Emilie Meyer
Watercolour pans are a convenient way to paint on the go, but they can sometimes be difficult to work with. The term cake refers to the dried brick of paint inside the pan, and the process of making these cakes can vary. Some are extruded like dough, cut into cubes, dried, and placed into the pan, while others are poured and allowed to shrink. The paint's formula also affects the drying process, with some paints containing added honey, gum arabic, or wetting/flow agents. Artists have noted that some brands dry too hard, making it challenging to activate the paint with water. However, others prefer a harder cake of paint that can be reactivated easily. The preference for soft or dry paint ultimately comes down to individual choice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Portability | Easier to carry around than tubes |
| Ease of use | More work to mix paints; small pans can cause color pollution |
| Availability | Fewer colors available in pans |
| Ease of identification | Difficult to distinguish different colors |
| Ease of rewetting | Some brands dry too hard and crack; others are easier to rewet |
| Ease of storage | Pans are more restrictive |
| Value for money | Tubes are more economical in the long run |
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What You'll Learn
- Watercolour pans are easier to travel with than tubes
- Pans are made by drying poured or extruded paint in tubs
- Glycerin can be added to paint to prevent it from drying too hard
- The word pan can refer to the plastic container or the dried brick of paint inside
- Pans are more restrictive with fewer colours available and more difficult to mix
Watercolour pans are easier to travel with than tubes
Watercolour pans are a convenient option for artists who want to paint outdoors or travel with their equipment. Pans are solid cakes of dried paint inside little plastic tubs, which can be inserted into an empty paintbox or purchased as a set. They are more compact and lightweight than tubes, making them ideal for travel.
When it comes to air travel, watercolour pans have a clear advantage over tubes. Tubes of paint can expand due to changes in air pressure during a flight, causing paint to ooze out and create a mess. This can be a frustrating and wasteful experience for artists. In contrast, pans are not affected by air pressure changes and do not pose the same risk of leakage.
Pans also offer a more efficient use of paint. Artists can use up all the paint in a pan without any problem, whereas tubes may have paint left in the lids or hard-to-reach places. Additionally, pans are less wasteful as artists can mix colours directly in the pan, allowing any unused paint to dry and be reactivated later.
Another benefit of pans is their longevity. Since they are dried hard, pans can take longer to soften with water, especially if they contain glycerin or honey, which helps to preserve the paint. This makes them ideal for travel, as artists can be confident that their paint will not dry out or spoil during extended periods of use.
While watercolour tubes have their advantages, such as a wider range of colours and the ability to use liquid colour directly, pans offer convenience and portability that are well-suited for artists on the move.
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Pans are made by drying poured or extruded paint in tubs
Watercolour pans are small plastic tubs that contain solid, dry paint. Pans are made by pouring or extruding paint into the tubs and allowing it to dry and harden. This process can take many hours, and some manufacturers may even let the paint dry over several months.
The paint is often poured or extruded, cut into cubes, and left to dry before being placed into the pan. The drying process causes the paint to lose moisture and shrink, resulting in a hardened paint cake. Pans can be purchased as a set or individually, and artists can also make their own pans by drying paint from tubes.
The advantage of pans is their convenience for travel as they are small and lightweight, and not considered liquid for air travel. However, one disadvantage is that the paint can sometimes dry too hard, making it difficult to reactivate with water. This issue can be mitigated by adding a drop or two of glycerin during the drying process.
The term "cake" refers to the dried brick of paint inside the pan. Watercolour cakes were the first commercial paints used by artists in the 18th century, and they needed to be crushed and dissolved with water before use. Today, watercolour cakes are highly concentrated in pigments, and while they require rewetting, they provide rich colour payoff.
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Glycerin can be added to paint to prevent it from drying too hard
Watercolour paints come in two forms: tubes or pans. Pans are solid cakes of paint inside little plastic tubs, which are inserted into an empty paintbox or purchased as a set. Watercolour pans are made by pouring paints into the tubs and leaving them to dry, which can take many hours or even months. Each time the paint dries, it loses moisture and shrinks.
