So you want to make your own paint? No problem! I am no gatekeeper! First, we need a few things to get started. Let me help you! To make your own watercolor paint, we need a few things:
· glass (or marble) slab
· a glass muller
· metal palette knives
· watercolor binder
· pigment
You will also need something to put the watercolor paint in once you are done. This can be paint pans, or something creative, like shells!
Some people make their own binder and pigment. I stay away from making my own binder because it tends to mold as it ages. I have sourced pigments from all over the world and have built up my home studio collection.
If you would like to make your own pigment, check out my article on homemade lake pigments.
If you would like to make your own binder, check out my article on homemade watercolor binder.
If you do not wish to make your own pigment or binder, you can find them all over the internet - they are easy to buy!
From here on out, it's easy. Just mix your binder and pigment together, using a ratio of about 1:1 binder to pigment. The less binder used, the more pigment the paint has. Now use the muller to grind all the particles into a melted chocolate consistency. It’d doesn’t take long but you will be able to tell when it’s done when the gritty paint turns smooth.
Do not add water. If you decide to go against my advice on adding water, make sure it is distilled to prevent molding.
Scrape all the extra paint into the middle of the slab and continue mulling until satisfied. Scrape into a pan.
And that's it! You can use it wet or let it dry before using. If you are using a watercolor pan, you may need to layer it as it dries. For example, fill halfway, let it dry for a week, and then fill the rest of the way and let it dry again. Or do it in thirds. You do you! Happy painting!