You can make your own gum arabic by mixing 250 ml of water & 3 table spoons of powdered gum arabic resin. Add the water and resin to a saucepan and heat to just below boiling stirring constantly until all the resin has dissolved, the gum arabic liquid should be fluid and easy to drip, I make my paints by adding liquid gum arabic to mica powder until it is the consistency of liquid soap, let dry thoroughly then cap.
@miruchankitsu You could use any water based ink to color macro pearl or micro pearl mica but you still need the mica powder and gum arabic to get a dry cake. Ink alone won't do that. Pigment powders or dye powder could also be used as a coloring agent for the micro or macro pearl mica powder. The gum arabic is needed to bind the product together and to make the paint stick to the paper when it is used.
@miruchankitsu it is.... but with watercolors you have to be more careful with the pigmetns, you want to make sure you mix the right amounts and depending on what colors you want, as well as how opaque you want them to be, but usually homemade wc are kinda opaque to begin with.
On the website from 'pearl ex' they say: Mix 4 parts Pearl Ex to 1 part Gum Arabic and add water to desired consistency for a watercolor paint. If mixing in a plastic well palette, this mixture can dry out and become reconstituted with water.
@mookie2shoes I picked up the Pearl Ex at Hobby Lobby and Michaels and the gum arabic in liquid form from Hobby Lobby and the powdered form from Summer CHA super show 2010 although you can find it on line if you Google it.
@miruchankitsu You have to add the liquid a few drops at a time. You may also need a filler so that it dries as a cake. I have not used dry pigments before without the mica.
No they work a bit differently. If you choose to keep your paint in air tight containers and want them to stay a bit soft, then use a little glycerin. Keep in mind, if you use too much, you may see what looks like greasy spots around the area you color as the glycerin bleeds out into the paper. You have more play with the gum arabic as a sticker.
Respond to this video... Pigment ink has glycerin in it and would need to be thoroughly mixed with water first. It doesn't automatically dissolve in water without a bit of agitation.Then the mica powder and tinted water could be mixed together. The other problem with using pigment ink is that the pigment may separate out of the water before the cake has time to dry completely. I would have to test it out to see if that would be a problem. I think I may make a new vid and address this.
Making iridescent watercolor paint is easy just buy a bottle of iridescent watercolor medium - winsor newton makes one. Why buy perfect pearls to make watercolor paint? Perfect Pearls is really a dry media to be used with embossing powders. Its true you can buy dry powdered pigments & by adding Gum Arabic make your watercolors but you really need a mortar & pestle to get them ground together into a smooth mixture. Using sticks or spoons won't mix the gum and the powdered additive well enough to not have gritty lumps. Pigments don't disperse well into liguids unless you grind them into fine bits.
Dear MartYokawonis,She can combine any color she like and it is funny to make it by hand . You are right : Pigments don't disperse well into liguids unless you grind them into fine bits. Are you engineer on the water color or the factory owner? I am a manfacturer of spray dried arabic gum powder .
sound like you may have used too much water. Stir. stir and stir with a few drops of water at a time. The powder will incorporate. It just takes a little time.
You're welcome! If you can get Ranger products (Tim Holtz) their product is called perfect pearls and it already has a binder in it so you just add water. Pearl Ex is the other product that i like to use.
Thanks a lot,i was wondering how i could use the pearl-ex with the fluid gum,because other peep have those powder,i don't!! Thanks a lot to share, warm hugs XXXXXXXXXXXXX
After seeing your very dark, hard to see video, I am steering clear of this product. You need to be a mad scientist to deal with this stuff. Too many steps.
i think it would be cheaper by far (and less trouble) to just buy the individual paints. buying all of the individual ingredients is too expensive. I don't think this way is better but thanks for sharing.
thanks. i have been holding gum arabic for several years and now can make watercolor with my students. nice video.
You can make your own gum arabic by mixing 250 ml of water & 3 table spoons of powdered gum arabic resin.
Add the water and resin to a saucepan and heat to just below boiling stirring constantly until all the resin has dissolved, the gum arabic liquid should be fluid and easy to drip, I make my paints by adding liquid gum arabic to mica powder until it is the consistency of liquid soap, let dry thoroughly then cap.
wow you are so clever. Im so gonna buy that gum arabic and make my own. I have loads of shimmering micas. Thanks for sharing.
