Stil de Grain Light

Description
Stil de Grain Light Lake is our exquisitely hand-crafted watercolor paint made with an extremely concentrated and high quality single source pigment mixed only with pure honey. Every pan is meticulously hand mulled, hand packed, filled, and labeled — ensuring maximum pigment concentration without any binders, fillers, or extenders. Our unique formula uses only one pigment and pure local honey, delivering a maximally concentrated watercolor paint.

Stil de Grain Light, also known as Buckthorn Lake, is a soft, golden-yellow watercolor made from the unripe berries of the buckthorn plant (Rhamnus cathartica or Rhamnus infectoria). This historic pigment was widely used in illuminated manuscripts, Renaissance painting, and botanical illustration. When carefully extracted and laked with alum, it produces a gentle, transparent yellow with greenish undertones and a beautiful, sunlit glow.

Our Stil de Grain Light is handcrafted in small batches using traditional dye extraction and laking techniques. The result is a refined, plant-based yellow perfect for florals, glazes, portrait highlights, and atmospheric washes. Unlike modern synthetic yellows, it has a living quality that shifts subtly with the paper and light. This pigment is delicate in both color and permanence, best suited for protected works, archival portfolios, and reproduction-based art.

Key Features
Single Source Pigment: Each product features one pure pigment, chosen for its exceptional quality.

Handmade Artisanal Process: Crafted in small batches, our watercolors are hand mulled on a glass slab and hand packed to preserve the integrity of the pigment.

Maximum Pigment Load: Designed to provide maximum color saturation, our formula contains no artificial additives or fillers

Recommended Use: Best used with a gum arabic medium to achieve optimal reactivation and fluidity.

Pigment Information
Pigment Type: Natural organic lake pigment (botanical)
Source: Unripe buckthorn berries (Rhamnus species), laked with alum
Origin: Handmade in-house using historical European dye recipes
Lightfastness: Moderate (best used in protected or archival work)
Opacity: Transparent with soft glow and no granulation
Other Names: Stil de Grain, Sap Green (ripe variant), Yellow Berry Lake, Buckthorn Yellow
Color Index Code: NY14

Production Process
Our watercolors are created with passion and precision. The pigment is carefully hand mulled and then mixed with pure local honey, ensuring an exceptionally concentrated and vibrant product. The entire process is carried out by hand—from mixing and mulling to filling and labeling—so you can be confident in the artisanal quality of every pan.

Usage & Care
For professional and consistent results, we recommend using a gum arabic medium. Please store in a secure area away from children and pets, and dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly manner in accordance with all local, state, and national regulations.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.