Whether you’re an amateur or professional artist, making your own paints and finishes allows for greater freedom and control over the artistic process. If you’re interested in learning more, read our reasons why you should make your own paints and finishes.
You Can Customize Features
The clearest benefit is the sheer customizability of your paint and finish features. Though it may require some trial and error, it’s possible to create just the right paint color you’ve been searching for by combining the particular Pigments yourself. For example, if you have
Orange Iron Oxide Powder and want a paint with a tinged red appearance, you can simply mix it with a red Pigment to create a different color. If that isn’t quite right, you can add a different color or more red. You can also modify your finishes’ glossiness. If you’re unsatisfied with your pre-made matte, eggshell, or glossy options (among others), consider making your own finish to create the sheen you’re looking for.
Controlling Quantity is Easy
Another valuable reason to make your own paints and finishes is so you can control how much you have prepared at a time. If you want a certain color, but only for a small portion of a project, you can make a little and conserve Pigment. This is preferred over buying a pre-made volume of paints and finishes that doesn’t account for your work’s specificities.
There’s Toxicity Transparency
Knowing what goes in your paints and finishes allows an environmentally-conscious person to prevent harmful waste and potential harm to others. Finding Pigments and a binding medium that fits your standards ensures that your materials are biodegradable and gives you peace of mind knowing exactly what they’re made from.
Creativity is Boosted
With the options that custom paints and finishes provide, there are many ways to be more creative than you can be with ready-made products. For example, you can create your own casein paint made from quark and your chosen Pigment. This can be used on an absorbent wall for a larger project. And the sky’s the limit for what else you can experiment with. Trying out other substances with your Pigments can open up your work and allow for different texturing and layering.