Mon Prof Augmenté
Pigment Powder and Binder
Age 11 · Art
A coloured powder called pigment is ground from earth, rock or charcoal. Stirred into a binder such as egg yolk or linseed oil, it turns into paint.
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Age 11: open this week
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In the picture
- A heap of red ochre powder: pigment ground from iron-rich earth
- A stone mortar and pestle holding half-ground red earth: the lumps are broken down into fine powder
- An egg yolk in a small dish: the binder that will hold the pigment together
- A palette knife blending powder and yolk into a glossy dab: the mixed paint, ready to use
Examples
- Oil paint in a metal tube: pigment mixed with linseed oil
- Tempera paint used at school: pigment mixed with egg yolk or a similar binder
Key takeaways
- Paint is always pigment plus a binder.
- The finer the pigment is ground, the smoother the paint becomes.
Quiz: Pigment Powder and Binder (Age 11)
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What two things are needed to make paint?
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What happens to paint when the pigment is ground into a finer powder?
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Which of these is used as a binder for pigment?
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