History of Watercolor / Watercolour Artists and Painting and its ArtistsWatercolour / watercolor techniques started with the Chinese shortly after 100 AD where they had also developed papermaking. Papermaking was later introduced to Spain in the 12th century and spread to Italy decades later. Some of the oldest paper manufactures include Fabriano, Italy, opened in 1276, and Arches, France, opened in 1492. In Europe before watercolours /watercolors was buon fresco painting. This was wall-painting using watercolour /watercolor paints on wet plaster. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, begun in 1508 and completed in 1514 was undertaken using this method. Watercolour / watercolor paint is made of pigment mixed with gum arabic for body and glycerin or honey for viscosity. In Germany, Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) painted in watercolour / watercolor in the 15th century and influenced the first school of watercolor painting in Europe set up in the 16th C Other famous artists have used watercolours / watercolors aswell as oils, including Van Dyck (1599-1641), Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), and John Constable (1776-1837). The Impressionists also used watercolour / watercolor especially Cezanne and Degas. Although there are other water based media such as gouache, watercolour / watercolour is particular in that the aim is to use transparent colours. This lack of opacity provides watercolour / watercolor its peculiar characteristics of brightness, freshness, and clarity of colour. Tradition from the early 20th Century, dictates that the white of the paper is the only white used in transparent watercolour / watercolor. Watercolour /watercolor techniques have the reputation of being among the most difficult of mediums perhaps because errors are generally not correctable as they are with opaque mediums such as those used for acrylic or oil painting. The watercolour /watercolour painting needs careful planning and a sure hand with good understanding of when to apply the paint to achieve either soft edges or hard edges. Watercolour/ watercolor is quite a green medium as no solvents are used in its preparation. In addition although cellulose papers can be used with watercolours /watercolors most professional artists prefer to use a rag based paper. In the early days this paper was made from recycled sails from ships and now is generally still made from recycled cotton fabric. If you are buying a watercolour as with all artwork, make sure that the pigments used are of artist quality and not student quality. Susan
Czermak : artwork paintings in watercolor watercolour for sale |