Production Time Is More Than the Manufacturing Process

People who discover handmade watercolors for the first time often notice that they take much longer to produce than industrially manufactured paints.

This difference is not simply the result of making the paints by hand.

For many handmade watercolors, a significant part of the production time is spent not on mixing ingredients or filling pans, but on natural drying, material stabilization and continuous observation throughout the drying process.

Production time is therefore an essential part of the manufacturing process itself.

Natural Drying Requires Time

After the first pour, watercolor pans still contain a considerable amount of moisture.

As water gradually evaporates, the paint naturally shrinks. For this reason, many handmade watercolors are poured several times so that the pans remain properly filled after drying.

Even after multiple pours, some colors develop a naturally raised surface. This is a normal result of the natural drying process rather than a manufacturing defect.

These changes cannot be rushed and require sufficient time to occur.

Water and Honey Slow the Drying Process

Water is an essential part of watercolor production.

In formulations that contain honey, honey is not only part of the material system but also acts as a natural humectant, helping retain moisture and extending the drying process.

Different pigments also behave differently, which means drying times can vary significantly from one color to another.

As a result, colors produced in the same batch may not all reach a stable condition at the same time.

A Color Must Stabilize Before It Is Ready

Filling a watercolor pan does not mean the paint is finished.

Only after the paint has dried sufficiently and reached a relatively stable condition is it ready for packaging and sale.

If this stage begins too early, continued moisture loss may cause additional shrinkage and changes within the paint.

Allowing the material to stabilize naturally is therefore an important part of the overall production process.

Choosing Not to Accelerate Drying

Different manufacturers follow different production methods.

Some production processes use heated drying systems or other techniques to shorten drying times, while others rely entirely on natural air drying.

VHaquarell currently uses natural drying without drying machines or chemical drying accelerators.

This approach is not intended to make production take longer, but to allow the material to stabilize at its own pace.

Material Observation Is Part of Production

Making handmade watercolor involves more than producing a finished paint.

During natural drying, different pigments display different characteristics, including shrinkage, drying behavior and surface development.

Observing these changes helps build a better understanding of how individual pigments behave and provides valuable information for future color development.

Material observation is therefore an integral part of the production process rather than something that happens after production has finished.

Fewer Variables Make Observation Easier

As more functional additives are introduced into a material system, interactions between ingredients become increasingly complex.

For long-term material observation, additional variables can make it more difficult to compare the natural behavior of individual pigments under similar conditions.

Maintaining a relatively simple material system therefore makes it easier to observe and document pigment behavior over time.

VHaquarell's Current Production Approach

VHaquarell considers natural drying, multiple pours, material stabilization and long-term material observation to be integral parts of its production process.

Different colors pass through different drying periods depending on their pigment characteristics and move to packaging only after reaching a relatively stable condition.

Some colors naturally retain a slightly raised surface after drying, while selected stages of the drying process are documented as part of a growing material archive that supports future color development.

Longer Production Time Reflects Natural Material Development

A longer production cycle does not simply mean waiting longer.

Natural drying, repeated pouring, material stabilization and continuous observation all require time to develop.

For handmade watercolors that rely on natural drying, production time reflects the natural development of the material rather than a focus on manufacturing speed.

Conclusion

The production time of handmade watercolors varies depending on the material system and manufacturing approach.

For watercolors that are naturally dried and observed throughout the stabilization process, a longer production cycle is the result of natural drying, material stabilization and long-term material observation, making it an essential part of the manufacturing process itself.