General information
These paints are widely used and are used for drawing, coloring drawings, diagrams, posters, etc. Watercolor paints are produced in tiles, in porcelain or other cups, or in pewter tubes. Watercolor paints are diluted with water and are always ready to use. Diluted dried paint does not deteriorate and can be reused.
For the preparation of these paints, mineral, aniline and vegetable paints can be used. Aniline paints are rarely used, because, being absorbed into the paper, they stain it through and through, as a result of which it is impossible to wash them from the drawing and weaken the tone. They are also not washed off with a brush.
IN Lately mineral paints are almost exclusively used, as they are cheaper and more durable than vegetable ones. The preparation of watercolors comes down to the fact that crushed paints mixed with water are mixed with a binder and the resulting dough is placed in tubes, cups or molded into appropriate cakes.
As binder they use gum arabic, cherry glue, candy sugar, gelatin, fish glue and others. The best varieties paints are prepared on pure gum Arabica, sometimes a small amount (from 20 to 40%) of candy sugar is added. A mixture of gum arabic with light wood glue or dextrin is also used, and these substances are taken in a wide variety of proportions.
Mineral paints used to make watercolors
white paint
Lead white is the best material. These grades contain a rather high percentage of heavy spar admixture. The highest grade of lead white - "Kremzerweis" - tiles of snow-white color. Zinc white is also suitable for making white watercolors. These whites are zinc oxide. The highest grade - "Schneweiss" - is distinguished by its lightness and whiteness. In addition to these materials, heavy spar and chalk can be included here, but these materials give paint of very poor quality.
yellow paint
Kron yellow - chrome-lead salt. These paints come in various shades: lemon, orange and others. They have a significant drawback: they change their shade to sunshine. With regard to krona, one must also remember that it cannot be mixed with paints containing sulfur (ultramarine, cinnabar). For yellow paints yellow carmine, cadmium sulfide, ocher, etc. are also used.
brown paint
Siena land, Kassel land, Cologne land, iron minium, umber, etc.
red paint
Minium lead - red powder. The highest grade is "Mignorange". Cinnabar is mercury sulphide. Natural cinnabar of bright red color. Its shade depends on the degree of grinding; the finer the grinding, the lighter and brighter paint. It is on sale in a variety of colors.
Carmine is an animal dye. It is insoluble in water, easily soluble in ammonia. In addition to these colors, Viennese cormorant, mummy, etc. are also used.
blue paint
Ultramarine. Recently, artificial ultramarine has been exclusively used. In trade it is in the form of a powder from dark blue to light blue. Fine grinding gives light tones.
Prussian blue blue. On sale it is found in the form of tiles or pieces of dark blue.
Indigo is a vegetable dye, but can also be obtained artificially. It is a mixture of several coloring substances, of which the main one that gives blue color is indigotine. On sale it happens in the form of dark blue pieces with a copper-red tint.
green paint
Green paints are made by mixing yellow and blue colors, or they use verdigris (the best is French; verdigris is poisonous), crown green, chrome green, cinnabar green, ultramarine green, etc.
black paint
Burnt ivory, lamp soot, etc.
General guidelines for the preparation of watercolors
To obtain paint of one color or another, as indicated above, mainly mineral paints are used. The desired shade can be selected when purchasing raw materials or you can get combinations of paints of various colors. Paints with very intense bright shade, can be weakened by adding some white paint to them.
The main point in production is the careful grinding of paints. It must be borne in mind that most mineral paints are insoluble in water, and the dyeing process is, as it were, mechanical attachment of the smallest parts of paint to paper. Many varieties of commercial mineral paints come either in lumps or in insufficiently finely ground powder, and therefore require careful grinding to prepare watercolor paints.
Depending on the size of production, grinding into powder is carried out on runners, in ball mills, special paint grinders or manually in a stone mortar. The finer the grinding, the best quality are obtained watercolor paints.
The binders are gum arabic, candy sugar, gelatin, fish glue, etc. The choice of binders can vary widely, but highest quality watercolors are made on pure gum arabic mixed with sugar or honey. Usually take 2 wt. hours of gum Arabica and 1 wt. hours of sugar. Often a candy solution and a dextrin solution are also used. For carmine paints, only a solution of candy is used, for chrome paints and emerald green - a solution of dextrin.
