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Casein paint, derived from milkcasein (milk protein), is a fast-drying, water-soluble medium used by artists.
It generally has a glue-like consistency, but can be thinned with water to the degree that fits a particular artist's style and desired result. It can be used on canvas panels, illustration boards, paper, wood, andmasonite. Because the dried paint film is inflexible and brittle, it is not appropriate for heavyimpasto on flexible supports like canvas; canvas laminated to board is more suitable. Casein paint is reworkable and can be used forunderpainting. It generally dries to amatte finish.
Casein paint has been used since ancient Egyptian times as a form ofdistemper paint, and is still used today. One of the qualities for which artists value casein paint is that unlikegouache, it dries to an even consistency, making it ideal for murals. Also, it can visually resembleoil painting more than most otherwater-based paints, and works well as an underpainting.
Casein paint loses its solubility with time and exposure and becomes water-resistant. It is suited most to inflexible surfaces, including furniture.[1] It can be buffed to a soft velvet finish when dry, or varnished for a gloss finish.
The binder for casein paint is made by dissolving casein in an alkali, usuallylime,ammonium carbonate, orborax. Casein itself is precipitated from milk by the action of an acid or the enzymerennet. Lime casein works well on porous surfaces, even outdoors, though it has a short shelf life and must be used with pigments that are balanced against the binder's low pH. Ammonium carbonate casein has similar strengths and weaknesses. Borax casein has a shelf life of several weeks, is pH neutral, and can be used outdoors through the addition oflinseed oil.[2]
Yantonai Dakota artistOscar Howe ofSouth Dakota used casein extensively.
Santa Clara Pueblo artistPablita Velarde created a series of more than 70 paintings of everyday Native American life inNew Mexico forBandelier National Monument between 1937 and 1943, painted mostly onmasonite using casein paints.
Casein was widely used by commercial illustrators as the material of choice until the late 1960s when, with the advent ofacrylic paint, casein became less popular.John Berkey continued to use casein in combination with acrylics in most of his paintings.Dick Tracy (1960), andPopeye (1960), two early paintings byAndy Warhol, who had been a commercial illustrator before becoming afine artist, were painted with casein.