Don’t get me wrong, I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but as a business owner, I consider it my ethical responsibility to be as respectful to our planet as possible. That being said, did you know I ONLY use Watercolor Paints that are Vegan? Seriously, all the paints in your DIY Watercolor Kit are produced without animals or animal by-products!
How is that possible? Watercolor Paint is beautiful in its simplicity, and I don’t just mean that elegant, transparent, aesthetic! This type of paint is made of just a few ingredients!
- Pigment
- Binder
- Water
- Additives
Pigments are colors that come from the Earth. For example, a green leaf might be crushed into a powdered form and then, using the other ingredients, be turned into the color “Viridian Green.” Most colors can be found from the Earth, but these days, a lot of colors are synthetic.
The Binder is almost always Gum Arabic- a type of sap from trees that acts as a “glue.” Without gum arabic, the color would just flake off the paper once it’s dry!
Water… because duh, watercolor. It dilutes the color, so it is actually paint.
And lastly, ADDITIVES. This is where things get tricky. Some companies use honey (not vegan) or glycerin. Unfortunately, the most common additive is Ox Gall, which is a dark fluid that’s in the livers of animals. Companies typically get Ox Gall from the cattle industry. DEFINITELY NOT VEGAN. With all this said, there are some companies, like QOR that use synthetic ox gall. Or even, Holbein, which doesn’t use ox gall at all except in the color Ivory Black.
If you’re curious, check out this website for a complete list of Vegan Watercolor Paints!
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Also in All Things Watercolor
The Two Most Basic Watercolor Techniques
You’re gonna want to SAVE this tutorial for later! These are the two most basic watercolor techniques you need to know!
Wet on Dry: this means the paint is wet but the paper is dry. You’ll get very precise brushstrokes this way- necessary for details!
Wet on Wet: this means the paint is wet AND the paper is wet! Use clean, clear, water for a light coat. Not so much water that your paper will buckle, but just enough so the water will absorb into the top layer. (Check out my tutorial called “The Perfect Amount of Water,” for more help!) Then, drop wet paint onto the wet surface and let it blossom!
Need more watercolor help? Drop your questions in the comments for more tutorials!
The Perfect Amount of Water
A Mini Watercolor Tutorial by MayaxKiwi
How much water do you need on your brush? This video guides you on the perfect ratio of water to paint using the Pentel Aquash Brushpen- perfect for beginners!
This brushpen is included in all the DIY Watercolor Kits on mayaxkiwi.com! With over 70 easy and intermediate designs to choose from, its the simplest way to learn watercolor!
Blurring Watercolor LInes!
If you want to learn how to blur those harsh watercolor lines, watch this! You can seriously up your watercolor game with this skill by blending your colors smoothly! Use plenty of water and work your way inwards!!
For my latest mini-tutorials, follow me on Instagram @mayaxkiwi
And as always, if you liked this video, you will LOVE my DIY Watercolor Kits! Choose from over 70 easy and intermediate designs on mayaxkiwi.com