The art of watercolor dates all the way back to China in the year 118 A.D. Servants of the Empire figured out a painting technique by which they could dissolve certain colorants in water. These original "watercolors" were by no means that colorful, however. Indeed, it wasn't until approximately 1,200 years later, when the Muslims who invaded Spain introduced papermaking technology to that country, that a renaissance in watercolor art took hold. One of the most famous medieval watercolor painters was a man named Albrecht Dürer, who introduced the idea of "buon fresco" art. The Renaissance-era artist Michelangelo completed the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling in 1514 in this buon fresco style. Michelangelo's contemporary, Raffaello Santi, a well-known printer, created watercolor cartoons for use in cloth designs. Watercolor paints vary profoundly in constitution, thickness, and coloration. Artists have poured practically anything you can imagine into watercolors to create viscosity and paint permanence. Additives have included honey, glycerin, gum arabic, dyes, clay, and even flour. Other chemicals can add special attributes to the watercolor, turning it sparkling, clear, or even opalescent. Artists employ sophisticated anti-molding techniques to prevent watercolor paints from "turning." The thinness of watercolor makes the medium very difficult for beginners. While white watercolors do exist, many painters--particularly those who have worked in the 20th century and beyond--prefer to use blank canvas as "the white." Watercolor painting sets are often gifted to artistically precocious children.
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