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 colours can be produced with glazes of transparent colour. These visually mixed colours are quite different in appearance than colours made in other ways and extends the ability of the artist to make interesting and beautiful effects. Watercolour 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.