Watercolor Paint is a mixture of Gum Arabic and pigment, Artist quality watercolor contains nothing more. Watercolor is water soluble, meaning that it mixes and cleans up with water. Unlike Oil and Acrylic Paints that dry permanent, Watercolor is resoluble, meaning that once dry, if moistened, it can become fluid paint anew. Watercolor is designed to function on paper, though many newer substrates have become accessible. Watercolor dries relatively fast and was originally thought to be a sketching medium, though with the pigments, papers, and other substrates available it has become a permanent means of finished artwork.

To answer many questions about paint we are going to start with the basics.

Acrylic Paint is a mixture of acrylic polymer emulsion and pigment (with minor amounts of preservatives to prevent mold growth and skinning). Artist quality acrylic contains the maximum amount of pigment that the polymer will support. Acrylic paint is water soluble, meaning that it will mix and clean up with water. Acrylic paint begins drying immediately. Depending on the thickness of the paint film, acrylic can dry immediately and be fully cured in a few days. There are any number of additives that can be added to the paint to change the working properties and drying times, but more on that later.

We are a group of artists, working in many mediums and processes. Our hope for this blog is that it will set up a dialogue about art mediums. With the knowledge and resources we hold, and with the interaction of the talented artists and art materials manufacturers there is no question that can or should go unanswered. Please feel free to post questions or comments that can fuel the exchange of artistic knowledge! We WILL find and supply accurate answers! When we find new information that should be known by the art community we will post links, quotes, and posts to ensure that all who are interested can obtain that information in a legible format. Thanks and see you soon!