Poster colour

Correct answer: A. The paint layer being too thick

Explanation: The governing concept is controlled paint thickness. A very thick poster-colour layer contains more moisture and binder, so it can shrink unevenly as it dries and form cracks. Therefore, option A is correct. White paper, a small brush, or a round palette does not normally cause drying cracks. Applying several thin, even layers and allowing each layer to dry reduces this problem.

Correct answer: A. Add a little more concentrated paint

Explanation: The governing concept is restoring a usable paint consistency. If poster colour becomes too thin, adding a small amount of concentrated paint increases the pigment and binder proportion, making the mixture more suitable for even coverage. Therefore, option A is correct. More water makes it thinner, repeated pouring can damage or soak the paper, and oil is not an appropriate ingredient for water-based poster colour. Adjust gradually and test before use.

Correct answer: B. Add enough white to increase the covering power

Explanation: The relevant concept is opacity and layering in poster painting. A light colour may not cover a darker dry layer adequately, so mixing in a suitable amount of white increases its opacity and covering power. Thus option B is correct. Wetting the lower layer can disturb its edges, a dirty brush contaminates the colour, and oil is not an appropriate addition to water-based poster colour.

Correct answer: B. Paint the outer boundary first, then fill colour inside it

Explanation: The relevant concept is controlled outlining followed by colour filling. Painting the outer boundary first establishes the intended shape and gives a visual limit for the interior paint; then the centre can be filled evenly. Therefore, option B is correct. Filling the centre first may let paint cross the edge, while thick mixed layers and irregular strokes reduce clarity and control.

Correct answer: B. Use light and dark colour values

Explanation: The governing concept is value contrast. Light and dark versions of colours can indicate illumination, shadow, distance, and the separation of foreground from background. Hence option B is correct. If every area has the same value, the image may appear flat. Leaving only paper visible does not model the forms, and filling everything with black removes useful variation rather than creating believable depth.

Correct answer: A. Add a little dark complementary colour or a very small amount of black to the base colour

Explanation: The governing concept is modelling form through controlled darkening. A small amount of a dark complementary colour, or very little black, lowers the value while allowing the original hue to remain visible. Therefore option A is safest. Pure black can look harsh and flat, excessive water weakens coverage, and white creates a highlight rather than a shadow.

Correct answer: A. Apply a controlled second layer of the same colour

Explanation: The governing concept is building opacity through dry layering. Once the first coat has dried, a thin second coat of the same colour can deepen the tone and even out the surface. Option A is correct. Heavy dilution makes the paint weaker and often patchy, folding the paper does not correct colour, and adding white would make an already light colour even paler.

Correct answer: B. Both areas being too wet

Explanation: The governing concept is moisture control in poster painting. When two adjacent colour areas are still very wet, liquid can travel across their touching edges and carry pigment into the neighbouring area. Therefore, option B is correct. A completely dry first area, a clean brush, or thick paper does not normally cause this bleeding; allowing each section to dry before painting beside it keeps edges sharp and clean.

Correct answer: A. The new mixture may have a different tone

Explanation: The governing concept is colour consistency across a continuous area. When the first mixture runs out, a second batch may contain slightly different proportions, water, or pigment strength. Its tone can therefore differ and create a visible patch, so option A is correct. Running out does not automatically dry the paper, alter the brush size, or make the colour transparent; those effects are not the main risk.

Correct answer: A. A guide outline or stencil

Explanation: The governing concept is consistency through measurement or a repeatable guide. A guide outline or stencil provides the same boundary each time, helping repeated shapes remain equal in size and proportion. Therefore, option A is correct. Guesswork creates variation, repeated folding can damage or mark the paper, and very wet paint affects edges and drying rather than controlling shape dimensions.

Correct answer: A. Adding too much water

Explanation: The governing concept is pigment concentration and covering power. Poster colour normally covers well, but adding excessive water spreads the pigment through a thinner film, so the underlying paper shows through and transparency increases. Thus option A is correct. A little white usually changes the tint and may increase opacity, while paper thickness and brush shape do not by themselves dilute the paint.

Correct answer: B. Use contrasting colours or value difference

Explanation: The governing concept is figure-ground contrast. An object is easier to recognise when its hue, lightness, or darkness differs clearly from the background; this contrast separates the silhouette and improves visual readability. Therefore, option B is correct. Matching values or using one identical colour reduces separation, while erasing the edges removes definition instead of strengthening it.

Correct answer: A. After the main colour areas have dried

Explanation: The governing concept is a controlled painting sequence: establish the large base areas first, allow them to dry, and then add fine lines, textures, and small accents. A dry layer keeps detail paint from spreading into the background, so option A is correct. Adding details on a completely wet surface can blur edges and mix colours, while the other choices place detail work before the necessary foundation.

