Recently I noticed that a large art supplier was buying Dutch Gold honey and I wondered why an art supply company would be buying honey. It sounded a little curious so I looked into it and found out that honey is actually used to make watercolors! The binding agents in watercolor typically include glycerin and gum arabic, but both of these tend to dry out quickly. A humectant is needed in the mixture to retain moisture. Typically, the humectant in most watercolors is corn syrup because it is cheap, but some companies continue to use the original ingredient, honey, in their paints. Honey has been used since the 19th century in watercolors and it is better at retaining moisture than corn syrup. Honey keeps watercolor from hardening, gives an artist great washes and stays moist for longer, allowing an artist more time to manipulate the paint!