Watercolor is a particular medium that artists use to paint with. It comes in many shapes and sizes. It may be seen in tube, pan, liquid and pencil form. Since this medium is water-based, it is often harder to control unlike other media such as a pen or pencil. One might find this to be a freeing experience; letting the water splatter and create the unexpected. Other users might find comfort in structure causing this medium to be irksome. It is found that the more water added, the more difficult the paint is to manage. A large addition of water may also effect the paper used, making it particularly important to have durable watercolor paper. When experimenting with watercolor, it is noticed how the amount of water also changes the value of the hue used. For example, one may start with a beautiful cobalt blue. As more and more water is added, that blue turns into a hue similar to the sky on a clear summers day. In this case, the use of water allows the artist to depict colors comparable to the deep blue of the ocean as well as the airy light blue of the sky. Although this medium may be laborious, when mastered, it has the ability to illustrate a beautiful masterpiece with fluidity, movement, and wonderful value scales.
Vocabulary
medium (noun) -- a material used to create artwork
water-based (adjective) -- composed of or including water
irksome (adverb) -- bothersome, annoying
durable (adjective) -- sturdy, long lasting
value (noun) -- lightness or darkness of a color
hue (noun) -- a color
laborious (adjective) -- requiring hard work, difficult
masterpiece (noun) -- an artist's best work
Vocabulary Exercise: Fill in the blank with the correct vocabulary word.
1. Watercolor is a ___________ that many people find ___________ and ___________.
2. Having ___________ paper is very important when creating a successful watercolor painting.
3. Cobalt blue is a ___________ very similar to that of the ocean.
4. Adding water to a color allows the artist to change its ___________.
5. As noticed in its name, watercolor is a ___________ material.
6. When an artist creates a beautiful piece of artwork, it is called a ___________.
Grammar Point: Adjectives are words that describe nouns. There are a few adjectives in the vocabulary list above as well as in the passage such as wonderful, beautiful, airy. Think of four adjectives on your own and write a complete sentence using each word.
