Natural Watercolor Kit

Make your own professional quality, non-toxic, and vibrant watercolour paints with our Natural Watercolour Kit! This kit provides the supplies needed to create watercolor paints that are free of toxic preservatives, additives, heavy metals, and petroleum based pigments found in conventional paints. Our simple and time-tested ingredients combine to create an archival paint with excellent luminosity and coverage. Just add honey or glycerin!

With this Kit you will receive....

• 85g (3 oz.) packet of Gum Arabic
• 7 watercolour pans for storage (29mm x 19mm x 10mm)
• 7 56g (2 oz.) packets of Earth & Mineral Pigments in Venetian Red, Orange Ochre, Yellow Ochre, Emerald Green, Ultramarine Blue, Ultramarine Purple, and Burnt Sienna
• Complete Mixing Instructions

FAQs

Product

How long does your watercolor recipe last once dried into cakes? At least two years if not indefinitely.

How do I know what the ideal consistency is? Mix it into a creamy but thick paste. Start with the 1 to 1 ratio and if it's too dry or too much liquid you can adjust by adding more pigment or more liquid. The test is, mix a touch of the paint with water and brush it onto your watercolor paper. If it's too transparent for you, add more pigment, if it's too opaque for you, add more base. I put each color in a separate small jar, but each is only about half full.

Does liquid dry out even with tightly seal lids? As long as they are tightly sealed in a full jar then or in an airtight aluminum tube they will not dry out. If it is not sealed properly or only filled half way they will eventually dry.

Will adding more clove oil and storing them in the fridge allow the watercolor to last longer?  Yes, the fridge will help extend the life a bit more but both the clove oil and the fridge are more meant to prevent mold while they are wet. The dried cakes will not mold.

Will the watercolor cakes grow mold? If they have mold, don't use them. If they don't, they are perfect to use.

Why is the Glycerine needed? To prevent cakes from cracking

Does the glycerine need to be added while the base mixture is still warm? It  can it be added later, just as long as it is still able to be stirred

How much sodium benzoate needs to be used in the watercolor recipe as the perservative (per batch)?  Just a small amount - 1 tsp. or less.

How long will the watercolor paints last for once they are mixed up? Watercolors keep longer when you add a natural preservative such as sodium benzoate or a pure essential oil of clove. If kept in jars in liquid form they will stay good for 1-3 months. If you put them in tiny aluminum tubes they will last much longer. Or if you put a few drops of glycerine in, you can dry it in cakes. And then they should stay good for at least 2 years, if not indefinitely.

How do I store watercolors after following the recipe?  There are several options available: - Store in a small air tight jars (will last for 2-3 weeks or longer if refrigerated) - Store in small, empty aluminum tubes (will last a little longer than small jars). Tubes are available for purchase on our website - Let them dry into cakes in half or full pans or any small, shallow container (may take a few days to fully dry). Will stay good indefinitely.

How long will the watercolor "base" mixture stay good for?It will stay good in a small glass jar for about one month. Be sure to mix it into specific paint colors before this mixture goes bad.

Safety and Quality

Are your products free of nuts, dairy, and gluten for people with allergies? All of our products are free of gluten and dairy. Our only product containing nuts is our Refined Walnut Oil, but it is not processed in our facility.

Are your products cruelty-free? Absolutely! None of our products are ever tested on animals.

Are you product Vegan? All of our products are vegan except for the Natural Face Paint, which contains organic beeswax.

Have these products been tested for health safety? Yes, all of the paints, pigments, and supplies have been tested by government certified toxicologists and are also third party tested. They are certified completely non-toxic.

Is it toxic to breathe the dust before mixing it into paint? It’s not healthy to breathe any type of dust into your lungs, even if it is non-toxic and natural (like our pigments), or even dust from a dirt road! When mixing your paint, use caution to avoid creating clouds of pigment dust. Some people who are extra sensitive or concerned about dust can wear a certified mask for greater protection.

What is your packaging made from? We use North America made, 100% post-consumer recycled packaging, home-compostable pigment pouches, and recyclable glass and aluminum bottles for our products.

Credit: Natural Earth Paint Canada