Where was watercolour invented?
Unveiling the Origins: Where Was Watercolour Invented?
Watercolour painting, with its ethereal beauty and expressive versatility, has captivated artists for centuries. But where did this beloved medium originate? Let's journey back in time to uncover the fascinating origins of watercolour painting.
The roots of watercolour painting can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where early artists used pigments mixed with water to create vibrant artworks on cave walls and other surfaces. However, the true birthplace of watercolour as we know it today is often attributed to ancient China.
In ancient China, watercolour painting flourished as early as the 5th century, during the Tang Dynasty. Artists utilized water-based pigments on silk and paper to create delicate landscapes, nature scenes, and intricate illustrations. The Chinese mastered various watercolour techniques, including ink wash painting (known as "sumi-e"), which emphasized the fluidity and transparency of watercolour pigments.
As trade routes expanded, the art of watercolour painting spread to neighboring regions, including Japan and Korea, where artists adopted and adapted Chinese techniques to suit their own artistic traditions.
In medieval Europe, watercolour painting emerged as a popular medium among illuminated manuscript artists. These skilled scribes used watercolour pigments to embellish religious texts and manuscripts with intricate illustrations and decorative motifs.
During the Renaissance period, watercolour painting gained prominence as a standalone art form in Europe. Artists such as Albrecht Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci experimented with watercolour techniques, incorporating them into their sketches, studies, and finished artworks.
However, it was in 18th-century England that watercolour painting truly flourished, thanks in part to the founding of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1804. English artists embraced watercolour as a medium for capturing landscapes, seascapes, and everyday scenes with remarkable detail and luminosity.
From its humble beginnings in ancient China to its widespread adoption across continents, watercolour painting has evolved and adapted over the centuries, leaving an indelible mark on the world of art. Today, artists continue to explore and push the boundaries of this timeless medium, keeping the spirit of watercolour alive for generations to come.
In conclusion, while the exact origins of watercolour painting may be shrouded in history, its enduring legacy as a medium of boundless creativity and expression continues to inspire artists around the globe.
In this masterclass you’ll create a frame-worthy watercolour painting of a humpback whale swimming through the ocean. And in the process you’ll gain the skills and confidence to push yourself to new heights with the medium of watercolour!
In part one you’ll learn:
What is watercolour
what materials to use and what not to use (the #1 mistake most beginner watercolorists make is using the wrong materials!)
The 2 main techniques for watercolour: wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry
The “Smerdon System of watercolour” (my unique techniques and terms including: glazing, moozsch moozsch-ing, sloshing and feathering).
In part 2 you’ll learn:
How to use watercolour to create the effect of water
How to let go, loosen up and stop overworking your watercolours
The importance of tones and why your art will always look dull, flat and lifeless without them
How to paint less but achieve more! Let the watercolour do the work so you don’t have to!
It’s completely free because I don’t want anyone to miss out on the joy of painting with watercolour. I wan’t everyone to try it! There’s no obligation to take things further, you’ll simply join my Artory newsletter which I rarely send out emails from (and you can opt out anytime).
Anne