Can You Make Watercolor Paints From Pigments?

Making DIY natural, non-toxic watercolor paints isn't as difficult as you might think! You can create your own palettes using pigment powders like MEYSPRING micas or metallic pigments, combined with a binding agent made of gum arabic, water, and honey to help the paint retain its moisture and reactivate after drying. Additionally, a few drops of essential oil serve as a natural preservative, providing a pleasant scent and preventing mold.

This is an incredibly enjoyable and straightforward DIY project that most people fall in love with. It allows you to create and customize colors according to your needs and preferences. It is also an excellent way to grow your knowledge about color mixing. Over and above, 100% natural watercolors made with mica powder are a great alternative to pre-packaged watercolor paints that have toxic chemicals and harmful colorants in most cases.

So now that you know it's possible to make your own natural watercolor paints, you're probably wondering how to proceed or what the actual recipe is.

How to make your own Watercolors?

As we mentioned above, watercolors are composed of pigments, binders, humectants, and preservatives. 

Pigments give the watercolor paint its color. There are many choices, such as metallic pigments, mica powders, and even glitters; however, most artists love mica powders as they give off the most vibrant color and add a shimmer effect to the paint. 

Binders act as glue, holding all ingredients together, whereas a humectant retains moisture in your watercolor paint and re-wets it. Finally, a preservative keeps your watercolor paint from molds and other bacteria. 

Now let's talk through the ingredients needed for each watercolor component.

Natural and non-toxic watercolor Ingredients

Mica powder

As briefly tackled above, mica powders make the best pigment for watercolor paints. These 100% mineral pigments are inert and do not react with the binder, but they are easy to incorporate and bring out a glossy, shimmering finish. Being highly pigmented and safe to contact most skin types makes them the real deal in paint-making. 

Gum Arabic

Gum Arabic, sometimes referred to as acacia gum, is a water-soluble gum extracted from the acacia tree. Like micas, it is also organic and non-toxic. This ingredient will act as the binder of the watercolor paint. 

Distilled Water

Water is needed to dissolve the Gum Arabic and make it suitable for mixing other ingredients. 

Honey

The honey will act as the humectant or moisturizer of the watercolor paint. It also aids when reactivating the dried paint with water.

Essential Oil

Essential oils have antibacterial properties, making them great for preventing microbial buildup in watercolor paints when you plan to use them for an extended period. In addition, the pleasant smell makes the process delightful.

How to make a watercolor binder?

The watercolor binder will glue or stick all the ingredients together, so it's essential to ensure it is properly mixed. 

Here is a step-by-step guide that you can follow. 

Step 1: Prepare your ingredients

• Gum Arabic powder 
• Hot water
• Honey 
• Essential oil

If you use Lump Gum Arabic, grind it into fine pieces with a mortar and pestle until it turns into a powder. 

Step 2: Mix Gum Arabic Powder with Hot Water 

The recommended ratio is 1:2—mix 1 part gum arabic with 2 parts hot water. Pour the gum arabic slowly and stir the mixture until the powder is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Add the Honey 

Add 1/5 part of honey to your mixture. Adding the honey will make the paint more liquid as it draws in more moisture. 

Step 4: Add the Essential Oil 

Add 3-4 drops of essential oil to help preserve your binder. You can also use vinegar as a preservative. 

Recipe example:

• 1/2 Cup Gum Arabic
• 1 Cup Hot Water
• 1/5 Cup Honey
• 3-4 drops of essential oil

You can use this binder right away, or keep it in the fridge for up to a week to mix pigment later. 

DIY Watercolor Paints - Step by Step

Making DIY watercolors with mica powders can be as enjoyable as painting, and no expertise is required. Follow this step-by-step guide, and you will indeed create stunning watercolor paints in no time. 

Step 1: Measure the binder and the mica powder 

You should mix the binder and the mica powder of your choice in a 1:1 ratio. That means that for every 1 tbsp of binder, you will need 1 tbsp of mica powder.

Step 2: Mix until thoroughly combined

Mix your binder and mica powder on a glass surface using a palette knife. You may also use a glass muller for more thorough mixing when pigments don't incorporate easily. Apply circular movements until the mixture is combined correctly. The muller is usually not necessary when working with MEYSPRING mica powders. 

Step 3: Store properly 

Most crafters pour their watercolor paints in full or half pans and store them in a metal box as in the picture below. You can also use airtight containers and refrigerate them to extend their shelf lives. 

*Handmade Natural Watercolor Paints with Mica Powders

Final thoughts 

Natural watercolor paints with mica powders and other organic ingredients are an excellent alternative to pre-packed paints. Making them is a genuinely satisfying DIY project, and the best thing is that you don't need to be an expert or use expensive ingredients or utensils! 

We hope this article inspires you to create your own palette of natural watercolor paints from mineral pigments. Don't hesitate to give it a try and let us know how you liked it in the comments below or on social media! Just use our hashtag #meyspringpigments so we can see the paints you create with our micas and this watercolor recipe.

If you are wondering about other ways to use micas in your creative projects, make sure to check our blogs for more DIY tutorials and ideas that are easy and super fun to make.