It depends on the brand, more than with any other paint. The standard watercolor binder is gum arabic, sap from acacia trees, so the base of the paint is plant-based. The common animal ingredients are ox gall, a wetting agent made from cattle bile, and honey, which at least one maker uses openly. A few pigments, such as ivory black (PBk9), are animal-derived as well.
There is also one thing paint labels never mention: the paper. Many fine watercolor papers are sized with gelatin, an animal product, so a vegan paint set can still end up on a non-vegan sheet. This page covers the paint and points you to our separate guides for paper and brushes. For a finished painting, ask us, and VanArtHub will put the materials question to the artist before you buy.
Key takeaways
- Gum arabic, the standard watercolor binder, is sap from acacia trees and is plant-based.
- Ox gall, a wetting agent in many traditional watercolors, is bile from cattle. Golden's QoR watercolors use a synthetic substitute the maker describes as vegan.
- M. Graham states that its watercolors are made with blackberry honey. Honey comes from bees, so most vegans avoid it.
- Reported information from Winsor & Newton lists most Cotman watercolors as vegan, with named exceptions. Confirm with the maker, because formulations change.
- Many fine watercolor papers are sized with gelatin. Arches states its paper is gelatin-sized to the core.
The binder: gum arabic is tree sap
Watercolor is pigment bound with gum arabic, sap collected from acacia trees. It is entirely a plant product, which gives watercolor a good starting position among the painting media. The complications come from what makers add to the gum, and from the pigments themselves.
Ox gall: the most common animal additive
Ox gall is bile taken from cattle. Paint makers add it as a wetting agent, which helps the paint spread evenly instead of beading up on the paper. It has been part of traditional watercolor recipes for a very long time, and it does not appear in large letters on the front of a pan or tube.
A synthetic version exists. Golden's QoR watercolor line uses a synthetic ox gall substitute that the maker describes as vegan. If a brand does not say either way, ask. Wetting agents are exactly the kind of minor ingredient that labels skip.
Honey in the pan
Honey is a traditional watercolor ingredient, and it is no secret. M. Graham, an American paint maker, states that its watercolors are made with blackberry honey. Honey is made by bees, so most vegans treat it as an animal product and avoid it. Not every brand uses honey, and the makers that do tend to say so plainly, since they present it as a feature of the line. Read the maker's own description of a range before you buy it.
What the makers report
Winsor & Newton is the brand buyers ask about most. Vegan-art trackers that publish the maker's customer-service replies report that the Cotman student line is vegan except Viridian Hue, Raw Umber, and Ivory Black (PBk9), and that a longer list of the professional watercolors is not vegan. Treat this as the maker's own information as reported, not as an independently checked fact, and confirm with the manufacturer directly, because formulations change without notice. For a wider survey of brands and ranges, see vegan paint brands and ranges.
Whatever the brand, the pigment rules stay the same. Ivory black (PBk9) is charred animal bone, and carmine is a red extracted from the dried bodies of cochineal insects. The pigment codes on the pan or tube tell you more than the colour name ever will.
What to check, at a glance
| Ingredient |
Role |
Source |
Animal-free? |
| Gum arabic |
Binder |
Acacia tree sap |
Yes |
| Ox gall |
Wetting agent |
Cattle bile |
No |
| Synthetic ox gall |
Wetting agent |
Lab-made |
Yes, per Golden for its QoR line |
| Honey |
Traditional additive |
Bees |
No |
| Ivory black (PBk9) |
Pigment |
Charred animal bones |
No |
| Gelatin sizing |
Paper preparation |
Animal-derived |
No |
The paper and the brush
The sheet under the painting is the catch most buyers miss. Many fine watercolor papers are sized with gelatin. Arches states that its watercolor paper is gelatin-sized to the core, so the gelatin runs through the entire sheet rather than sitting on the surface. Papers differ widely, and our guide Is art paper vegan? explains sizing and how to check a specific sheet.
Brushes are the other traditional animal product in a watercolor kit. Sable, kolinsky (hair from the Siberian weasel), and squirrel brushes are all animal hair. Synthetic brushes, often sold as taklon, have improved greatly for watercolor work. See vegan brushes for the options.
One thing watercolor gets right without trying: it is water-based and needs no solvent, which makes it a gentle choice for a family home. If that side of materials interests you, read non-toxic art for family homes in our sustainable art hub.
Common questions
Is gum arabic vegan?
Yes. Gum arabic is sap collected from acacia trees, so it is entirely plant-based. It is the standard binder in watercolor paint.
What is ox gall and why is it in watercolor?
Ox gall is bile from cattle. Makers add it as a wetting agent so the paint spreads evenly on paper instead of beading up. Golden's QoR watercolors use a synthetic ox gall substitute that the maker describes as vegan.
Which watercolors contain honey?
M. Graham states that its watercolors are made with blackberry honey. Other brands may use honey too, so read the maker's own description of each line. Honey comes from bees, so most vegans avoid it.
Are Winsor & Newton watercolors vegan?
According to the maker's customer-service information as reported by vegan-art trackers, the Cotman line is vegan except Viridian Hue, Raw Umber, and Ivory Black, and a longer list of the professional watercolors is not vegan. Confirm with the manufacturer, because formulations change.
Is watercolor paper vegan?
Often not. Many fine watercolor papers are sized with gelatin, an animal product, and Arches states its paper is gelatin-sized to the core. Check each paper with its maker before assuming.
Watercolor can be vegan, but it is a brand-by-brand answer: the binder is plant sap, and everything else depends on what was added to it and what sheet it sits on. Browse our original fine art paintings, and for the full materials picture, start at the vegan art guide.
