Original handpainted paintings
Watercolor is a pictorial technique made with colored pigments, agglutinated with gum arabic and honey or glycerin, which are diluted in water. It is commonly done on paper, although other media can be used. Abstract watercolor is a particular type within the watercolor world. In this post, we tell you exactly what abstract watercolor is, share with you a bit of its history, and some of the most famous works that are presented in this technique, and tell you how you can use it to decorate your home.
How is the watercolor technique?
Watercolor is a very different technique from oil painting, oil pastel or chalk pastel. Mainly, the difference lies in the fact that watercolor uses water to dilute the color pigments, and this generates a very particular effect in the painting. The watercolor technique involves painting in layers, that is, it is based on a superposition of transparent layers. Some areas of the paper are more water-loaded, and others more pigment-loaded, depending on what is to be highlighted. Some parts of the paper or support being used may be almost transparent. The color of the support, which in the case of paper is usually white, is presented as an additional tone. In addition, as it is a paint diluted in water, the tones of the colors change as it dries. This provides a certain mystery or unpredictability as to the final result.
As mentioned at the beginning, the fine pigments or inks are mixed with honey or glycerin to give it viscosity and with gum arabic to give it body. Pigments can be found in tablet form or in tubes. Brushes, sponges and even rags can be used for this technique. Sponges or rags are used to absorb water, as well as what is known as scraping.
There are different ways to paint with watercolors. The technique allows the creation of gradients, uniform washes and overlapping of different colors. There is another technique, known as wet-on-wet, which uses the paper or support previously moistened. In this way, not only is the paint diluted in water, but the paper itself has already been moistened.
History of watercolor
It can be said that the ancestor of watercolor is fresco, a mural painting that uses pigments in an aqueous medium. We can find several examples of frescoes: “The Final Judgment“Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, and other frescoes also in the Sistine Chapel, by Sandro Botticelli (“Evidence of Moses“), by Pietro Perugino (“Handing over the keys to San Pedro“) and by Domenico Ghirlandaio (“Vocation of the apostles“).
On the other hand, we must consider the moment of invention of paper, since it is the characteristic support of watercolor. Paper was invented in China in the second century A.D., and centuries later, it began to be manufactured in Europe.
Now, who was the first watercolorist? The first artist to use watercolor is considered to be the Italian Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio. Sanzio sketched tapestries with watercolors on large cardboards. In the 15th century, Albrecht Dürer painted watercolors, which later influenced Hans Bol, founder of the first school of watercolor painting. Watercolor painting became widespread in England in the 18th century, and was used to illustrate land, property, and public works, among others. In the 19th century, watercolor also became very popular in the United States, where the painters John James Audubon, William H. Bartlett and George Harvey became known.
Many other artists dedicated themselves to the watercolor technique, among them, world famous artists such as: William Turner, van Dyck, Paul Sandby, Alberto Manrique, Ceferino Olivé and Julio Quesada. Also, we can say that the painter Vassily Kandisky developed the watercolor technique to a great extent. One of his watercolor works was originally titled“Erstes abstraktes Aquarell”, meaning “First abstract watercolor”. This work is currently at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and is considered a sketch of his work “Composition VII”. “First abstract watercolor” is a work of abstract watercolor, as there is no link with reality in painting but an intuitive and emotive expression about his interiority. Through lines, colored stains and shapes, the artist generates an abstract work. The work is made with pen, ink and watercolor on paper. From it, the artist vindicates painting as a place of exploration of new techniques and reduces painting to basic elements. This particular painting belongs to the dramatic period, which is when colors are restricted and subordinated to shapes, and lines do not demarcate contours, but compose open forms. Kandinsky was a great master of the use of color, as he was also called the father of abstract art. In this sense, we can see how the watercolors made by him have a great value in relation to the simplification of forms and abstraction. Precisely, the painter maintains in his writings that art should be a spiritual experience.
What is abstract watercolor?
Abstract art is an artistic expression that prioritizes an idea or concept over a figuration of reality. The abstract works dispense with references, and are composed by a composition of different colors, shapes and lines. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that abstract art prioritizes emotion and intuition over reason and logic. In this way, norms and common senses are broken, and the interpretation of each work depends on each spectator. Abstract art approaches the public from intuition and from a thought free of senses. For this reason, we can think that the spectator must have an understanding that surpasses the rational, to be able to admire an abstract painting. Abstract art is mostly known in the field of painting and sculpture. If you want to know more in depth about abstract art, we recommend you to read this blog post.
However, watercolor is presented as an ideal technique for this type of artistic expression. From its own technique of diluting colors in water, watercolor can be very easily approached to abstraction, since from stains or superimposed layers it does not usually generate figures that refer to reality, but rather abstract forms.
How to make an abstract watercolor: step by step
We tell you how you can make an abstract watercolor painting in a simple way:
1- First of all, what you must do if you want to make an abstract watercolor yourself is to choose the support. You can choose a paper of a certain texture, thickness, weight and color. The heavier the weight, the more resistant the paper is to water and pigment. It is important that the paper does not curl with the paint diluted in water. Often, what is usually done is to pre-wet the paper, and then tighten it to a wooden frame. It is also worth mentioning that there are different types of paper. There is hot-pressed paper, with a smooth, hard surface, cold-pressed paper, which is semi-rough, and rough paper, which is grainy to the touch, and which, when washed, has a mottled effect. What also happens with this type of painting is that the pigment particles are dispersed on the paper in a random way, unlike other types of painting such as oil painting.
2- Secondly, you need to get all the necessary elements and tools to paint: a brush, a jar or bowl with water, the watercolor case, a lectern or a table. Once you have all the essential elements of this technique, you can start painting.
3- Third, to break the ice of the blank sheet, you can start by drawing a shape with a brush with watercolor dipped in water. Then, you can dip the brush into a watercolor tablet to mix the colors and create a color transition. If needed or desired, you can correct or generate a particular effect with your finger, such as a splash. For inspiration, you can look at famous watercolors by famous artists. You can also be inspired by a landscape, a melody or an emotion.
Of course, when it comes to decorating your home, you may choose to do it with the work of a professional artist, although we do not deny that you can keep practicing until you get a work that is worthy of showing off on your walls.
If you are looking for a painting that brings that expressiveness that only abstract art can give, you have the opportunity to explore a wide range of abstract watercolor paintings on the internet, and choose the one that best suits your tastes. At Home Original we offer a wide variety of abstract paintings hand painted in our Atelier, under our creativity and design, fruit of more than 10 years of work with our customers.
Decorate with Home Original paintings, which will add personality and elegance to your home. Visit our blog to keep up to date with the latest news, and if you are interested or have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
