watercolor

[waw-ter-kuhl-er, wot-er-]

noun

1. a pigment for which water and not oil is used as the vehicle.

2. the art or technique of painting with such pigments.

3. a painting or design executed in such pigments by this technique.

Other Word Forms

• water-color adjective
• watercolorist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of watercolor¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; water + color

Example Sentences

“They’re large, they’re fabulous. The paintings are going to be complemented by at least nine or 10 works on paper. And Schiele is an artist who was also known for his watercolors and drawings.”

From Los Angeles Times

Gestural markings of pencil and watercolor emphasize the artist’s hand, which underscores the human, unnatural fabrication of the casta system’s racial categorizations.

From Los Angeles Times

His watercolors do give a strong idea of what was originally there, but the full conception remains uncertain.

From Los Angeles Times

She loves to draw, and we have a nice art section in the house featuring everything from crayons to markers, scratch-off art, watercolors and rainbow paints.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the artists work with watercolors, like Proctor, who combines the medium with pen, and some artists create their images digitally.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• art 
• canvas 
• composition 
• design 
• drawing 
• mural 
• picture 
• portrait