In this article, we learn ways to slowdown Drying of watercolor paints
Watercolor paint dries fast on paper; in fact, it dries faster than acrylic paint on canvas.Â
For artists, this is one of the reasons why watercolor painting is so difficult. However, you can still extend your work with watercolor paints by keeping the paint wet on the paper longer.
By slowing down the drying process, you have more time to work on advanced techniques such as wet-on-wet, color blending, or special effects. These are difficult to achieve when the paint dries too quickly.
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Why do watercolor paints dry quickly?
Watercolor paint is water-based, the evaporation of water is the main cause of the paint drying process.
However, unlike acrylic paints, watercolor paints can still be reused after drying on the palette.
The Ways to slowdown Drying of watercolor paints
There are up to 5 ways to help Watercolor Paint Dry Slower, let’s find out together
Use mediums to extend the working time
Using a slow-drying medium slows down evaporation and gives you more working time. With this one, you can extend the working life of any watercolor paint.
Using a slow-drying watercolor medium is an easy and effective way to make your paint dry more slowly. You just need to mix it directly on your palette with paints and add a little clean water in the right proportions recommended by the manufacturer.
Besides, you can also mix it with clean water and pack it in a spray bottle, then spray it directly on the paper.
- Blend Medium: Slows down the drying of paints, allowing more time to blend
Gum Arabic: Gum Arabic directly to the paint will thicken the paint, another use of it is to slow the drying of your watercolor paint.
- Ox Gail Liquid Medium: Slows down the drying of paints and expanded flow when mixed directly with watercolors
Summary of some Watercolor Medium recommended to you:
Moistening the back of watercolor paper
Moistening by spraying or brushing the back of the paper with water is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make your watercolor paints dry more slowly.
The paper stays moist longer thanks to this extra water, which slows down the whole drying process. Note, Spray again when the paper is dry.
Spraying the paper with water
There is a simple and money-saving way to slow down the drying process and give you more time to perfect your work: spray on the paper while painting. However, you shouldn’t overdo it, too much water can affect your paint control and result in an uneven finish; so just adjust the amount of water sprayed according to the time you need.
To achieve the best results, you need to use purified water, this will help maintain the brightness of the color and prevent any unwanted results.
Using quality watercolor paper
The fact that the best artist-grade watercolor paper is made from 100% cotton retains moisture better than wood pulp, and slows down the drying time of the paint. This allows you to work with the paint for a longer period of time and make adjustments as needed.
By investing in the proper materials, you can slightly slow down the drying time of the paint but will make a significant difference in the final result of your artwork. Therefore, the importance of using artist-quality watercolor paper should not be underestimated.
Painting in the right temperature and humidity
If you are working in an environment with high temperatures, you will find that your watercolor dries much faster. This is because the evaporation rate of water increases with increasing temperature and vice versa.
Besides, evaporation occurs faster when the humidity in the air is low. High humidity in the air can slow down the drying of your watercolor paint.
In addition, wind can cause your paint to dry faster. So make sure your workspace is airtight.
The ideal environment for watercolor painting is recommended:
- Temperature: 65-73 degrees Fahrenheit (18-23 degrees Celsius).
- Humidity: 50%-60%
- Airtight