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Natural Paints

Follow the links on the right of this window to find basic, traditional recipes and formulas using the materials we provide, or those easily obtained at your local art store. Some recipes even call for everyday materials you can find around your home.

One should always bear in mind that paint recipes, unlike those for cooking, are really only a starting point. It is up to the individual artist to perfect them according to his or her needs. Paint always consists of the same basic formula: a thinner such as water or oil, a binder such as Casein, Glue or Egg, and a "load" such as chalk and or pigment. In addition to these basics other ingredients like "siccatives" may be added to accelerate drying or a preservative such as Clove Oil.

The beauty of working with pigments is in their versatility. You can create your own paints, or use some of the superb readymade bases such as those featured in our Artist's Readymade Bases, or those products featured in our Faux Finishes.

Whenever working with new and untested recipes, it is always a good idea to color test your paints on a sample to be sure the ratios of pigment to binder are correct, and that you have achieved the desired tone. Color can lose from 40 to 50% of intensity between its wet and dry state, and will also be influenced by ambient light, surface type and the method of application. Be sure that your surface is properly prepared to accept the medium you have chosen, and that it is clean and free of dust.

Recipes