How To Make Your Own Watercolor Paint

Save loads of money by making your own watercolor paints. In this video I show you exactly how to make your own paint with a recipe so simple it'll surprise you. PLUS a look at Featured Artist Makodo Endo. Here are links to all the supplies I mention in the video:

Please support the channel:

Gamblin raw pigments:

Schmincke Gum Arabic:

Instructions (Recipe/Formula) from Handprint:

More information on how to make watercolor paints:

Visit Makoto Endo's website here:

Credits:
Video production and content: Marty Owings

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Contact me directly.

Follow along and have fun!

For more on my Artistic journey, visit:

I buy all the materials I review on the channel unless otherwise stated. I strive to be fair to every product, however my first responsibility is to the Viewers and Artists who watch and support this channel. - Marty Owings

[alistewart]

Oh Marty, you are killing me. I already make soap, candles, and lotions - - in addition to sewing, knitting, dyeing yarn, and painting and drawing. Now you tempt my maker spirit with this! 😯

[nokiot]

I can’t believe the markup on half pans. It’s insane. Since I discovered this I haven’t bought any paint. I just make it myself. I use honey mesquite gum instead of gum Arabic tho. Makes it smell smoky and is way more flexible. Activates way faster and counter intuitively layers better

[TerrieJohnson]

Also making charcoal paint is really easy and Schminke Horadam almost got me on that one too! Making my own.

[TammyLeeRainey]

Awesome!! I totally agree with the know how, and money saved. Thank you and God Bless you

[lorijones]

4 oz. of Gamblin Burnt Sienna pigment from Dick Blick is $5.97, so I think you did overspend on this project, but great video and it is something I want to try sometime.

[steppythegirl]

You can save way more if you buy in bigger quantities and of the brand Kremer, and even more if you make the gum arabic solution yourself from lumps :) I think i paid about 30 dollars for a kilogram(!) of gum arabic (which is insane and will last me for a lifetime), and then earth-pigments costs about 18 dollars per kilogram, or around 6-7 dollars for a small pack of 100 grams. And these prices are btw the high-tax-prices of Norway - will probably cost even less in USA.
I made a video about how i make my paints, if you are interested in watching :)

[hovawart]

Thank you for working out the economics. I actually have three bottles of pigment that I've acquired over the years, and a bottle of gum arabic, and I'm sure going to make up some of my own pans now!

[ianjackson]

its a good idea to add oxgall to is as this will make the paint flow better and rewet. also a good tip is line the empty pan with greaseproof paper well above the pan height and fill well over the top as most paints shrink a lot. thank for the video

[renmuffett]

Awesome video Marty! I love this. I think I would choose either Corn Syrup or Honey over sugar because syrup will have a longer shelf life than products made with sugar. This is due to the fructose content of the syrup and honey, because fructose binds more water than sugar. Also, a drop of Glycerin will allow the paint to be rewet and dispersed easily once dried for reuse. Most paint companies use more of this now but Winser & Newton only add extra in their pan paint formula.

[TerrieJohnson]

Even though this is an old video I am glad you put it up. I'm wanting to make my own pastel and subtle neutr 11:18 al shades and I am using dry pigment and also Schminke Horadam in Chalk. Those Neuvo shades that are becoming popular are easy to make. I saw a 12 set of Pastel colors for 45.00 just last night, lol. I ordered a mulling kit and the binders and ox gall. QOR gloss medium even... 62.00 for up to 100 colors. All while learning and experimenting 🎉

[starshinesoldier]

this was a super fun video! i've seen Lindsay make metallic watercolors with eyeshadow before. hahah, ive been wanting to try something like that ever since.

[denisechapel]

Hi Marty, your content never disappoints my friend! We’ve been really interested in handmade watercolor lately and I was hoping you had covered it! I don’t know how we missed this one! Thanks for demystifying the whole topic and giving us the info we needed to jump in! You and Steve are our ‘go to’ guys! BTW really enjoyed your live YouTube with Steve this week! Really interesting! Love the knowledge and advice you two generously share! Take care.

[nancyrolfe]

Very interesting. I'm trying this. Shocked when cost was figured. What talent he has!!
I'm so glad you filmed him painting. I watched it several times. Intriguing to watch and makes me wonder about the process in his mind as he works..Thanks again, Marty! I always think I have a favorite of yours. Too many great videos

[danemeow]

Thank you for this, I was looking for a simple recipe because I really just wanted to make a nice duochrome green/blue brown watercolour for a painting out of my loose pigment eyeshadow. I have actually a few different kinds of that colour as loose eyeshadow pigment because I love the colour so much. And all my pigments are all natural only pigment except maybe the MAC one, so I think they will work great. Thank you!!

[heartchitect]

I can't believe I'm actually getting inspired by this stuff, and it's just for the fun of creating. To hear that it could save money, oh my!!

[paulageart]

Love your tutorial, Marty! I have more paint than I could ever use in several lifetimes, but I think it would be fun to make 6 paint colors - warm and cool shades of yellow, red and blue! You can get the empty half pans for 25 cents each on Amazon and save even more!
Paula in Florida

[jengoodwyn]

I think it's so cool that you feature other artists. 😊

[panteraignis]

Wow, thank you for sharing. This is very inspirational and I've been toying with the idea of trying to make my own paints sometime, but I wasn't very sure where I could start from. Your video gives a very thorough explanation. I'd love to try this out sometime!

[Cryptichroma]

This was eye-opening! I had no idea it was so easy and economical to make my own - and I could see me using 50 burnt siennas. I have to laugh though at your pronunciation of "egg tempura" because it's making me realise I forgot my lunch and now I'm hungry.

[ShellyParchman]

Thanks Marty! I thought about making my own paints, but it seemed like such an ordeal. This is easy and it looks fun.