Commercial oil paints contain unhealthy petroleum solvents. Here is a recipe for making your own paint that is a true find, especially for those who are chemically sensitive, adapted from a recipe in the Kremer Pigments artists’ catalog.
Ingredients
Generally, count on using up to three times as much pigment as oil by volume.
1/2 ounce beeswax
2 1/2 ounces raw, cold-pressed linseed oil
Natural earth pigments
Heat the beeswax and oil over medium heat in a double boiler. Once the beeswax has melted, remove from the stove. Wearing a dust mask, carefully place the powdered pigment on a glass plate, and with a palette knife, slowly mix in the beeswax and oil mixture until you have a firm paste. (This can take a while to do properly, up to 30 minutes!) Make sure not to add too much oil, as if they paste is too think the paint will crack.
Natural pigments as well as others, are available from Kremer Pigments and other artist supply stores. Natural pigments are especially lovely as they are more mellow.
By Annie B. Bond, best-selling and award-winning author of five green living books, thousands of blogs, and all the tips in the Greenify Everything app. Called “The Godmother of Green” by Martha Stewart Sirius Radio.
