Ingredients

• 150 part dry powdered pigment by volume Burnt umber PBr7 from Kama Pigments
• 1000ml of watercolour medium

• PPE: mask, gloves, and apron
• A measuring cup
• A digital scale
• A stainless steel bowl (1500ml+)
• A stainless steel hopper (1500ml+)
• 28oz Blender Ball protein shake mixer
• Drill press with dispersion disc
• A three roll mill
• Small watercolour half-pans

Current procedure — last updated 26. December 2022

1. Mix the watercolour paste
   1. Wear a mask. Go outdoors - this can be very messy.
      Pour the medium into the stainless steel container first.
      
   2. Measure out the powdered pigment.
      Add about a third of it to the Blender Ball, and then top off with about 250ml of medium.
      Seal it up and shake back and forth 60 times.
      Repeat twice more, and then pour in the remaining medium and shake to roughly rinse.
   3. Start dispersing, using a dispersion disc in a drill press.
   4. Cover the bowl while dispersing to limit the dust.
2. Mill the paste
   1. Set both rollers to 6mil.
   2. Prepare a large bowl and a hopper to use. Find a stand to raise up the bowl to catch the paint to reduce splashing.
   3. Use a nail brush and water to clean the rollers at the end of the first runs.
   4. Put through the mill 10 times.
   5. Test for grind at the end of run #4, #6, #8, and #10.
   6. At the start of run #9, add one drop of clove oil for 250ml of total medium (100ml mix = 4-5 drops) Add the oil to the paste on the slow rollers, rather than in a bowl on in the hopper.
3. Package into pans
   1. Arrange the 350ish empty 2ml half-pans into rows on a cookie sheet
   2. Fill the pans to the top with a pipette set to 4.5ml
   3. Allow to dry, and then top off
   4. Allow to dry, and then package into wax paper bags

Drapak’s manufacturing notes