The amount of binder required for various mineral paints varies widely. Parisian blue requires an amount of binders (gum arabic and sugar) equal to its weight, Prussian blue, Siena earth require smaller quantities. Lead white and black paints require even less of them. Small amounts require yellow and red ocher, minium, cinnabar and zinc white, very little - brown Kassel and Cologne earth.
By kneading paint with an aqueous solution of a binder, a clay-like dough is obtained, which is laid out on a marble table or on a table covered with waxed paper. The mass should be rolled out to a thickness of 5-8 mm; leave it alone for 12 to 20 hours, after which it is molded with special molds. The stamp is lubricated with some kind of oil. Forming starts when the dough is dry enough. Molding can be done in two stages, i.e., first, using a stamp or a knife, cut the dough into the appropriate tiles, then, when the latter are sufficiently hardened, press them with a copper stamp to give the appropriate shape and trademark. This last method is more commonly practiced.
Completely hardened and molded tiles or circles are glued onto the palette with light carpentry or fish glue. Glue in the form of a warm solution is applied with a small brush on the palette and immediately a circle of paint is applied to this place.
In mass production, it is possible to make a brush in the appropriate places of which there are tufts of hair. With the help of such a brush, with one touch on the palette, glue is applied according to the places where the circles of paints will be glued. When preparing watercolors in cups, the resulting dough is placed in appropriate porcelain or other cups. Their binder is the same substances, but honey or glycerin is added to them. These paints are easier to dilute with water.
For paints in tubes, gum arabic or dextrin is used as a binder with the addition of significant amounts of honey. For 1 wt. h. Arabica gum take 1 wt. hours of honey. Honey is used liquid and non-crystallizing. Instead of honey, glycerin is used to reduce the cost.
In the preparation of cheap children's paints, chalk or talc is used, tinted in the appropriate color with aniline paint and mixed with one of the above binders. Bricks or circles are formed in the usual way using copper stamps.
Below we give some sample recipes for the preparation of higher grades of watercolor paints, but we repeat that other coloring and binding substances can also be used to obtain paints.
Watercolor Recipes
Intense black
130% lamp black is boiled in 1 liter of water; taking the vessel from the fire, remove the foam that has floated to the top of the liquid and add 4 g of finely ground indigo. The resulting mixture is boiled with constant stirring until it evaporates. most of water, after which 4 g of gum arabic, 2 g of wood glue and 0.5 g of chicory extract are added (optional).
The resulting mixture is boiled until it turns into a thick paste, which is then molded in the form of tiles or tablets, using molds lubricated with oil ( best oil for this - walnut or almond).
blue paint
33 wt. hours of finely ground Prussian blue are boiled for some time in soft water, to which a few drops are added of hydrochloric acid. When the paint settles, the liquid is drained, and the precipitate is mixed with 16.5 wt. hours of gum Arabica and 8.5 wt. including glue, previously dissolved in a small amount of water; evaporate the mixture with moderate heat until a thick paste is obtained, which is molded in the usual way. When preparing paint from indigo, a certain amount (depending on the shade) of lead white is added to the latter, the resulting mixture is rubbed very carefully, and then proceed as indicated above.
red paint
Rub 30 wt. hours of Viennese cormorant, carmine, cinnabar or red lead with 10 wt. hours of gum Arabica, 4 wt. hours of powdered sugar and 6 wt. hours of water into a homogeneous dense mass. If the mass is too thick, then add a small amount of water.
yellow paint
Prepare according to the recipe for red paint, using yellow mineral paints and slightly smaller amounts of binder.
White paint
White (Kremnitsky) is thoroughly rubbed first in a strong solution of gum arabic to the consistency of a soft homogeneous paste, and then a second time in a solution of gum arabic, condensed to the consistency of mucus. The resulting paste is dried in air and then molded. You can also dry the paste in molds.
green paint
8 wt. h. verdigris rubbed in milk and heated at a temperature close to boiling for 24 hours, adding here 2 wt. h of strong wine vinegar and 4 wt. hours of powdered cream of tartar. After settling, within 24 hours, pour the liquid into the bottle; mixing liquid with indigo, saffron, green paint from buckthorn berries, you can get paint of any shade. As a binder, gum arabic and glue are used, which are added until a thick dough is obtained.
