Paper & Ink Arts
Gum Arabic, 6 ml jar
Gum Arabic has many uses. This pale solution can be added to inks and gouache as a binder, making them more easy to use for calligraphy. It increases gloss, color brilliance, and transparency when added to watercolor. Gum Arabic also slows down drying time, make it easy to control the spread of wet color when using wet-on-wet techniques.
Dilute with water as needed. 6mL glass jar.
Gum Arabic has many uses. This pale solution can be added to inks and gouache as a binder, making them more easy to use for calligraphy. It increases gloss, color brilliance, and transparency when added to watercolor. Gum Arabic also slows down drying time, make it easy to control the spread of wet color when using wet-on-wet techniques.
Dilute with water as needed. 6mL glass jar.
Skill Level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Customer Reviews
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Works
I don’t know much about gum arabic, but some research on ink viscosity led me to buy this bottle in order to thicken up some small vials of Ferris Wheel Press fountain pen ink I purchased, in hopes of using them for dip pen calligraphy instead. Most sources online say you only need a few drops to thicken ink to the proper consistency, but it really depends on so many factors. With the particular ink I had and the consistency I was looking for, I ended up needing way more than a few drops. I love that this product is sold in small doses like this—making it so much cheaper than other options out there, but it goes quickly and I do wish there was a slightly bigger bottle available. All in all, this stuff works and seems to thicken ink nicely. Specifically, I was looking to reduce the amount of bleed I was getting from ink hitting the page. In accomplishing this, I also noted that thickening inks with this product also darkens them. Just something to be aware of if exact color is really important.