Eco-painting:
using natural paints and materials

Eco-painting is a multifaceted artistic movement that combines traditional fine art techniques with principles of environmental sustainability and the use of natural materials.

This movement encompasses both ancient methods of making paints from minerals, plants, and other natural sources, as well as modern eco-art aimed at drawing attention to environmental issues. Natural pigments have been used since prehistoric times, with the earliest written records of their use dating back to 5000 BC, and civilizations from all over the world have used organic material from plants, animals, and minerals to create color.

Contemporary eco-art as an independent direction appeared in the middle of the 20th century, having developed from land art and landscape painting, and today represents a symbiosis of arts aimed at drawing attention to environmental issues, informing the public and involving communities in active actions to protect the environment.

Historical development of natural pigments and paints

Ancient civilizations and the first dyes

The history of natural paints goes back to ancient civilizations and is closely connected with the development of human culture. Ancient hunters believed that in order to successfully hunt a mammoth or a deer, it was necessary to draw them, and draw them in such a way that the image would not disappear or be erased. Prehistoric artists carved the outlines of the drawing with sharp stones, and then rubbed clay mixed with fat into these furrows - the first paint created by man. In most cases, ocher and charcoal were used as paints for rock painting, which primitive artists mixed with animal fat so that they would stick better to the stone.

Pigments were produced on a large scale by the ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures. The Egyptians are credited with many advances in pigments before 1300 BCE, discovering that washed pigments intensified and purified color, producing new materials, and introducing a process for fixing paints. Pigments such as azurite and realgar were frequently used in ancient Egyptian art. Iron oxide pigments formed the basis of the paint palettes of all ancient artists, from Egypt to India and China.

Middle Ages and Renaissance

In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, mineral pigments continued to be used intensively. In the Middle Ages, Italian artists used terra verte (earth green), a paint known since ancient times, as a middle tone and to create a shadow effect when depicting the human body; today, the more popular second name for this paint is “Verona Green”. For many centuries, egg yolk diluted with water, wine, beer, kvass or vinegar was the main binder for icon painting paints.

Each era had its own unique method of creating and using natural dyes, and these methods were passed down through generations from antiquity to the Renaissance and modern times. Natural pigments continued to be the basis for oil paints until the 19th century, when synthetic pigments were invented.

Development of synthetic analogues

By the 18th century, people had learned to synthesize red iron oxide pigments in laboratory conditions, and the red inorganic pigment was called "Mars red". It turned out that synthetic analogues have all the properties of natural pigments, including durability and resistance. By the middle of the 19th century, mass production of synthetic red iron oxide pigments was established, and in the early twenties of the 20th century, synthetic yellow iron oxide pigments ("Mars yellow") appeared. Over time, many natural pigments were replaced by artificial ones, but of the natural coloring agents, only earth pigments retained their significance.

Types of natural pigments and dyes

Mineral pigments

One of the main methods of making paints is from minerals, it is stones that bring most of the cold shades to painting. Paints obtained from stones are heavy and opaque, they are also called "covering" colors. The method of preparation is quite simple - "stone grinds stone", but this stage is much longer than simple grinding "into powder". The degree of grinding of the fraction in water cannot be seen, but can be determined by the sound: at first, you will hear a distinct friction of the pestle against the walls of the mortar, but over time the sound will become thinner and smoother.

Among the most important mineral pigments, cinnabar should be noted - one of the types of "red" color, which is very bright and has a warm shade. Cinnabar red is made from cinnabar - mercury sulfide, the most common mercury mineral. The color of pure cinnabar, free from impurities, is always a cold bright scarlet, "warm" is made by the admixture of limonite, carrot shade - goethite, and its frequent brown shade is due to the presence of microparticles of hematite, antimonite or galena.

Particularly dangerous is yellow pigment (Charital, auri pigment), which is made from arsenic sulfide III - dark yellow crystals that are an inorganic compound of arsenic and sulfur. Yellow was very popular in medieval illustrated books, but working with it requires special precautions.

