How I make watercolor paints - DIY natural eco-friendly paints

[@cindyremski3442]

Thank you so much for sharing this paint recipe. I’ve always admired how pretty the shades of watercolors are that you use - the soft pretty pastels are really lovely colors. I also love the beautiful ceramic palettes you make, especially the butterfly. The pumpkin palette is adorable too!

[@MarenaART]

Thank you, Cindy! That is so great to hear.🤗

[@LoriFahy]

I think you read my mind.. i have been thinking of making paint but had no idea how.. thanks so much for sharing x eco friendly is so important to me.. and its hard to find anything like this.

[@MarenaART]

Thank you, Lori! I am glad you wanna do that and care for eco-friendly. If it is possible why not. They are gorgeous and have amazing textures. :)

[@themoodyonejb]

Looking forward to trying this your way soon. Just ordered my ingredients, and can’t wait for them to get here.

[@MarenaART]

Hope it will turn out awesome. :) I love mine.

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

Making your own paints allows you to KNOW what it is you have and what chemicals are NOT in there. No wonder your paintings are so pure. Blessings to you.

[@MarenaART]

Thank you, Joyce! I do try to do avoid chemicals as much as I can. :)

[@jxliaalove]

well you don't eat them so :D

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

@@jxliaalove You breathe in their fumes which can kill you faster than eating them.

[@joniyoungart]

That’s amazing that you make your own paints! Good for you 😊👍🎨

[@MarenaART]

Thank you so much, Joni 😀. Even though I do not make videos about my crafts, I am also a crafter. I love doing everything myself and trying all sort of things. :)

[@ErkinYilmazArt]

Renata you are so versatile and skilled artist. Congratulations. I love the paint you make 😊🌹💖

[@MarenaART]

Thank you a lot, Erkin!

[@anitadavidson1266]

Even more talented than I realised 🎨👩‍🎨🎄👏🏻

[@MarenaART]

Thank you dear Anita! I am happy to surprise you. :)

[@cassiesmith4826]

That yellow is a beautiful shade. Perfect for skin tones I bet.

[@MarenaART]

It actually is. In combo with some red. You probably already saw my video with a girl blowing snow. :) That is a skin tone, there. Happy holidays, Cassie!

[@SoulscapeFineArt]

Absolutely great tutorial. It was great to wacth. Thanks for sharing.

[@MarenaART]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JoansJunkJournalsAndMore]

Thank you so much for leading me to this video. I will have to try to make a few paints now in the new year. This looks so simple and easy ☺♥

[@purplerider2362]

I need black for a base. Then I’m gonna use some oil pastels. I don’t like to pay for anything. So this works for me. Thank u for this video.

[@ArtCandyNepal]

Amazing artwork, this is so beautiful

[@MarenaART]

Thank you so much 😀

[@marygallo2174]

Thank you for a great video!!

[@temitopeoluwaseun]

This is amazing was it me or did o notice you didn’t mull the paints

[@MarenaART]

:) You noticed right. I do not mull them because I like them grainy. I mix them well in my cup before pouring into a pan.

[@Ilona_Mankiwska]

Wow! So interesting! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience😊

[@MarenaART]

My pleasure! Thank you for watching. :)

[@gisellesouza6660]

Amo seu trabalho, como não sei inglês, não sei qual foi o pigmento que você utilizou

[@cynthiatrombley6378]

Are Mason Stains the pigments you use to make your watercolour paints? If not could you please be specific as to what pigments you use and where to get them?7 Will these homemade paints go moldy? Thanks

[@MarenaART]

Hey, Cynthia, no I do not use Mason Stains. I use natural pigment that I get in a local store. I would recommend any natural pigment you can get where you live. They do go moldy if you do not air dry them completely when you make them. If you do, no worries about that. I have some for 3 years now and they are not moldy. Work just great. :)

[@cynthiatrombley6378]

@@MarenaART Thank you very much for responding. Can you recommend a certain brand that I can ask for? I live in a small town and may have to place a special order. Thanks for the lovely instructional videos on KZbin. I am learning a great deal. Cynthia

[@cassiesmith4826]

Do you mull it all together or just mix it? Why do others mull it?

[@MarenaART]

Hey, I think I gave you answer to that in a previous comment. :) I think people mull them when pigments are not grounded do fine. :)

[@pennypop4926]

I love your videos, they are very fun and helpful. What brand of pigment powders do you use?

[@ricardoaquino1562]

Very nice!, tank you, what was the white powder you add?

