I love Graphite Watercolors because they have a wonderful smoky quality and the cool metallic sheen of graphite. 

Why make your own paint? Well... besides just wanting to and pushing yourself creativity... I like how you have complete control over what is going into your paint. Have any chemical sensitivities? This is the perfect way to ensure you can use ingredients you aren't going to react to. ALSO... since graphite watercolors are a new product... you may not have access to the few colors they make, or maybe you want more variety in the colors - so making some for yourself solves both of these issues!

This class is for you if:

• You are interested in making your own graphite watercolor paints for your art
• You love experimenting with art supplies
• You love watching how others approach their painting practice
• You want to experiment and grow as an artist

Safety - It is a good idea to always be thinking about safety when you are working with pigments. Some pigments like cadmium are toxic - so you will want to make it a habit to wear some disposable gloves to keep the pigments off your skin and from under your nails, wear a dust mask - you don't want to be breathing any of the dust from the pigments, don't mix paints in your kitchen or anywhere you might eat, don't eat while you are mixing pigments, don't use any of your kitchen supplies for paint mixing - have a separate set of supplies just for your art.

Supplies: The supplies for making watercolor aren't too bad. I've kept the list down to the basics to make it as easy as possible to make paint successfully with this easy recipe.

• Gum Arabic (I'm using Winsor & Newton premade gum arabic in this recipe - you can also start with powdered gum arabic and make your own if you want)
• Honey 
• Glycerine
• Clove oil - if you need to prevent fungus growth
• Glass Mueller
• Piece of heavy glass
• palette knife
• silicone brush or spatula
• Pigment - you can use natural pigments, art pigments from the art store, pigment you foraged
• Powdered Graphite
• Jar and a spoon for the gum arabic
• Empty Watercolor Pans
• Recollections - Scoop tool set (optional - I just love them and they are perfect for measuring out pigments)