Recipe: Make your own Natural Gouache Paint

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Gouache is a beautiful, water-based artist paint, similar to acrylic or an opaque watercolor. It's completely intermixable with watercolors. Learn how to make your own natural gouache paint below!

Supplies:

Earth & Mineral Pigments
Gum Arabic Powder
Natural Impasto Medium (limestone powder)
Honey (for a vegan version, use glycerin)
Optional: clove or thyme essential oil (mild preservatives)

Instructions

Part 1: Creating the Gouache Base

Step 1:

Mix 6 Tbsp. hot water with 3 Tbsp. Gum Arabic Powder - mix until dissolved

Person pouring hot water into another container containing gum arabic

Step 2:

Add 2 Tbsp. honey or glycerin to the water and gum arabic mixture and mix until dissolved. At this stage, if you choose to use a preservative, add two drops of clove or thyme essential oil to help preserve your gouache paint.

Person pouring honey into mug filled with mixture of hot water and gum arabic with a jar of honey sitting next to it

Part 2: Create the Pigment & Limestone Mixture

Step 3:

Scoop 1 Tbsp of Earth & Mineral Pigment (we used Ultramarine Purple!) into a dish.

Person pouring purple Earth & Mineral Pigment into an empty bowl using a measuring spoon with a the packet of purple pigment sitting nearby

Step 5:

Add 1 Tbsp of Natural Impasto Medium to the pigment and mix/ stir with a spoon or fork until evenly distributed.

Note: Play around with these proportions - some artists use 1 part pigment:1 part impasto medium and some use 6 parts pigment: 1 part impasto medium. It depends on the color and also how pigmented you want the paint.

Person using a fork to mix up purple pigment with the impasto medium in a white container

Part 3: Create the Gouache Paint

Step 6:

Mix one part gouache base with one part pigment and limestone mixture. For example, mix 1 tablespoon of base and 1 tablespoon of the pigment and limestone mixture. Adjust the ratio as needed; as all pigments absorb binder differently, you may need to experiment to achieve the desired paint texture.

Person scooping the purple powder mixture of pigment and impasto medium into a flower shaped paint palette with a jar of the water, gum arabic, honey mixture nearby

Step 7:

Paint away!

Person using a paint brush to paint a swirl of the purple gouache paint they created surrounded by all the ingredients it took to make the paint

Storage:

Store the gouache paint in a small airtight jar or aluminum tube. Refrigerate to prolong the paint's shelf life. If it dries out, just add a little water and mix well to reinvigorate it.

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