Watercolours are, as the name implies, water-based paints. Watercolour paintings can range from loose and expressive to incredibly detailed. Many countries have a form of watercolour painting. In Asia, specifically East Asia, it is known as brush painting, and usually done with brown or black inks. In the western world, Albrecht DÜrer is considered the first artist to employ watercolours. He made detailed studies of wildlife, botanicals and some landscapes. However, watercolour didn’t take off until the 18th and 19th centuries, when aristocrats began painting, and artists needed to travel. Map makers, geologists, archeologists and other scientists were often accompanied by artists who created watercolours to record their findings. Eventually, watercolours gained enough traction to be considered widely accepted, and in the 19th century, watercolour-painting societies were established by the…
