Cotman Watercolours are a range of watercolours made to Winsor & Newton's high-quality standards. However, costs are kept to an economical level by replacing some more costly pigments with less expensive alternatives.

The range consists of 40 colours in tubes and pans, which possess good transparency, excellent tinting strength and good working properties. There are also several wonderful watercolour sets available in the Cotman range.

Sizes Available

The range offers a balanced spectrum of 40 colours available in Half Pans, 8ml and 21ml tubes.

Pigments

Costs are kept to an economical level by replacing some more costly pigments with less expensive alternatives. Pigments derive from several sources: Some are natural products, notably the earth, e.g. Umbers, Ochres; others come from metal compounds and are sometimes termed 'traditional' or 'genuine,' e.g. Ultramarine.

The distillation of petroleum yields an ever-widening range of organic pigments often termed 'modern.' Many of the pigments used in Cotman are organic.

Colour Range

The range of 40 colours is chosen according to mass tone (colour from the tube), undertone (bias of colour when in a thin film), colour strength, relative opacity and the character of the pigment itself. The resultant colour spectrum ensures the most significant number of colours can be mixed.

The Cotman Watercolour range has a more uniform consistency than the Artists' Watercolour range benefiting beginners as there is less to learn about each pigment. The Cotman Watercolour range also relates to the Winsor & Newton Artists' Watercolour range, e.g. Burnt Sienna in both ranges has the same hue. This enables artists to use colours from both ranges with minimal adjustment to their technique.

Transparency

As watercolour films are so thin, all colours appear more or less transparent when painted onto paper. The pigments used in Cotman are also predominantly transparent.

Granulation

As a general statement, the traditional pigments granulate, e.g. earth, ultramarine. The modern organic pigments do not, e.g. Cotman hue colours. If you wish to avoid granulation in your painting, distilled water can reduce it, particularly in very hard water areas.

Staining

The modern organic pigments, e.g. Cotman hue colours, are made of very fine particles, which cause them to stain the paper. The traditional colours, e.g. earth, tend to lift from the paper more easily.

Permanence

In Cotman Water Colour, AA and A are considered permanent for artists' use. To ensure the permanence of any colour, please refer to the ratings on the colour chart or Cotman tube/pan labels.

Hues

"Hue" means colour and indicates that a modern pigment has been used instead of the traditional one. For example, 'Cadmium Red Pale Hue' in Cotman Water Colour is a 'colour of cadmium red pale. A hue colour is not necessarily inferior.

Mixing Colours

Both Cotman's and Artists' Watercolours can be freely intermixed. If long-term permanence is required with Cotman, use only colours rated AA or A, which are recommended as permanent for artists' use. The three primary colours in Cotman Watercolour are Lemon Yellow Hue, Ultramarine and Permanent Rose. Using a six-colour mixing system, they recommend Lemon Yellow Hue, Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue, Ultramarine, Intense Blue, Permanent Rose and Cadmium Red Hue.

Whites in the Range

Traditionally the white of the paper provides the brilliance to watercolour and can be used as highlights. However, some artists utilize Chinese White for highlights at the end of their paintings or dull colour mixtures.

Upgrading to Artists' Watercolour

More than any other medium, watercolour relies upon the variable characteristics of the pigments used in each colour to achieve results. Therefore, choosing from the broadest possible range of pigments means you have superb choice and flexibility to develop your work and technique.
Upgrading to our Artists' Watercolour range means you will have a much broader and balanced spectrum of colours to choose from, giving you the widest choice of pigments and unparalleled brilliance of colour and transparency.