Watercolour Auxiliaries

Watercolour auxiliary materials improve the properties of water-based paints and enable special techniques, gum arabic intensifies shine and improves transparency, ox gall helps flow on difficult surfaces, masking fluid protects areas you want to keep white, and granulation medium creates texture and granular effects. There are also special watercolor varnishes that protect the work while maintaining the matte finish. These products extend technical possibilities beyond basic use of water and paint.

Watercolour-Auxiliaries-Category-Art&Colour

Watercolour auxiliary materials are divided into two categories: products that mix with paints to change their properties, and products applied to paper before or after painting. Gum arabic is the natural binder of watercolors, when added extra, it intensifies shine, improves transparency, and makes colours more vibrant. Ox gall is a surfactant that improves paint flow on difficult or greasy surfaces and allows smoother blending. Granulation medium causes the paint to separate into granules, creating texture ideal for stones, sea, or skies.

Masking fluid is latex applied to paper to protect areas you want to keep white, it dries, you paint over it, then remove it revealing the white paper underneath. Special watercolour varnishes protect the finished work from moisture and UV radiation while maintaining the characteristic matte finish, important when the work won’t be placed under glass or when used in mixed media. For best results, test each product first on a piece of paper, some mediums dramatically change paint behavior. See also our watercolours, watercolour papers, and watercolour brushes.