Watercolor and Poster Paints

Watercolor paints, also known as water paints, are made from pigment dyes that dissolve in water. Their composition typically includes elements such as gum arabic and honey.

The easiest way to paint with them is to apply them with a wet brush onto a sheet of paper or cardboard. For this purpose, there is the so-called watercolor paper, which is stronger and more resistant to water soaking.

One of the well-known techniques for painting with watercolors is the "wet on wet" technique. In this method, the paint is applied to a pre-wet surface with a very wet brush.

The goal is for the colors to blur and blend into each other, creating amazing color shapes that transition smoothly into delicate shades. This method relies more on the randomness of color mixing than on targeted control when applying the paint.

This technique is suitable for high transparency paints.

Layering colors is another option for watercolor painting. This is achieved by applying a thicker layer as a base and covering it with a more diluted paint. It is important to wait for the first layer to dry.

There is also a dry brush technique. This can be applied when using semi-liquid dyes. Suitable for this are watercolor tubes, whose moist consistency allows for the application of wet and dense colors.

Types

According to storage form, watercolors are divided into:

Watercolor blocks

These are small containers filled with watercolor paint. Quality paints are not pressed. This allows the paint to dissolve with a single touch of the brush.

Thus, the pigments in them retain their quality and intensity.

When paints are pressed, dissolving them takes a lot of time.

Watercolor tubes

Some artists prefer to work with liquid watercolor. It only needs to be diluted. In terms of consistency and painting method, it is an alternative to watercolor blocks.

Watercolor crayons

These are used directly on paper. Afterwards, the drawing is wetted to achieve a watercolor effect. Another way to use them is to scrape off part of the crayon with a knife and dissolve it in a palette with water.

They can also be used by touching the crayon surface with a wet brush, and then painting on the paper.

Watercolor pencils

Watercolor pencils are designed for drawing on paper, after which the applied colors are blurred with water. Drawing with them is extremely easy and convenient.

The goal of water pencils is to first draw the objects and then blur them with a brush dipped in water. Drawing with this type of pencil is convenient because it allows precise fixing of the lines of the figures in the picture.

After blurring with water, a beautiful watercolor painting is obtained.

According to application

According to the application, watercolors are divided into 3 types:

Children’s

Children’s watercolors fall under the professional category. They can come in the form of dry pigment pressed blocks or with a honey base. Children use them to paint on blocks or sketchbooks, using a round brush and water.

Children’s paints are available at affordable prices.

Professional

Professional watercolors are available in various forms - in tubes, jars, and ready-made palettes. They are most often creamy rather than powdery, which distinguishes professional from children’s watercolors.

They are used for painting landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Poster paints fall under this category as well. They are characterized by beautiful, clean, and bright colors that cover the surface of the cardboard well and do not crumble.

Poster (tempera paints)

Poster paints are also known as tempera paints. They are also water-based and diluted with water. They are characterized by dense, intense color, high coverage, and opacity. They dry extremely quickly and are difficult to blur with water afterward.

Tempera is an extremely covering material, used for painting all styles in visual arts – landscapes, still lifes, portraits, etc.

These paints are most often used for creating posters due to their easy application and color saturation.

When working with tempera paints, flat brushes with stiff bristles are predominantly used because the material is extremely dense, and applying it with a round, soft brush would be difficult and inefficient.

For tempera as well as watercolor paints, there are special cardboards - watercolor cardboards or watercolor paper. It is thicker than ordinary drawing sheets and slightly abrasive. It is made to not wrinkle when wet and to prevent curling of the paper.

Tempera paints can be used by both children and professional artists.

Applications of:

Watercolor paints

Watercolor paints are the most widely used and preferred material for painting. They are suitable for people of all ages. Their advantage is that they are absolutely harmless and do not have an intrusive smell.

Watercolor paints are the oldest drawing material ever used. The paintings created with them are delicate and airy. This effect is characteristic only of watercolors. The reason for this is that they are heavily diluted with water and the goal is for the colors to blend as much as possible.

This gives the images an airy quality on the paper. When painting with watercolors, there is one rule: to paint in one breath.

There are two painting techniques:

• Wet on wet - in this technique, the paper is first wet with water, after which the colors are applied.
• Dry on dry - here, the goal is to gradually apply the shades to gradually saturate the paper.

With watercolor paints, you can paint absolutely anything. This is one of the favorite colored materials for children, as working with water is easy and enjoyable for them.

In fact, watercolor is among the most complex painting techniques. It requires mastery, true professional skills, and an aesthetic sense.

With the help of delicate watercolors, you can create unique seascapes as well as paintings depicting nature in all its manifestations, as gentle and spontaneous as it is in reality.

You can use the four primary colors to obtain the others you will need. Or choose a palette with a larger selection of ready-made shades. It is customary to use round brushes when painting with watercolors. Preferably, they should be made of natural hair.

They protect the paper, and painting with them is more pleasant and easier. It is good to use special watercolor cardboard, which does not wrinkle when wet with water.

They are used for creating paintings of different characters:

Landscapes

Landscape painting represents the depiction of landscapes and natural scenes such as mountains, trees, sea, rivers, forests. The main theme is the broad view, with elements combined into a homogeneous composition.

