Derived from milk, casein paint dates all the way back to ancient Asian cave paintings and is still used by professional artists today.
Casein paint is durable, fast-drying, and water-soluble. It was also as widely used in ancient Egypt as tempera paint, and popular among commercial illustrators and muralists in the twentieth century. Many oil painters also use it for underpainting. Learn how to make it for yourself below!
Supplies:
- Casein powder
- Borax
- Distilled water
- Earth & Mineral Pigments
- Palette knife
- Glass palette
- Double boiler
Instructions:
Step 1: Mix 2 tablespoons of casein powder with 10 tablespoons of distilled water. Let the mixture sit overnight.
After sitting overnight, some of the water will have separated from the rest of the mixture.
Step 2: Discard the liquid that accumulated on the surface.
Step 3: Mix 1 tablespoon borax with 8 tablespoons of hot water.
Stir until the borax is dissolved.
Step 4: Add the casein mixture to the borax water and stir until smooth.
Step 5: Heat the resulting mixture in a double boiler on medium heat until it reaches about 180 ℉, stirring continuously. This heating process will take about 15 minutes. Let the mixture cool.
Step 6: Measure out a spoonful of Earth & Mineral Pigment (we used Yellow Ochre!) onto your glass palette. At this stage, some artists "pre-wet" their pigment with water–to do so, add a small amount of water to your pigment and mix with a palette knife until it becomes a thick paste.
Step 7: Mix a spoonful of the casein binder with the pigment on your palette. There is no exact ratio that works for every pigment; to test if your ratio is correct for the pigment you're using, apply your mixed paint to a scrap piece of cardboard. If some of the pigment rubs off after an hour, you need to add more binder. If the paint cracks, adjust the binder-to-pigment ratio by adding more pigment and water.
Step 7: Your paint is finished! Use this casein paint on wood, paper, or any rigid support, using water to thin the paint if needed. You can even prime your painting surface with "casein gesso" before using the casein paint–brush diluted casein binder onto your painting surface, then mix Natural Impasto Medium and Titanium White Earth & Mineral Pigment with the casein binder and apply.
Storage: To store the paint, keep it in a cool, dry location. To store the binder, store it in your refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.
OTHER RECIPES
There are always multiple recipes out there for making the same types of paint and Casein paint is no different. Here is one more recipe that's a little more involved and creates slightly different properties of the paint. This one came from Lucy Mayes book "The Natural Pigment Handbook". You decide what you like best!
Make Casein Medium
Weigh 30 g of dry casein powder and place in a small glass jar
Weigh 1.5 g of ammonium carbonate
Dissolve ammonium carbonate in 30 mL of warm distilled water - stir gently
In a well ventilated space slowly add the dissolved ammonium carbonate to the casein while stirring continuously. The solution will start to foam slightly as ammonia gas is released.
Continue stirring until the casein fully dissolves into a smooth liquid binder. If needed adjust the water amount to create the desired consistency of a light gel.
Let it rest for a few minutes before using to allow any remaining gas to escape
Making Casein Paint
Using a pestle and mortar, combine your pigment with the casein gel in a one : one ratio to form a thick paint, adding water to achieve the desired consistency of cream - larger quantities can be ground into the medium, using a glass muller and glass palette.
Interested in more recipes featuring Natural Earth Paint products? Visit our Recipes page!
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