Watercolor & Ink Binder Recipe

This binder can be added to your lake pigment or earth pigment extractions to create a dried watercolor paint pan.

Watercolor Binder Recipe

The recipe below can be used as a binder for watercolor paints. Premade gum Arabic solutions are also available for purchase, though they tend to be more expensive. This recipe can be easily scaled up or down to suit your needs.

2 cups (250 mL) water

1 cup (125 g) powdered gum arabic

4 tbsp honey or glycerine (will help speed up re-wetting dried paint)

3-5 drops of pure clove oil (antimicrobial agent)

Heat the water and gum arabic powder on medium-low on the stovetop. Stir frequently and do not allow to boil. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, skim the foam off the top, stir in honey if using, and transfer the mixture to a jar for storage. Any remaining clumps of powder should fully dissolve within a day or two. Add 3-5 drops of clove oil, which will help reduce microbial growth. The solution can be stored in the refrigerator for a month or longer if bacterial growth is absent.

Ink Binder Recipe

This recipe uses less gum arabic than the watercolor binder and omits the honey.

2 cups (250 mL) water

1/4 cup (32 g) powdered gum arabic

3-5 drops of pure clove oil (antimicrobial agent)