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Contents

• Introduction
• Gum Arabic Preparation
• Gum Tragacanth
• Watercolor Preperation
• Gouache Prepartion

Introduction

Watercolor is a truly universal technique, being a safe, cost-effective application for children and beginners. Yet it is an extremely challenging technique that calls upon great technical skill and spontaneity from an artist. Watercolor application has its beauty in transparency and the luminosity of pigments against a background of stark, white paper.

Gouache shares the same simple application, but with the addition of whiting becomes opaque. Watercolor has been employed in every period of painting, however it flourished in England during the eighteenth century. Today American artists have contributed the largest and most varied amount of watercolor work. The binder in watercolors is water-soluble, usually plant based gums such as Gum Arabic or Gum Tragacanth. Here we provide the instructions for preparing these gums along with a recipe for using them to create a watercolor paint.

Gum Arabic Preparation

The ratio is 1 part gum to 2 parts water. Boil water and pour over the powdered gum, stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Add drops of Clove Oil to retard spoilage. Allow the mixture to soak 24-48 hours for full absorption.
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Gum Tragacanth

In addition to Gum Arabic, you can also use Gum Tragacanth for watercolors. The procedure would be the same except for a smaller amount of Tragacanth: After complete absorption it is recommended that you filter it through cheesecloth to be sure there are no remaining inconsistencies.
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Watercolor Preperation

• Prepared Gum solution (Arabic or Tragacanth)
• Honey (Acacia is preferable) in a 10% proportion to the weight of Gum solution used
• Pigments

Mix all the ingredients and crush them on a glass plate using a spatula to obtain a paste with a thick, creamy consistency. It is recommended that you finish the mixture by crushing it with a glass muller (available at art supply stores). Transfer your paints to saucers for painting. When creating your initial gum, you may wish to add Glycerin as a plasticizer to prevent cracking and brittleness. The ratio would be 1 part Glycerin or less by volume to 5 parts of your prepared gum solution. Add the Glycerin after gum has been completely dissolved but while still warm.
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Gouache Prepartion

Gouache is a watercolor that is opaque rather than transparent. To achieve this, one simply mixes in Whiting Chalk as a "load". The ratio is: 15% whiting chalk with respect to the volume of pigment, or 1 part whiting to six parts pigment.
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*For more information on all aspects of watercolor painting including papers, brushes, paints, "color theory," painting techniques, art instructional books, and more visit Handprint.com

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• Color Mixing Guide