Making Watercolor Paint from Sand

mulling up the sand leftover from magnetite extraction, it makes a nice purple ochre paint. You can change the way the color look on paper by adding extra gum arabic.

[@jillayne2263]

Thank you for sharing this - I have a favourite beach I'd like to try this with so am very appreciate for all the tips!

[@stephaniejacksonloeffler2021]

So cool

[@fremandn]

This is magical to watch, thanks for putting it up as well as nice reminder about the use of medium

[@KJodiGear]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jessieellwood]

I instantly subscribed when I saw you start mulling the sand. This is great content! Also, when you mentioned the chalkiness of the paints I thought they would make nice gouache.

[@KJodiGear]

Thank you! Yes, most of my foraged pigments make a semi-opaque paint. I have also added them to titanium dioxide to make some opaque gouache. They take a different approach to paint with than the transparent (commercial) paints I also use - it’s been a bit of a learning curve. They lift so readily, you have to put them down and then leave them alone! Very easy to make mud if you are’t careful…

[@jessieellwood]

@@KJodiGear I purchased some Wallace Seymour inorganic tube paints made from materials locally coated in Scotland. The way the owner described them, they’re just gum Arabic, water and pigment, so they’re probably similar to what you’re making here. I’ll have to add some honey or glycerine (maybe a little of both) to dry them in pans. I just love artisanal paints, especially if the pigment is made from locally foraged materials, I haven’t made any yet, but I bought a muller and made a frosted glass palette to try! I really enjoy your videos!

[@veryextremelyoriginalusername]

how interesting!! it was genuinely so surprising to see such a rich brown color emerge from sand!

[@KJodiGear]

Me too!

[@jessieellwood]

I was also very surprised! Maybe there was residual magnetite in it?

[@KJodiGear]

@@jessieellwood yes, there is residual magnetite in this sand, I can get most of it out, but not all of it.

[@TravelingArtista]

Excellent! I create soft pastels in a similar way.
QUESTION: why remove the magnetite? (thanks)

[@KJodiGear]

I remove the magnetite to make paint out of it by itself. I have left it in with the sand and made paint too, but it's nice to have the really black paint on its own.

[@TravelingArtista]

Oh! Excellent! Thanks.