Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolours are a range of watercolours that are made to Winsor & Newton's high quality standards but costs are kept to an economical level by replacing some of the more costly pigments with less expensive alternatives.
The range consists of over 40 colours in tubes and pans which possess good transparency, excellent tinting strength and good working properties. There are also a number of excellent water colour sets available in the Cotman range.
Sizes Available
The range offers a balanced spectrum of over 40 colours which are available in Half Pans, 8ml tubes and 21ml tubes.
Pigments
Costs are kept to an economical level by replacing some of the more costly pigments with less expensive alternatives. Pigments derive from a number of sources: Some are natural products, notably the earths, eg. umbers, ochres; others come from metal compounds and are sometimes termed 'traditional' or 'genuine', eg. ultramarine.
The distillation of petroleum yields an ever widening range of organic pigments which are often termed as 'modern'. Many of the pigments used in Cotman are organic.
Colour Range
The range of 40 colours are chosen according to mass tone (colour from 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 largest number of colours can be mixed.
The Cotman Watercolour range has a more uniform consistency than the Artists' Watercolour range and this benefits beginners as there is less to learn about each individual 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. earths, ultramarine. The modern organic pigments do not, e.g. Cotman hue colours. If you wish to avoid granulation in your painting, the use of 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. earths, tend to lift from the paper more easily.
Permanence
In Cotman Watercolour, AA and A are regarded as permanent for artists' use. To be sure of the permanence of any colour, please refer to the ratings on the colour chart or Cotman tube/pan labels.
