The Jack Richeson Company, a manufacturer of paints, easels and other artists materials, recently had a competition for a medium I had never tried. Trying new media, sometimes shoves artists out of their “comfort zone”. But it is a great way to break creative blocks, as well as discover some new techniques and most importantly, learn. Learning should never stop for any of us and exploring a new media shoves us out there to experiment and learn.
The medium the Jack Richeson Company was promoting was Casein, and they are one of the few makers of this old-world paint. I had heard of it but really knew nothing about it. So, for a change of pace and to perhaps learn something new, I thought I would give it a shot. Casein paint has been used since ancient Egyptian times. This water-based paint is durable, quick drying, with the pigment binder being casein – a protein derived from milk. Yes, milk! It is often referred to as “milk paint”. Who knew? Casein paint dries very fast to a matte finish. Although it can be re-wet and worked within a few hours after it dries, it becomes very permanent and water-resistant after a few days. Once dry it can be varnished like oil and framed without glass.
I started this Casein adventure with three primaries, plus yellow ochre, black and white. To say it’s a “fast drying” medium is a bit of an understatement. It dries really, really fast. So to aid in this new, fast drying world, I bought a cheap, Hobby Lobby wet palette which has a sealed lid. I added a thin palette sponge and some wettable palette paper to keep the paint wet during the painting process. It seemed to work very well. When closing the palette for the day, I added a drop of water or two to the colors on the palette and sealed the lid. This kept everything wet and moist until the next painting session.
I found that after a painting or two, I began to like the way the paint handled, and the fast drying was a nice change from wet-on-wet oil painting. The Casein paint can be thinned with water and used like a wash or glazing. If some blending was needed, I used a spray bottle to mist the painting and the dry paint loosened enough to blend a bit. This could be done many times. If two or three days passed during the painting process, this characteristic of Casein was slowly lost. My first excursion into the world of “milk paint” I painted 9 pieces, ranging in size from 8 x 10 to 12 x 16, on panels and paper. I found the best surface was always a gessoed surface, either watercolor paper or an oil painting panel. If the surface was slick like some of the paint panels you can purchase, the Casein would lift off the surface easily, causing problems. Seems any surface with a good coat of gesso works well.
For a final layer of protection, I found that Krylon Color Maxx Flat Crystal Clear acrylic spray worked well and maintained the matte, Casein look. Since totally dry/cured Casein is permanent and water-resistant, the additional couple coats of the acrylic spray allow the paintings to be framed without glass.
All in all, I’m liking the Casein experience. Working with it helps broaden painting techniques as well as build on established ones. Much like a pilot may train on several kinds of aircraft, or a programmer may learn several programing languages, when an artist expands his/her experience with several mediums, they build and expand on a knowledge base that helps all aspects of creating fine art.
See more Casein paintings here! (click here)
Flowing with Milk and Honey
I am always amazed at God’s provision for us in this beautiful and awesome created world. When God’s people, Israel, were coming out of Egypt to a new land, it was described in the Bible as “a land flowing with milk and honey”. This phrase refers to God’s provision and abundance in this new land. He had a place that He had made ready for them; they just had to get there as He commanded them. It was He who created our bovine friends and other milk producing animals for our benefit, and in this scripture, it is used as a symbol of blessing. Milk, cheese, ice cream, to name a few, all for us to enjoy and benefit from.
Of course, when He created milk, He knew that casein, the protein found in milk, would be used by artist way down the road to create all kinds of paintings and art. Once I heard a guy make a statement that went something like this: “Before there is the question, God provides the answer.” He is always ahead of us. You see it in creation, and you see it in the cross. The Bible says that Christ was slain for our sins before the foundation of the world.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8
Before we were created, before Adam fell, before we were born and needed salvation, He provided the answer through His perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The answer came before the question.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6
That two word phrase, “the ungodly” covers us all. So glad He has offered us a way to be right with Him and spend eternity with Him through the death and resurrection of Christ! It will be even better than that land “flowing with milk and honey.”