Honey paints
Mix 6 wt. hours of gum Arabica, 3 wt. hours of powdered sugar, 30 wt. hours of mineral paint of any color, 6 wt. hours of honey and 5 wt. hours of water. Everything is thoroughly ground and mixed.
vegetable paints
Purple. The juice of ripe blueberries, squeezed from the berries, is boiled in a clean vessel, a glass of vinegar and 20 g of alum are added, filtered and the filtered liquid is evaporated in a porcelain cup to the proper consistency.
yellow
Burn yellow plantain berries are boiled in 0.5 liters of water, a small amount of alum and 10-15 grains of table salt (rock) are added, after which the resulting mixture is evaporated to one quarter of the volume, filtered through a canvas and gum arabic is added to obtain a thick mass, which is being shaped.
Surely everyone remembers their first watercolors - with round flowers and a shaggy brush. Honey. Some tried to eat the watercolor, and almost everyone had the habit of licking the brush. Meanwhile, watercolor is far from being so edible, although it does contain honey.
The basis of all paints is a pigment and a binder. It depends on what the paints are kneaded on, and it will turn out to be watercolor or gouache. All colors have the same pigment. Paints have been around for so long that it is impossible to say when and by whom they were invented. Since ancient times, people have rubbed soot, burnt clay, kneaded it with animal glue and created for their own pleasure. Caves are painted with ocher, clay-based paints, and soot - the first witnesses of the work of painters who have come down to our times.
Over time, people began to turn minerals, stones, clays and chemical mixtures (oxides, oxides, and so on) into paints. If you want to see today how artists worked thousands of years ago, you will have to look into the workshop of tempera painting, to the icon painters. Like many centuries ago, icon craftsmen grind paints by hand. Crushed in a lead mortar and ground to a state of dust, malachite will give a transparent green color, burnt grape seeds - black, mercury mineral cinnabar - red of the same name, and lapis lazuli - blue. The color palette grew and multiplied with the development of pictorial art.
Today, for the industrial production of paints, mineral and organic pigments are used, mined from the depths of mother earth or artificially obtained pigments. For example, instead of the same ultramarine from the expensive mineral lapis lazuli, synthetic "ultramarine" is obtained.
tempera paints contain a water-soluble emulsion. IN traditional icon painting- a mixture of yolk. IN industrial production- casein or PVA (synthetic polyvinyl acetate resin). Tempera paints dry very quickly, change color and tone greatly, but there is nothing stronger than tempera paints. This is a painting for the ages.
Most Popular - watercolor paints- kneaded on the basis of natural gum arabic (vegetable resins), with the addition of plasticizers: honey, glycerin or sugar. This allows them to be so light and transparent. In addition, an antiseptic, like phenol, will definitely be included in the watercolor, so you should not eat it, after all. Watercolor was invented along with paper in China, but this technique came to Europe only in the 12th century.
Gouache in its composition it is very close to watercolors, it also contains pigment on a water-soluble adhesive basis. But white is added to the colors, which gives the paints density, strong lightening when dried and a velvety surface.
Oil paints knead on drying oils (most often using specially treated linseed oil), alkyd resins and a desiccant (a solvent that allows the paint to dry faster). Oil paints appeared in Europe in the 15th century, but it is still unclear who owns the laurels of the inventor, since traces of painting with paint based on poppy and walnut oil were found in ancient Buddhist caves, and drying oil - boiled oil - was used in Ancient Rome. Oil paints do not change color when dry and allow you to achieve amazing depth of color.
Compressing linseed oil with pigment, they get oil crayons, based on wax - wax crayons . Pastel are also made by pressing, only without the use of oil. Modern technologies significantly expanded both the line of paints and the color palette. But, as before, mineral and organic pigments form the basis of the highest quality paints.
Anything can be painted with watercolor realistic portrait to imagined alien worlds. To many, watercolor seems to be a complex artistic tool. But all you really need to learn how to paint with watercolor is just to start. We have selected 11 tips for you, thanks to which you will become 11 steps closer to comprehending the art of watercolor painting.
1. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!
