We will see in this article:
In this article, we will explore how color transparency plays a role in watercolor painting. As you may know, in this medium, colors tend to be transparent for the most part, but choosing the right shade can sometimes be tricky.
For example, when purchasing lemon yellow or any other color from Winsor and Newton or any other brand, we are faced with several yellow options, all of which are the same color. However, it is important to note that some are transparent while others are opaque, not forgetting the shades of semi-transparency and semi-opacity.
Therefore, the question arises: which option to choose between opacity and transparency, and in what context should they be best used?
In reality, in this article, I am not going to look at the colors and the specific quality of pigments according to different brands. It's best to discover the results for yourself by experimenting with each color and layering them on top of others.
My goal is rather to explain to you the respective roles of each type of color and how they interact with the paper , also taking into account the quality of the latter! Regarding the choice between a transparent or opaque color, it all depends on its use...
I understand that you may be "how to say" lost... Already between the selection and mixing of colors is not that simple, and add to that the need to take into account transparent colors can seem even more difficult !
THE ROLE OF OPAQUE COLORS:
Let's start by looking at the role of opaque colors . We usually have few in our standard 12 color watercolor boxes. Let's return to the example of lemon yellow from Winsor and Newton.
In my 12 shade palette we find Lemon Cadmium Yellow, which is opaque (indicated by a black square symbol ). This light color has quite strong coverage and mixes quite well with others to create hues of bright green, orange, etc.
Opaque colors, like yellow ocher or cadmium red, are quite powerful shades (of the Hight level). It is therefore advisable to use them in moderation in mixtures, unless you want to obtain a dominant color.
For example, to obtain shades of golden beige, we will add more yellow ocher to rather transparent colors.
You have to be careful with cadmium red and yellow , because they are very concentrated!
It is recommended to add them gradually to the mixtures, starting from the edge of the bucket, to avoid adding too much. These colors can be used to create fruity oranges, natural greens, and warm browns, but overuse can overpower other transparent colors in a mix.
It is therefore essential to use them in moderation, especially if you plan to clean or correct a wash afterwards, as these colors tend to penetrate deeper into the paper and can alter the final result.
THE ROLE OF TRANSPARENT COLORS:
Concerning the other colors present in our box of 12 from Winsor and Newton, we can classify them into several distinct categories:
-transparent colors,
-vibrant colors and
-semi-opaque colors.
First of all, we have the transparent colors , recognizable by a white square. In our palette of 12 fundamental colors, we find cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, Payne gray and emerald green.
A shade like burnt sienna is more semi-transparent (white square with a diagonal dividing the square in half). Unlike opaque colors, these transparent, less saturated shades blend more subtly with the others, highlighting the whiteness of the paper or allowing the colored background (wash) to show through their transparency.
They are ideal for creating harmonious mixtures , particularly in the technique of overlaying washes. Next, we distinguish vibrant colors , which despite their transparency, have remarkable coloring power.
For example, emerald green and alizarin crimson stand out for their brightness and ability to dominate blends while maintaining transparency. These colors offer a wide range of possibilities in mixing. See Chapter 2 on the art of mixing in watercolor.
Finally, some shades are semi-opaque , such as cerulean blue (half-black square), for example. Although close to transparent colors (an in-between opaque and transparent), they offer slightly better coverage.
It is advisable to use these colors in moderation, reserving them in particular for dominant color roles to avoid an overly chalky effect in the mixtures. See the chapter “Creating your watercolor color charts”.
The colors in my watercolor palette made up of 12 shades are each represented by a square symbol, indicating their degree of transparency or opacity, while the round symbols indicate their respective dominant. See illustrated below with associated symbols:
It's important to understand that the way you mix water with the amount of pigment in your colors can have a significant impact on their final appearance. For example, if you dilute an opaque color with more water, you can make it more transparent.
Likewise, if you add more pigment to a transparent color, it can become more covering, almost opaque. However, keep in mind that these results can vary depending on several factors, and they can be a bit subjective.
The idea is to combine opaque and transparent colors in your mixtures. A simple rule to follow is to use an opaque or semi-opaque color so that it is dominant in your mix with other transparent colors.
For example, you could use one opaque color with two transparent colors, or even just one. But be careful, as mixing too many opaque colors can make your watercolor look similar to gouache.
Also make sure to maintain a good balance between water and pigments for the best results.
As for transparent colors, you can mix them with up to three or four other colors.
However, some recommend not exceeding this limit. Either way, always be sure to carefully adjust the amount of water and pigment to get the perfect blend!
PLAY OF TRANSPARENCY AND OPACITY: COLORS SUPERPOSED ON WASH BACKGROUND
Now let's move on to practicing our transparent, vibrant and opaque colors on different colored backgrounds, also known as washes. The idea is to superimpose our colors from the palette on backgrounds of varied colors.
I chose to use backgrounds of lemon yellow, alizarin crimson, emerald green, burnt sienna, violet and cobalt blue. You will notice that depending on the background on which they are applied, our colors will change appearance.
When originally placed on white paper, the transparency or opacity of our colors is more easily identifiable based on their pigment and water composition. However, when we overlay them on a colored, transparent or opaque background, results may vary.
It then becomes interesting to observe how so-called opaque or transparent colors react to these different types of backgrounds.
-With an alizarin crimson background:
With a background color of Alizarin Crimson, a hue that is both transparent and vibrant, the reactions of the layered colors differ from those on white paper. The colors, whether warm or cold, seem warmed by this colored background. We can better observe both the transparency of certain shades and the opacity of others. For example, crimson color superimposed on a crimson background appears more opaque, or even darker.
