Basic Claypaint Recipe

1. Make a wheat paste binder

• White Flour
• Water

Boil 1 litre of water. While the water is boiling add 500g white flour to 500ml of cold water and mix well to remove lumps.

Add the flower & water mix to the boiling water and mix well. Turn heat to low and keep stirring to prevent burning the paste. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens.

Once the liquid has thickened, remove from the heat.

2. Making the Clay Paint

• 1 part wheat paste binder
• 1 part clay (sieved)
• pigment up to 5% of total volume
• 1 part fine sand for a textured paint (the sand can be omitted if a smooth paint is required)
• Borax (optional)

Mix the pigment with an equal volume of water to create a slurry)

Mix the clay, pigment slurry, fine sand (if using) and wheat paste together. Add water if necessary.

Add 1 tsp of Borax per litre to help prevent mould.

The final clay paint texture should be smooth and a little stiffer than a commercial paint. Add water if necessary. Experiment by adding small amounts of pigment As with any handmade paint, a process of trial and error is required to get the correct colour.

Be aware that the colour of the pigment will be diluted and softened by the colour of the clay binder. The colour will also be influenced by the type of clay used. White clay such as Kaolin will give brighter colours than brown clays.

For stronger colours, try reducing the amount of clay and increasing the amount of pigment used by the same amount.

APPLICATION

We recommend applying the clay paint by brush, especially if you have added sand to the paint.