2024-04-25
The first depictions in watercolour were created in prehistory. Watercolours were also used by the Egyptians and in the Middle Ages. However, it was not until Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) and Hans Bol (1534-1593) and his pupils and followers that the wide range of possibilities offered by this watercolour technique was demonstrated.
The watercolour painting uses an aqueous suspension of pigments with gum Arabic (or nowadays, Kordofan gum; other possible additives include glycerine, honey and many others), brushes and a special, absorbent ground. The most common substrate is paper, but sometimes also fabrics, parchment, wood, papyrus, leather or even plastic are used. The texture of the ground is visible after the painting is finished, so the choice of ground is one of the most important decisions an artist has to make before starting to paint. The term watercolour refers to both the technique and the resulting artwork.
Watercolour is considered to be a difficult technique because of the limited possibility of making alterations. The painting process requires concentration and a "steady hand".
One of the most famous watercolours is a work by Albrecht Dürer from 1502 depicting a young hare. The master managed to create an extremely precise and realistic image of the animal. The painting is distinguished by its botanical accuracy and can be found in the collection of the Albertina in Vienna.
Artists still use watercolour painting today. Thanks to the internet and the many art shops around the world, watercolour artists nowadays have much easier access to a wide range of papers, paints and tools than their predecessors. One of the contemporary masters of watercolours is certainly Cheng-Khee Chee. He is known for his paintings of koi carp, goldfish and birds, as well as flowers, landscapes, cityscapes and illustrations for children's books. His works impress with their precision and rich colour palette.