[@itsjannnnnnah3486]

I know I’m late, but are there any substitutes for the gum Arabic powder?

[@MarenaART]

Well, I am not sure there are if you are trying to make eco-friendly watercolors. I haven`t try anything else. But that is something that you should be able to find in some food stores.

[@itsjannnnnnah3486]

@@MarenaART Thank you!

[@linhagedoorn]

Thank you so much for your film! I know it's older but I was happy to found this! I made the watercolor like your description, the only thing is that it does not dry in the pans.. do you know what I did wrong?

[@MarenaART]

It should dry. Just takes a lot of the time. Couple of weeks or even more depending on the size of your pans.

[@linhagedoorn]

Thank you so much for your fast reply! 💙

[@ArtsyFartsyLovers]

Thanks for sharing this 🤶🏼🎅🏼Happy Holidays 💚💖

[@MarenaART]

Thanks! Same to you!

[@rabiakos7202]

Hello, how much it takes to dry? I put them in freezer after making, but when I put out from freezer they are melting, I really could not find what I should do for making them not melting as the normal paints?

[@MarenaART]

About month on room temperature for them to be fully dry. Do not freeze them. And do not cover them.

[@ArtistRebeccaLS]

Hi 👋 I’m looking go make natural earth pigment watercolors and noticed you did not use a muller….. I’m not wanting to use one either and wondered if they are essentiel? Such a great video you made and i will be rewatching

[@MarenaART]

I like them a bit grainy and when pigment splits. So I do not use muller. It depends on your preference.

[@cris.sandman4599]

How many grams or oz of dry pigment does it take to fill up one half pan?

[@MarenaART]

I find that each pigment is different, so I am just looking for creamy consistency, not measuring.

[@hanameta2315]

Love this DIY project. One question what is the light fast on these paints??

[@MarenaART]

I am painting with them for years now and haven`t seen any change in the color during time. I guess it depends on the pigment you are using. :)

[@pleasedelete1493]

Oh wow that’s so cool!! I didn’t know that you did that 🥰

[@MarenaART]

I do, yes.... :)

[@sammiller9855]

Do you add a bit of whitening to all your watercolors? It sounds like you're making gouache. Also what are the pigments that are you are using and where did you get them from? Thank you

[@MarenaART]

In this particular case I did add some whiting, but I also do it withouth. Colors are a bit more opaque with it. Depending on what you want to get. I use all natural pigments which I get from somewhat a local supplier.

[@kiwitiki7992]

Can we use anything else except clove oil?

[@MarenaART]

I use clove oil as a preservative, to make the liquid last longer but if you are going to mix in your colors and leave to fully air dry, you do not need it. But make sure you do not cover it because there could be some mold forming otherwise.

[@kiwitiki7992]

@@MarenaART ohhh okay! Thank you for the info, it was really helpful. Have a nice time!

[@sohailashraf6482]

I don't have Honey what can I use instead

[@kimkrizzie8364]

What other alternatives for clove oil?

[@MarenaART]

I did not use anythihg else other than clove oil. But if you will leave it to air dry right away (not put it in closed container), you could just try without it.

[@kimberleesteele6652]

Where do u buy your supplies for making your paints?

[@MarenaART]

Some online, some in local stores. 😁

[@stefanijadomitrovic9780]

Pozdrav iz Ogulina! Već neko vrijeme mislim jesi li možda iz Hrvatske i sad bih rekla po "bagremovom medu" da jesi 😃! Sviđaju mi se ove earthy boje i tvoje slike inspirirane zimom!

[@MarenaART]

ha ha ha... jesam da. Iz Hrvatske sam. Odao me med. Hvala puno! I meni. Boje su fantastične jer imaju prekrasnu granulaciju i teksturu kada se osuše. A slike prizivaju snijeg ove godine. Prošle ga kod nas u Slavoniji uopće nije bilo. Pozdrav Ogulinu!

[@manuibrasil5622]

great video! What is the "white"pigment?

[@MarenaART]

That is titanium white.

[@xochitlc.1659]

I love your channel! Question: how long can you store the mixure you use for pigments?, Thanks for sharing this, very helpful

[@MarenaART]

I store it in a refrigerator for quite some time. Few months. :)

[@lovelysweets6171]

Can we use it to paint wafer paper?

[@MarenaART]

No, not really. Even though most ingridients are edible, pigments are probably not. I would not eat them.

[@tuyetcong-ton-nu1388]

Can you just mix the natural pigment with water and use it on a painting, no binder?

