time, as the water needs to evaporate. This affects the overall drying time and the final color once the watercolor finishes drying.
This is why you may notice a significant change when choosing a different pigment or working with a different brand. This, like any other part of the watercolor painting, can take time to adjust to. If you want your painting to remain wet for longer, look for watercolor options with more water, as it’ll take longer to dry.
The Air Is Too Dry
One thing you may not consider when judging how long it takes for your watercolor to dry is the environment. More moisture in the air can slow down the drying process of your watercolor, while dry air will dry it faster.
If you’re working in an area with particularly dry air, you may notice that your watercolor dries a lot faster. This is because the rate that water evaporates increases when the air is dry and decreases when there’s more moisture in the air. Evaporation happens faster when the air lacks moisture.
This is also true for painting in areas with consistent airflow or wind. Even in areas where there’s more moisture in the air, wind can help your watercolor dry faster because the wind will push some of those water molecules out of the area, creating more dry air. So, it provides space for those molecules to fill the now dry air.
Therefore, you may want to consider changing the type of air in the environment you paint in. If you want your watercolor to dry at a slower pace, consider adding more moisture to the air by using a humidifier while you paint, or add more plants to the room.
The Type of Paper You Use Absorbs the Paint More Quickly
Finally, you may notice that your watercolor dries faster when you use certain types of paper. This is because different types of paper absorb water at a different rate. So, the type of paper you use will affect the overall drying time.
The thickness of the paper can affect how fast the paint dries because thicker paper absorbs the water and paint faster. This is also important if you use glossy paper or even paper that’s already wet. Each of these factors can influence the overall drying time.
Even something as simple as how thick you apply the watercolor can affect drying time on certain paper types. So, make sure you know everything you’re doing at the time of painting to determine how long drying will take and how you can make your painting dry faster or slower, depending on what you prefer.