Even though I am obsessed with handmade watercolors from all the wonderful makers like Stacey and I will continue to satisfy my addiction through them, I thought it would be really fun to learn to make my own as well. I have been attempting for a bit and so far it has definitely been a learning process. I have a ton of questions but for now mainly I want to know if anyone has any experience when mulling just enough pigment to make 1-2 pans would you still mull for a long period of time? Also could I be using too much pigment, I normally use around 1/2 tbsp (ish). Lastly, what is the best way to tell when it has been mulled long enough?
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I only have experience with micas. I only make small batches due to my small drying space. The largest batch I have made so far was 1tsp of mica. I generally only mix these for about 10-20 minutes and I use my palette knife instead of muller as suggested by Stacey as not to break up the mica and reduce shimmer of the finished paint. When using regular pigment the mulling times can vary greatly depending on the pigment. Pthalo blue is a very tricky one from what I have read. Hopefully others will chime in with more advice. Welcome to the watercolor paint making obsession.
Hi there love, I have found that with the trickier pigments, even the smallest batches require anywhere from minutes to hours. It honestly depends on the pigment. Ratio of pigment to binder depends on the pigment again. I really really need to write up a post about recommending good pigments to start out with and not. I.e. Prussian blue is the worst!
thank you so much! I just got a box of pigments from Kremer that my aunt who lives in NYC gifted me so im using those. Lots of colors so i would have to look at what i got. If you are mixing such a small amount for a while how do you keep it from drying?!
You can use a Spray Bottle with water.
Or a pipette maybe...
When you make Smal batches, a few drops too much water can really happen fast ,and are very frustrating 🤦
You will probably not need that with most Pigments 🙂