watercolour
watercolour — noun
- watercoloursingular
- watercoloursplural
1. a paint-like substance that dissolves in water and dries with a soft, see-throug
a paint-like substance that dissolves in water and dries with a soft, see-through look on paper, used by artists instead of oil-based paints
Linh bought a new set of watercolours for her weekend landscape class.
watercolours as plural countable paint set
Unlike oil paint, watercolour dries quickly and creates soft, translucent layers.
uncountable: watercolour as a medium
A tray of dried watercolours can be reactivated by touching them with a damp brush.
Ziad layered the watercolour to build depth in the sky and the distant hills.
- water-based paint
a broader term that also covers gouache and acrylic washes
- aquarelle
a formal, less common term, especially in art criticism
- oil paint
the most common alternative, using oil instead of water as the binder
文法句型
watercolour as uncountable medium
watercolours as plural paint set
用法筆記
Watercolour is uncountable when referring to the medium itself ('She works in watercolour'). The plural form watercolours often refers to the paints as a set ('a box of watercolours') or to multiple artworks.
常見錯誤
2. a picture that has been painted using watercolours, typically with light, transp
a picture that has been painted using watercolours, typically with light, transparent colours and soft edges
The gallery is showing a collection of watercolours by 19th-century British artists.
countable plural: watercolours as artworks
Diego hung his watercolour of the old harbour above the living room fireplace.
a watercolour of [subject] — typical naming pattern
Alessia paints delicate watercolours of flowers and sells them at the local market.
Wren bought a small watercolour of a Paris street scene from a street artist.
文法句型
a watercolour + of + subject
watercolour + noun (attributive)
用法筆記
This countable sense is most often followed by a prepositional phrase starting with of that names the subject of the painting ('a watercolour of the old town').