Earth colors have been known since ancient times and include ochres, siennas, umbers, and marses of various shades. They are usually mined during open-pit mining; the mined rocks are dried, crushed, and separated, separating the smallest particles. These pigments are durable, resistant to atmospheric influences and light, and have not bright, but a wide variety of shades. Some earth pigments undergo heat treatment, as a result of which they acquire new shades: red ochre is obtained from light ochre, and sienna and burnt umber are obtained from sienna and natural umber.

Plant pigments

Natural plant dyes are pigments extracted from natural sources such as plants, fruits, and tree bark. Many plants are used to create natural dyes, and various parts of plants — roots, leaves, fruits, or flowers — may contain color pigments. Biological pigments also include plant pigments — chlorophyll, pheophytin, and others — which are usually involved in photochemical processes.

Many plants produce yellow dye: dyer’s broom, hazel (bark), alder buckthorn (bark, leaves, berries), bedstraw (flowers). Barberry fruits produce a yellow dye with a lemon tint. Green dye is extracted from the leaves of trefoil (a medicinal herb), a not so bright, but beautiful gray-green dye is obtained from the leaves and stems of alchemilla.

If you boil the dry skin of an onion in water, you get a brown dye of different shades - from almost yellow to dark brown. Blueberries and blackberries contain a purple dye, which is not very stable, but can be useful for watercolors. An orange dye can be extracted from the stems and leaves of celandine.

Flavonoids are O-heterocyclic phenolic compounds that are synthesized in nature almost exclusively by higher plants. They include anthocyanins, which determine the brightest colors of plants - red, purple, blue parts of flowers and fruits; flavones, flavonols, aurones, chalcones determine the yellow and orange color of fruits and leaves.

Pigments of animal origin

Along with plant dyes, natural dyes of animal origin are widely used, which are obtained from various animal products by extracting colored pigments. One of the most common animal dyes is carmine, which is obtained from the dried bodies of cochineal insects that live in Mexico and South America. Cochineal is a red pigment extracted from insects. Carmine has a bright red color and is used to color confectionery, drinks, and ice cream.

Canthaxanthin is a pigment extracted from certain algae and yeasts, and is widely used in the production of salmon caviar, as well as for coloring eggs, cheeses, and other dairy products. The animal source of the blue dye is the sepia, a mollusk that lives in seawater; the sepia pigment is used in the confectionery industry, as well as for coloring alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Bile from cattle is bright yellow or green and is used to color cheeses to make them more attractive. Cutin from the skin of farm animals is a brown dye that is used to color sausages, hams, and other meat products, giving them a golden-brown hue.

Ecological art as a movement

The origin and development of eco-art

Ecological art (Ecoart) is an art genre and artistic practice that aims to preserve, restore and renew life forms, resources and ecology of the Earth. This genre differs from environmentalism in that it involves the restoration of functional ecological systems, as well as social, activist and communal interventions. Ecological art also addresses politics, culture, economics, ethics and aesthetics as they affect the state of ecosystems.

Eco-art is believed to have originated from the cave paintings of the Paleolithic era, when the natives depicted animals, people, trees and other natural aspects on the walls of caves. The modern trend is fueled by landscape painting: it celebrates the artist’s connection with nature through eco-materials and is aimed at improving our relationship with the world around us.

Eco-art as a trend in art grows out of land art, an art movement that emerged in the late 1950s and 1960s. Artists of this generation tried to get beyond the usual mediums, went out of town or tried to actively interact with the urban space, tried new materials and gradually introduced a new author into their works - the environment.

Historical milestones of development

Historically, the first works of eco-art can be traced back to the Neolithic era, but a short list of key works includes Herbert Bayer’s Grass Mound (1955) at the Aspen Art Institute, Joseph Beuys’s proposal for measures to clean up the Elbe River in 1962 in Hamburg, and Hans Haacke’s 1965 Manifesto for a time-based, "natural", dynamically indeterminate art. Significant works include Nicholas Uriburu’s 1968 performance Green Power, coloration Grand Canal - Venice and Agnes Denes’s 1968 performance Haiku Poetry Burial, Rice Planting and Tree Chaining/Exercises in Eco-Logic in Sullivan County, New York.

