Opaque colors

When one talks of opaque colors, what immediately comes to mind is ‘poster colors’. Just like the conventional water colors, these opaque colors too are soluble in water however; the properties of these colors are different than those of watercolors. While watercolors are transparent, opaque colors, just as the name suggests, are opaque.

Opaque colors can be used as thick paints unlike water colors. In opaque colors, it is easier to make corrections after the color has dried. The beauty of opaque colors is that every conceivable tone can be achieved with varying amounts of white. Also, the exact tone can be mixed in the palette, and it will appear evenly on paper.

The use of thick opaque paint is a useful way to paint easily. Thick flat patches of the required tone are applied one over the other or adjacently. The best way is to start with middles tones and then gradually add lighter and darker tones as required. This is because; it becomes easier to estimate the tonal value as we progress.

Opaque colors come at an advantage especially when you want to paint things like a wall. A combination of thin and thick applications is just right to create the effect of a plastered wall.

Opaque over transparent technique is used for getting the best of effects from both the worlds. The transparent layer serves as a rich background over which the opaque effect adds lighter tones and highlights the desired areas.

Pointillism is another method that is used with opaque colors. This method was pioneered by Impressionists artists. In this method, small dots of paint are placed close to each other and the resultant hue is perceived by our brain which mixes these colors.