Originally posted 03-03-2013
Being an artist is possibly one of the hardest and most challenging professions today. No one who is in their right mind would ever choose to do this. It’s insane. The materials are expensive. You rarely sell anything. You spend long grueling hours in your studio, in seclusion, toiling away, cursing yourself and anyone who ever encouraged you down this path because you are “talented,” what malarky.
But on certain days, it all just makes sense. The paint flows, the images spill out of you, everything just works, and maybe, just maybe, someone wants to buy a piece.
Sometimes you just get so into the process that you remember why you fell in love with painting in the first place. That’s how I felt the other day when I was making paint.
Making one’s own paint is a time old tradition that has, for the most part, ceased since the invention of the (paint) tube. No one has to spend the hours grinding their own pigments and mixing said pigments with oil and binders, filling jars with colors. It’s all done for you, saving you precious hours that can be used in your studio painting. But for souls like me, artists addicted to the craft in every way, there is nothing like making your own paint.
First of all, the pigments are gorgeous. (More vibrant than the photos suggest)
Ultramarine Blue
Alizarin Crimson Dark
Alizarin Crimson Light
Second, you have total control over the end product. You can choose to make the paint thick or thin, however you prefer. And, you always know what’s in the paint, unlike when you purchase a tube from the store and it can contain fillers that stretch out and dull the pigments.
Third, (unless your studio is stocked with Old Holland or other high quality commercial paints) the paint quality is so much better!
Fourth, it’s not more expensive than buying tube paint from the store.
The thing most artists don’t know is that oil paint is extremely easy to make. All you need is pigment and linseed oil (you can mix it with other oils, but linseed is pretty standard, especially for beginners). That’s it. You mix it together with palette knives, slowly adding the oil until its the right consistency, and wa-la, paint! Sometimes, if it is a more stubborn pigment, you might need to use something called a muller (the glass tool below) to make sure the pigment is properly dispersed in the oil.
Then you just scoop up your paint, put it in a jar (or a tube, if you’re fancy like that), and you are ready to paint.
If you are a painter, and you have never made your own paint before, I totally recommend trying it. If you live in NYC, I would recommend going to Kremer Pigments in Chelsea. They have a great selection of pigments, as well as amazing brushes and other supplies, and free seminars on everything from preparing grounds to mixing paints.
Good luck!