Recipe: Watercolor based on Gum Arabic
Gum Arabic is a popular binder for watercolors because it dissolves easily in water. This natural gum is usually collected from various species of the North African acacia tree. Gum Arabic ranges from pale white to orange-brown.
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Processing
Ingredients
1 part(s) | Gum Arabic Pale, pieces (#63300) |
Alternative: Gum Arabic, granules (#63322) |
|
Gum Arabic Powder (#63330) | |
2 part(s) | Water (#65000) |
all color pastes or suitable pigments | |
Cooking pot | |
Heat-resistant pot | |
mortar and pestle, or medium size glass muller and glass palette |
Additional Information
Note
Since pigments may vary considerably in terms of the amount of binder required, abrasion resistance should be checked before application by first applying the paint on a small area only or by applying a test coat. This will also help to find out whether or not the paint contains enough binding medium: If the painted surface shows chalking (that is the formation of fine powder on the surface of the paint film) when it is dry, it is necessary to add more binding medium. If the paint is brittle and shows cracks on the surface, it contains too much gum arabic. If you want to keep the paint in pans, it is necessary to add further additives to the mixture, such as honey, sugar or glycerol (#64900). This keeps the paint more flexible, avoids cracking and it will help to dissolve it in water. Fill the watercolor paste into pans in thin layers. Wait until one layer is thoroughly dry before adding the next one. In order to prevent paint cracking.