Some Notes On: Paints

Paints. Ok, let’s get to this daunting topic. There are many different kinds of paint. There are many different levels of toxic paints. There are many different levels of quality in paints. So let’s start with what all paint starts with. Pigment.

Pigment is what it’s all about. The toxicity levels, cost, and hue all depend upon the source of the pigment . For example, one of my favorite colors, Alizarin Crimson, is a synthetic pigment based on an original pigment from the roots of the maddar plant. So it used to be plant based, and then they found a way to make it in a lab. Another staple of pigments are the Cadmium line. Cadmium is from a metal that is toxic and causes cancer. And the colors are awesome and unmatched. Another popular paint, Titanium, comes from another metal. Indigo is from plants, but is almost all made synthetically today.

Then the pigment is mixed with a medium to carry the color and something that evaporates to leave the color on the material you painted it on. These can be toxic too, or not, like watercolors.

So the posterpaints/watercolors kids use have a non-toxic pigment and non-toxic ways to get the pigment to stick to whatever they paint it on.

Oils have toxic or non-toxic pigments and a toxic way to get it to stick to whatever they paint it on. Acrylics, watercolors and gouache have toxic or non-toxic pigments and a non-toxic way to get it to stick to whatever they paint it on. Usually water, so they dry fast. Gouache is kinda like watercolor but it has an opaque element to it and is more saturated in color due to this. Acrylics are like oils in that you can get thick layers but they dry much faster (hours not days.) You can also use acrylics like watercolors if you water them down.

After the paints have their color, binder and base medium the manufacturers add a mix of fillers and other things to get the paint to look, cost and behave how they want. “Student Grade” paints will have a lot more filler and a lot less pigment. That pigment can be costly, since it may be made with precious metals.

Now let’s talk colors. A color wheel is the base for most colors. You start with a red, blue and yellow. Then you can make almost any color from those.

However there are some colors that you just can’t get from these three colors. Think neon pink. Or silver. And for that matter, just picking the right red is an adventure. Like I said earlier, I love Alizarin Crimson. It is such a glorious red. Here it is near another nice red:

Beautiful. Then let’s look at whites (I’ll use just my Gouaches since I love them:)

Now what do you do? All these whites! Aaaa. Here is what they do to that glorious red:

That Chinese White is practically useless. Oooo, that Zinc looks great. The Titanium is nice too, and a classic. Also note that some painters never use black. They say it makes their work muddy. They mix the opposite side of the color wheel to darken their color. I say black is fine, just be mindful of the muddy thing.

Now this all comes down to what is the best paint for your kids. Watercolors are a great start. Don’t be afraid of these:

They are awesome. They are real watercolors, just made with the wussy pigments, and are so easy to clean up. They also are non-toxic. However you can get some much more respectable sets.

Then as your child gets older I recommend diving into acrylics or gouaches. I love gouaches, have I mentioned that? I would start with a couple Cadmium Yellows and Reds, Prussian Blue, a Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and Carbon Black. Then add some beautiful Alizarin Crimson, some Ochre’s, Burnt Umber, Viridian… Whatever catches your eye. Remember the costs are totally based on the expense of the pigment and if it’s student grade or professional. I like Holben Gouache and Golden Acrylics.

Oils are for people that have specially ventilated rooms or for painting outdoors. I wouldn’t recommend oils to anyone but a seasoned vet. They are silky smooth and tempting, but I haven’t brought mine out of storage since they are so unhealthy.

I recommend the following for kids:

Then for older kids and adults: