What is Watercolor Pigment?
Watercolor pigment is the colored powder that gives watercolor paint its hue. It's the fundamental component responsible for the color you see on your paper. This dry, colored powder is combined with a binder – a substance that holds the pigment together and allows it to be suspended in water.
As noted in multiple sources, watercolor paint is essentially a mixture of two main ingredients:
- Pigment: The colored powder providing the hue. Examples include Azurite, Ultramarine Ash, Lapis Lazuli, and Indigo, as highlighted by Natural Pigments.
- Binder: This substance holds the pigment together, allowing the paint to be applied and maintain its consistency. A common binder in watercolor is gum arabic, as mentioned by Jackson's Art. The binder dictates the paint's handling, drying time, and how well the pigment is suspended.
Different pigments possess varying properties. For instance, some are more transparent than others, while some exhibit granulation (a textured effect). Websites like Handprint offer detailed information on these properties.
Julia Bausenhardt and Watercolor Affair both emphasize that understanding the interplay between pigment and binder is key to mastering watercolor techniques. The type of pigment and binder used directly impacts the final appearance and behavior of the paint.
Types of Watercolor Pigments
While the specific pigment composition varies widely, they can be generally categorized based on their source (natural minerals, synthetically created, etc.). This affects their lightfastness (how resistant the color is to fading over time) and their overall characteristics in the painting process.