It should be noted that the colors in my palette were diluted with more water to make them more transparent, which is especially noticeable with the lemon yellow. In contrast, yellow, ocher and cadmium red appear quite opaque in comparison.
In summary, in the technique of overlaying washes with vibrant color, transparent colors allow the colored background to show through more through their transparency. On the other hand, opaque colors appear darker and are less influenced by the background, although the presence of crimson warms them up slightly.
-With an emerald green background:
With an emerald green background, the atmosphere changes considerably! It should be noted that superimposed colors appear colder: yellow, although opaque, has greenish undertones, reds appear darker, greens more dynamic, while earth colors appear more muted. Likewise, Payne's gray resonates with less blue. You can see that when the background is colored, it greatly affects the overall mood of the composition.
With a burnt sienna base:
With a burnt sienna background, the colors take on a warmer tone, although less pronounced than on an alizarin crimson background. It is important to note that our background is a semi-transparent color. Thus, cadmium red like earth colors seem to have warmer shades, cobalt blue and ceruleum blue are less vibrant, while even diluted, white, although opaque, takes on an interesting coloring.
With a cobalt blue background:
With a cobalt blue background, the atmosphere changes once again! Cobalt blue, although transparent, has a red cast. Superimposed colors with the same dominant (such as cadmium yellow and red, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and cobalt blue) appear warmer than those with a different dominant. It is astonishing to see this phenomenon! It is also interesting to observe how blue appears transparent with certain colors, thus illustrating the magic of watercolor.
With a lemon yellow background:
With a background of lemon yellow, which is an opaque color, the sensation can be almost dazzling! It is important to remember that this yellow has a blue cast, which may seem surprising. This is explained in more detail in chapter 1 concerning the art of watercolor mixing and color casts ( see here) . This dominant blue means that this yellow, if sufficiently diluted, will give a fairly warm tone to superimposed colors, especially if they have a common dominant (like emerald green and alizarin crimson, for ceruleum blue and Payne's gray, having a dominant yellow, also works). For this technique of overlaying washes, it is preferable to opt for a transparent yellow rather than an opaque one, such as aureolin yellow, which will give more brilliance to the superimposed colors.
With a warm purple background:
For this last comparison, I chose a rather warm purple background composed of cobalt blue and alizarin crimson, two different dominants: red for one and blue for the other. This means that the two background dominants further highlight colors with the same dominants, such as cobalt blue (with a red dominant), emerald green (with a blue dominant) and yellows (with red and red dominants). blue). On the other hand, cerulean blue and Payne's gray (with a dominant yellow) struggle a little to express themselves fully with this colored background. However, color transparency games with purple can also be very interesting!
IN SUMMARY
In summary, experimenting with the colors of our box of 12 on different colored backgrounds allows us to understand the chromatic variations that we can obtain thanks to the transparency of the colors or, for opaque colors, more "muted" variations.
We have found that color casts in watercolor, when common, play an aesthetic role in highlighting certain hues while softening others.
When we work with a colored background (wash), it is imperative that it be transparent. For what ? Because an opaque color will cover more of the white of the paper, making it more difficult to manipulate colored wash overlays to achieve transparency effects.
The same goes for colors superimposed on a colored background: opaque colors appear more muted and the colored background has difficulty standing out.
In such cases, what to do? Either dilute the opaque colors further, or replace them with equivalent transparent shades. Here are some suggestions:
For a more transparent proposal, instead of lemon yellow, opt for a transparent lemon yellow like aureolin or Winsor lemon yellow. For yellow ocher, prefer natural sienna. For other opaque colors, you can choose matching transparent alternatives. See the list of associated colors for more details.
However, as I mentioned, even with a box of 12 basic colors, it is entirely possible to create beautiful watercolor works. You can always consider adding sheer shades to your palette later. Personally, I waited years before acquiring them! So don't feel like you have to own everything from the start.
CHOICE OF PAPER TO ENHANCE THE TRANSPARENCY AND BRILLIANCE OF COLORS IN WATERCOLOR
Regarding the choice of paper to highlight the transparencies and brilliance of colors in the wash overlay technique , it is preferable to use a fine-grained paper. This type of paper allows precise application of colors, ideal for detailed figurative subjects and watercolor sketches, such as travel notebooks.
Fine grain offers a certain finesse for flat areas of color and is suitable for techniques such as "wet on wet" and "wet on dry". Of course, the quality of the paper is also a determining factor. Affordable papers may be suitable, but it is essential to choose reputable brands. See my supply list here.
Higher quality papers allow more color to be highlighted and offer better moisture absorption, ideal for displaying your watercolors and suitable for more in-depth studies.
Additionally, we haven't covered "grainy" colors yet in this article, but that will be explored in a future article dedicated to wet and dry techniques. In the meantime, you can consult chapter 2 "Mastering the art of mixing" to discover a list of effect colors.
These colors, as well as their mixtures, create bursts of color that stand out and allow you to work on material effects to texture wood, stone, or a plant background, for example. To achieve maximum effects, medium and strong grain papers are recommended, as the more textured the grain, the more the effects will stand out.
But I assure you, fine grain is also effective!
Thank you for taking the time to read this article dedicated to the subtleties of color transparencies. I sincerely hope that it was useful and enjoyable to you. Do not hesitate to share your impressions and comments, they are valuable to me. Stay tuned for new articles related to this topic and many more.
See you soon ,
Rachael.
Works of my students:
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