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!
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in All Things Watercolor
How to Paint Acrylic to look like Watercolor
Blending Watercolors
Let me show you how to blend watercolors together using two different techniques!
The the wet-on-dry method requires you to mix two colors together for the middle section. This is a great way to get your gradient to be soft and smooth!
The wet-on-wet method allows the water to do all the work for you and leaves behind a beautiful bloom or texture!
Which result do you like best?
"Erasing" Watercolor Mistakes
We all make mess up our watercolor paintings sometimes, even me! (Frequently my foster kittens.)
Lifting is the process of removing watercolor pigment from your papers surface with a paper towel or sometimes a dry brush.
PRO TIP: using an untextured soft paper towel works miracles! Some napkins and towels tear or leave behind bits of material. Viva Cloth-like Paper Towels are my absolute favorite and must-have for any watercolorist! This is not sponsored or endorsed- I’m saying this because it’s true! Good luck!