As far as application is concerned, watercolour is a very easy medium to work with. As its solvent is water, there is a ready supply to allow the artist to dilute it to suit their own needs, and if mistakes are made a little more water allows repainting or corrections to be made. In terms of technique, watercolours are semi-transparent, meaning that the underlying paper has a significant effect on the end results, often providing brightness. This makes it difficult to use watercolours on darker surfaces, although using some lighter shades or red, yellow or orange paper can lend warmth or coolness to a picture. By contrast, oils on the other hand, are completely opaque even when used sparingly, so the colour of the paper or canvas is largely irrelevant.

Buying Watercolours

Watercolour paints are sold in two main formats by art material suppliers – either as blocks of solid paint or in tubes. Powder is also seen sometimes but it's more often reserved for specialist use and visual effect application than simple painting.

Many artists will have used tins containing a selection of watercolour blocks as we will all have used them in our early days at school and playgroups, although our memories might be a little messier than the grown-up experience. The block itself can be used as a miniature palette, with water being applied straight onto the block itself and the paint applied to the paper. Colour mixing will have to take place on a separate palette, though. Dried blocks can be bought in sets, usually encased in a tin with a lid, making a handy, portable container and a stylish gift for any budding artists. The inside of the lid can be used as a palette, and there might even be a slot for a few brushes. The great advantage of watercolour blocks is that they are designed to be dried out and wetted continually, so they can never be spoiled or suffering from drying out as other types of paint do.

Watercolours in tubes might in the shop look like oil paints, so care must be taken when purchasing them (and when purchasing oils, for that matter). Watercolours are used in much the same way as oils in that they are squeezed onto a palette and then combined or diluted by the painter to get the required colour. However, because they can be diluted so readily, they allow the full range of opacity from an almost transparent wash to the thick and undiluted transparent state.

Watercolours allow a wide range of painting techniques to be used, from wispy wash effects to stark, high-contrast application. Combined with the fact that watercolours are cheaper than oils, they are a great material to practice, sketch and experiment with.