Watercolor is a wonderful choice for painting, and as with any hobby, there is plenty of jargon involved. Understanding the terminology will make watercolor painting easier and more enjoyable. Whether you’re just starting out or brushing up on your knowledge, this reference covers it all!
We will discuss in detail terms related to paint, paintbrushes, paper/surfaces, other tools, and techniques. So, let’s dive right in!
Paint Terminology
Medium is the type of art supply you use. You can make art out of anything: watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastels, ink, digital, the list is endless!
Mixed media refers to artwork created with various mediums (could be just two or infinite).
Watercolor is a painting medium that uses water-soluble pigments and water to create translucent layers of color on paper. It can come in tubes or pans. There are specialty versions such as liquid watercolor, pencils, sticks, etc.
Pigment is the colored part of the paint and is derived from natural or synthetic sources.
Pigment numbers, which are typically listed on the packaging, are the numbers associated with the actual pigment used in the paint.
Opacity refers to a characteristic of some watercolors that allows them to cover the surface completely, unlike traditional transparent watercolors.
Transparency is the level to which the paint allows the underlying paper or layers of paint to show through (often labeled on the tube)
Lightfastness is the tolerance of the pigment/paint to prolonged UV light exposure.
Staining refers to the pigment’s ability to be lifted or removed from the paper after it is applied. High-staining paints do not lift easily; low-staining pigments can be lifted back off the paper (almost erased) after painting
Granulation is when the pigment particles clump together, resulting in a textured look to the dried paint.
Sedimentation is closely related to granulation and refers to the settling of heavy pigment particles in water or on paper.
Diffusion is the natural spread of pigment through water.
Wicking describes how paint travels through the paper’s fibers via capillary action.
Tinting Strength refers to how strongly a color affects a mixture.
Binder is the substance that holds the pigment together and allows it to adhere to the painting surface. In watercolors, the binder is typically gum arabic.
Mulling is the process of dispersing the pigments into the binder. The more finely the pigments are mulled, the smoother the paint.
Watercolor Techniques
Wash refers to a thin layer of diluted paint applied to a surface. The two main types of wash are flat wash, a wash that is even in tone across the entire area, and graded wash/gradient/ombré, a wash that smoothly transitions from one color or tone to another.
Wet-on-wet is a technique in which wet paint is applied to wet paper or wet paint, allowing colors to blend and flow freely.
Wet-on-dry is a technique in which wet paint is applied to dry paper, resulting in sharp edges and more defined shapes.
Dry Brushing is a technique where dry paint is applied to dry paper, creating textured, rough strokes.
Lifting is the technique of removing or lightening paint from the paper, typically with a damp brush or sponge.
Glazing is the technique of applying a thin, transparent layer of paint over an already-dried layer to adjust color or create depth.
The salt technique involves sprinkling salt on the surface when the paint is still wet. The salt absorbs the water and pigment, creating interesting textures and patterns.
Splattering/spattering is a technique that involves flicking watercolor paint onto the paper, creating a random, speckled effect.
Toothbrush splatter or flicking involves using your finger to flick paint off a toothbrush for a fine mist or spray effect. (You can similarly flick the bristles of a paintbrush)
Masking refers to covering an area of the paper to preserve the white of the paper or lighter colors.
Watercolor Resist is a variation of masking that uses wax, oil, or other resist materials to keep certain areas free from paint. (Note: This cannot be removed later, so it is only for preserving the white of the paper, not for preserving light areas to paint later with more detail.)
Sgraffito is a technique where you scratch into the wet paint with a sharp object (like a palette knife or the end of a brush) to reveal the paper underneath, creating texture and intricate details.
Blooming occurs when you drop a new layer of water or paint onto a wet wash. The paint will spread outward, creating soft, circular patterns.
Puddling involves forming a puddle of paint on the paper and letting the paint spread out on its own, creating interesting patterns and effects.
Scumbling is scrubbing a dry brush lightly over the canvas for a broken color effect.
Stippling involves tapping the brush to create dots or small dabs, adding texture or shading.
Fan Stippling uses the tip of a fan brush to create delicate, airy textures (like foliage or fur).
Dabbing can refer to lightly pressing the brush to apply broken, irregular spots of paint. It can also refer to lifting paint off the paper with a towel or paper towel while it is still damp.
