Glossary Term: Paint
Prehistoric people made paints by mixing vegetable, plant and earth pigments together with water or animal fat. These early paints took their colors from the earth and included mostly browns, reds and blacks.

The Egyptians imported some of their pigments from as far away as India and made paints that are more like the paints of today. These paints were made of crudely refined pigments, natural resins and drying oils.

The Romans learned how to make paints from the Egyptians, though most of the art of making paint was lost after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was the English who revived the art of making paint in the Middle Ages. By the 1400 and 1500's, Italian artists were perfecting their paint manufacturing techniques. Many of them, however, liked to keep their paint recipes and techniques a secret, which meant that the knowledge of making a specific paint or color often died with its creator.

The manufacture of paint on a commercial level began in Europe and the United States during the 1700's. Today, artists use many kinds of paint, including watercolor, tempera, oil and acrylic.

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