If you've never painted before, it's time to get down to business. Open the album, create interesting textures and watercolor stains so as not to freeze in front of a white sheet. Start from them in search of a plot. Colored pages can be bright and exciting or create a calm, melancholy mood. Color or texture may suggest the next step - or maybe you can't wait to draw without them.
Illustration from the book The World of Watercolor.
2. Find your watercolor paper
The result of the work largely depends on the quality of the watercolor paper. Go to a bookstore and choose 5-10 pieces of different sheets watercolor paper"for trial". Be sure to make notes on each sheet (type, weight of paper and the results of working with it). A suitable paper weight for beginners is 300 g/m2, some professionals prefer 600 g/m2. There are other types of watercolor paper, such as NOT paper and paper with a rough texture, or cold pressed paper.
3. Use professional paint
Even novice artists should purchase professional watercolor paints. Unlike cheap counterparts artistic paints beautifully lay down and spread on paper.
“I prefer tubes over cuvettes: firstly, you don’t have to wait until the paint softens and becomes usable, and secondly, it’s easier to create rich dark mixtures with tube paint.”Billy Showell
It is true that artistic paints are more expensive, but they will also last longer. They are better bred and therefore not consumed so quickly.
Advice. Test new colors and more art materials as often as possible. Experiment. Don't become a hostage to one habit
4. Observe and consider before taking up the brush
Before drawing, study the structure of the object. Take a look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time, carefully consider, take notes, sketch, get comfortable with textures and details that you never paid attention to. For example, watch the spiral arrangement of the leaves or the whorls along the veins of the stem.
You get a double benefit from drawing plants - first you meditate, looking at it, and then you get real pleasure from drawing. Isn't it wonderful? @miftvorchestvo
Try to mentally break down what you see. Select the main shapes. See how they overlap. Imagine a landscape stage scenery̆. Pay attention to what is closest, what is farthest.
5. Learn to mix colors
Try mixing colors to see what shades you can achieve with your paint set. Mix two colors first, then add a third to them. Experiment!
You will love creating Beautiful colors and variations of shades and tones, their number is almost inexhaustible.
Focus on yourself. You can do or very realistic drawings or very non-trivial. Your task is to collect paints, the properties of which you will know, which will allow you to create desired shades with a guaranteed good result.
By mixing pure pigments, you can create cool, warm, or greyish versions of a single color. Illustration from the book "Song of Color"
6. Start with economical expression
If you do pencil sketches or sketches, you can diversify watercolor drawings by making accents. It is not necessary to color the entire page; sometimes a few successful brush strokes create the most powerful effect.
Careless dotted strokes in watercolor in sketches - form style Felix Scheinberger. Illustration from the book "Watercolor Sketching"
7. Use liquid watercolor primer
Liquid watercolor primer is applied to paper before work begins and makes it easy to remove if necessary. dried paint. This is especially important when working with intense or persistent pigments: you can not be afraid to “smudge” the paper in the highlight area. Before using it, practice in a sketchbook, as the surface for drawing will be quite slippery.
To remove paint from those areas where it was not needed (inadvertently went beyond the edges or you need to make highlights) - just wash off the paint with a clean, dampened brush or sponge.
8. Learn the art of glazing
Glaze artists call the technique of obtaining deep iridescent colors by applying translucent paints on top of the main one. The glazing technique is a great way to convey the finest color scheme. Paints are superimposed very delicately, layer by layer, and after drying, the details of the last layer are worked out.
Illustration from the book "Song of Color"
9. Dry brush technique
This technique can be used to paint animal fur or small hairs on fruits like kiwis.
Pick up the paint on the brush, remove the excess with a napkin. Straighten the brush hairs. Apply the paint to a dry surface previously painted in the background color. Work in small strokes in one direction, simulating the hairs on the surface.
Kiwi in the technique of dry brush. Illustration from the book
Watercolor paints are one of the most beloved by artists. First, watercolor has a mass various techniques, and secondly, it can be used to create beautiful drawing even if you can't draw at all.
These techniques will help beginners learn how to draw, and professionals can refresh their memory and find inspiration and ideas.
1. Painting with a flat brush
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle to mark the beginning and end of the layer.
Choose more dark shade(easier to see) and starting at the top left corner, touch the paper with your brush and gently draw a straight line all the way to the top right corner.
But: left-handers should draw from the right corner to the left.
