More questions about gum arabic used for watercolors

QUESTION: Why is photo-grade gum arabic less expensive than gum arabic sold for watercolors? Can photo-grade gum arabic be used with watercolor? Thank you :-)

SUSIE"S REPLY: I did some investigating and I've learned that gum arabic is used in several forms for several purposes from food stabilizers to inks and textiles. It can be obtained in a powder, syrup, chunk solids, or pellets.
Some of its non food uses include traditional lithography, when used in paints, inks, glues, and printing.
As you mentioned it is also used in photography as well as cosmetics. Another interesting thing I learned was it is used on the postage stamps we once licked to stick on our mail.
My guess would be the photo grade gum arabic's chemical components are different than the gummy syrup used in manufacturing watercolor paints.

Can you use photo-grade gum arabic with watercolor?  If you are mixing your own tube paints it seems to me the thicker syrup type would make a more stable base for the paint.
Since I don't mix my own paint thats just my guess. Let me know if you discover any thing different!
Thanks for your question,
SUSIE

Watercolor Paints & Papers

QUESTION:
Hi Susie -I have a few questions please. Which is better tube paint or hard paint?
And does it matter which paper you use thick or thin? Thank you for your time. Gary

SUSIE'S REPLY:
Hi Gary - thanks for your questions!

1. Which is better tube paint or hard paint? Both are good. It's a personal choice as to which is better. It depends on the style and techniques you are striving to achieve. Most watercolorists do prefer working with moist watercolor paint and many will only use freshly squeezed paint. I guess I'm probably in the minority because I do like working with dry paint. I painted with wet paint for over twenty years because I'd read somewhere or heard someone say that colors were brighter when you used fresh paint. I took a workshop with Zoltan Szabo (one of my watercolor heroes!) and discovered that he used dried paint and his work was wonderfully colorful so I decided to try the dried paint. I found my niche. Working with dried paint allowed me to get the color saturation and value I wanted without making "blossoms". Water control is often a problem with new painters and this seemed to be a helpful tip for my student too.
   I do use tube paint to fill my wells and allow it to dry rather than the pre-formed watercolor cubes (called pans) that some manufacturers offer.
2. And does it matter which paper you use thick or thin? I believe (and preach!) the most important factor to successful watercolor painting is the paper you use. There are several paper manufacturers and that produce high quality watercolor papers. Again it is a personal choice. Thicker watercolor papers (i.e 300#) hold more water so they stay wet longer and allow longer painting time. The thinner medium weight but highly adequate 140# watercolor paper is probably the most popular choice because due to availability and price. The thinnest 80# or lighter watercolor papers don't take much water so they are best suited for drier watercolor techniques and other mediums such as markers, pastels, or colored pencils.

All watercolor paper is not the same! Different brands use different fibers and sizing. Some are better than others for different applications. Experiment to find the type of watercolor paper that works best for your painting style.

I recommend and use Arches 140# Cold Pressed watercolor paper. It an economical medium weight paper with a very durable surface and works well for most watercolor techniques. I like to use it for my workshops because it is very forgivable...and allows for moderate scrubbing and corrections when needed.

HINT: Don't settle for cheap paper! Life's too short to use bad paper. Find the brand and type that works best for you. Even when learning to paint. Too many people try to learn how to paint on student grade "cheaper" paper and literally work them self into bad habits and never achieve the desired results.

I hope that helps! Happy painting!
SUSIE
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Palette layout

QUESTION: Susie, I took your landscape class and I'll be back for more. I want to set up my palette to let them dry. I checked your palette layout suggestion but I now have all of the two sets and some extras so I'm confused how to go about it. I have the same palette as yours. Thanks for any help. Sharon

SUSIE'S REPLY: Hi Sharon -- Try painting the swatches I mentioned in the previous post. As you start arranging your watercolor palette you may find you have more wells than you have paint. If that's the case, simple skip a well every so often to reserve a space to add a new color later. More often we have more watercolor paint than wells to hold them. In this case you will need to make a choice of which watercolor paints you want to include and which ones you will leave out. I do occasionally put two watercolors side by side in the same well if they are compatible won't hurt if I get a tiny smidgen of each when I load my brush. (Example: Ultramarine and French Ultramarine)

Remember you can always squeeze a dab of fresh paint if you decide need it for a painting.

TIP: For dry paint: When filling your palette, layering the paint and allowing it to dry between layers will keep it from cracking as it dries. I usually have 3 or 4 layers. It takes a little longer to add the layers but they do dry faster when the paint is spread thinner.

Good luck! Enjoy squeezing that paint!
SUSIE

Here is a suggested layout or arrangement for the Richeson Watercolor Palette
You are welcome to print a copy!

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