Environmental Influence on the Drying of Watercolors

The Environment Accompanies the Entire Material Development

The production of watercolors does not take place separately from its surroundings.

From pouring into pans to complete drying, the material develops continuously within its natural environment. Indoor spaces also change alongside seasons and weather.

Season, Weather, Temperature, and Humidity as Environmental Variables

Environmental conditions change constantly and accompany the drying process:

• Seasons and weather changes affect the amount of moisture in the air
• Temperature and air humidity change the rate of evaporation
• These environmental factors are recorded as long-term variables

Environmental Variables Influence Material Development

The same color tone shows different characteristics under varying conditions:

• Changes in drying speed and surface stabilization
• Varying moisture movement inside the paint layer
• Differences in final surface structure and overall drying times

Various Material Phenomena Are Connected to Environmental Conditions

The following occurrences react to temperature and humidity levels:

• Formation of internal cavities and trapped air bubbles
• Development of surface cracks and shrinkage behavior
• Varying behaviors across different pigments within the same environment

Environmental Conditions as a Part of the Production Process

Room environment conditions during production can be described as follows:

• Natural fluctuations occur regularly in non-climate-controlled spaces
• Environmental factors form objective background conditions for material development
• Variables are tracked for documentation rather than total elimination

Pigments Develop Differently Under the Same Conditions

Different colors show individual behaviors under identical environmental data:

• Different pigments react differently to the same temperature and air humidity
• Identical conditions lead to varied surface and internal structures
• Documentation provides a comparable baseline for long-term observations

Documenting Environmental Variables Expands the Material Archive

Every production process is linked to a specific combination of season, weather, temperature, and air humidity.

Continuous tracking of these conditions helps describe drying processes accurately. Complementary observations are documented in the Pigment Behavior Archive.