About Pigment and Paper

Pigment and Paper is an independent magazine about painting in watercolor. It is written for anyone who paints, or wants to paint, in the medium: beginners learning their first wash, teachers looking for a clear explanation, and experienced painters who want a plain account of paper, brushes, pigments and technique. The site sells nothing. It is not the website of any shop, school, brand or artist, and it describes every product, maker and place in the third person.

What this site covers

The magazine is organized into three sections. Technique explains how watercolor behaves and how to control it: flat and graded washes, wet-on-wet, glazing and layering, dry brush, and the repair of the common faults. Materials deals with paper, brushes and pigments, and with what each one actually changes in the finished painting. Painting Subjects puts the techniques to work on the landscape, with guides to skies, water, trees and the outdoor sketchbook.

How the guides are written

Every guide is meant to answer a real question and to be useful at the easel. Where a technique has steps, the steps are given in order. Where a fault has a cause, the cause is named. The advice is drawn from the ordinary, well-established practice of watercolor painting rather than from any single school, and it is written in plain English so that it can be read once and used. Sources, where they are useful, are linked directly in the text.

What this site is not

Pigment and Paper does not sell materials, does not run courses, and does not speak for any brand, gallery or institution. It is an editorial publication only. It has no connection with any former owner of this web address, and it publishes nothing on behalf of any organization or individual. Any product mentioned is mentioned because it illustrates a point about paper, brushes or paint, never as an advertisement.

How to use the magazine

A reader new to watercolor can start with the paper guide, then the wash guide, and practice those two before moving on. A painter who already works in the medium can go straight to the pigment guide or the subject guides. The sections cross-reference each other, so a guide on water, for example, links to the glazing technique it depends on.

Corrections and contact

The editors welcome corrections and suggestions. If a guide contains an error, or if a topic is missing, write to the address on the contact page. Corrections are made in the text and dated where they change the sense of a guide. The site is maintained by the Pigment and Paper editorial team.