Use the children's earth paint and seal it with a beeswax/ walnut oil varnish (recipe on our website) although the children's paint isn't professional quality - but still beautiful. She can also use the oil paint and she doesn't need to seal or varnish it BUT you should remind her that it could take a week to dry to the touch. She can also make her own Natural Gouache paint (recipe on our recipes page) which is water based and professional quality - but may need a varnish as well.-Leah
History: Tempera painting predates oil painting as a professional painting medium. It has unique characteristics: it produces a crisp, luminous, almost linear effect that’s quite different from oil. Using egg yolk as the binder, this ancient technique makes a water-soluble paint that dries quickly, allowing for over-painting with more tempera or other mediums. If you have never tried it, we thoroughly recommend the experience! See a detailed Step by Step of the Gold Egg Tempera
Process:
1. Crack egg & pour out egg whites, keeping only yolk in shell.
2. Pour yolk onto paper towel to gently dry.
3. Puncture sack around egg yolk and squeeze yolk out into dish.
4. Mix yolk with pigment around 1:1, adjusting as needed depending on pigment type (all pigments absorb liquid differently)
5. Mix & Paint!
6. Dilute paint with water for thinner paint.
Note: A drop or two of Clove Oil can be added to slow spoilage. Tempera paint does not store well once mixed, so paint away! Once painted on paper, this is a very archival paint; once used by the Medieval Monks to create Illuminated Manuscripts.
Earth Egg Tempera
History: Tempera painting predates oil painting as a professional painting medium. It has unique characteristics: it produces a crisp, luminous, almost linear effect that’s quite different from oil. Using egg yolk as the binder, this ancient technique makes a water-soluble paint that dries quickly, allowing for over-painting with more tempera or other mediums. If you have never tried it, we thoroughly recommend the experience! See a detailed Step by Step with photos here on How to make Gold Egg Tempera Paint.
Ingredients: egg yolk, water, earth pigments
Prep Time: 5 minutes per color
Process:
This is a natural chalk/pastel recipe used by many Renaissance artists for drawings. Making your own pastels allows you to create them as soft or as hard as you like. Commercial pastels have to be made hard enough to withstand breakage during shipment. As long as you're not shipping these, you can make soft pastels that are more yielding and do not dig into the under-layers of the paper as much as harder pastels do. The paint quality will be richer, and the colors more intense.
Ingredients: earth pigment, water, binder of your choice (limestone powder, wheat paste, honey or white soap (grate and dissolve a small amount in water)).
Prep Time: 5 – 45 minutes, depending on which binder you use.
Process:
Wheat paste recipe: wheat, rice, or rye flour work well. Use about 1 part flour to 6 parts water. Mix flour with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. Then add hot water to make a thin consistency. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to an oatmeal-type consistency. Use immediately or refrigerate to preserve it for a few days.
(Note: the Children's Earth Paint is also a great mural paint)
Ingredients: earth pigment, flour paste (or white glue), and water
Process:
Wheat paste recipe: wheat, rice, or rye flour work well. Use about 1 part flour to 6 parts water. Mix flour with a small amount of water to make a smooth paste. Then add hot water to make a thin consistency. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to an oatmeal-type consistency. Use immediately or refrigerate to preserve it for a few days.
History: Derived from milk, Casein Paint dates back to Asian cave paintings, and it was widely used up until the Renaissance. It is durable, fast-drying, and water-soluble, but it smells a little strange (the smell dissipates as it dries). Do not use if you are allergic to dairy products.
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. casein powder; 1 Tbsp. borax, 1 oz. earth pigment
Prep time: 5 min. prep; then let sit overnight. 5 more min., and let sit an hour.
Process:
Simple Stain: There are several techniques to make natural wood stains. The simplest method is to add pure earth pigment to walnut oil and rub it onto wood with a clean rag. Start with 1 part pigment to 4 parts oil, and adjust proportions as needed.
"Shaker" Wood Stain: Here is another technique that uses water instead of oil.
Prep time: 45 min. – 2 hours
Process:
Gouache is a beautiful water-based artist paint, similar to acrylic or an opaque watercolor.
1. Mix 1 cup hot water with ½ cup Gum Arabic Powder
2. Add in 1/5 cup honey (a little less than ¼ cup)
3. Add two drops of clove or thyme essential oil to help preserve it
4. In separate bowl, mix 1 Tbsp. honey with 9 TBSP of above mixture (1:9) - this is your "base".
5. Mix 1 tsp. limestone powder (whiting) with 6 tsp. pigment.
6. Mix one part "base" with one part pigment/limestone mix. (example: 1 Tbsp. base & 1 Tbsp. pigment mix)
7. Store in airtight jar.
Glair paints were popular during the 5th century to create illuminated manuscripts. Because the paint is not very strong, it works best on paper. It’s perfect for art journaling and is very quick and easy to make.
Ingredients: egg white & earth pigment
Process:
For painters who enjoy the strong, fast-drying qualities of acrylic, you can always make acrylic earth paint that is more luminous than tube acrylics because there are no fillers or preservatives.
Ingredients: acrylic medium & earth pigment
Prep time: 3 min. per color
Process:
Watercolor Base:
(If you want a stronger preservative you can use sodium benzoate – a food grade preservative - 1/2 - 1 tsp.)
-In separate bowl, mix 1 Tbsp. honey with 9 TBSP of above mixture (1:9)
Mixing in Pigment:
Mix 1 part mixture with 1 part pigment (adjust as necessary)
Store in airtight jars or let dry into cakes (add a few drops of glycerin to prevent cracking if drying into cakes - optional).
FULL STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL WITH PHOTOS HERE!
History: The ancient art of sand painting among Native American tribes in the Southwest was a form of religious expression. In its original form, sand paintings were created to exist only a few hours. Toward the end of the 20th century, many Native Americans began creating more permanent sand paintings by using glue under the colored sand.
Ingredients: 1 cup of a fine, craft sand. 1 tsp. earth pigment
Prep Time: 3 min. per color
Process:
Tips for sand painting:
Gesso Recipe - gesso recept
Prepare Methyl Cellulose Pour 1 packet of Methyl Cellulose powder into a glass quart jar (or whatever is similar in size in Europe).
- Add 8 fl. oz (or 236 grams or 236 mL) of very hot water.
- Stir briskly or shake with lid on until dissolved
- Add 20 fl. oz. of cold water to jar (or 590 grams or 590 mL) . Shake to Mix.
- Let sit overnight (shake occasionally if it appears to be congealing at the bottom of the jar).
Brush on Methyl Cellulose onto stretched raw canvas or panel. Let dry overnight or until dry to the touch. Mix Gesso To make 8 fl. oz. of gesso, mix 1 cup of gesso powder mix (150 grams or 5.3 oz. ) with 3/4 cup of hot water (or 6 fl. oz. or 177 g. or 177 mL) Stir until dissolved. Add 4 Tbsp. of Methyl Cellulose Mixture. Apply 2-3 coats, letting each one dry.