Feathering uses light brushstrokes to blend or soften the edges between colors. It can also refer to the soft spreading or diffusion of paint at the edges of a wet-in-wet effect.
Cross-hatching is building up texture or shading/tone using crisscrossing brush strokes.
Dragging involves pulling a brush with thick paint across the surface to create a streaky texture.
Pulling involves using a damp brush to drag or pull pigment from a painted area into a nearby unpainted or lightly painted area.
Double Loading refers to loading two colors on opposite sides of a brush for a gradient or dual-color effect.
Blending softens transitions between colors with a clean, slightly damp brush.
Sponge dabbing uses a natural or synthetic sponge to apply or lift paint for organic textures.
Cloth wiping is when you rub or wipe the painting with a damp cloth or paper towel to blur or lift areas.
Comb brush dragging uses a comb brush to create woodgrain or hair textures.
Plastic Wrap Texture involves pressing plastic wrap into wet paint and lifting it once dry for a marbled texture.
Ruler Edge Dragging uses a straight edge to pull paint across the paper for a scraped or streaked effect.
Card scraping uses a cut-up card to scratch in textures or a flat edge to drag color.
Backruns/blooms/cauliflower are textures caused when wetter paint flows into a drier wash, creating soft bursts of color. Blooms can be purposeful or accidental and can be considered positive or negative.
Run or drip is a gravity-driven flow of paint due to excess water, often used for abstract or expressive effects.
Alcohol drops onto wet paint to repel pigment, making light, cell-like shapes.
Layering refers to building color depth by layering(typically) translucent color.
Negative painting involves painting around shapes to define them rather than painting the shapes themselves or filling them in.
Charging or dropping in involves adding a stronger pigment or different color into a wet was and allowing the colors to bloom and blend organically.
Flooding is heavily soaking the paper with water before painting to keep it wet longer.
Color Techniques and Effects
Color mixing is the process of combining two or more colors to create a new color. In watercolor, this is done on the palette or directly on the paper.
Color theory is the study of how colors interact, including primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as complementary, analogous, and triadic color schemes.
Warm colors are colors that are moving toward orange on the color wheel.
Cool colors are colors that are moving toward blue on the color wheel.
Value/tone/tonal value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. In general, in watercolor, lighter values have more water in the mixture.
Hue is the word for the basic color itself, such as red, blue, or yellow. It is the pure version of each color
Intensity, saturation, or chroma all refer to a color’s purity. High chroma colors are bright, while low chroma colors are more muted or desaturated.
Optical Mixing is a phenomenon in which the viewer’s eye blends tiny dabs of color, making them appear as a different color. This is the phenomenon used in pointillism.
Pointillism creates an image from dots of color.
Monochromatic paintings are completed in one hue with varying values.
Color harmony refers to colors that work together to reveal a cohesive painting.
Complementary contrast uses opposite colors on the color wheel for bold, dynamic contrast.
Analogous harmony employs colors that are side-by-side on the color wheel for a unified, calm feel.
Split-complementary color palettes utilize a base color, the two adjacent colors on the color wheel, and the complement of the base color for a balanced contrast.
Triadic Schemes use three evenly spaced hues for a vibrant but balanced color scheme. This color scheme can be a primary, secondary, or tertiary color palette.
Warm vs. cool contrast color palettes play with warm and cool colors to push or pull space visually.
Underpainting involves laying down a monochromatic base to establish values before layering color.
Grisaille is a technique in which the painting is done entirely in grayscale. Traditionally, it is used to imitate sculpture, but it can also be used as an underpainting.
Chiaroscuro uses dramatic contrasts between light and dark to create depth and often involves layered brushwork.
Color splash is an artistic approach where most of the painting is monochrome with one focal point of bold color.
Impasto is a painting technique in which thick paint that retains the brush or palette knife marks is applied to the surface. This technique is rarely if ever, used in watercolor paintings. You would have to use watercolor straight from the tube, and a lot of it! Don’t do this…. it’s expensive. Use oil or acrylic paints, haha.
Artistic Terminology
Composition is the arrangement of elements in a painting or work of art.
Atmospheric perspective is the phenomena of distant objects appearing lighter, cooler, and more neutral in color, smaller, and less detailed. This can create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface.
Edge Control is managing hard vs. soft edges to guide the viewer’s eye or create contrast.
Lost and found edges refer to combining sharp and soft edges to create visual interest and realism.
