The unique qualities of the Adirondack landscape--the colors of the water, the different greens of leaves and forest shadows, the luminous sky--inspire and challenge artists to capture its character. Watercolor paints offer clear, transparent color and an immediacy not possible when using oils. Many artists in the Adirondacks traveled with watercolors to create small sketches they translated to larger works in oil in their home studios. Beginning in the 1860s, however, watercolor became popular in finished landscape works as well.
Painting in watercolor takes skill. The water-soluble paint is difficult to control because it is so fluid, and it can be impossible to cover up any mistakes. Many artists use it to create quick sketches, ideas for oil paintings rendered in their studios. Yet many artists have mastered the art of watercolor, preferring its clear pigment and the way the water-based paint flows on paper.
