Are watercolors considered paintings or drawings? Short Answer: Both! Long Answer: Watercolor is a combination of pigment (color) and a binder (usually gum arabic). It is soluble in water, which is where the name comes from. Depending on the proportions of each, the resulting colors can vary from delicate, transparent washes to opaque and vibrant hues. Watercolors traditionally fulfilled various functions. Some artists used watercolor in the the preparatory phase of their creative processes, others created finished works of art, competing with oil paintings. Often watercolors involve both brush and pencil work, so by technique they could be deemed drawings and paintings. But watercolor also exists of course as a third, separate category, much like pastels. Within our museum, watercolors are housed with drawings because they are works on paper (rather than canvas or panel) and require their own specific conservation considerations, but there are some exceptions—like the watercolor...