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Shellac is a natural resin that is deposited by the female lac insect on the branches of trees in India and Thailand. It is soluble with alcohol, but not with mineral spirits or turpentine. It forms a tough yet flexible film, with many applications. It is suitable as a top coat for gilding when applied thinly, a sealant for porous surfaces, an isolating layer for tempera paintings, a base for pigmented inks, a protective layer for collograph plates, and a warm varnish for wooden floors and furniture. As it is prone to darkening with age, it is not recommended as a varnish for oils, and its solubility can reduce over time. There are various grades of shellac. When mixed with alcohol, it may initially form a cloudy mixture, due to traces of wax in the shellac, but this should become clear once it has dried. The highest grades of shellac are Clear Dewaxed Shellac, which has been de-coloured using the carbon filtering method, Lemon Shellac, and Orange Shellac, which are pale in colour. Button Shellac is less refined and therefore produces a reddish varnish. It was, in fact, widely used as a red dye before synthetic dyes became available. Learn More

Gum Arabic is a resoluble binding agent, commonly used in the preparation of watercolours, but also useful as an adhesive, a size, and in the production of soft pastels. It is a natural product, harvested from the Acacia tree between October and May. The highest grade of Gum Arabic comes from the Kordofan region of Sudan. It is exceptionally pale and pure and therefore particularly suited to watercolour painting, while Nigerian Gum Arabic (while stocks last) is better suited to stone lithography and other printmaking techniques. Please see the Formulas & Recipes section on our homepage for a recipe to make your own watercolour paints using Gum Arabic (currently under construction). Learn More