# Need Advice - Making Watercolor Paints



## ukoa (Jan 6, 2013)

I've been painting using Acrylic for years but I recently dabbled in Watercolor.
I was pleasantly surprised but the price kills me.

I've decided that making my own paints may be the way to go.
I Googled how to make Watercolor Paints by 99% of the results are for kids.
I did manage to find this for serious artists:
http://kremerpigments.com/shopus/index.php?cat=01&lang=ENG&product=14302

However I'm stuck. I'm sure this isn't all I need. What else do I do with this kit?
Any advice for making my own artist grade paints? I would like the consistency that you find in tubes in stores. Not the hard cakes...

Thanks!


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## George924 (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi Ukoa, truthfully you will be spending just about the same on pigments and binders as you would be if you just purchase a set of mixed colors. What is the cost difference between the acrylic and the watercolor paints? Have you been using artist grade or student grade paints? The link you posted looks to be all you would need to produce your watercolor paints...the tubes are nice because of the consistency but even when you squeeze out the paint from the tube and you do not use all that is squeezed out you are able to work it like the cakes, unlike acrylic it will remain workable after it dries in your pallet. Here is a link for Blicks Artist Grade paints if interested...http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-artists-watercolors/

Regardless of what route you take, you will have to spend the same amount of money for Artist Grade quality...mixing and mulling your own pigment would be fun to do but I just don't see the benefits to it unless you just want to do it for more personalized experience.

Here is another for empty paint tubes if you want to make up a batch of color and store it...*http://www.dickblick.com/products/empty-aluminum-paint-tubes/?clickTracking=true*


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## ukoa (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks for the reply and Links!
I experimented with watercolors using a cheap $20 kit from Walmart.
I've been buying Acrylics from my local A.C. Moore for around $4-5 a tube. Compare that to a small tube of Watercolor for around $10. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but cuts my budget in half at best. Unfortunately it's not very often I can spend money on paint. (kids/bills... crappy job..)

So I buy that kit for $40 and it gives me 8 different colors and the ability to make numerous tubes from just one color. Not to mention other colors from mixing and matching. But.. as long as I don't have to buy much more to go with it.
Judging from the link you posted it would cost me at least $80 and that's only one tube per color.
I'm not familiar with the '1 liter of acrylic dispersion K 9'. I'm guessing I add pigment, that stuff and some water together? Quantities?

Google is just flooded with kids watercolors to get any descent info.


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