@miruchankitsu You could use any water based ink to color macro pearl or micro pearl mica but you still need the mica powder and gum arabic to get a dry cake. Ink alone won't do that. Pigment powders or dye powder could also be used as a coloring agent for the micro or macro pearl mica powder. The gum arabic is needed to bind the product together and to make the paint stick to the paper when it is used.
Lovely, thank you for sharing! Have lots of mica here and Gum Arabic- far cheaper to make than buy the mica watercolor pans.
@miruchankitsu it is.... but with watercolors you have to be more careful with the pigmetns, you want to make sure you mix the right amounts and depending on what colors you want, as well as how opaque you want them to be, but usually homemade wc are kinda opaque to begin with.
@JannyMouse Glad you found this helpful! Have fun making your own colors!
On the website from 'pearl ex' they say:
Mix 4 parts Pearl Ex to 1 part Gum Arabic and add water to desired consistency for a watercolor paint. If mixing in a plastic well palette, this mixture can dry out and become reconstituted with water.
@mookie2shoes I picked up the Pearl Ex at Hobby Lobby and Michaels and the gum arabic in liquid form from Hobby Lobby and the powdered form from Summer CHA super show 2010 although you can find it on line if you Google it.
Gum arabic is a binder, it makes the CAKE so that the Pearl Ex doesnt fall apart...it's the "GLUE" if you will...
@ayellessnuffelhoek
Yes, let the mixture dry completely and use a damp brush to apply the watercolor to your art work.
Still relevant! Thanks & Cheers!
thank you wonderful demo.
@miruchankitsu You have to add the liquid a few drops at a time. You may also need a filler so that it dries as a cake. I have not used dry pigments before without the mica.
No they work a bit differently. If you choose to keep your paint in air tight containers and want them to stay a bit soft, then use a little glycerin. Keep in mind, if you use too much, you may see what looks like greasy spots around the area you color as the glycerin bleeds out into the paper. You have more play with the gum arabic as a sticker.
Respond to this video...
Pigment ink has glycerin in it and would need to be thoroughly mixed with water first. It doesn't automatically dissolve in water without a bit of agitation.Then the mica powder and tinted water could be mixed together. The other problem with using pigment ink is that the pigment may separate out of the water before the cake has time to dry completely. I would have to test it out to see if that would be a problem.
I think I may make a new vid and address this.
Thanks for posting this! I can't find any Twinkling H2o's locally; I do have Pearl Ex powder though.
I have the same spoon ...LOL.. great video :0)
Thanks, but sure wish you had added it to a watercolor painting that was already started to show us the effect.
Making iridescent watercolor paint is easy just buy a bottle of iridescent watercolor medium - winsor newton makes one. Why buy perfect pearls to make watercolor paint? Perfect Pearls is really a dry media to be used with embossing powders. Its true you can buy dry powdered pigments & by adding Gum Arabic make your watercolors but you really need a mortar & pestle to get them ground together into a smooth mixture. Using sticks or spoons won't mix the gum and the powdered additive well enough to not have gritty lumps. Pigments don't disperse well into liguids unless you grind them into fine bits.
Dear MartYokawonis,She can combine any color she like and it is funny to make it by hand .
You are right : Pigments don't disperse well into liguids unless you grind them into fine bits.
Are you engineer on the water color or the factory owner?
I am a manfacturer of spray dried arabic gum powder .
@miruchankitsu This is a great question. I will address it in depth in a future video.
sound like you may have used too much water. Stir. stir and stir with a few drops of water at a time. The powder will incorporate. It just takes a little time.
hi, thanks for making the video, i am trying to get some pearlesque powder in uk, just wondering if you knew ant brand names i could ask for ?
You're welcome! If you can get Ranger products (Tim Holtz) their product is called perfect pearls and it already has a binder in it so you just add water. Pearl Ex is the other product that i like to use.
Jaquard pearl-ex powders are available in the UK, the USA, Australia, Canada and NZ, they come in 3gr & 10 gr pots,
Thw gum arabic is necessary because there is no binder in PealEx.
I have some pearl x and how I will make my own paint Thank you.
Thanks a lot,i was wondering how i could use the pearl-ex with the fluid gum,because other peep have those powder,i don't!!
Thanks a lot to share,
warm hugs
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Can glycerin serve the same purpose as the gum
After seeing your very dark, hard to see video, I am steering clear of this product. You need to be a mad scientist to deal with this stuff. Too many steps.
i think it would be cheaper by far (and less trouble) to just buy the individual paints. buying all of the individual ingredients is too expensive. I don't think this way is better but thanks for sharing.