1969 was a watershed year for eco-art, including works such as Haacke’s Grass Grows in Ithaca, New York, and the work of Alan Sonfist, who spoke about the importance of forests in urban areas and monitored air quality in New York City. Eco-art is considered to have begun to flourish in the 1970s and 1980s, with Joseph Beuys’s 7000 Oaks and Agnes Denes’s Wheat Field in Downtown New York, both from 1982, considered to be among the first works in this style.

Modern trends in eco-art

In eco-art, ethics comes to the fore. This time, the focus is on the environment, which is slowly but surely being destroyed by man. Eco-art is multifaceted and includes various trends and movements, each of which reacts to environmental problems in its own way. One of the key trends is land art, where artists create works directly in the natural environment, using materials found on site. These works are usually short-lived and deteriorate naturally over time, which emphasizes the idea of the temporariness and fragility of nature.

Another important trend is installation art, which involves the use of recycled or secondary materials. Artists create objects that not only attract visual attention, but also carry an important environmental message, calling on the viewer to rethink their attitude to consumption and waste. In addition, eco-art includes performances and actions aimed at active interaction with nature and viewers.

Techniques and methods for creating natural paints

Traditional cooking methods

To make good paint from pigment, the original substance - chalk, coal, clay - had to be thoroughly ground: the finer the "flour", the better the paint. Ancient artists ground the powder in a mortar with a pestle, the resulting powder is the pigment. Then the pigment needs to be mixed with a binder - water, oil, egg can be used as a binder. It is necessary to add a little honey or glue for better fixation on paper, the paint needs to be mixed well so that there are no lumps.

The finished crushed fraction mixed with water is not yet suitable for drawing, glue must be added to it - a binding base. Without glue, the paint will not remain on the surface, and new layers will smear the previous ones. Watercolor consists of carefully crushed pigment mixed with distilled water and other additives for stabilization. Each manufacturer has unique formulas and production methods, which affects the consistency and ease of use.

Binding materials in natural painting

Binders are film-forming, astringent substances with the help of which pigment particles are bonded together and fixed on the surface of the base or primer, forming a paint layer. The strength of the paint layer, its aging and destruction, aesthetic effects, as well as the technique and technology of painting depend on the binders. Types of painting - fresco, oil painting, tempera, etc. - differ precisely in the composition of the binder, since the pigments, as a rule, can be the same.

Fatty drying oils of plant origin - linseed, nut, poppy - together with resins, varnishes and other additives serve as a binding material in oil painting. Oil, interacting with atmospheric oxygen, gradually oxidizes, polymerizes, turns into a dense transparent film that fixes pigments on the surface of the ground. The basis of the binder of tempera painting is emulsions: natural, natural (chicken egg yolk) or artificial emulsion-dispersions.

In addition to oil, European artists also used natural resins, which are the sap of plants that grew and are growing in various regions of Europe. The content of resins in paints varied depending on the task facing the artist: from a minimal amount in the main paint layers to a significant amount in the glazes. In encaustic, the binding substance is an alloy of specially processed beeswax.

Modern methods of home production

Making natural paints is an exciting process that requires only a few simple ingredients: natural pigment (1 teaspoon), starch (0.5 teaspoon), and other additives. To prepare paints, you can use all the products that are always at hand: vegetables, herbs, decoctions and tinctures from seeds and fruits of plants, bright berries, citrus fruits.

A dark red dye is prepared from beets: fresh beets are grated on a fine grater and stewed in a small amount of water over low heat. When the beets become soft and “give up color,” the vegetable needs to be cooled and squeezed through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. For brightness and color stability, you can add half a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the beet juice.

A very beautiful yellow color is obtained from carrots, sea buckthorn, turmeric, saffron, citrus fruits. Carrots are the most accessible option, the dye is prepared from the vegetable in the same way as from beets, but stewed over low heat with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil. Blue or light blue color can be prepared from blueberries, bilberries or from red cabbage juice.