Push and pull is the process of using color temperature or value shifts to create spatial movement in a painting.
Watercolor Paintbrush Terminology
A paintbrush is a tool with a handle, ferrule, and bristles used to create paintings.
The ferrule is the brush’s metal portion clamped to hold the bristles.
The Heel is the area of the bristles right next to the ferrule.
The belly is the largest part of the brush and acts as a reservoir to hold water and paint.
The toe or tip is the tip of the bristles. Generally, the tip is discussed on round brushes because the bristles come to a point, but other shapes also have a toe or tip.
Paintbrush Shapes & Their Uses
| Brush Type | Description | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Rounded group of bristles that come to a point | Longer bristles than a conventional round |
| Pointed Round | Sharper tip than traditional round brush | Fine detail, controlled lines, delicate strokes |
| Long Round | Square, straight edge with a flat ferrule, medium-length bristles | Looser brushstrokes with more paint/water |
| Flat | Short, controlled strokes suitable for thick paint | Second most versatile brush type with many size/material options Bold strokes, filling wide spaces, blending, geometric shapes |
| Bright | Like flat but with shorter bristles | Blending foliage, clouds, creating textures |
| One Stroke | Like flat but with longer bristles | Holds more paint/water to allow for longer solid brushstrokes |
| Filbert | Flat brush with a rounded toe | soft edges, leaves, petals |
| Angular (Angle or Slanted) | Flat brush with a diagonal tip | Precise, curved strokes, corners, edging |
| Fan | Bristles spread from the ferrule like a fan | Round brush with a large belly that tapers to a fine point |
| Detail | A small round brush with short bristles | Tiny details, highlights, miniature work |
| Liner (Rigger) | A specialty round brush with long, thin bristles | Long lines, fine details, lettering, whiskers |
| Mop | Large, soft, rounded bristles | Washes, soft blending, watercolor backgrounds, pre-wetting the paper |
| Dagger | A flat brush with a curved edge that tapers to a point | Petals, leaves, calligraphic strokes |
| Script or Swordliner | Very long, fine bristles that taper to a point | Fluid lines, calligraphy, decorative work |
| Quill | Round brush with large belly that tapers to a fine point | Loose painting, expressive strokes, large washes, calligraphic lines |
| Stencil Brush | Short bristles in a round ferrule with a flat top | Dabbing paint through stencils (dry application) |
| Hake Brush | A wide, flat, soft brush | Large washes, good water carrying capacity |
| Deerfoot Stippler | Round brush with a slightly angled toe with minor variations in bristle length | textured dabbing (e.g., fur, foliage) |
| Fan Blender | A softer version of a fan brush | blending |
| Water brush | Brush with a hollow handle water reservoir. When you squeeze the handle, water is released into the bristles. | Great for on-the-go painting where you don’t want to balance a water jar. |
| Palette Knife | A flat tool with various shapes and materials (plastic, metal) with a handle | Not a brush, but can be used to apply thick paint or create textured effects |
Watercolor Paper Terminology
For a ton more information on watercolor paper check out “The Complete Guide To Watercolor Paper: Weights, Sizes, Textures” and “The Best Watercolor Papers”.
Support refers to the structure on which art is created.
The surface is the material you paint on, such as watercolor paper, primed canvas, etc.
Stretching watercolor paper refers to wetting, then taping paper to a board and allowing it to dry (while taped) to prevent warping during painting, which is especially needed for lighter-weight papers.
Grain refers to the texture pattern of the paper surface.
Tooth refers to the degree or depth of the texture on the paper and affects how pigment and water settle.
Deckled edges are when the edges of the paper are not cut in straight, precise lines but in a feathered, uneven pattern. Often seen on handmade or mould-made paper, it is considered a sign of quality.
Cold press (not) paper is watercolor paper with a moderately textured surface commonly used for a more expressive, painterly look. It is sometimes called “not” because it is not hot pressed.
Hot press paper is watercolor paper with a smooth surface, which is preferred for fine details and smooth washes.
