Recipe: Natural Gouache Paint
Posted by Natural Earth Paint & Darrin Johnson on Jul 19th 2021
Gouache is a beautiful, water-based artist paint, similar to acrylic or an opaque watercolor. Learn how to make your own natural gouache paint below!
Supplies:
- Earth & Mineral Pigments
- Gum Arabic Powder
- Natural Impasto Medium
- Honey (for a vegan version, use glycerin)
- Optional: clove or thyme essential oil (mild preservatives)
Instructions:
Part 1: Creating the Gouache Base
Step 1: Mix 1 cup hot water with ½ cup Gum Arabic Powder
Step 2: Add 1/5 cup honey or glycerin to the water and gum arabic mixture. At this stage, if you choose to use a preservative, add two drops of clove or thyme essential oil to help preserve your gouache paint.
Step 3: In separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of honey or glycerin with 9 tablespoons of the water, gum arabic, and honey/glycerin mixture.
Part 2: Create the Pigment & Limestone Mixture
Step 4: Measure out 6 teaspoons of Earth & Mineral Pigment (we used Ultramarine Purple!).
Step 5: Add 1 teaspoon of Natural Impasto Medium to the pigment and mix until evenly distributed.
Part 3: Create the Gouache Paint
Step 6: Mix one part gouache base with one part pigment and limestone mixture. For example, mix 1 tablespoon of base and 1 tablespoon of the pigment and limestone mixture. Adjust the ratio as needed; as all pigments absorb binder differently, you may need to experiment to achieve the desired paint texture.
Step 7: Paint away!
Storage: Store the gouache paint in airtight jar or aluminum tube. Refrigerate to prolong the paint's shelf life.
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