Handmade Watercolor Binder Recipe & Video | Miss Mustard Seed (2024)

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I’ve lately felt like I needed new creative pursuits. It’s not that I don’t have enough, but I’ve felt the need to try new things, to be a beginner, and to create something without any expectation on the outcome. I’ve just needed creative process. Maybe it’s because of weariness from the pandemic or weariness from writing, styling, and shooting a book, or a combination of everything. As I shared in my post about the pigments from Choosing Keeping last week, something I bought as a “book gift” for myself, this was also an exploration of what big things might come next. It doesn’t mean that mixing my own paints is what’s next, but it’s something I’m curious and drawn to, so I’m allowing myself time to explore it, knowing that one new creative endeavor can lead to another. Knowing that discovery sparks more ideas. And I thought I would share the process with you for others who are curious and drawn. So, today, I’m sharing how I made my own handmade watercolor binder along with the recipes, tools, and materials I used.

Of course, these are the pigments that have been calling my name for a while.

THIS is the original handmade watercolor binder recipe source I started with. Making paint is a bit like baking. It does require precision, but there are substitutions and adjustments that can be made depending on your preferences. That flexibility is nice, but it can be frustrating when you want a tried and true recipe for something! Like baking, though, so many factors come into play from the specific ingredients you’re using to the humidity. It takes practice and patience and then you’ll develop a feel for it. Someone who makes bread enough just knows what a good dough looks and feels like. The same will be true for paint.

I’ll walk you through the ingredients, tools, and steps, but there is a printed recipe below to make things easier if you want to try the recipe.

handmade watercolor recipe ingredients

• Pigments – color (I share more about the pigments from Choosing Keeping in THIS post. Also, have a mask to wear that will filter fine particles to wear when working with pigments in powdered form. Not all pigments are toxic, but it’s always best to prevent powders from going into your lungs!)
• Gum Arabic powder (binder)
• Hot, distilled water
• Honey and/or glycerin (preservative and binder)
• Clove essential oil (preservative)
• Ox Gall (increases flow)

handmade watercolor recipe tools

• Pipette
• Measuring spoons/cups
• Palette knife
• Scraper
• Glass palette
• Muller
• Aluminum paint tubes or empty paint pans, ceramic palettes, or paint pots

I picked some new and vintage options…

• Mortar & pestle

Here are some new & vintage mortar & pestle options…

• Small stainer
• whisk
• jar or bowl for mixing (THIS is the one I’m using)

handmade watercolor recipe steps

1. Mix together – 1 cup hot distilled water, ½ cup gum Arabic powder, 1/5 cup honey and/or glycerin (I mixed equal parts of box), two drops clove essential oil, two drops ox gall (optional)
2. In a separate bowl, mix 1 Tbsp. honey with 9 Tbsp. of the above mixture (1:9)
3. Mix watercolor base with pigment starting at a 1:1 ratio. Adjust as needed depending on the color. Mix with a palette knife and then mull. The pigment is bound when color won’t rub off of a painted swatch. Store mixed paint in paint tubes or let dry into cakes or pans. Store watercolor base mixture in the refrigerator for about a week.

On the YouTube video, someone left a comment that says, “So that’s it?” I’m not sure if she’s asking that because it seems so simple or because I didn’t provide enough information! So, let me know if there is something I didn’t cover with enough clarity. Of course, remember that I’m just learning myself! This first batch is based on a reliable recipe, but it’s still going to take some testing with different pigments to really get it right. I can say that my homemade watercolors worked, so we’re off to a solid start.

In my next post in this series, I’ll share all of the details of mixing up a small palette of five colors and what I learned from that process. (You can find that post HERE.)

And, those who get it, get it, but one of the things I enjoyed most was taking video and photos of this process! I find art supplies to be so beautiful and I enjoyed working with them and admiring them in a new way.

I’m also going to share why I selected these colors and how I explored them through creating color wheels.

Whether you like art, sewing, writing, photography, needlework, decorating, or a little bit of everything, I hope you give yourself the time and space to explore things you’re curious about and feel drawn to. It’s not just creative work, but it’s the kind of work that’s good for the soul. It nurtures and there is something therapeutic about it.

And, I think we could all use a little nurturing and therapy now and then.

You can find the post on mixing and swatching the handmade watercolor paints HERE.

Here is the printable recipe…