Ancient and modern paint: a brief history
There is much debate about when humans first expressed their artistic side by using paint to document the world they lived in. Some reckon the first cave paintings are 15,000 years old; some experts insist there were Homo sapien painters putting on crude exhibitions 40,000 years ago.
What is beyond dispute is how popular painting is today – it is why arts and crafts company Yellow Moon stocks so many paints and accessories.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The 2010 film Cave of Forgotten Dreams, made by German film director Werner Herzog, took a 3D-look at some Stone Age wall paintings in a long-lost French cave. The cave is preserved very carefully by the French authorities and the general public is not allowed access. Because of high levels of carbon dioxide, Herzog was only allowed to film for six days, capturing incredible images of paintings during intense four-hour sessions.
Painting through the ages
Access to paintings and paint has often been a problem. The ancient Egyptians popularised the art of painting and passed their skills on to the Romans, but when the Roman Empire declined and fell, painting became a lost art.
English house and church-decorators and Italian craftsmen revived painting but kept their knowledge of the process a closely-guarded secret. The result: some great art which subsequent generations did not have the expertise to replicate.
Thankfully, post-Middle Age artists started being less secretive about their knowledge of paint – which is why school art rooms are packed with such great displays today and why people flock to galleries and exhibitions.
New modern paint
Modern artists use many paints which were not available to early painters. Acrylic paint is a great example –it was only made commercially available in Europe in 1963.
You can have great fun with this paint as it is ready-to-use and capable of being applied to a wide range of surfaces. This makes it ideal for beginners and experienced users.
Acrylic paints dry to a pleasingly glossy finish – adding super shine to paintings. It can be used on soft materials like paper and card and on stiffer surfaces such as canvas, wood, hardboard and ceramics.
The amount the acrylic paint is diluted will determine the nature of the painting produced. Children and adults will soon pick up how to make watercolour and oil paintings by varying the amount of water used with the acrylic.
Acrylic paint’s quick-drying properties make it so attractive for people looking to create instantly-gratifying art. But because it is so quick-drying it is vital to wash brushes before the paint dries otherwise you could have permanently-coated brushes in your art sink!
Care of painting tools
Art teachers and artists learn very quickly how important it is to look after painting tools.
It is best to have two jars of solvent to hand for cleaning brushes. The first jar will become quite dirty as it will be used for washing brushes before they are used. You should keep the second jar of solvent fairly clean as it will be used for a final rinse.
It is important to dry brushes before they are put away in the store cupboard – you can leave acrylic paint to dry of its own accord but not used brushes. It’s a problem the early cave painters probably never had to encounter!
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