Watercolour paint

You need:
pigment
gum Arabic granules, 100 g
water, 200 cc.
glycerine, 30 cc.
liquid honey, 30 cc.
ox gall, 6 drops
water and detergent to clean equipment and brushes.
spikenard oil, a few drops
pipette / medicine dropper
indented palette
nylon stocking
beaker with water
jar with lid

Put the gum Arabic granules in the nylon stocking. Allow them to dissolve in water in a closed pot for about 5 days. Dispose of the stocking when the gum has dissolved. Impurities, if any, remain in the stocking.
Add honey, glycerine and ox gall to the solution. The binder is now ready for use. If needed, add 5 drops spikenard oil as a conserving agent. Take your palette and fill the indentations with one-half of a levelled teaspoon of the pigment of your choice. Fill the pipette with binder and add a little to each indentation. Stir with a brush until you get a paint. Use a different brush for each colour.

Handy tips
For best results, first grind the pigment out on a glass plate. The use of glycerine gives a better ‘wash’ technique. Honey keeps the paint smooth. The spikenard oil vaporises over the binder and thus stops it degrading. As long as you can smell the oil, it’s doing its job. Store the binder in the refrigerator.
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