Simple Steps to Make Your Own Watercolor Paints.

Making watercolor paint can produce unique, high-quality paints that save you money and give your greater control over color and intensity.

One way to save money and develop a unique style in watercolor painting is to make your own watercolor paints. Although the process might sound complicated, it’s actually very straightforward and can produce unique, high-quality watercolor paints.

Key Takeaways

Making your own watercolor paints allows you the artist to have complete control of the color, richness and intensity.
Watercolor paints require two ingredients the pigment and the binder.
You can often purchase the ingredients you need at your local art supplies store.

Benefits of Making Your Own Paints

By purchasing the ingredients to make your own watercolor paints, you’ll find that you spend less money than you would buying watercolor paints. This is just one of many benefits. When you create your own paints, you get to be in complete control. That means you get to choose the exact color, richness, and intensity of your paint. In comparison, you might spend hours online or in an art store searching for the exact color and intensity you need.

Since creating your own watercolor paints involves a raw pigment, you’ll also see the texture of that pigment in your paint. That doesn’t mean lumps of pigment - those should be thoroughly mixed through. The texture, you’ll notice, is much more fine. It’s great for painting anything you want to add more interest to - such as painting the fur or feathers on animals.

Finally, when you mix your paints from raw materials, you're also getting in touch with the materials on a deeper level. Before you even put brush to paper, you get a first-hand view of how the paint moves, its thickness or thinness, and the value of its color. This prepares you for an excellent painting session.

The Ingredients in Watercolor Paints

To make your own watercolor paints, you just need two ingredients: pigment and binder. There are several choices within each category, so it may take some trial and error to find what you like best.

Pigment: Pigment is the source of color in paint and is made of ground or filed stone, plant material, herbs, and even bugs. You can make your own pigment, for example by grinding a stone, or purchase ground pigment at an art supply store.
Binder: Binders are what makes paint float out into the water on your paper before sinking into the tooth of the paper. There are several binders to choose from, including gum arabic, honey, and ground acacia tree. If using honey, be sure to use a high-quality raw honey so you don’t get any crystallization.

Making your own watercolor paints is also a great activity to get the kids involved in. If you don’t want to waste your more expensive supplies, you can create a DIY version from items in your kitchen. This can be accomplished by mixed baking soda, vinegar, light corn syrup, cornstarch, and food coloring in muffin tins to contain the mess. While not for fine art, this is a great way to involve the kids in your life with your favorite art form!

How to Make Your Own Watercolor Paints

If you’re starting by grinding a raw material into a pigment, you’ll need something to grind it with. For example, if you’re starting with a stone, you’ll need a large file for this purpose. Begin by grinding or filing your item into a fine, ground pigment. To get enough pigment to paint with, you’ll spend a decent amount of time filing. You may also try using a pestle and mortar.

Alternatively, if you’re using a store-bought ground pigment, you can begin mixing immediately. You’ll want to measure with a ratio of one-part pigment to three parts binder. On a flat surface, use a palette knife to blend the pigment into your resin or binder. Don’t rush the process - you’ll want to mix it well so that you leave no clumps behind.

This process can take some practice, so if your paint isn’t perfect immediately, be patient. If it looks runnier than normal, slowly add more pigment. If it seems too thick, add a bit more binder. The end result should be smooth. Once complete, pour it into a container or pocket on your palette and get to painting!

Final Thoughts

If you have the time and the ingredients, making your own watercolor paints can be an incredibly rewarding experience. From the control over color and intensity to the connection you’ll feel with the paint itself, you’ll be glad you tried it!

Interested in learning more?

Check out our YouTube video on this subject with Arts of Course instructor Jess Rice.

Read "16 simple things to know to begin with watercolors and create successful paintings" by clicking here.

Categories: Watercolor Paint, Watercolor Techniques, Watercolor tips