Hello everyone! I have finally decided to be brave and try making my own paints, from powdered pigments. I haven't tried yet to start from the mineral forms, that will be for next time! I did start with yellow ochre and terre verte; I mixed the pigments with a solution of gum arabic, that I added slowly to the pigment, and some drops of water. I then mixed the pigment on a glass slab and a glass muller. I tried on paper, and the paint when dry didn't smudge, so I assumed there was enough binder. Once dry, this is my result ; is the cracking I got normal? Or is this showing me I put too much/too little binder? Any advice is welcome, thanks everyone!! 🌷
Me too! I hope so, there is so much to see Stateside - so many galleries and collections.
Yes - I think you should! Those are good earth colours Mary and France is also a good source of pigments. For me it's been a long time since I used acrylics and I probably am really rusty now... once I made the switch to oil paints in my teenage years there was no going back for me (you can also use your pigments to make oil paints if that's your thing - just add oil instead of water and gum arabic!) I sometimes teach paint making as part of my Rocks class depending on interest. I'd love to visit the Getty Centre!
I'm glad to see this post here, because I was wondering if I should try to make water-based paint from my pigments, particularly the yellow ocher and terre verte I purchased during a visit to Roussillon, France. At the time I was so thrilled to be able to find pigments from earth, having never seen them in an art supply store! I've never tried to mix with gum arabic and honey (we were given a recipe at a manuscript painting class at the Getty Center (Los Angeles)). But I did use some of the pigments with acrylic medium and use on some abstract paintings in a larger scale. I think for now I will stick with a "keep it simple" approach, at least while painting rocks in your Earth class.
Thanks so much for your answer Vaishali! That's so helpful, thank you for sharing this with us! I did test today the burnishing, and it worked!! I'm so excited to start painting with those, I totally see what you mean about diving into a rabbit hole... It's so nice to learn making our own materials, and start making art with them!! I love green earth too!! I have to say the origin of this one is a mystery, it's a birthday gift from a dear friend :-) Next step would be to start from the mineral forms, but baby steps, I'll get going with powdered ones first!! I got most of my other pigments from Le Sennelier or Kremer, there are the easiest suppliers for me in Belgium. Can't wait to be able to get back to London though and have a look around Cornellissen!! Thanks again so much for your help, I'll keep everyone posted on the forum on my journey!! 🌷
Cracking is normal. I am - strangely for me! - a kind of 'minimalist' when it comes to handmade paints and don't add honey/glycerin etc (which can help with the cracking, is also aesthetic), just gum arabic and water. Cracking has nothing to do if the paint works as a miniature painting paint... if it can burnish well without flaking off then, it works. The real test is to burnish the paints. Hopefully that worked! And well done for trying to make your own handmade paints, it's (yet another) rabbit hole to dive deep into... so many colours! I LOVE Terre verte aka green earth, is one of my favourite colours! Where is yours from?