This glossary brings together all the materials, products, and techniques used in artisanal paint recipes.
Binder: a substance, fluid upon application, that coats each pigment grain and “welds” them together to form a continuous film.
Beeswax: it can be yellow or bleached. It is dissolved by heating it with turpentine or petroleum spirit at a temperature between 62 and 70°C. Beeswax is used as a binder in encaustic paint.
Clove oil: essential oil used as a natural preservative.
Decoction: a method of extracting active ingredients and/or aromas from a generally plant-based preparation by dissolving them in boiling water. It is generally applied to the hardest parts of plants: wood, bark, seeds, roots.
Dispersion: the action of separating pigment grains and coating them with a binder.
Gum arabic: gum arabic, sometimes called Senegal gum, is a solidified sap exudate from acacia trees.
Known as the oldest gum, its origin dates back to the Egyptians. It currently accounts for nearly 90% of the world’s natural gum production.
It is perfectly edible. It is an excellent emulsifier, widely used in pastry making and by the food industry. It is also used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and paper industries. Its European product code is E414.
Grinding: the action of breaking down pigment grains.
Infusion: a method of extracting active ingredients or aromas from a plant by dissolving them in an initially boiling liquid that is then allowed to cool. The solvent is not necessarily water; it can also be an oil or alcohol.
Iron sulfate: Ferrous sulfate, also known as iron(II) sulfate, with the chemical formula FeSO4, is currently used in many fields (dyeing, cabinetmaking, gardening…). During the Middle Ages, iron sulfate was an essential ingredient in ink production.
Iron sulfate is considered an alteration sulfate under natural conditions, as it forms through the oxidation of certain minerals exposed to atmospheric humidity, such as marcasite or pyrite.
Linseed oil: extracted from flaxseed, linseed oil is very siccative (fast-drying). Its biggest drawback is its tendency to yellow. It is therefore not recommended for light colors.
Ox gall: made from ox bile, it has many qualities. It facilitates pigment wetting and color penetration on porous surfaces. It also allows aqueous paint to adhere to all smooth surfaces without beading.
Poppy seed oil: extracted from the seeds of the opium poppy’s non-narcotic variety (blue or black poppy), whose cultivation is authorized unlike the strain used for opium. Pale in color with a faint almond scent, it is highly siccative and yellows very little, making it valued in painting for binding light colors, notably in the fine detail work of the Flemish tradition.
Safflower oil: a fluid, yellow vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of safflower, a thistle-like plant. Very rich in linoleic acid, it is used in both cooking and oil painting, where it does not tack and offers good resistance once dry while yellowing little over time.
Thinner: a product that extends and thins, but evaporates and leaves no fixed residue.
Walnut oil: extracted from the walnut kernel, it is siccative (fast-drying) and yellows very little. It’s a good alternative to linseed oil.
