Making vegan watercolour paint || A look into my sustainable art studio
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
- Welcome (back) to my channel! In this video you will get a look into my sustainable art studio while I make my own vegan watercolour paint.
I started making vegan watercolour paint, because I have a line of vegan PhD theses with my company GreenThesis. I wanted to be able to offer completely vegan design too.
So why vegan watercolour paint? Regular watercolour paint uses a variety of animal-derived products. Most paints for example contain ox gall and/or glycerine made from animal fat. In my previous watercolour paint recipe I already eliminated these animal-based ingredients by using plant-based glycerine and skipping the ox gall altogether. However, I did use honey, which isn't vegan either, so I decided to also search for alternatives to honey, and I'm very happy with the results. In addition, I also don't use animal-derived pigments in my vegan paints (for example bone black, eggshell white, carmine and sepia). On a side note, paper also isn't necessarily vegan, because they are often sized using for example gelatin, made from animal bones. Thus I also searched for vegan paper alternatives and my favourite vegan paper to use for my vegan designs is now agave or bamboo paper by Hahnemuhle, which is certified vegan.
The paint I make today uses French ochre, basically soil, which I ground, sift and purify to get a fine pigment. The pigment is then used to make watercolour paint, using my own vegan watercolour binder.
I love making my own paint. It takes a lot of work for just one color, usually several hours if you make everything from scratch, but it is so satisfying, and it really lets you connect to the source of art, the raw materials. Fortunately, with watercolour paint, a little goes a long way, so the paint I make will last for months.
For those interested: for my vegan binder I used gum arabic, distilled water and vegetable glycerine (1:2:1 ratio), and a drop of clove oil as a natural preservative.
If you try your hand at making your own watercolour paint at home, please take the proper precautions, such as protective gear, and only use non-toxic materials. This video is meant as an inspirational video only.
=====
© Elma Hogeboom 2021. All rights reserved.
Great video! Very informative and relaxing! Thank you!❤
I love how you extend the art of watercoloring to creating the actual medium to make handmade paints.
Thanks Sam, I really love to experiment with materials in a natural and organic way, by using my local environment (mostly my garden). There are actually many natural binders that can be used for making your own materials that are completely biodegradable and non-toxic to the artist and the environment. I once made a binder with a kind of see-weed that is used in traditional paper marbling, but also other (local) tree saps can be used as a substitute for gum Arabic. Lots of fun to experiment with and get a new appreciation of my local surroundings in that way!
Thank you so much for sharing
this looks really fun to do!
Glad to hear!
Hiii! This is so wonderful!Wanted to ask... Where do you find your pigments?
Thanks so much! I usually buy my pigments from trusted stores. That way I know there won't be harmful contaminants in my pigments (as opposed to for example foraged pigments from unknown soils). My go-to places are 'Verfmolen de Kat', translated "Paint mill the Cat" in the Netherlands. I also buy from Kremer Pigments in Germany, and also love Cornelissen in the UK. Another store that has nice pigments is Nila Colori in Italy. But I would advise, even when buying from one of these, to check for pigment toxicity. I always choose natural pigments such as ochres, and personally strongly advise against for example cadmium- or cobalt-based pigments.
The pigment in the video is, however, a natural foraged ochre. When using that, I am extra careful with first of all knowing where it came from, and second my laboratory hygienic measures and taking proper precautions, such as a respirator etc. I also occasionally make my own (lake) pigments from natural pigments in and around my own garden. I have another video about this on my channel (called making black walnut lake pigment). Hope this helps!
@@elmahogeboom thank you so much! You are so kind, this Is extremely helpful ❤️
Hey there! Thank you for the video. Where did you buy your pigments? Is it possible to make your own?
Thanks so much! I usually buy my pigments from trusted stores. That way I know there won't be harmful contaminants in my pigments (as opposed to for example foraged pigments from unknown soils). My go-to places are 'Verfmolen de Kat', translated "Paint mill the Cat" in the Netherlands. I also buy from Kremer Pigments in Germany, and also love Cornelissen in the UK. Another store that has nice pigments is Nila Colori in Italy. But I would advise, even when buying from one of these stores, to check for pigment toxicity whenever trying your hand at making your own paint. I always choose natural pigments such as ochres, and strongly advise against for example cadmium- or cobalt-based pigments.
The pigment in the video is, a natural foraged ochre. When using that, I am extra careful with first of all knowing where it came from, and second my laboratory hygienic measures and taking proper precautions, such as a respirator etc. I also occasionally make my own (lake) pigments from natural pigments in and around my own garden. I have another video about this on my channel (called making black walnut lake pigment). Hope this helps!
this is so useful to see thank you! how do you store the paint once it’s made?
Hi Camellia, I'm so glad to hear that! I store the paint in little pans and let them 'cure' which basically means harden and dry out. After that you can just store them in a tin it box and it should keep for a very long time, as long as you don't forget the clove essential oil and don't use too much additional water during the paint making process.
@@elmahogeboom thank you!! i found some pigment rocks in my garden so i've been wanting to try this out
Thanks for posting this! I know many people also use honey in their binder, could this be substituted with agave syrup?
Hi Mar, thanks for this interesting question! Yes, I have heard of substitution of honey with agave syrup. I haven't tried it myself yet though, so I cannot tell you about the way it would influence the way the paint behaves. It would make a nice experiment though, have fun experimenting!
Hello again. I am a beginner and want to create a small versatile palette of eco-friendly colors. Are there select colors/pigments or brand(s) you recommend for such a purpose. I live in the woods in a small cabin. My gray water goes straight to the ground surface (away from running water). It does not go into a septic tank or a water treatment facility. I don't want to have to collect my brush rinse water and bring it to a waste facility in town.
I've spent a lot of time reading up on pigments, including various manufacturer's safety datasheets. I haven't found one major brand that is truly dedicated to creating non-toxic eco-friendly watercolors. I guess too many artist artists want their colbalt blues and cadmium yellows. Da Vinci does offer a "Denise's Earth Friendly Da Vinci Watercolor Palette", not easily available in Canada where I live. For now, I've settle on the Daniel Smith's Essential set, which includes six split primaries: hansa yellow (py3), quinacridone rose (PV19), phthalo blue green shade(PB15:3), new gambage (PY97/PY110), pyrrol scarlet (PR255)m and French ultramarine (PB29).
Hi Sam, thanks for the interesting question! I dove a little deeper into research around the pigments you mention. I just sent you an emaial as it became quite a long response. Hope that helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out again!
Hi what are your ratios of clove oil, gum Arabic solution and vegetable glycerin?
Hi! I used (powdered) gum arabic, distilled water and vegetable glycerine in a 1:2:1 ratio, and a drop of clove oil as a natural preservative.
@@elmahogeboom THANKS !!
Why is this vegan? And why would that matter? I didn't know watercolour paint wasn't vegan to begin with!
Hi Anthony, thanks for your question. Watercolour paint from the big brands usually has for example ox gall in it, which is exactly that, bile from a cow. Ox gall improves flow for the paint, but is otherwise a completely unnecessary ingredient. There are also several other animal-derived ingredients in watercolours, like some pigments, other binder ingredients etc. As I have several vegan clients in my company that come to me for vegan art and design, I decided to make a vegan watercolour formulation to use when I make art for them.