Mixing Home-Made Paint

[Robson Valley]

When my pair of 30" Ravens is finished, they go out somewhere in the back yard.
I've decided that I want to paint them black and that should need quite an amount.
Whatever comes off with weathering, so be it.
I have access to a 5gal pail of willow charcoal, free for the taking. Besides bear fat, bison fat and lard, every oil of course, from the kitchen, hardware store or gas station.
There's nothing around here which could even be mistaken for ochre.
Anybody mixed their own paint from scratch?

[sappy]

Wow, ambitious! I haven't worked much with it, but I remember my grandfather darkening things using creosote mixed with diesel. I won't caution you on the dangers of that, just be prudent!

I don't know about charcoal, (got any lamp black?) but from what I have read about making your own paints, you would grind, mix with oil and grind with pressure to a peanut butter consistency.

For your other colors, check out the spice cabinet. Turmeric taste terrible but makes a nice color mixed with oil.

[Robson Valley]

My D2 and her husband are about to buy a house in one of North America's worst, most inflated markets possible = Vancouver, BC. In any event, I intend to plant this pair of Ravens in their garden as a gift.

I'm trying to imagine what was used for "black" by the carvers on the Pacific Northwest Coast, two centuries ago. I don't have salmon egg (tempra) to make a more adherent paint. It will be charcoal and oil (of some sort).

Q: is Pennzoil better than bear fat?

I can grind, no biggie. I have all sorts of smooth 1" stone slabs for that. I know it will be messy but that is entirely beside the point. I need to try to experience what might have happened 200 years ago. Things that my european ancestors attempted to crush with smallpox, etc.

I use a small 'e' in european as their worth was little more than that to me.

[Dileon]

Yes,...there are ways to make homemade paint but like anything the beginning materials are costly.... in fact on line "Blick" sells the mediums and pigments and the special tool to crush the pigments into powered to make your paint. As this is on a wish list, but not affordable for me yet. My advice is go to Wally Marts and go into their craft section get about four big bottles of black acrylic around 3 to 4 dollars each. Meanwhile I will dig in my old books on how to make real paint,.... like they did in the old days,... when paint did not come in a tube. I do not think charcoal is a permanent color but then again I could be wrong....smile

[Robson Valley]

Thanks DiLeon: I don't want any help from Dick Blick. Imgonnagonative!
What did they do in the Pacific Northwest, 2 centuries ago for paint? The missionaries tried so hard to stomp out culture and language that the old ways are much forgotten. The white man's house paint was better for poles and boxes, etc., anyway.
If it weathers off in a couple of Vancouver winters, nobody will care.
Charcoal will last 20,000 years or more. Outdoors in the weather, it might be weeks. In cave paintings, nearly forever.

[AlArchie]

Here's a link to a site with some ideas on natural pigments used by ealy native artisans. It also tags the salmon egg tempera. Although I wouldn't advise chewing the eggs and spitting the mash for the binder, you could pick up a stone mortar and pestil to scramble the eggs with the cedar bark and spit.
Native American Art- Painting

Good luck! Aw, heck, go ahead and chew the durn stuff up, wadda ya gotta loose?

Al

[Robson Valley]

Thanks Al.
A couple of chicken eggs, lightly whisked
2 chewed up anchovy fillets spit into the bowl
2 or 3 big handfuls of willow charcoal
Pure' in the blender
Look in the freezer and hope that there's something else to eat.
How am I doing?

[Bill102M]

Naturally produced paint is pretty easy to research and produce in the historically correct methods. A mortar and pescle or some form of this is about all they had other than chewing and spitting. Charcoal ground fine and egg yolk, or salmon eggs ground up with some fish oil to even out the texture was about all they had. I don't believe that longevity was any more than we can achieve today exposed to the sun and weather. Most paints and stains today are showing deterioration after about five years. And this is with all our so called chemical advances. Nothing lasts forever.

[Robson Valley]

I'm not overly concerned with weathering. If the birds look nice at the beginning, so be it.
The willow charcoal is really soot-black. You can buy it in skinny twig form for sketching.
The diamond willow guy down my street burns all the offcuts, and he saved the charcoal for me! I have lots of flat stone, lapped flat with very fine sand and water = charcoal grinder.

It's about time I bought some fresh shop supplies so here's the recipe: slurry of freshly ground charcoal & water. Lots of old carpenter's glue. Mix well. Slop it on. Toss the brush.

[Lazy Carver]

Sorry guys about home made paints, im with Dileon on this one.... You can find pretty much what you need at an art supplier, and even better, than you would at a home center. Gosh i wish they made an exterior home paint with Lascaux paints.... You'd never have to paint your home again!....... What's the thought in that???.....????