Don't Tear Your Hair Out!

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Calm II 40 x 53” John Hulsey

One of the truly confounding characteristics of watercolors is their tendency to change value and intensity when dry versus when wet. During a recent watercolor workshop a student asked us which specific colors fade in intensity the most when dry. We realized there is a need for some kind of chart which would illustrate those changes, color by color. This is a complex undertaking. Different manufacturers of paint often have different formulas for the same common colors, and sometimes even use different pigments sold under the same generic color name. Varying the formula changes the way the color will look when dry. Changing papers will also affect the way the color looks both when wet and when dry. Even within a single brand of paper, changing the surface finish from hot press to cold press, or the weight of a sheet can also affect both the chromatic intensity and value of the dry color. No wonder the student sometimes t…