Paint Consistency is the term often used for the ratio of water to pigment.  In mixing watercolor on the palette, we can mix up either lots of water compared to pigment or lots of pigment compared to water, or a range in-between.  The more water mixed to pigment ratio, the lighter the value and the more pigment mixed to water ratio, the darker the value. 

Joseph Zbukvic created a comparison of food-like fluids as a comparison to pigment to water mixture ratios: Tea, Coffee, Milk, Cream, and Butter.  Note: Joseph Zbukvic is one of the leading masters in the medium of watercolor painting and one of the most sought after teachers is the world. 

Tea – This is the lightest mix and so has mostly water with little pigment.  However, you should have enough pigment to see the color.  When mixing a puddle on your palette, the paint should flow easily and drain down on a slight incline angle. Think of good steeped tea.  Watery.

Coffee – The next stage is coffee.  Just as coffee has a thicker consistency than tea, there should be more pigment mixed to water but still enough water to flow on your palette down on a slight incline angle.  Washes are best done with “tea” or “coffee” because there is enough water for the paint to flow and produce a “bead” (where the water collects at the bottom of your stroke).

Milk – Next we are getting even more pigment to water.  The paint puddle doesn’t flow on the palette down on a slight incline angle. There is a liquid-like shimmer movement. Think of how milk has more “body” to it than coffee does. That is usually 50% or greater of a mix of pigment with water.

Cream – Now we are getting a really rich color.  Pigment mixed with just a little water. This is usually no more than 10 -15% or less water mixed with pigment. It should not flow on your palette at all and not shimmer.  This is where most of your darkest darks should come from. 

Butter – This is basically straight out of the paint tube.  Hardly any water and maybe no water at all.  This mix should be used sparingly.  Most painters use this consistency for highlights with white-like watercolor pigments or Gouache.  Small areas where you want a splash of bright, opaque colors. 

Below, we see a comparison of pigment mixes sampled on dry paper.

Water – pigment mixes are not discrete but actually ranges in value.  In a future post, I will introduce Joseph Zbukvic’s concept of The Watercolor Clock, it’s about time.