Painting with the Mineral Pigments
The following is a brief presentation of the application of the mineral pigments using appropriate
binding mediums. I deal with this in lectures and workshops in more detail.
Prerequisites for the choice of binding mediums with Natural and Mineral Pigments

•        There is no one universal binding medium that is suitable for all pigment
characteristics and effects.

The binding medium necessary for each natural and mineral pigment will vary according to
the following parameters:

•        The refractive index of the pigment
•        The chemistry of the pigment
•        Pigment particle size
•        The painting ground or previous paint layer
1. Aqueous:  distemper, casein. Egg tempera does change
the colour slightly over the years.
2. Fir balsam resin:  (Strasbourg turpentine fused with
pure spirits of  turpentine). A few eye-drops of walnut
oil are added for a tough paint film.
3. All oils alone should be avoided since this will lead to
discoloration even after the pigment is prepared. The
best was achieved with linseed stand oil and pure
distilled turpentine. Even cold pressed walnut oil will
show discoloration within three to four years. However,
a small addition of any white pigment will prevent
noticeable yellowing in oil.
Azurite as an example
Copyright © Michael Price Inc.
This page published 28.11.2009
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