Watercolour auxiliaries

Clean the brushes immediately under running cold water. Do not rub because pressure causes the rubber particles to stick together. Instead of a brush, use a cotton swab for applying.

For good results, it is important to use a properly glued watercolour paper. Watercolour paper is passed through a glue bath during production to limit the absorption of moisture and colour. With unglued paper or paper with poor gluing, the masking liquid will adhere too much to the paper and the paper may be damaged if the liquid is removed.

It is not necessarily necessary to varnish a watercolour. If extra protection is desired, Talens Watercolour Varnish Matt 050 can be used.

Varnishes in general can thicken if the bottle is not closed properly. The solvent will evaporate slowly. The dissolved resin does not evaporate, with the result that the percentage of resin in the varnish becomes relatively higher and higher. However, by adding a little white spirit (Talens White Spirit 090) and then shaking the mixture well, this problem is quickly solved. It is important not to add too much white spirit. The amount of resin in the varnish will then not be sufficient to offer the desired protection to the work.

The matting agent in the varnish consists of silicas, similar to pulverised glass. Unlike the resin, the silicas are not dissolved in the white spirit and give the varnish a slightly milky appearance. If the varnish is not used for some time, the matting agent will sag. This is clearly visible in the vial: a milky-white lower layer with a quantity of clear varnish above it. The varnish should therefore always be shaken well before use to distribute the matting agent evenly throughout the varnish. The longer the varnish is left untouched, the more solid the sagging layer will be. In this case it will be necessary to shake longer in order to regain a homogenous distribution.