Create your watercolor recipe sharing website

The use of Gum Arabic as a binder dates back to ancient times. The presence of Gum Arabic increases watercolor brilliancy, gloss, and transparency, giving greater depth to each color. It slows down the drying time of paint, and can also be used for controlling spread when painting wet-on-wet.

Prepare Watercolor Medium: 6 Tbsp hot water. 3 Tbsp gum arabic powder. 2 Tbsp honey. Pour gum arabic powder into the hot water and mix until fully dissolved. Prepare Watercolor Paint. Mix 1 part watercolor medium with 1 part pigment (adjust as necessary). Storing.

Watercolor paint consists of four principal ingredients: a pigment; gum arabic as a binder to hold the pigment in suspension; additives like glycerin, ox gall, honey, and preservatives to alter the viscosity, hiding, durability or color of the pigment and vehicle mixture; and, evaporating water, as a solvent used to

Start with a ratio of 1 part Gum/Honey to 1 part pigment paste and adjust as necessary. Mix all the ingredients and work them on a glass plate using a paint spatula. Your goal is to obtain a paste with a thick, creamy consistency. Some pigments will incorporate easier than others.

Dilute your paint with water. You want the consistency to be like a creamy soup if that helps. Start with a little bit and mix, adding more water slowly. Start with big brushstrokes of your darkest color first.

Directions Make the base of the paint by mixing together the baking soda, cornstarch, white vinegar and corn syrup in a bowl. Carefully pour the white base mixture into the tea-light holders, filling them about three quarters of the way full. Make the watercolors by adding drops of food coloring. Now paint away!

To use, just dilute either paint from the tube to liquid by adding water, or buy already-liquid pigments like Dr. Martins. Paint in the usual manner, using mounted watercolor paper that is as wet or dry as your technique needs. Hereʼs why acrylic is better in certain ways.