Ox Gall for Watercolor? This Tiny Bottle Surprised Me!

Hard to get smooth washes in watercolor? This helped the streaks with Prussian Blue… but does it help other pigments too? In this video, I test out QoR’s Synthetic Ox Gall — and it really surprised me.
I’ll walk you through how I used it in both watercolor and gouache, which pigments spread beautifully (like Prussian Blue), and which ones resist (like Lunar Black and Hematite Violet Genuine). You’ll see side-by-side results so you can decide if it’s worth adding to your own palette.
Along the way, I also bring you into my Masters Reimagined series — a monthly portrait project I started in January 2025 — where I experiment with mediums while exploring the essence of artists like John Singer Sargent, Frida Kahlo, Albrecht Dürer, and Salvador Dalí. This time, I spotlight ox gall as my medium experiment, while also creating my final portrait of Dalí.
You’ll see:🎨 Side-by-side tests of pigments with/without ox gall🖌️ My process for handling large washes and layering🦋 How I brought cohesion into my recent works through recurring motifs (the Oleander Hawk Moth, splatters, and orientation)👁️ Insights into Dalí’s surreal forms, symbolism, and why I chose form and space as my guiding elements for his portrait
If you’ve ever wondered when ox gall actually helps, and how to use experiments like these to deepen your own art practice, this one’s for you.


🎨 My favorite art supplies:
You can find both the Holbein Granulating Watercolors, Synthetic Ox Gall, and all the other materials I use on my Blick favorites list here:👉 https://tinyurl.com/esmppz56
(affiliate link — thank you for supporting my channel 💙)

🎨 Featured Artwork:
“Dali Elephant Study” — a surreal watercolor exploring balance and fragility, created during my surface-flow experiments with ox gall:
https://www.miwagardner.com/buyart/p/...


👉 Read my full deep dive on synthetic ox gall here: https://www.miwagardner.com/blog/synt...

✨ More videos you’ll love:
🔹 Masters Reimagined series playlist:    • Masters Reimagined: Painting Portraits Ins...  
🔹 Japan Art Supply Haul:    • Unexpected Art Haul from Japan & Beyond lo...  
🔹 Lightfast Test Results:    • I Tested 250 Paints in the Sun and the Res...  


Music: Freshly Squeezed By Matt Large
Ox Gall for Watercolor? This Tiny Bottle Surprised Me!