Jackman's Art Materials Blog

How Vegetable Glycerin Works in Paint Making Vegetable glycerin is used in paint as a humectant to retain moisture and a plasticizer to improve flexibility. It prevents watercolours from drying out too quickly and helps them remain easy to rewet. It softens gum Arabic, reducing brittleness and preventing paint from flaking off the paper. It helps maintain paint consistency, ensuring smooth application and long-lasting quality. The correct balance is essential: Too much glycerin makes the paint sticky and slow to dry. Too little glycerin makes the paint hard and difficult to rewet. Proper formulation ensures stable, high-performance paint.

The Fascinating World of Cobalt Pigments: Colors, History, and Uses

Cobalt pigments are a group of vibrant, highly durable colourants that have been prized by artists, designers, and manufacturers for centuries. Known for their stunning hues and exceptional lightfastness, cobalt pigments have a rich history and continue to be an important part of modern pigment applications, especially in art and industry.

Green Gold P.Y. 129: The Vibrant Yellow Pigment Every Artist Needs Pigments are at the heart of every artist's palette, and Green Gold P.Y. 129 (also known as PY129) stands out for its vibrant, durable, and versatile color. Whether you’re a watercolor artist, an acrylic painter, or work in oils, this high-performance yellow pigment offers unmatched brightness and longevity. In this blog, we’ll explore the features, uses, and benefits of Green Gold P.Y. 129 to help you understand why it should be a staple in your art supplies. What is Green Gold P.Y. 129? Green Gold P.Y. 129 is a...

A Triple Roll Mill (or Three Roll Mill) is a machine used for fine dispersion and homogenization of pigments within a liquid medium, such as watercolor, oil paint, or ink. It works by passing the material through three horizontally positioned rollers that rotate at different speeds and directions, applying shear force to break down and evenly distribute pigment particles.

Granulation in watercolours refers to the textured, speckled effect that occurs when pigments settle into the valleys of the paper rather than spreading evenly. This effect adds depth, dimension, and a natural organic look to paintings, making it especially useful for landscapes, skies, and textured surfaces.

Unlike smooth, even washes, granulating colours create visual texture due to the pigment particles clumping together as the water evaporates. This natural separation gives the artwork a unique, unpredictable quality that many artists seek to enhance in their paintings.