Some brands of watercolour pans dry too hard and crack, possibly because they don't contain a large amount of glycerin. Glycerin is a humectant and a plasticizer, which means it is used to keep things moist and prevent dryness and cracking. Glycerin can be purchased and added to paints to prevent them from drying too hard. The amount of glycerin to be added depends on the pigment; organic pigments and those with extremely fine particles will need more. It is important to note that adding too much glycerin will prevent the paint from drying if applied thickly.
Winsor & Newton is a well-known brand of watercolour pans that have been known to dry and crack beyond use. However, they also have a formula that includes more glycerin, which prevents this issue. Daniel Smith is another brand that is glycerin-based and dries to form a normal cake of paint that easily reactivates with water.
If your paint has dried out too much, you can add a few drops of water to the pan and let it soak. Then, add a drop or two of glycerin, mix, and let it dry. This will help to prevent the paint from drying out and cracking in the future.
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The word pan can refer to the plastic container or the dried brick of paint inside
Watercolour paints come in two different forms: tubes or pans. The word "pan" can refer to the plastic container or the dried brick of paint inside. Pans are made by pouring watercolour paints into the tubs and leaving them to dry, which can take many hours or even months. Each time the paint dries, it loses moisture and shrinks.
Pans also vary in their formula and method of manufacture. Some are extruded like dough, cut into cubes, left to dry, and then placed into the pan as a hard cake. Others are poured and allowed to shrink, with some brands topping up the pour a second or third time for a fuller pan. The actual formula of the paint also differs, with some paints containing added honey, different amounts of gum arabic, or wetting/flow agents. Those with honey are not as soft because they are extruded, while the poured honey paints can be semi-hard.
The advantage of pans is that they are not liquid, so they are convenient for travel. However, they have fewer paint colours available and individual paint colours can be difficult to find. It can also be challenging to distinguish different pan colours since the dark-coloured dry cakes look very similar. Additionally, it can take more work to mix paints, and the small size of pans can make lifting colour to a mixing palette more challenging.
Some brands of watercolour pans may dry too hard and crack, possibly due to a lack of glycerin in the formula. This can make it difficult to reactivate the paint when wetted. To avoid this issue, some artists add a drop or two of glycerin when making their own pans. Alternatively, choosing a brand like Daniel Smith that is glycerin-based will result in a normal cake of paint that reactivates easily with water.
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Pans are more restrictive with fewer colours available and more difficult to mix
Watercolour pans are solid cakes of paint inside little plastic tubs. Pans are more restrictive with fewer colours available, and mixing paints can be more difficult. Pans come in two sizes: full and half. The full pan is larger, and the half pan is half the size of the full pan. The number of colours in a set does not indicate better quality. Having too many paint colours can make you lazy, and you won't learn how to mix colours as much as if you only had a few.
Pans are also available in two different formulas and manufacturing methods. Some are extruded like dough, cut into cubes, dried, and placed into pans as a hard cake. Others are poured and allowed to shrink, so the pan is only partially full. The paint formula also differs; some paints have added honey, gum arabic, or wetting/flow agents. Those with honey are not as soft because they are extruded, while poured honey paints can be semi-hard.
The dried tube paint is not supposed to revive as well as the ready-made pan paint does, though some people have done tests and found that any difference is not really noticeable. Some brands will dry too hard and crack, probably because they don't contain a lot of glycerin. They can end up falling out of the pans and may be difficult to activate when wetted. However, tube paints have a higher liquid content than cakes, and a more extensive range of colours is available.
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Frequently asked questions
Watercolour pans contain solid dry paint, which is usually in the form of a hardened cake. The hardness of the paint can vary depending on the brand and the ingredients used. Some brands may dry too hard and crack, possibly due to a lack of glycerin or honey in the formula.
Watercolour pans can become hard to reactivate if they have dried out too much. This can happen if the paint does not contain enough glycerin or honey, which help to keep the paint soft and malleable. Adding a drop or two of glycerin to the paint can help make it softer and easier to rewet.
If your pan watercolours are difficult to work with due to hardness, you can try misting them with water before use to soften the paint and make it easier to lift with your brush. You can also try adding a drop or two of glycerin to the paint to make it softer and easier to rewet.
