- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 17
The craft behind handmade watercolour paints by Ferrous & Bone
Why Process Matters
“I’ve never thought about how paint is made.”
It’s a comment we hear often at craft fairs.
Unlike many heritage crafts that shape Britain’s cultural identity, the process behind watercolour paint is largely invisible. In blacksmithing, the beat of the hammer becomes part of the object. In basketry, the woven willow reveals the hand of the maker. These crafts wear their process openly. Watercolour paint, by contrast, tends to conceal it.
Our small pans of hand-mulled paint sit quietly on the palette, their origins hidden from view. Here we explain why process matters and what this means for the painter.
The Artist’s Perspective
As artists ourselves, we understand the importance of fine materials. The quality of a pigment, the behaviour of a binder, the way a colour settles into paper. These subtleties shape the experience of painting.
Ferrous & Bone was founded on that understanding. Our curiosity lies in how pigments behave: how they disperse, how they layer, how they move through water and across paper. Sharing that knowledge and translating it into exceptional artist materials is central to what we do.
Our aim is to create watercolour paints that honour both traditional craft and contemporary artistic practice.
A Different Way of Making Paint
Unlike mass-produced paints, Ferrous & Bone watercolours are made slowly and deliberately.
Each stage of production is carried out by hand:
Pigment selection
Binder formulation
Hand mulling
Layered pouring
Drying and curing
Where industrial production relies on remote automation, our process relies on simple hand tools and close observations.
Pigment and binder are combined on a glass slab using a traditional muller. The steady movement of hand across frosted glass gradually disperses the pigment, refining the paint and developing its texture and handling qualities. The operation is tweaked according to how the pigment responds on the slab.
Only once the paint has reached the right consistency is it poured into pans, slowly and by hand.
Small Batches, Made with Intention
Ferrous & Bone paints are produced in small batches of around 20–25 half pans. This is largely because of the limited capacity of hand mulling paint. But the next stage of hand pouring, drying and curing also requires our close attention.
Each pan is filled in layers. A thin pour is allowed to dry before the next is added. In practice, this means repeating the whole careful process of mulling and drying eight times to fill the pans and finish a single batch. It is a slow practice of gentle water evaporation and gradual layering and is essential for ensuring our paint retains high levels of pigment and powerful strength of colour.
Large-scale manufacturing works very differently. Industrial paint is typically mixed in large vats, where fillers and chemical brighteners may be introduced before the mixture is extruded, cut, and dropped into pans. It’s why some manufactured watercolour pans will fall cleanly out of their trays, will take a lot of working to lift the paint and colours look dull on the paper.
What This Means for the Painter
For the artist, these differences matter. They affect how paint loads onto the brush, how smoothly it releases into water, and how much control the painter has over tone, transparency, and layering.
Our process is designed to preserve the integrity of the pigment rather than dilute it. The result is watercolour that offers:
Strength of colour
Quick lifting from pan to brush
A full tonal range
Smooth, responsive handling
True pigment character
Nuance is retained. Subtle shifts in colour remain visible. The paint responds to the painter’s intention rather than resisting it.
Paint That Works With the Painter
At Ferrous & Bone, process is not simply a method of production. It is part of the philosophy behind the paint.
By working slowly, in small batches, and with careful attention to each stage of making, we create watercolours that respect both the material and the artist using it. Because when the process is right, the paint does exactly what it should:
It works with the painter.
For painters who appreciate nuance and control, Ferrous & Bone watercolours offer a level of quality only possible through slow, small-batch making. Each pan reflects hours of careful craft, designed to retain pigment character, vibrancy, and smooth handling. Explore our full collection and experience how thoughtfully made paint can elevate your work.
by Emma Allan of Ferrous & Bone, Paint House.
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