Spanish word

acuarela

Pronunciation

IPA/akwaˈɾela/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwatercolor painting

Example

Esta acuarela es muy bonita.

This watercolor painting is very pretty.

Illustration for acuarela (watercolor painting)

More examples

Quiero apuntarme a un taller de acuarela.

I want to sign up for a watercolor class.

Core concept

Translucent washes of pigment on paper.

Common phrases

  • taller de acuarela

    watercolor class

  • set de acuarelas

    set of watercolor paints

Similar words

pintura: Painted artwork created with pigments on a support such as canvas, wood, or paper.
dibujo: Rendered image built from lines and tonal marks to show shape, proportion, and detail.
óleo: Artwork created with oil paints, known for rich color, slow drying, and tactile surface.
ilustración: Visual element made to illustrate or clarify text, a concept, or a narrative scene.

Definition in Spanish

Técnica pictórica que emplea pigmentos mezclados con agua para lograr transparencias y lavados sobre papel.

Word origin

Borrowed from Italian acquerello and ultimately from Latin aqua "water", acuarela names the technique of diluting pigments with water to produce transparent washes.

Usage tips

  • In everyday use una acuarela often means a finished watercolor picture, while to refer to the paints themselves speakers usually use the plural (las acuarelas) or say un set de acuarelas.

Other meanings

  • watercolornoun
  • watercolor paintnoun

Opposites

  • óleooil paintingnoun

Related words

  • acuarelarwatercolorverb

Word lists with this word