A New Field
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Recipe

Milk paint

A traditional paint of curds, lime and pigment. Matte, deep, fully natural.

Every A New Field recipe has been run in a domestic kitchen or community hall. Read the safety notes before you start and adapt for your venue.

What you’ll make

Deep matte finish, slightly chalky, earth-coloured.

Flexible slots (flex around your material)

  • Casein source

    Casein (milk protein)1L

    Protein in milk, curdles when acid or rennet is added. Dries into a tough plastic.

    Examples Skimmed milk, quark

  • Pigment

    Natural pigment / dyeto tint

    Coloured plant, mineral or animal matter. Yields colour in water or alcohol.

    Examples Earth pigment, charcoal, turmeric

Fixed ingredients

  • Garden lime · 50g — Caustic; gloves.

Equipment

  • Bowl
  • sieve
  • spoon
  • jar.

Refinements and variations

  • Make with yogurt for a smoother body; add a little linseed oil for sheen.

Source notes

Historic Shaker and American colonial tradition.