Introduction: Watercolor Paint From Fruits/Flowers!

For the people who want natural watercolor paints, or maybe a new color, or new experience this recipe is for you! I'll show you how to make watercolor from fruits, to flowers. If you're wondering if a flower is good for this recipe squeeze the flower petal between your thumb and index finger, if it stains your finger it will probably be well suited for this recipe. For fruit, berries are recommended.

the main advantages of using natural paint is it's non toxic (safe to eat and breathe) and it's eco friendly (not harmful to the environment).

Step 1: Materials

Citric Acid:

Can be found at grocery stores

Alum:

Can be found or ordered from local pharmacy

Gum Arabic:

Found on Amazon

(Alum and Citric Acid can also be found on Amazon)

Step 2: Boil Your Fruit/Flowers

I used blackberries for recipe.

Start by adding two handfuls of fruit/flower petals and 300 ml of water in a pot. Afterwards, add a teaspoon of citric acid. Put it on the stovetop on medium heat for around 20 minutes.

After it comes to a boil, remove the lid to let the water evaporate a bit.

Step 3: Add the Alum

Add two teaspoons of alum and put it back on the stove for a couple more minutes. Alum was used in ancient times for dye making, we use to set the color in place.

Step 4: Strain

In a jar, use a fine mesh sieve to strain the petals/berries. Then, add in the gum arabic, I used around 3 teaspoons. I shook the jar to make sure the gum arabic is completely dissolved.

Step 5: Dry

You can use natural evaporation to dry your pigment but a much quicker method is by throwing it in the oven at a low heat for a few hours. Drying the pigment will make it much easier to store and use. Once the pigment has evaporated more put it on a sheet of wax paper to add more surface area for it to dry.

Step 6: Finish!

Scrap the finished pigment off the wax paper and put it in a small container for storage and you've finished!

Step 7: Swatch

Paint Challenge

Participated in the
Paint Challenge