Making Gum Arabic
This is a resin binder used for tempera, watercolor and gouache; unless mixed with egg yolk or other additive, gum Arabic stays water-soluble through the ages. If not interested in mixing dry gum Arabic into a liquid, you can purchase liquid gum in art stores. Making your own is far less expensive.
You need:
- Gum Arabic powder
- Distilled water (only necessary if your faucet water is alkaline)
- Small deep bowl
- Small saucepan
- Pipette
- Whisk
- Lidded container
- Clove or other strong essential oil to help prevent odor and mold as liquid ages
- Glycerin [optional]
Method:
- Put 1 tsp gum Arabic powder into a jar with 1 cup of water
- Stir well to remove lumps in the powder; a small whisk is handy
- Place jar in a saucepan filled with hot but not boiling water
- Keep saucepan over heat long enough to dissolve the powder
- Gum Arabic slowly dissolves and looks like water with resin odor.
- Add 1part gum Arabic liquid to 5 parts glycerin for smoother liquid [optional]
- Let stand 2-4 hours, to overnight
- To mix paint, use pipette to add 2 parts water to 1 part gum Arabic, then add it to dry pigment
- Use a muller to grind the pigment with the water-gum mix, working it until the paint it smooth
Short-cut Method:
- If in a hurry, do this:
- Stir gum Arabic powder into 1 cup very hot but not boiling water
- Keep stirring or whisking until the powder dissolves
- It may be necessary to heat the powder / water mixture until powder dissolves
- Rushing things can leave undissolved powder in the liquid
Storage:
- Well-capped, gum Arabic liquid keeps at room temperature for several days
- To keep 6-8 months, add 1drop essential oil to prevent mold from forming and refrigerate.
- If gum thickens, add a few drops of distilled water
Image: Our finely powdered gum Arabic, ready to be made liquid when needed.
I am interested I have a milling machine. A roller milleing machine can i used it to mille Arabic gum
We’ve never milled gum Arabic before, so we don’t know what will happen. If you want to make a finer powder from the dry gum, it might work. But if you are adding liquid, it might create problems with the milling machine. We have not been able to find any more information. Sorry, but you have asked a completely unique question! — Bjo
Hi! Can this recipe be used to make watercolour paints for dry storage in watercolour pans? It seems like it’s a very ‘liquid/watery’ solution compared to other recipes I used.
Thank you! : )
Yrs, it can be used to make waterrcolor paints for dry storage. Just pour the liquid into the pan & let it dry. This has been done for centuries.
so if this is set to dry for the paint wont it mold if used as a paint
can this be used as a clear coat over earthen or pigment tempera paints – to help seal them/ water proof them?
No, gum Arabic will not seal or waterproof anything. It is water-soluble, so while it makes great watercolors, it won’t seal them. For that you need modern materials such as waterproof artist’s fixative spray. I hope that helps. BTW, we are retiring from the pigment business as of May 20, so if you have any orders to make, please do so soon.
Can I get washable paint after this preparation?
No, you cannot wash gum Arabic. It is very water-soluble. Not even a varnish coating will make it washable. Sorry! You can use gum Tragacanth for a water-soluble pigment binder. I’ve never tried washing it, but there would be a better chance of success than using gum Arabic.
Hi, I used acacia powder to thicken phenyl surface cleaner but it hasn’t turned out thick. Please help me with that
Thank you
I’m not sure what acacia powder is, but it is probably the bark or inner wood right? For gum Arabic, you need the tree resin. So far as I know, gum Arabic is not a cleaner; it is the binder for powdered pigments.
I added the gum Arabic rock s to boiling water and it turned into a viscous lump. Can it be redeemed and turned into solution?How do u make him Arabic from rocks of gum?
I have been collecting about 11 kg of our own south african acacia ( we have the indigenous acacia as well as the acacia prosopis from Mexico and i used gum from both treea) gum to check if it turns out with the same viscosity as the.geniune gum arabic. I used a 10lb hammer to crush the big chunks to pinky nail size and heat up some water and let it rest in the water with a lid on overnight… Perfect, squeezed it through a nylon panty house to get rid of the lumps,.it looks exactly like gum arabic, but the darker one because i used the clumps that have been lying on the ground, and that already oxidized… I hope that the proof ias in the pudding when i start experimenting with it when doing gumoil printing.
I am looking to adhere a ground incense resin to a bundle of dried botanicals. My questions are can the liquid be used from a spray bottle without clogging. Also, is the product burnable (not flammable) as in the use of incense and what would be the mixing ratio? Thank you in advance.
Ground incense resin will not adhere to dried botanicals unless the resin is wet. Don’t use liquid resin in a spray bottle; it will clog. Gum arabic is burnable without flaming. It has been used to make resin incense for centuries. I don’t recall the mixing ratio, but there are many recipes online. Hope this helps! — Bjo
I am a painter specialized in tempera with earth colour. For years I have been using arabic gum which I prepare by dissolving the lumps in water. However, I just put the lumps in a bowlful of water without boiling and leave it for a couple of days. After that, it automatically dissolves into a fine solution and I just use it like that. Since in most of my distinguished works, the gum was not boiled, I am afraid if that might reduce the longivity of the works. Am eagerly waiting for your opinion.
Gum arabic can be used to apply Gold leaf too. This works as a sealer ! Wonder material and natures true gift