The 4 Basic Constituents of Historic Paints: What Were Traditional Paints Made Of? |
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Have you ever wondered what historic paints were made from?
Wonder no more, we are going to take a look at the 4 basic constituents of historic paints. After another recent project at Maryland Statehouse that required us to custom mix paints once again, we thought taking a look the what traditional paints were made of would be a nice topic this month. When we were at the Statehouse years ago restoring the 1700s plaster walls and ornament in Maryland's Old Senate Chamber using original methods and materials of the time, the paint side of the project required hand mixing linseed oil for the woodwork and distemper paint for the walls.
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The basic components to all paints are pigment, binder, thinners, and solvents. |
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Paint has been used in a decorative capacity since the earliest records dating back to the stone age and cave paintings. It was not until the 17th century that paint was widely used for wall surfaces both for decorative and protective purposes as an alternative solution to the scarcity or expense of quality hardwood. The basic components to all paints are pigment, binder, thinners, and solvents. The pigment or color is mixed with a glue or binder that once applied with a thinner and drier, if required, becomes fast to the surface.
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Natural earth pigments are some of the oldest color dyes. Ground from earth, rocks, plants, or even insects, these natural pigments make up some of our most well known and loved colors such as umbers, siennas, and yellow ochres. Techniques such as burning the pigment came into popular practice in order to manipulate the color. Naturally occurring white pigments, found in chalk and barytes, were historically cheaper to produce and lasted longer as opposed to other natural dyes more difficult to source, expensive to produce, and often quick to fade. Though incredible improvements including UV protection and synthetic color fastness, pigments may still be bought in their natural powdered state prior to being mixed with a binder.
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Grinding up the pigments. |
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The paint binder (or medium) acts to hold together the pigment to the intended surface. The type of painting is often denoted by the binder in the description. Well, known historic binders include tempera made from eggs, casein from milk, and animal glues. Animal proteins were historically readily available but unfortunately, perishable. A binder can be made from a plethora of materials including fats, oils, tree resins and gums, beeswax, and even beer! In the middle ages, oil binders came into popular use. Oil paints were longer lasting and easier to manipulate since the fat properties of the oil did not dry but rather, hardened over time. Different binders function in different ways depending on the drying time, the reaction with the pigment, even the manner in which the binder holds the color over a long period of time. Understanding the need for the paint is necessary when selecting a binder as well as any thinners and or solvents.
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Binders ~Rabbit skin glue and linseed oil. |
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Thinners and driers are solvents added to thin the mixture during the application process and to change the performance of the paint. Water-based and acrylic paints use water as the primary thinner. While turpentine, mineral spirits or white spirits are used to thin oil paints. Driers assist in the drying of the coating to the substrate. Water based paints, such as distemper or latex, rely on evaporation. However, oil utilize a product called Japan Drier which is a petroleum-based product that creates a chemical reaction with the paint to accelerate the drying. This allows the oil paint to dry fast and uniformly. Understanding the materials as well as the local environment are vital to developing the right mixture for each particular project.
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Solvents (Thinners & Driers) ~Japan Drier and Turpentine |
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You will notice that three main categories of traditional paints are named for the type of binder: distemper, oil, and limewash. There are a number of synthetic binders, such as acrylic, as well as numerous incredible color enhancers available today. When needed, we adapt with modern materials to improve the color fastness and longevity of the paint. However, our process of mixing our paints in the Canning studio remains virtually unchanged. We utilize historic recipes passed down for generations that follow this basic outline: pigment and binder combined with thinner and drier as required.
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Latest Articles & Announcements |
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| The Use of Wood in College Chapels and Churches |
Drywall, drop ceilings, and concrete. These are the standard features of most college campuses, perhaps even the occasional glass or brick. Practical and cheap as they may be, their compositions rarely inspire much more than a quick glance as their figures loom over campus. While these materials can be elevated from brutalist, geometric shapes into more beautiful ones, there is one enduring material that is universally beloved in exterior and interior design: wood. Here we take a look at the use of wood in college chapels and churches.
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How to Maintain Decorative Murals in Historic Theatres |
Theatres are public spaces designed to accommodate large numbers of people for purposes of entertainment. Therefore, if a historic theatre has decorative artwork and/or fine art murals, there are certain considerations that may help to maintain the stability of the artwork so that it may continue to be appreciated by the admiring public. Let's take a look at a few suggestions for maintaining fine art decoration and murals in historic theatres. There are many examples of beautiful, historic theatres which have been well maintained over the years with limited intervention. Addressing building conditions and care head on is key to preservation.
