35 Properties of color
Pigment properties
There are certain pigment
characteristics to consider when
choosing colors that affect how
they adhere to the paper and
their strength. They are either
staining (leave pigment when lifted
out) or non-staining, and appear
transparent, semi-transparent,
semi-opaque, or opaque. Some
pigments tend to granulate—a
feature that can be exploited to
add texture to a sky, for instance.
Also consider the issue of
permanence. Some pigments, such
as alizarin crimson, fade in light;
others, such as aureolin, darken.
Hue versions are more permanent.
A complementary color scheme
Complementaries sit opposite each other on
the color wheel (the red and green above)
and produce vibrancy when side by side.
A warm atmosphere
Painting with predominantly warm colors
creates warmth. To avoid too much coldness,
use warm colors when painting a cool subject.
Repeated colors
Repeating colors in different parts of a
painting creates harmony. Conversely,
using an isolated color will draw attention.
Transparency and opacity
Some pigments, such as alizarin
crimson (far left), are transparent
even when used straight from the
tube, while others are opaque, such
as cadmium red (left), which is
opaque enough to cover black when
undiluted but not when diluted.
Staining power
It’s good to know how staining a
pigment is when choosing a color
scheme in case you want to lift out
highlights. Phthalo blue (far left), for
instance, is staining while French
ultramarine (left) is non-staining.
Granulation potential
Watercolor paint is a mixture
of pigment and binder, such as
gum arabic. Some pigments will
separate from their binder and
water, creating a grainy texture
when dry. Certain pigments
(see left) readily granulate.
Ability to merge
Generally pigments will merge
depending on their relative mix
strengths. Color mixes of equal
water content will tend to just
blend (far left), but a mix with
more water will tend to bloom
into a mix with less water (left).
Transparent
Staining
Cobalt blue
Cadmium red
Terre verte
Light red
Cerulean blue
French ultramarine
Different strength mixes
Opaque
Non-staining
Equal strength mixes
Undiluted paint
is transparent
Undiluted paint
is opaque
Diluted paint is
semi-transparent
Diluted paint
is transparent
US_034-035_Properties_of_colour.indd 35 02/04/2020 3:33pm