Watercolor Paintings

Watercolor Paintings
The term watercolor refers to transparent painting, unlike gouache, an opaque form of similar paint.

The watercolor is painted using fine pigment or ink mixed with gum arabic to give body and glycerin or honey to give it viscosity and bind the dye to the surface to be painted.

All watercolor pales if exposed to the sun, the colors remain the more quality the pigments have. It is possible to find the colors in tubes or pills, in both forms the differences between pigments are appreciated, for example with the manganese blue a granulation is obtained.

Technique
The technique of watercolor is based on the superposition of transparent layers -washed-, using the whiteness of the paper to obtain effects and touches of light. As more washes overlap, the color becomes deeper. The color of the watercolor can be modified by adding or removing water, using brushes, sponges or rags.

Watercolor gives many possibilities: the washing technique allows to create uniform gradients or washings, even overlapping colors. With the wet-on-wet technique, it is painted with watercolor on the previously moistened support, obtaining a different effect. It is also possible to wash the pigment once it is dry, depending on the paper, the pigment and the water temperature. Cleaning with sponge or other absorbent element, scraping, are some examples of the wide possibilities offered by watercolor.

Support
The most common support for this technique is paper and there is a great variety of textures, weights and colors, and their choice depends on the artist's style. Also another support very extended for the use of the watercolor is the fabric or Fabric (textile) With respect to the paper there are three standard types:
Hot pressed paper (hp), has a hard and smooth surface, many artists consider a surface too slippery and smooth for watercolor.
Cold pressed paper (no), is textured, semi-rough, suitable for broad and smooth washes.
Rough paper, a grainy surface, when a wash is applied a mottled effect is obtained by the cavities of the paper.
The grammage of the paper is the second consideration for your choice, since a thicker paper has less tendency to undulate.

To prevent the paper from curling, it is previously moistened and stuck to a wooden fence, tightening it.

Sources: https://es.wikipedia.org