Transparency

Transparency refers to the ability of a substance to transmit light easily. In the case of paint this can reveal the beauty of a color in much the same way that stained glass does. This can be a very useful property when painting, for example, a transparent blue painted over a yellow will appear to be green. Likewise othe rsecondary colors can be produced with glazes of transparent color. These visually mixed colors are quite different in appearance than colors made in other ways and extends the ability of the artist to make interesting and beautiful effects. Watercolor painting makes almost exclusive use of these transparent qualities. Transparent materials such as glass and various plastics and resins can be used to make sculpture that can take advantage of their light transmission to reveal volumes in unexpected ways.