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The DC Preservation League's District of Columbia Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation was held January 28th at the DAR Constitution Hall. The Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium restoration, led by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and project architect Citadel DCA, contracted John Canning & Co. as the primary subcontractor alongside several others, leading to The District of Columbia Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation for Design and Construction. A significant element of the restoration was the auditorium's Sphinx stone feature. John Canning & Co. skillfully incorporated crushed oyster shells, a material found in Sphinx stone, repaired the cracks, stabilized the mortar joints, and used inpainting techniques to match the stone's original colors. Other critical undertakings by Canning included an enormous amount of re-gilding, and decorative painting that included a simulated stone finish treatment to have the appearance of cast stone on plaster entablatures.
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The New Jersey Alliance for Action has honored the Bergen County Justice Complex Restoration project with the “New Jersey’s Leading Capital Construction Projects" award. This project was lead by Hall Construction and John Canning & Co. was proud to be a part of this great team. Canning's work consisted of gilding of the Giving Power statue, 5 eagles and the domes they rest upon, including stripping, cleaning, priming, sizing and necessary repairs. The Alliance for Action's award program was created to highlight innovative, pioneering and landmark construction initiatives that greatly impact the state's economy and the teams that work together to ensure the project's success. The award ceremony will take place March 11th at the Forsgate Country Club.
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GRAND CENTRAL TURNED 112 this month! John Canning & Co. had the pleasure to work on the Grand Central Sky Mural restoration that was completed in 1998. We joined a team of architects, conservators, engineers, and preservationists to study, analyze, test, and define the condition of the ceiling mural, the composition of the dirt covering it, the formula for the cleaning solution, the exact materials to be used, and process to be followed by our team to clean it. John Canning & Co.’s main mission in conserving the Sky Mural was to stabilize the existing finishes, remove the heavy buildup of soot and grime created by the exhaust of the train engines and air pollution (but NOT cigarette or cigar smoke), without damaging the finishes. Almost three decades later, the Sky Mural brightly crowns Grand Central Terminal’s concourse—a Beaux-Arts cathedral for commuters and one of the biggest and busiest terminal in the world.
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It is almost that time of year! The Association of Preservation Technology Northeast Chapter (APTNE) 2025 APTNE Annual Meeting & Symposium, will be held on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Saratoga Springs, NY, with an in-person event, as well as a virtual program. The theme of the 2025 APTNE Annual Meeting & Symposium is Evolution of Place Identity and will feature presentations from professionals, emerging professionals, and local students. We are a proud sponsor of APTNE and are looking forward to this upcoming annual meeting. We hope to see you there. Be sure to stop by our exhibitor table and say Hi!
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The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art - New England Chapter has an upcoming lecture author talk- Ben Pentreath- An English Vision. This is presented in partnership with the Boston Athenaeum. Ben Pentreath is an award winning architectural designer and decorator. His new book, An English Vision, explores his unique way of creating buildings that are infused with strong sense of happiness, history, character, color, imperfection, and a specific place in time. His talk will be at the Boston Athenaeum on March 19th. More information about this and other upcoming ICAA New England events can be found here.
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Interested in Seeing More of Our Work? Follow Us on TikTok!
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Here is a glimpse of cleaning of one of six angel wood finials. This is part of a project that involves the wood restoration of a high altar and reredos. |
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We understand the importance in sharing our expertise and knowledge in our field. Besides the monthly newsletter and blogs we post, we also develop and share downloadable resources to help guide you in your conservation, preservation and restoration projects. Check out the Resources page and see if any of the resources can help answer some of your questions and provide a better understanding of some of the intricacies in the preservation field.
Check out our Featured Downloadable Resource below. |
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If you have an upcoming project at a college or university you might be interested in this resource. This Higher Education Restoration Guide will provide examples of restoration and conservation work in historic colleges & universities. |
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The Association for Preservation Technology (APT) is the premier cross-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structure and their settings.
Annual Conference November 11-15, 2025
Providence, RI |
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As a national nonprofit preservation organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America's historic places and is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more or get involved. |
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The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is a non-profit organization with the main purpose of sustaining historic theatres across North America for the benefit of their communities and future generations.
Annual Conference July 20-23, 2025
Pittsburgh, PA |
| The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Partner with us to further that mission. Annual Meeting
May 27-31, 2025 Minneapolis, MN |
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION #PerfectingPreservation #jcanningcrew |
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