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- This topic has 6 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 8 months ago by WV.Artistry.
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August 20, 2008 at 1:59 am #987345
Can someone please provide instructions for using Gum Arabic? I purchased some a few days ago because I had read that it increases brilliance, gloss and transparency of water colours but there were no instructions on how to use it and I haven’t been able to find any on the internet!! What I need to know is how much to use. Is there a formula or are there general guide lines for using this stuff? By-the-way, does it work? As always thanks so much.
August 20, 2008 at 3:41 am #1105256A few drops in your mixing water is said to enhance the colours and fluidity of your washes. Don’t overdo it though as you will get a nasty glossy or streaky effect.
I just did a Google Advanced serach and found several articles including THIS ONE.
Doug
We must leave our mark on this worldAugust 20, 2008 at 3:43 am #1105257Directions for using Gum Arabic?
1. Play
2. ExperimentThen tell us how and what you did.
August 20, 2008 at 6:24 am #1105259Winsor & Newton recommend making up a solution of 10% gum arabic 90% water and use this with your colours as you would water alone.
Hope that helps, let us know how you get on
Regards
TonyAugust 20, 2008 at 9:58 am #1105258I pour a capful of gum arabic into a liter or so of water. It does really make a difference, especially with the really dark mixes and the multiple glazes.
Regards,
Tom
August 20, 2008 at 8:15 pm #1105261I know, it’s hard not to have an exact starting point. I’m a very literal person and just go nuts with being told “just use ‘some’!”
Does it work? Yes. But, I was remembering when I first started using it that I didn’t notice any difference at all – I put a few drops in my mixing water. I was just getting really into watercolors.
Now, when I look at my paintings from then, I can tell exactly which I used it with – well, the ones that I probably used quite a bit with – they’re so much shinier.I like to have a few drops in my mixing water all the time now. When I paint, I like to make a puddle of water in the space I’m working on (say a petal of a flower) and then float paint into it. I find that when I put Gum Arabic in the water, that puddle stays exactly where it’s supposed to much easier – it doesn’t seep out once it sinks into paper. I also get harder edges with it – sometimes a good thing, sometimes not.
[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium]"First trust your eyes, then check by rules. Many times something else is happening, and the rules will not apply.[/I]" [/SIZE]~Sergei Bongart
My Watercolors
My MusingsAugust 23, 2008 at 3:31 pm #1105260You can also mix a dilute solution with your tube paint when you are making your puddles, it helps colors lift a bit easier. Doug is right, too much gum arabic is not a good thing. Colors will bronze much faster with too much GA.
It can also be used as masking of a sort. See my Dahlia WIP, post #62 for details.
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[FONT=Arial]Laura
[FONT=Arial]***"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. And dance like no one is watching." – Anonymous!*** [FONT=Arial]http://www.lauradicus.com -
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