What is Watercolor Pigment?
Watercolor pigment is the colored powder that provides the hue in watercolor paints. It's a key ingredient, combined with a binder (like gum arabic) and water, to create the paint's characteristic fluidity and color.
Watercolor pigments are finely ground, dry colored powders. These powders are then suspended in a binder, which holds them together and allows them to be mixed with water for painting. The type of binder used affects the paint's properties, including how it handles, dries, and behaves on the paper.
Sources of Watercolor Pigments
Watercolor pigments can be derived from various sources:
- Natural Sources: Historically, many pigments came from natural sources like minerals, plants, and insects. Examples include ultramarine (from lapis lazuli), ochre (from iron oxides), and carmine (from cochineal insects). Natural Pigments offers a range of natural and synthetic options.
- Synthetic Sources: Many modern pigments are synthetically produced, offering a wider range of colors and often better lightfastness (resistance to fading).
Key Properties of Watercolor Pigments
Several properties define a watercolor pigment's behavior and suitability for artistic use:
- Transparency: How much light passes through the pigment. Transparent pigments allow underlayers to show through.
- Staining: How much the pigment penetrates the paper, making it difficult to lift or remove.
- Granulation: The tendency of the pigment to create a textured surface.
- Lightfastness: The pigment's resistance to fading over time.
How Watercolor Paint is Made
As stated in the provided references, watercolor paint is comprised of pigment and binder. The pigment provides the color, while the binder (often gum arabic) holds the pigment particles together and allows them to be suspended in water. Jackson's Art Blog details making watercolor paints from dry pigment and gum arabic.
