watercolors and paintbrush – art still life
Hey everyone! Welcome to another thrilling adventure of me writing about whatever I feel like because this is my blog and not yours. Just kidding, this week we are celebrating World Watercolor Month! I mean it makes sense, July, beaches, water, seems very on the nose if you ask me. Anyway…
Watercolor painting is nothing new, it has been around for centuries, from the ornate decorations of illuminated manuscripts during the Middle Ages to miniature portraits during the Renaissance period. In more modern times, watercolor is closely associated with the mid-18th to 19th Century Britain, but that’s not all that surprising either. Many strides in the creation of watercolor pigments and ready-made paints were pioneered by British inventors and manufacturers. Originally artists would have to grind their own natural pigments or purchase paints in liquid form until 1780 when William Reeves invented watercolor cakes. These cakes were hard water-soluble blocks that would be dipped in water and then rubbed onto a porcelain dish or shells to produce the color.
By 1846, following the advancement of oil paint, Windsor & Newton came through with moist watercolor in tubes, an absolute game changer and arguably less messy. The application of these pigments has also drastically changed. Originally watercolor was used in vastly monochromatic color schemes and were basically tinted drawings. This application was popular in the creation of maps or topographical drawings. Artist Alexander Cozens was influential in the creation of single hue landscape watercolor paintings, elevating monochromatic watercolors to fine art. Other artists such as Francis Towne, Thomas Jones, and John Robert Cozens ignored these tinted drawings in favor of stronger colors and applications. Thus, the Romantic period of watercolor began! Trying to catch the fleeting moments of nature, artists turned to freer brush strokes over course paper to capture the moment as intended. With the ease of use and transportability of watercolors, artists such as David Wilkie, William James Muller, and John Fredrick Lewis were able to portray more exotic depictions of their travels through Egypt, Turkey, and the Middle East.
Now that we have a very brief history of watercolor, why would you want to choose this medium? Watercolor has a luminous quality; the transparency of the paint allows light to shine through and appear overall lighter. With the enhancement gouache paint, watercolors can take on a more dynamic appearance as opposed to oil paints. Although oil paints still possess a luminous quality of their own, the time it takes for it to dry can be considered a drawback. With this I hope that you have gained a greater appreciation for these paintings and make sure to check out the watercolors we have coming up for auction!
