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Colour Lift Calculator — Watercolour Liftability
Determine which watercolour pigments are liftable and plan your painting layers.
How We Calculate This
How Liftability Assessment Works
Liftability score = pigment base lift % + paper modifier (clamped to 0–100%).
Each pigment has an inherent liftability set by how its particles bind to paper fibres. The paper modifier adjusts this: hot-press (smooth) releases dried pigment most easily (+10), cold-press is the baseline (0), and rough texture (−10) or 100% cotton (−5) hold pigment more tightly. A score of 70%+ is highly liftable, 40–69% moderately liftable, and below 40% is staining and difficult to lift.
The percentages are an indicative heuristic derived from published staining and liftability ratings (Daniel Smith staining guide, Jackson's Art and handprint.com pigment notes), not a measured fraction of pigment that can be physically removed. Treat the score as a relative ranking — actual results depend on the brand, how heavily the wash was applied, how long it has dried, your water and brush, and the specific sheet of paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
A liftable pigment can be partially or fully removed from paper after drying by rewetting and blotting. Non-staining pigments like Ultramarine and Cobalt Blue lift easily. Staining pigments like Phthalo Blue barely lift at all.
Staining pigments permanently colour the paper fibres, making corrections difficult. They are excellent for glazing (transparent layers build colour without lifting what is underneath) but unforgiving for beginners.
Hot-press (smooth) paper lifts most easily because the pigment sits on the surface rather than sinking in. Rough textured paper holds pigment in its valleys, so it lifts less. Once dry, 100% cotton paper binds pigment deep in the fibres, making it harder to lift than cellulose (wood-pulp) paper, which releases dried pigment more readily. Cold-press sits in the middle.
Use non-staining, liftable pigments for early layers: Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber. Save staining pigments (Phthalo, Alizarin, Quinacridone) for later layers where you need permanent, intense colour.
Yes, but the mix behaves like the staining component. Lifting a mix of Ultramarine and Phthalo Blue will remove the Ultramarine but leave the Phthalo. This can create interesting colour shifts when lifting.
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Last updated: February 2026
All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.