Course Syllabus

Natural Paints and Finishes

Course Description:

Finishing walls with natural products imparts a number of benefits on a building, whether you are working on a plastered straw bale wall, or an interior gypsum wall board. The ingredients are simple and safe, the process is creative and fun, and the possibilities are endless! In this course, we will look at the art, science, and practice of making your own paints, washes, and other finishes with clay, lime, casein, wheat paste, mica, sand, pigments, oils, and other natural materials. Students will be introduced to a variety of materials and their working properties, as well as gain a good understanding of the basics of where and how to apply these products to different wall systems. This class will be mostly hands-on, with discussion on-going throughout the course.

Suggested Reading:

The Natural Paint Book, by Lynn Edwards and Julia Lawless

The Natural Plaster Book, by Cedar Rose Guelberth and Dan Chiras

Tools/Materials:

• Mason’s gloves or other protective tight-fitting handwear
• Favorite paint brush, trowel, sponge, or other applicator
• Goggles
• Dust mask

Schedule:

Day 1: AM: Introductions

Discussion: Materials overview, process overview, applications

Making alis: wheat paste, clay slip, intro to pigments

PM: alis (cont.)

Casein paints

Day 2: AM: exploration of second coating (alternate pigments, oil rubs)

Buffing, burnishing, polishing, sponging-off

Move to project location, and mixing limewash

PM: Lime

Limewashing

Clean-up