In some works, the landscape is the background for other main figures. The sky is an integral part of this style, as is the weather, which is present in the composition.

Landscapes can be entirely the fruit of the artist’s imagination or copied from reality. They can depict only nature as well as various buildings.

Watercolor is extremely suitable for painting nature scenes because the resulting color spots create a unique realistic, yet airy effect of the objects in space – in this case – mountains, forests, rivers, sky.

Still lifes

The term still life originates from French and means "dead nature." In English, the term still life is used – frozen life. Still life is the subject of painting and graphics. In this genre of visual arts, inanimate objects – flowers, fruits, vases, pots, etc. – are depicted. This style does not include people, animals, and nature.

Watercolor paints are the first material used for creating still lifes. Later, other techniques began to be used, including other types of paints – tempera, oil, etc.

Portraits

A portrait is a single artistic depiction of a person in a static position. The most important aspect is the face and its expression. The goal is to create an external resemblance to the real person. It is also very important to capture their emotional state and character.

When painting with watercolors, a painting cannot be repeated twice. Each spot made on the paper is unique and unrepeatable.

Watercolor is the most delicate and airy technique in painting. The resulting images are mystical, delicate, and extremely fine. If you haven’t worked with this type of paint yet, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy painting with them. Art is vast, and watercolor is one of the most perfect and interesting techniques.

It is important when working with watercolors to change the water frequently to avoid muddy colors on the paper.

Poster paints

• Creating posters - With poster paints, you can make interesting posters on various topics. The method of working with them is exactly the same as with ordinary watercolors since they are also water-based.

It is important to know that watercolor and poster paints differ in that poster paint (tempera) is denser and much more covering than watercolor. This allows for color layering.

When painting, you can use round brushes and various colors of paint. The only special thing about working with poster paints is that the paper you use should be stiffer to avoid wrinkling when wet with water.

Also, after finishing, you must carefully clean the brushes you used and not leave them in the jar with water. If they remain in it, you risk deforming them and no longer being able to use them.

Painting on wood

Since wood is a dense and abrasive material, tempera paints are one of the most suitable materials for it. You can create interesting panels to place as decoration in one of your rooms.

If you want to ensure the durability of the finished painting, you can apply a final sealing varnish. This way, you will protect the painting from external influences.

Painting on glass

Poster paints are also suitable for painting on glass surfaces. You can create various colorful decorations, but applying a sealing varnish is mandatory since tempera does not have the characteristics of acrylic glass paints.

Making cards and invitations

The high coverage and color saturation make tempera paint suitable for decorating greeting cards and invitations for any occasion – weddings, birthdays, holidays – Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter

When making invitations, thick, abrasive cardboards are used, making poster paints the perfect material for their decoration.

You can paint anything you want using the rich palette of tempera paints. Tempera can be combined with other colored materials – watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, markers, acrylic paints, and anything you can think of.

For additional decoration of the finished cards, you can use glitter, stones, ribbons, lace, various stamps, and punches.

Painting on stones

These paints are suitable for painting on stones, both ordinary and semi-precious. You can create interesting souvenirs with them as well as original home decor. If you use smaller stones, you can also make jewelry – necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Decorating scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a unique technique for handmade albums, notebooks, and books in vintage style. It is characterized by richly decorated pages and covers in warm color combinations.

To achieve this effect, various punches, decorative and border scissors, cardboards and sheets in different colors, ribbons, lace, glitter, etc., are used.

Metallic effect acrylic is one of the most used materials for making scrapbooks. You can decorate the covers of any vintage notebook as well as its pages with it, using any of the available colors – gold, silver, old gold, bronze, etc.

Thus, you will recreate exactly this antique look of the scrapbook.

To achieve the maximum effect of the painting material, it is necessary:

• Shake the paint tube before use;
• Clean the brushes you will work with thoroughly with warm water and soap;
• Always paint on clean, degreased surfaces free of dust and other particles to ensure maximum resistance to any atmospheric influences.

If you have not yet used watercolor and poster paints, you can look for painting manuals from which you will learn the methods and ways of working with this material.

Besides books for artists, you can look for video materials from which you can gain valuable information and receive tips that would be useful for your creative work.

Prices

In the online store EM ART, we strive to maintain low and affordable prices for our customers. We often offer discounts on the regular prices of the items.

The cost of products in the category depends on the type, size, and quantity.

Why EM ART?

EM ART is the most richly stocked online store for hobby materials. With us, you will find everything you need for your creativity – all kinds of working tools, all kinds of beads, different types of paper, cardboard, jewelry accessories, decoration materials, and gift packaging at affordable prices.

All items are made of high-quality and safe materials.

We often offer discounts on various items, which every customer can take advantage of.

You can shop wholesale and retail with us. For wholesale traders, we have preferential prices.

Delivery

After you have chosen the necessary hobby materials, you need to enter your personal data – full name, contact phone number, and address where you want to receive your package.

Expect your order to arrive within a few business days. Let yourself be inspired and make your most unique projects a reality!