Rough paper is watercolor paper with a very textured surface, which adds a lot of texture to the paint application.
| Type | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Press (HP) | Smooth surface, very little texture | Detailed work, line art, pen + watercolor combos |
| Cold Press; NOT (Not Hot Pressed) | Versatile; suitable for beginners and most techniques | Versatile; good for beginners and most techniques |
| Rough | Heavily textured, grainy surface | Loose, expressive styles; dry brush texture effects |
Weight refers to the thickness of the paper, measured in pounds (lb) or grams per square meter (gsm).
| Weight | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 90 lb / 190 gsm | Thin, student-grade | Buckles easily |
| 140 lb / 300 gsm | Most common | Great balance of weight and affordability |
| 300 lb / 640 gsm | Very thick, professional | No stretching needed; expensive but premium |
Sheets refer to large, loose pieces of watercolor paper. A full sheet is 22 x 30 inches.
Blocks are multiple pieces of watercolor paper glued together on all four sides to prevent buckling or warping while painting. They come in a wide variety of sizes.
Pads are multiple pieces of watercolor paper glued together along the top edge.
Sketchbooks or watercolor journals are (typically) smaller-format books of watercolor paper that are bound together for practice or travel sketching.
Rolls are long, continuous sheets of watercolor paper sold in a rolled format. These allow for greater customization of paper sizes and layouts. They come in a variety of widths and lengths.
Cellulose or wood pulp paper is a more affordable option, though less absorbent and more prone to warping. It is typical of lower quality or student-grade papers.
As expected, 100% cotton or cotton rag paper is made of cotton, is more durable, and offers higher absorbance than non-cotton paper.
Professional grade paper is 100% cotton, acid-free paper with consistent texture and sizing.
Sizing refers to how paper is treated to make it suitable for watercolor painting and control absorption.
Acid-free refers to the paper being free from acids, which will cause it to yellow over time. This is essential for archival quality and longevity.
Terminology Related to Water
Water Control refers to the artist’s ability to manage the amount of water on the brush or paper to achieve various effects, such as smooth washes or textured strokes.
Hydration is the process of moistening the paper before applying paint or mixing paint with water to adjust its consistency.
A thirsty brush refers to a damp (but not wet) brush used to lift or control excess water or paint from the paper.
Lifting is removing paint with a damp brush, sponge, or paper towel—often used to create highlights.
Blotting refers to dabbing the paper with tissue or towel to lift water or paint—often to lighten an area.
Spritzing or misting is using a spray bottle to rewet or texture the painting.
Pre-wetting refers to applying clean water to an area before painting to control spread and flow.
Water-to-paint ratio is the balance between water and pigment; it affects transparency, intensity, and flow.
Watercolor Tools
The palette is the surface used for mixing watercolors.
Well refers to a sectioned-off portion of the palette where a blob of paint can be placed.
Mixing well is a larger sectioned-off portion of the palette where you can mix colors with water or each other.
A pan is a square or rectangular container to hold watercolor paint. There are full pans, half pans, and quarter pans. These are reasonably standardized in size.
A scalpel is a very sharp, precision cutting tool that can be used for scraping fine details into a painting or cutting paper.
A block leaf knife or blade is a tool specifically for removing watercolor paper from a block, but you can use a butter knife, ruler, or anything thin that will fit in the opening at the top of the block.
A water jar is a container that holds water for cleaning your brushes and mixing with watercolor paint.
Paper towels or towels are an essential watercolor tool used for blotting, drying your brush, or just cleaning up spills.
Fine liners are ink pens with fine nibs, often used with watercolor paintings to create texture, outline, or detail. Just make sure they are waterproof! (Used in line and wash style painting).
Cards or cut-up cards are just old credit, debit, or gift cards that an artist cuts into pieces. These can be dragged across a painting in various ways to create texture.
Natural or synthetic sponges can be added to your art supplies to create texture or soften the edges of a painting.
Varnish is a protective coating applied to finished watercolor artwork to help preserve the colors and protect the surface.
Masking fluid is a liquid frisket that can be painted, splattered, drawn, etc, onto the paper to block paint from touching those areas. It is peeled off later in the painting process to reveal the white paper (or lighter color) beneath
Masking Tape is tape used to block off certain areas of the paper to maintain white or light spaces. You can create crisp, straight edges by taping around the edges of your paper, make geometric patterns to paint around/over, or cut your tape into any shape to preserve light areas (such as a figure in the foreground, e.g. light-colored cat against a darker background).
This list includes many fundamental terms you’ll encounter in watercolor painting, from techniques to paper and brush types. Each of these elements contributes to the versatility and beauty of watercolor as a medium.
I hope this list of terms is helpful for you. If you have any additional terms you have come across, let me know, and I can update it!
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