Gum arabic in grains

The gum arabic from L'Artisan Pastellier is a gum (dried natural exudate) from African acacia trees (Acacia sensu lato).

It is a mucilaginous substance with many beneficial properties. Our gum arabic comes from the Kordofan province in Sudan; it is known as hard gum or “kitir,” and is the highest quality available on the market.
This glue is purified. As a natural substance, it is susceptible to bacterial contamination; therefore, it is recommended that you prepare only the amount of glue needed each time, as the glue does not keep well over time.

Uses:
Watercolor: L'Artisan Pastellier's gum arabic has long been used in the manufacture of watercolors as the base for the binder. It replaces the cherry gum used in the Middle Ages. The gum arabic from l’Artisan Pastellier has the quality of being water-soluble, giving colors vibrancy, depth, and a certain luster. The emulsifying properties of gum arabic allow watercolors to disperse easily and enable pigment migration upon application.

Other uses in the fine arts: Making gouache. Thickener for water-based inks. As with watercolor, the gum arabic from L’Artisan Pastellier gives the ink a glossy finish once dry. Making engobes for painting ceramics. Glass painting; tempera. An egg-and-gum arabic emulsion from L’Artisan Pastellier (known since the Middle Ages). Fixative for dry pastels and oil pastels.

Other uses:
Adhesive: Before the advent of self-adhesive stamps and envelopes, this was the adhesive on the back of stamps (to be moistened with the tongue) and on envelope flaps. Gummed paper. Used in the production of candies and confections (VALDA pastilles). A dietary supplement due to its high fiber content. An emulsifier and protective colloid in the food industry (E414).

Proportions: The proportion (by weight) should be adjusted to suit your medium or the technique you plan to use; it is advisable to conduct tests to determine the appropriate proportions. L'Artisan Pastellier gum arabic is completely soluble in water (up to 500 g per liter) and insoluble in alcohol. The concentration used for making watercolors is 30% to 40% by weight (30 g of Artisan Pastellier gum arabic to 70 g of water, or 40 g to 60 g of water).
Preparation of a Concentrated Solution of L’Artisan Pastellier Gum Arabic First, grind the L’Artisan Pastellier gum arabic granules into a fine powder. To minimize the risk of bacterial contamination, use perfectly clean equipment. To dissolve L’Artisan Pastellier gum arabic, simply stir; you can begin the dissolution process with lukewarm demineralized water (you can boil the water to eliminate bacteria and let it cool before adding it). Artisan Pastellier gum arabic in solution is susceptible to bacterial contamination; in fact, it is an excellent substrate for bacterial growth and nutrition. However, the Artisan Pastellier gum arabic solution can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Given these high concentrations, it is therefore advisable not to prepare too large a quantity but rather to make only as much as is needed.