[@MarenaART]

I don`t think so. They would just sit on the bottom. You can mix them with linseed oil, though, and get oil paints. :)

[@martamoskwa5031]

Hi how long does it take for paints to dry in the pan?

[@MarenaART]

About a month to month and half. 😅

[@janakasudharajesh9418]

What u use to mix in this to get a water colour paint, which will not be produced in our country. But It was good enough to have this paint in a drawing. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!😊😊😊

[@MarenaART]

I am not sure I understood what you meant. What is not produced in your country?

[@janakasudharajesh9418]

U have used some sort of chemicals right ??

[@MarenaART]

@@janakasudharajesh9418 No, nothing that is not completely natural and eco. :)

[@janakasudharajesh9418]

Ok done😊

[@Lampey22]

Hi, i don’t want to use honey, can i make it without honey??

[@MarenaART]

I never have. But you might give it a try with some maple syrup (not sure about the ratio). Let us know how it turned out.

[@irischew]

Any substitutes for clove oil.?

[@MarenaART]

I have never used anything else. But if you are going to air dry your paints straight away, maybe you could try without anything. Clove oil is a preservative, so you might need none if you are letting them to dry.

[@nochucometru9310]

hi how long is the lifespan of this watercolor paint

[@MarenaART]

I have them for 3 years now and they work great.🤗 For sure they can last lot longer. Just need to let them dry in pans. They should not be closed before they are dry because they do not have any preservatives to avoid mold.

[@joeyshields4987]

Can you make metallic graffiti mop ink??

[@MarenaART]

No, Joey, I never made those.

[@joeyshields4987]

@@MarenaART can u tho

[@yogiamani210]

Can I use food dye or color concentrates?

[@MarenaART]

Probably. But that paint should be for your practice only.

[@MarenaART]

You can try. Honestly, I did not. Those paints could be use only for you and practice. I do not think paintings would be lasting.

[@Wildflowerafternoons]

Oh. I have to see this. My husband and I were talking about the handmade brushes and I was telling him you make your pigments! Where do you get the pigments???

[@MarenaART]

Ha ha ha... You guys are funny. I do make my paints, not really pigments. That would be too crazy even for me to travel around the world and gather stones and other elements for grinding. :)

[@Wildflowerafternoons]

@@MarenaART oh. 🤣 I guess so. So, where do you buy the pigments please? Not that I’m likely to make my own paints. I’m lucky to get the paint on the brush😆 Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@sharibellchambers2381]

@@MarenaART where do you buy your pigments?

[@stormyeffects4795]

Do other oils work?

[@MarenaART]

I use this one for preserving. If you will leave your paints to air dry right away, I believe you do not need any oil at all. :)

[@curlycurlsgirls]

Hi where did you get the pigment from?

[@MarenaART]

Hey, I use eco-friendly pigments I get from a somewhat local shop. But I am sure you can use any natural pigment you can get locally or maybe online. :)

[@ek__366]

Cool good job!

[@MarenaART]

Thanks!

[@monicanirbito1306]

Hy, I love this method and honestly I've tried it before but it got moldy. I want to make watercolor with flower, and it didn't going well. May I know how long your watercolor would last long?

[@MarenaART]

Hey, I have my watercolors for over a 3 years and still use them. You just need to leave them to air dry straight away. Do not close them. Just leave them to dry completely. Then they should not get moldy.

[@monicanirbito1306]

Thankyou so much I'll try to dry them and hope it would last like yours (✿^‿^)

[@cassiesmith4826]

You don't have to mull them?

[@MarenaART]

Hey, Cassie. I do not mull them. Never did. Just mix them well in. My pigments are ground very well so they do not need it. Some are a little less fine, but even if I have them when I add them to paper I do not mind. They melt later on and leave a beautiful texture. When pigments are larger they need to be mulled. But as I said, I do not mind when they are visible on my paper. :)

[@cassiesmith4826]

@@MarenaART thank you. I wondered how your paints had that granulation. That must be how. They are so beautiful. Thanks again for sharing. Have you tried adding mica powder to any of them for a metallic watercolor?

[@MarenaART]

@@cassiesmith4826 I was thinking about it, but haven`t. Maybe when I get tired of those colors I`ll add something new. :)

[@verabaldjieva6057]

thank you very much :)

[@sohailashraf6482]

What is gum arabic

[@נהוריה]

He's vegan with what replacing honey ?

[@MarenaART]

Not really sure. I haven`t tried to replace it. It work as a binder and turns your pigments into paints. You could try to substitute it with some maple or similar syrup. Not sure. Sorry.