Do honey watercolors actually contain honey?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Hearing in childhood about honey watercolor, which of us did not imagine it to taste. Is it really tasty and is it possible to taste it fearlessly for the he alth of young artists? It is worth understanding the composition and characteristics of these paints.

What is this

The word “watercolor”, which means both paints and the type of painting, does not come from “aqua”, that is, “water”, for a reason. Watercolor paints are abundantly diluted with water, the whole painting looks exactly like this - translucent and diluted, as it were, but at the same time the colors are pure and bright. Today, this delicate and very beautiful painting technique is again popular and in demand among artists, buyers and viewers. Children love her too.

The basis of watercolors is:

• pigment, that is, the color base - it is as small as possible, with the finest grinding of particles, which makes the paint transparent and allows white paper to shine through and highlight the picture from the inside;
• pigment binders and plasticizers - these can be synthetic or natural (wax, sugar, resins, honey);
• antiseptics, protecting paints, especially with vegetablecomponents, from mold.

Obviously, honey is not contained in every watercolor and only a part of it. However, honey paint is one of the most popular on the market. But honey is not a cheap component, and honey watercolor is one of the most inexpensive and is no longer intended for artists, but for children. The contradiction is explained simply - often glycerin or potato starch is added to honey watercolors, which replace part of the binder. They are cheaper than honey and crystallize less, but the characteristics of watercolor become worse and poorer. Also, honey is often replaced with even cheaper, for example, synthetic counterparts, so when choosing watercolor for children's art, pay attention to more expensive options.

The difference between honey and its other types

Why is honey the most preferred paint ingredient? It's all about its property to prevent paints from drying out too quickly. So, professional artists who no longer work with honey watercolor still add a little honey to water or paint.

Paints based on gum arabic, not honey, are considered more professional, but honey is easier to work with, their palette is usually not so wide - only 12-18 colors. However, for a child or an aspiring artist, this is enough.

The difference is also the price - honey watercolor is much cheaper than a professional one, which is important when buying materials for children's art.

Can I eat honey watercolor

This question worries many mothers of aspiring artists. Andnot without reason: the sweet smell of paint and the inscription “honey” on the box encourages young artists to lick the paint or chew on the brush. It seems that there is nothing wrong with this, because the paint is of vegetable origin and is based on honey.

On the one hand, this is true, but in addition to honey, watercolor also contains other components. For example, phenol, which has the function of an antiseptic and can be poisoned. Not too useful and synthetic dyes, and animal glue, and other additives. Therefore, it is better to explain to the child that honey watercolor should not be tried on the tongue.

How to choose honey colors

When choosing paints for a child, you should carefully study the range. Honey watercolor for children's art, as a rule, is sold in plastic pallets with a transparent lid. Each color has its own cell and, as a rule, there is not much paint in them. But this does not mean that it will not last for a long time, just watercolor requires a strong dilution with water.

A good honey watercolor will not be too soft or, on the contrary, too fragile, it will not fit well on paper and will not convey the purity of the color.

Pay attention to the colors in the box, even when dry, they should be bright and clean. The paint will be easy to pick up on a brush and transferred to paper, and when blurring, it will not leave lint and spools and will not penetrate the sheet.

Best brands of honey watercolor

Today, the stores offer a large number of various honey watercolors forchildren. One of the most popular is watercolor honey 12 colors "Bee" from the brand "Gamma". These paints fit well on paper, are easily washed and washed off clothes and the table, give a pure color and do not have unpleasant odors. Under the Gamma brand, other variants of honey watercolors are also sold - mother-of-pearl, fluorescent paints in sets of 10, 12, 16 and even 24 colors. The brand is popular and due to its price, paint boxes cost from 16 to 112 rubles.

No less popular are the "Watercolor honey" paints of the "Luch" brand. They produce not only standard pallets of several shades in plastic or cardboard boxes, but also sets of watercolors in the form of a fish, a locomotive or daisies. Any kid will like to draw with such paints. The cost of a set is from 20 to 150 rubles, depending on the number of flowers.

Another well-known manufacturer that is famous for the quality of its stationery is Erich Krause. Their assortment includes sets with a different number of shades, with and without brushes, as well as with a palette in the kit. There is also neon watercolor honey. Reviews about the quality are only positive: the paint is well drawn on the brush and falls on paper, does not stain clothes and hands, has no smell and is easy to wash.

Buying a good honey watercolor for children's art is not difficult at all, besides, it is inexpensive and great for the first attempts at painting.