Correct answer: A. Paint may spread unevenly and edges may become distorted

Explanation: The governing concept is brush control and pressure. Pressing a broad brush too hard makes its bristles spread outward, so the painter loses control over the amount and direction of paint. The poster colour can therefore form an uneven layer and the edges of the shape may become untidy or distorted. Light, even pressure gives a smoother fill. Hard pressure does not automatically increase gloss, whiten paper, or permanently shorten the bristles, so option A is correct.

Correct answer: B. The colour may become heavy and dull

Explanation: The governing concept is colour modification by mixing. Black has a very strong tinting effect and lowers the perceived value and brightness of another colour. If too much black is added, the original hue can lose its freshness and appear heavy, muddy, or dull. It does not make the mixture brighter, transparent, or white. For a controlled shade, black should be introduced in a very small amount and tested gradually. Therefore, option B is correct.

Correct answer: A. The dark colour layer should be dry and the white paint sufficiently thick

Explanation: The governing concept is opaque layering. The dark underlayer must be dry so that the new white marks do not mix with it or spread across the surface. White poster colour should be sufficiently thick to provide opacity and contrast against the dark background. A wet base, watery white, or mixed colours would weaken the dots and make them blurred or dull. Hence option A gives the conditions needed for crisp, visible white dots.

Correct answer: B. Tape thick paper to a board

Explanation: Paper buckling is caused by uneven expansion and contraction when paper absorbs and loses moisture. Taping suitably thick paper to a rigid board supports the sheet and restricts excessive movement while the paint dries, so buckling is reduced. Adding more water to thin paper would increase swelling, and folding or wetting the underside would not provide stable support. Therefore, option B is the practical method for a flatter painting surface.

Correct answer: A. It becomes easier to refine edges and shadows later with dark colours

Explanation: Applying colour from light to dark is a layering and value-control method. A light base establishes the main areas without closing off later choices, and darker colours can then define outlines, shadows, and corrections with greater precision. The sequence does not mean light colours remain wet, make paper transparent, or remove the need for a brush. Allowing each layer to dry also improves control. Therefore, option A correctly states the benefit.

Correct answer: A. Make light guide marks first

Explanation: The governing concept is planned repetition and spacing. Light guide marks, such as small pencil points or a faint grid, establish the intended positions before paint is applied. They help keep the gaps consistent, so the finished dot pattern appears orderly and balanced. Estimating each position can create irregular intervals, while a very large brush or moving paper reduces precision. The guides should remain faint or be placed where they can be covered; therefore, option A is correct.

Correct answer: A. It becomes difficult to clean and the bristles may be damaged

Explanation: The governing brush-care principle is to load only the bristles needed for painting, not the ferrule or metal part. If paint enters and dries near the ferrule, it can bind the bristles, make them spread or become stiff, and make cleaning difficult. Therefore, option A is correct. The other choices describe effects that do not follow from excessive loading and are unrelated to proper poster-colour technique.

Correct answer: A. An even opaque layer and clean edges

Explanation: The governing concept is flat, graphic application: poster colour should be spread in an even, sufficiently opaque coat with controlled, clean boundaries. This hides unevenness and gives the surface a print-like appearance, so option A is correct. Watery paint produces transparency and blurred edges, while irregular thickness and visible brush marks create texture rather than a clean flat effect.

Correct answer: A. Clean the edge with the background colour after it dries

Explanation: The relevant correction principle is controlled edge refinement after the paint has dried. A thin brush loaded with the background colour can carefully cover small protrusions and restore a crisp silhouette, making option A correct. Touching wet paint with a finger may smear the shape, extra water can spread the defect, and erasing the whole figure is unnecessary when a local correction is possible.

Correct answer: A. The colour value may change slightly after drying

Explanation: The governing concept is that a wet paint film can look different from its dried film. As moisture leaves, the apparent value, saturation, or lightness of some poster colours may shift slightly. Testing a sample after drying allows the artist to judge the final appearance before applying it to the complete work, so option A is correct. The other choices are physically false or use an absolute claim such as ‘always’.

Correct answer: A. Regularity in shapes and spacing

Explanation: The governing design concept is visual rhythm, which is created when elements recur in a planned sequence. Repeated shapes, colours, or motifs become easier to read when their size, order, and spacing show regularity. Therefore, option A is correct. Random directions, uneven gaps, or unplanned colour changes may interrupt the viewer’s visual flow unless they are part of a deliberate pattern.

Correct answer: A. Edges, colour evenness, lettering and unwanted stains

Explanation: The governing concept is final quality control in a finished artwork. A professional poster should have crisp edges, even colour coverage, readable and correctly placed lettering, and no accidental stains. Option A includes all of these visible quality checks. The paper’s price, the brush’s colour, or the amount of water alone cannot establish whether the completed artwork is neat, accurate, and ready for presentation.