Painting is an incredibly diverse artform, and there are countless ways to creatively express yourself through it. Some forms of paint can, unfortunately, have negative effects on the environment and on one’s health, so some people opt to seek out more natural options. Here we list some high-quality types of natural paint and provide links to instructions for making them yourself. We hope that you can use at least one of these options below to reduce your carbon footprint by creating environmentally responsible paint.
Milk Paint
Milk paint is an attractive option because it’s both environmentally and user-friendly. It provides an incredibly vibrant color that will look great on the proper unfinished surface. You can increase its strength and create a water-insoluble version by adding lime powder to the binder. Milk paint is aesthetically attractive and toxin-free, and it can accept any sealer on top.
Click here to learn how you can make milk paint with lime.
Oil Paint
You can use pigment and oil to create your own natural oil paint. People often use linseed oil, though there are other drying oil options as well. This type of paint only requires a few ingredients, and it’s incredibly easy to make—once you’ve done it yourself, you’ll see how easy it is to master! Oil can also be mixed into quark to create a decorative glaze. Use our mica color powder with the oil to create a metallic tone.
Click here to learn how to make a quark and oil glaze.
Egg Tempera
This is another simple paint that uses one component as the binder for your pigment or mica powder: egg yolk! Add a little water as your vehicle, and use wine or vodka to make it miscible—you’ll end up with a beautiful medium for use with pigments and micas!
Click here to learn how to make egg tempera.