How to Make a Pan Watercolor
Pan watercolors are convenient dry cakes of paint that you make from tube watercolors. While prepared pan watercolors are available for purchase in art supply stores, create your own color mixtures to carry with you when you travel or paint outdoors. For example, if you discovered a color recipe for the perfect green to use in a landscape, make up a batch of green pan watercolors to have ready for your next painting project.
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Things You'll Need
- Yellow tube watercolor paint
- Blue tube watercolor paint
- Watercolor pan
- Palette knife
- Pan holder
Instructions
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Squeeze out equal amounts of blue and yellow tube watercolor paints onto a watercolor palette. The amount of paint should be sufficient to fill about three-fourths of a watercolor pan.
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2
Mix the paints together with a palette knife until thoroughly blended. Scrape the palette with the edge of the knife as you stir the paint to avoid leaving unmixed streaks of pure color. Do not add any water. Adjust the color with small increments of blue or yellow paint until you are satisfied with the green color.
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3
Scoop up the mixed paint with a palette knife and put it into an empty watercolor pan. Fill the corners of the pan first to avoid air pockets. If you have difficulty getting the paint into the corners, use the tip of the palette knife to manipulate the paint. Leave about one-eighth of an inch space at the top of the pan. Lightly tap the pan and smooth the paint for a flat cake.
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4
Dry the pan watercolor uncovered in a dust-free environment for three or four days or until completely set. Place the pan in a pan holder with a lid or a travel kit.
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Reconstitute the paint by adding water. Begin with a few drops of water, stirring it into the surface of the cake of paint with a watercolor brush. Moisten only as much of the paint cake as you need for your project to avoid unnecessarily diluting the entire pan.
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Tips & Warnings
Make watercolor pans of a single tube color by squeezing the paint directly into the pan.
Excess paint on the palette can be placed in another pan or transferred to a paint well in the palette for future use.
References
- Photo Credit Steve Mason/Valueline/Getty Images