Step 2
Fill the brush again with paint.
Start the next stroke from the bottom edge of the first one, try to cover the buildup of paint that formed from the bottom of the first stroke.
Hint 1: If the buildup of paint in the first stroke has not flowed completely into the second, then increase the angle of your easel to help the paint flow freely.
Hint 2: By increasing the angle of inclination, you also increase the chances of getting uncontrolled flows of paint. Therefore, try to work faster or have something like a rag or sponge handy to quickly remove drops.
Step 3
Repeat the previous step, also trying to cover the accumulation of paint in the top stroke.
Hint 3: You can use the flat edge of the brush to "cut off" the beginning of the layer and make it even.
Hint 4: If you want to flatten the end edge of the layer, then at the end of the stroke, pause and brush up and then down as you would with the start edge.
Hint 5: If the stroke is broken, then immediately fill the brush with paint and re-swipe it.
Step 4
Repeat the previous steps until the very end. Try to stick to the same tone of paint.
Hint 6: You won't believe how different the behavior of brushes, paints and paper from different brands can be. Usually, the more expensive and popular brands make your job easier by providing high quality products.
Hint 7: If your strokes break even if the brush is full of paint, then you are using too thick paper, or the paper is too rough. If you come across such paper, then sprinkle water on it, blot it with a clean sponge and let it dry. This will make the surface more receptive to your paint.
Step 5
Rinse the brush and squeeze out any remaining water from it. Carefully pick up the blobs of paint left underneath the last stroke with the brush, but don't take too much paint or you will discolor your drawing.
To create more texture in your drawing, leave it to dry at an angle. So the paint will take on a more interesting look.
Gradient
Step 1
Draw a square or rectangle. Then dip your brush into the darker shade of paint (it's on the palette to mix) and gently stroke the brush.
Step 2
Dry the brush with a sponge or paper towel and dip it again in a lighter shade.
Then draw a new stroke, overlapping the bottom of the previous one. Notice that the left side of the layer has already merged with the previous stroke. Let gravity do its thing.
Step 3
Rinse the brush again and dry it. And then refill the brush with paint and make another stroke. Repeat this process until the very end.
Hint 1: If the stroke breaks or does not go as smoothly as you would like, quickly refill the brush with paint and repeat the layer.
Step 4
Rinse your brush clean water, wipe it off and pick up any paint residue.
Hint 2: Try this technique by working with different colors and creating interesting transitions.
watercolor glaze
Step 1
This technique requires improvisation and imagination. For example, we will draw an impromptu landscape.
First, paint the sky and the river with blue paint. We will separate the paint with a small amount of water, this will be a waterfall.
Step 2
Draw clouds dark pink and start drawing the mountain yellow. We will also mark the lower part of the figure in yellow.
The example uses light and transparent tones so you can see how the layers interact.
Step 3
By mixing cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, we will paint the horizon of the mountain and shade the small yellow slope.
Hint 1: let each layer dry. You can use a hair dryer to speed up this process. Keep it at least 25-30 cm away, turn on the cool setting and set the hair dryer to the lightest air flow. No steam or hot air!
Step 4
To shade and add interesting colors, use orange color. With it, we will create the coast in the foreground and shade the sky.
Hint 2: if you have drops of excess paint, rinse and dry the brush as you did in the previous techniques, and pick up drops with it.
Step 5
Please note that the images show different brushes for painting. You can use the ones you have available.
Let's take dark blue color and shade the top of the mountain with it, changing the pressure on the brush and turning it around to create an interesting texture.
Step 6
Using the same blue color, let's play with the waterfall by drawing some circles. Sometimes visual clichés become your friends.
Rinse the brush and pick up yellow, we will add visual details to our coasts.
Step 7
After the paint has dried, shade the bubbles in the waterfall with purple. So we will make them more interesting.
Step 8
We need to link some elements and add trees. In the example, we used round templates for crowns, but you can draw as you like.
Step 9
In brown we will depict tree trunks. Also with the help of blue we will shade the water and the sky a little more. Then, using pink, blue and green, paint the grass in the foreground.
Step 10
Use a mixture of pink and red to add the final details. Our trees are bearing fruit now, and there are several fruits under them.
