watercolour

Everyday

1. Watercolour is a kind of paint that you mix with water; it gives light, see-through colours. tree →
2. A watercolour is a picture painted with this paint. tree →

In the lessons

In art lessons, pupils use watercolour palettes and brushes, wet the paint, and learn to paint light washes and blend colours. In science, it shows that some colours mix and spread in water. Phrases: «a watercolour painting», «watercolour paints», «paint in watercolour».

Examples

• We painted the sky in watercolour. tree →
• Her watercolour of the sea won a prize. tree →
• Wet the brush before you use the watercolours. tree →
• Watercolour paint looks light and see-through. tree →
• Let the first colour dry before painting the next. tree →
• The museum had watercolours of old ships. tree →

Note

British spelling «watercolour»; American spelling «watercolor». Countable for paintings and paint blocks («two watercolours»), uncountable for the type of paint («painted in watercolour»).