paint-making, research

the other day i found karen michel's book, "green guide for artists", and i haven't been without it since.

the most useful tool in the guide is michel's recipes for natural, non-toxic paints. i've been interested in raw pigments since i've begun working with encaustic mediums, but haven't made my own paint yet. these recipes are so simple, and include ingredients that are readily available and non-toxic, like gum arabic, honey, eggs, and essential oils. i'm excited to make my own paint, and to ditch the studio fumes that come with solvent-based paints.

one paint included in the guide is called glair paint, and was used during the fifth century for illuminated manuscripts- the only ingredients are egg white and pigment.

i have also been avidly following a blog, "pen and parchment" from the metropolitan museum of art, that details book art and drawing from the middle ages in the museums collection. a recent post, here, talks about the formula for making gold paint from a medieval source called the Mappae clavicula. it's amazing.

this research has inspired me to work with medieval mediums, and to make my own glair paint, gold paint and india ink in small batches to incorporate into my work.