If you look closely, you can see how each layer interacts with each other. A darker shade has more power, but when the colors overlap, they create an interesting and beautiful combination.
“Wet” technique
Step 1
Wet the paper with water
Step 2
Blot the paper with a clean sponge, removing excess water. Try to achieve an even distribution of moisture on the paper, you should get a satin effect.
If the paper is shiny, it means that it is too wet, blot it again.
Step 3
We will paint the landscape again. Let's start, of course, with the sky. Using this technique, it's easier to draw the background first, then moving on to the objects of the foreground.
Step 4
We continue to draw the sky until we start to like it. The strokes will blur, creating an interesting effect.
Step 5
Now let's move on to the grass in the foreground. Using green, make a few wide strokes, leaving room for the stones.
As the paper dries, the strokes become less and less blurry.
Step 6
Let's add forms. To do this, use different shades of green and draw trees on the horizon.
Step 7
After adding the trees, let's try to add texture to them. To do this, use a darker shade of green to set the accents.
Step 8
Add stones using grey colour. We filled in the gaps in the foreground with this color, leaving some gaps.
Try to use either dark or cold shades. Using both dark and cold shades will create visual dissonance.
Step 9
We will place accents to diversify the picture. Using a crimson hue, we depict several floral elements in the foreground. Let the crimson flow as it wants. Then, using a dry brush, remove the color from the middle of the spots.
Step 10
Then, drip clean water into the center of these spots to allow them to blend into the grass.
The hardest part about this technique is knowing when to stop. If you overdo it with blurs and colors, you will end up with a messy drawing.
This technique gives a slightly strange, but interesting result. A drawing made in this technique has a hypnotizing effect.
Dry brush drawing
Step 1
We think the name of the technique speaks for itself. We will need to pick up paint on the brush, blot it from excess fluid paper towel or sponge, and only then paint.
Let's start with a pencil sketch. After that, roughly mark the sky, moving the brush over the surface of the paper.
Step 2
Let's draw in green trees on the horizon, outlining what would later become our lake.
Then, by mixing mauve with blue, draw the first layer of the tree trunk.
Step 3
Let the drawing dry and add some elements: the reflection of a tree in the lake and the flow of water.
Mixing green and blue, shade the coast on the background part of the image and let the painting dry again.
Step 4
Mix an intense blue with ultramarine and paint a layer on the trunk of the tree to create the shadows and texture of the bark.
Step 5
Then, using shades of orange, draw autumn landscape by painting the background trees.
Step 6
Having finished with the previous step, with a light orange tint, we will depict the reflection of the trees in the water.
Also, by mixing gray with blue, we will place dark accents on the trees.
We will also add trees on the other side of the horizon. Let's mark the shapes of the trees in orange.
Step 7
Let's take water. Using dark green and brown to achieve desired color. And with wave-like movements we will draw water in the lake.
Step 8
When painting a lake, change the pressure on the brush to add texture.
Clue: if the brush is too wet, the paint will look flat. Dry the brush to intensify the colors.
Step 9
Let's add some grass under the tree, using the same color as the grass in the background.
Step 10
Let's add some details to the foreground.
We will also darken the lake a bit by adding a blue tint. And also shade the sky with the same color.
We remove moisture
This technique will require several sponges. It is suitable for the image of clouds, soft light. And it can also control the behavior of colors.
Sponges
Makeup sponges are the best. They absorb well and give an interesting effect.
Avoid rubbing the paper with the sponge, and if you do, be very careful not to damage the paper.
Paper towels
With their help, you can create clearer highlights. But paper towels absorb a huge amount of paint very quickly. Therefore, they can absorb fresh paint completely.
Paper towels can come in handy if you make a mistake. Then you can quickly remove the paint.
Dry brush
You can use a dry brush to create a pattern using this technique. To do this, rinse thoroughly and wring out the brush. With it, you can create clear lines.
Other methods:
- You can spray water where you want to remove the paint and then soak it up with a sponge.
- Use different fabrics to add texture
- You can use fingers or other parts of the body. The skin can also absorb moisture.
Discoloration of dried paint
Brushes for watercolor paint
Use clean water and a cloth, wet the desired areas, gently rub the pattern and remove moisture with a dry brush. This method allows you to control the areas you lighten.
