art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

, ''watermedia'' is the general term for

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...

that are distinguished from

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

or other media by being diluted with

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

when used. Watermedia include

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to ...

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache ...

and acrylic, amongst others. It is sometimes combined with other media, commonly collage. There are some unusual examples of watermedia being diluted with

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...

Diet Coke Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on ...

tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...

and

sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...

instead of water, and painter Johnny O'Brady has "added tea to isbrush water". There are a number of watermedia societies. ''Watercolor'' Watercolor painting allows artists many options of techniques including wet on wet painting in which the paint moves freely on wet paper. Another approach to watercolor painting is a wet on dry technique which is when wet paint is applied to dry paper. A few additional effects and techniques that many artists use for this media of painting is the dry-brush effect, edge darkening, intentional backruns and flow patterns. Technology is even impacting modern watercolor with scientists attempting to create computers that are capable of making their own watercolor paintings. Watercolor painting has even been proven to help cancer patients. A study conducted by medical professionals from the Department of Medical Oncology of Akdeniz University and Medical Park Hospital in Turkey, was created to determine if painting art therapy is effective in lowering levels of depression in cancer patients. Patients undergoing chemotherapy were split up into a control group and a tested group. The tested group participated in the art therapy program and painted with watercolor paint during their treatment. Participants were given a questionnaire that evaluated quality of life and depression levels before and after their treatments. Watercolor painting was found to significantly boost the moods of patients. Quality of life scores for patients who had painted increased while depression levels dropped dramatically compared to patients who did not participate in the art therapy program.

References

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Ultimate Beginners Guide to Mastering Watercolor Painting & Free Tutorials (2020)
Visual arts materials {{art-material-stub