Transparent Watercolour -- How did J.M.W Turner keep that?

St Chapel, Paris

Transparent watercolour like British Watercolour.

Learn it from old English masters; Thomas Girtin, J. M. W. Turner and John Sell Cotman.

When I learnt watercolour from instruction book, almost watercolour painters would advise us not to paint more layers. The most is 3 layers.

However, when I looked at these British watercolourists above, they did a lot more than that and still could keep watercolour transparent and fresh. I solved my doubt with 2 pieces of information; one from Singapore master watercolour artist Mr. Gog Sing Hooi (He was the late president and founding member of Singapore Watercolour Society) and the other from my Chemistry and Physics knowledge.

Mr. Gog said to me "To stay transparent, keep on using similar colors."

Brown goes onto similar brown => more transparent
Blue goes onto similar blues => more transparent

I undertood that rule better after I was trained in a house paint company research lab.

1. Each paint type has it own particle distribution. Mixing them causing more light scattering. => less light goes to viewer's eyes . => dull (could be less transparent too)
2. Some pigment may react with other pigment in aqueous form causing coarse percipitation.=> losing transparency with coarser and more irregular particle sizes.


So in order to stay transparent, each layer better choose similar pigment type. Turner could paint 30 layers and still kept the transparency of watercolour. The painting also carries very strong tonal structure. It is a wonderful way to paint architectural elements slowly.

Hope this helps. Feel free to drop your comments.

Watercolour Painting Preservation

Watercolour Painting Preservation

There are 2 major groups of attack to watercolour paintings:

1. Acidic moisture bleaching the painting surface or acidic moisture penetrating through the back surface attacking the paper which causes yellow spots appearing on the paper.


2. UV light bleaching the paper.

For case 2 it is easier. Just keep away from direct UV or direct sunshine. There is anti-UV glass which more advanced frame shop can provide. The rule is : Strong lighting is always harmful to both oil or watercolour. The UV light and heat and 2 energy source that could accelarate any chemical reactions.

Case 1 is a more common headache to all collectors. My rule is : Change the painting environmental condition.

I learnt this from corrosion engineering idea in school. In corrosion engineering, it is called sacrificial anode. Since corrosion always happens, we provide a material for it to corrode. Therefore, the original object like a big ship in the sea will not corrode.

So these are the steps:

First make sure the frame environment is dry before fitting in the painting

Next prepare all protective layers that change the whole environment against acid moisture.

• Get a larger piece of acid free watercolor paper


• Gesso it with oil paint acrylic ground


• let it dry for at least a day


• Use this protective layer and place behind the watercolour painting


• Matting should be acid free museum grade if possible. Alternatively, regular grade mats can be coated with transparent gesso at the back. That makes it similar to acid free mats.

Ensure everything is dry, then seal the frame tightly. Minimize regular adhesive in contact with painting paper.

The sacrificial piece of watercolor painting can last 3 years. Mats should last about the same length of time. So, change them after every 3 years.

**Wooden backing is one of the major source of acid moisture. Gesso it can block certain level of its acidity.

** Acrylic Gesso has some alkaline content in it. Ammonia is one of the common content. That neutralizes acids.

If you have watercolour paintings that are already having problems, some fine art restorers can help reduce the problem. Eliminating it might not be possible.

Feel free to contact me, if you have more questions or anything to discuss.
Email me: ngwoonlam@yahoo.com

Mix or Use ready colors from Art Materials Stores

Mix or Use ready colors from Art Materials Stores

1. Mix colors => 2 or more kinds of different particle size distributions.

If particle sizes distribution is not narrow => Light can not be reflected evenly.

Or we say MORE light is scattered away then reflected to the viewer's eyes.

Therefore : mixed colors lose freshness (effect of less light). Generally dull. This is especially evident in watercolour.

Ready made tube colors, (comparing the same brand and quality paint) have one size distribution which is generally narrow and more definite. In the manufacturing place, particles were sieved. Certain size range is selected. Narrow size distribution implies even reflection. Results : More light is reflected into viewer's eyes.

2. Pure and Chromatics colors like Cadmium colors are generally more expensive. WHY buy these colors to mix and get dull colors that are readily available in art stores at MUCH MORE affordable prices?

Don't get me wrong. Mixing colors is a very good thing. It is a constant exercise of eyes and mind. And a palette can't fit in all the colors from art stores.

For me, I have some ready tertiary colors like burnt sienna, yellow orche, burnt umber, black, raw sienna, transparent oxide red. These colors help me adjust colors a lot faster then using pure chromatic colors like cadmium colors and pure blues and greens. And they are a lot cheaper. *** Not sacrificing any quality at all!!!

*** So why mixing colors:

My opinions:

1. Too many colors on the palette instead of helping us, it confuses us. And less experienced painters with less confidence in tones and temperature struggle a lot seeing too many colors.

2. Fewer colors help unifying the painted image naturally because the mixed colors belong to the same family.

3. It is especially good for painters who are tonal orientated with fewer colors. Tonal orientated painters can focus more on tonal relation.

Singapore Artist Art Critique Class Ng Woon Lam NWS MFA

Singapore Artist Art Critique Class

Ng Woon Lam NWS MFA

Students bring in paintings once a month for critique. I will provide exercises after every session.

Basic topics :

1. Tonal Structures and Color Intrinsic Values
2. Color Temperature and Color Theory
3. Study of Light and Shadows; Introduction to different tonal keys.
4. Design concepts and Basic composition guidelines
5. Visual behaviours of paint textures, layers and surfaces
6. Space construction and visual relationship of objects and space
7. Study of Mass and Volume in Space
8. Introduction to Edges

Advanced Topics :

1. Western and Oriental visual space
2. Introduction to important representational painters in history : Van Dyck, Chardin, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens, Turners, Velasquez, Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla, Frans Hals, Homer, Degas, Manet, Monet .....
3. Introduction to contemporary representational painters.
4. Introduction of figurative elements in landscape painting + Basic figure anatomy
5. Introduction of 2D surface abstraction and 19th and 20th century western art development
6. Ways to challenge personal design habits hence enhancing one's ability to compose an image.
7. Study of open form and close form painters and undertanding of edges
8. Artistic research of painters' aim. Why do I paint???

My Workshop

Singapore Watercolour Oil Painting Workshops Art Classes

My Workshop

I accept workshop proposals.
Kindly email me to discuss details.

Brief description of how a workshop may be conducted



** e.g : Outdoor Painting Workshop in oil or watercolour

No of days : 2 full days, 5 hours per day.

No of students : 5 or 6

Students prepare materials and gears needed for their own paintings

Locations : Students can suggest venues. Possible venues : Botanical Garden, Sentosa, Faber Hill, Chinatown...

Travelling Workshop locations : Melaka or Penang

Students can form their own group and propose possible time and venue

Fees : $200/= per students for a local workshop and $300 per person for a travelling workshop

*** Students are reponsible for personal transport and accommodation for a travelling workshop.

Working Process



Day 1

I will first work on a painting on location

Students starts composing their painting on location

I will discuss with each students resolving their problem, demontrate on their in progress artworks or on a sketch book

Day 2

Students continue to work on their painting on location

I will continue to discuss with their progress

Group critique and group discussions

Email: ngwoonlam@yahoo.com