Brushes for oil or acrylic paint
Stiff bristles allow you to quickly scrape paint from the desired area. But it is worth noting that this method can damage the paper, so control yourself.
Here, just as in the first method, you must first moisten the area, and then process it with a brush.
Spray and towel
Take a spray bottle and spray on the desired area, and then apply to it paper towel. This method leaves large light spots and gives an interesting effect.
Sandpaper
Very rarely used, as it can damage the paper. It is best used at the end to add texture. You don't need water for this method, just rub the drawing in the right place.
Blades and knives
Can be used to highlight small areas and create crisp lines. This method is also very risky as it can damage the paper.
Sponges
You can also use sponges. Wet the desired area and dry it with a sponge.
It is now impossible to say exactly when a person first used paint. Initially, the choice of colors was quite small, because our distant ancestors had to use only what they could find in the surrounding nature. Coal and chalk, yellow and red clay - that, perhaps, is all color palette ancient artists. We are much more fortunate in this regard. A huge number of paints of various colors and shades, made on different basis, can be found on the shelves of modern stores. Let's talk in more detail about what substances underlie the production of all paints.
What and how paints are made from
Despite their great variety, all paints are made according to the same principle. The basis of their production is mixing in certain proportions of the three main components - pigment, solvent and binder.
The basis of each finished paint is a pigment. This is the substance on which the color of the coating obtained after applying paint to the surface to be painted depends. The binders in paints are usually adhesives of vegetable or animal origin, or polymer resins. They are found in paints in emulsified or dissolved form, and when the solvent dries, they harden and form a solid film that firmly holds the coloring pigment.
The solvent is necessary to give the paint a liquid form, since in this form it is much easier to apply it to the surface to be painted. Oil, alcohol, acetone, water or complex hydrocarbons are used as such a solvent. What kind of paints are not made in our time: watercolor and gouache, oil, acrylic, enamel paints, hair dyes and fabric paints - you can list their types for a very long time. Let's talk briefly about how the most common of them are made.
Watercolor paints
Watercolor paints are produced mainly on the basis of mineral pigments with the use of any vegetable glue as a binder - dextrin, gum arabic, cherry glue. Sometimes they are replaced with glue of animal origin - fish glue or gelatin. Natural honey is added to the highest quality watercolors.
As a preservative for all organic matter Phenol is added to watercolors. The pigment is crushed to a state of powder, mixed with the rest of the components, a little water is added, and paint briquettes are formed from the resulting “dough”, which, after drying, are laid out in boxes.
Oil paints
Oil paints are obtained by mixing ground inorganic pigments with synthetic or combined drying oil. Such paints are suitable for painting metal and wood. Oil paints for artists are kneaded in refined linseed oil and applied to a primed canvas.
Pigment production
Let's talk about how pigments are obtained, on the basis of which all paints are produced. All pigments, depending on their origin, can be divided into two main groups - mineral and biological, obtained from living organisms.
mineral pigments
Mineral pigments primarily include: titanium and zinc white, lead and iron minium, ocher, soot, umber, ultramarine and Prussian blue.
- Titanium white in its own way chemical formula are titanium dioxide, they are made from ilmenite - a natural mineral containing titanium.
- Soot is obtained by incomplete combustion of conventional natural gas in special burners.
- Minium iron, also known as iron oxide, is obtained by calcining iron salts in oxygen.
- Umbra is made from clay dyed Brown color salts of manganese and iron.
- Ochre is a natural coloring pigment, mainly consisting of a mixture of iron oxide hydrate and clay.
biological pigments
The group of biological dyes includes carmine, saffron, indigo and alizarin.
- Alizarin has a very bright orange-red color. Get it from the roots of madder dye.
- Saffron is an orange dye produced from the pollen of saffron flowers. Due to its high cost, saffron is used exclusively in Food Industry, for coloring confectionery.
- Indigo is perhaps the most famous dye of natural origin. Now they have learned how to synthesize it artificially, while earlier indigo was extracted from the leaves of indigo - a plant that grows in India. A dye derived from indigo was used to dye denim a deep blue.
- Carmine is an extract obtained from a powder made from dried female cochineals, small insects that live on cacti. Previously, carmine was used to dye woolen fabrics red, but now it is most often used in the food industry.
