Making oil paints with natural dye powder

The first synthetic dye was mauveine, which was discovered by William Henry Perkin in the mid-19th century during experiments with tar components. Before this invention, colours for painting were often made from the colourful diversity of nature. Plants were mainly used for this purpose. These natural colours are very different from the industrially produced dyes of today.

To make a ready-to-use dye from our natural dyes, you will need the following things:

- A spoon

- 50g dye powder of your choice

- A plaster mold or mortar

- Vegetable oil

The process is very simple: The vegetable oil is carefully mixed with the dye powder until a coarse and solid paste is formed. This paste is then stirred and squeezed until it is fine and creamy.

The resulting dye is in no way inferior to the colour pigments of past centuries. Now all you have to do is paint away and discover how the first masterpieces of our time were created.