For green dye, combine 1 tablespoon of matcha powder, 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and 1/2 cup of water in a blender, mix until smooth, then strain. The advantage of natural dyes is not only their availability: you only need a few drops to color, and you can store the excess in the freezer.

Modern Applications of Eco-Painting

Artistic practices

Many contemporary artists use natural materials because they are environmentally friendly and surprisingly easy to work with. Natural pigments are also used in printmaking, added to paper threads for weaving, used to make oil and wax crayons, and even in silk painting. One of the key aspects of eco-art is the use of eco-friendly materials. Artists prefer natural elements - wood, stone, sand, water - and strive to minimize their impact on the environment.

In Russia, since the 2010s, its own eco-art direction has formed - drawings on trees. Artists not only raise questions about environmental problems, but also prevent the death of plants. The essence of this type of art is to apply a protective layer of paint to the so-called "dry sides" that form on the trunks of plants from frost or heat. After the necessary processing, the artist paints a picture on the tree, creating a unique art object.

Contemporary Russian masters of eco-art

Junk art, trash art, recycling art, eco art — the essence remains the same: art from trash to be. More and more artists are appearing in the field of view who use household waste as a basis for their work. Petr Bely is a St. Petersburg artist and curator who has received recognition and awards for his works. He is not limited to choosing materials for his installations: wooden boards, burnt paper, mattresses, an iron barrel. Material with “memory” is a very important point for the artist, so he always advocates for secondary use, involuntarily engaging in recycling.

Varvara Grankova is a finalist of the Arte Laguna Prize 2020 and a winner of the Tretyakov Prize. She focuses on the themes of violence, feminism, and ecology in various historical and cultural contexts. The artist creates installations dedicated to ecology from old clothes — this is how she draws attention to the global problem of excess things. In addition to recycling art, Vilgeny Melnikov is developing in experimental and kinetic sculpture, looking for his own ways to create new forms of "green art".

Educational and scientific aspects

In the modern world, with its widely developed chemical industry, the consumer is offered a huge variety of paints and pigments for various tasks. However, safe substances and compounds are not always used in paint. The creation of safe pigments based on mineral and organic substances can reduce the allergic load on the body and reduce the ecological footprint of the person - the consumer.

Painting with homemade natural paints is not just a technique, it is an art that delights and inspires. Artists become not only active creators, but also delighted observers, immersed in the mysterious world of colors, smells and all the incomprehensible beauty of nature. This is an amazing interweaving of natural elements, where each aspect is interconnected and inextricably intertwined.

Environmental benefits and challenges

Benefits of using natural materials

Natural dyes are an alternative to chemical dyes created in laboratories. In addition, many plants contain not only dyes, but also medicinal properties, making dyed fabrics even more valuable. Natural dyes of animal origin are widely used due to their bright and stable colors, as well as their safety when consumed as food.

Eco-art is not only a beautiful and interesting way to express your creativity, but also an opportunity to draw attention to environmental issues. It reminds us that we must take care of our planet and use its resources wisely. The main goal of eco-art is to encourage people to reconsider their attitude to using nature in a more rational way.

Limitations and technical difficulties

Some natural dyes have limitations in durability. For example, blueberries and blackberries contain a purple dye that is not very durable, but can be used in watercolors. Working with some mineral pigments requires special precautions: cinnabar contains mercury, and yellow pigment made from arsenic sulfide is extremely toxic.

The finished crushed fraction of minerals mixed with water is not yet suitable for painting without adding a binding base. The degree of crushing of the fraction in water cannot be seen, but can be determined by sound, which makes the process more complex and time-consuming. The longer you grind the stone powder in water, the more homogeneous the paint will become - here the "iron logic" honed over centuries works.

Preservation and storage of natural paints

When working with natural pigments, it is important to consider the peculiarities of their storage. The advantage of natural dyes is not only their availability: you will need a few drops for coloring, and you can store the excess in the freezer. Natural paint does not change its color over time, is not washed off with water after complete drying, and is compatible with other types of paint.

Professional artists who make their own paints develop and refine their recipes over time, taking into account the characteristics of each pigment. Each manufacturer has unique formulas and production methods, which affect the consistency and ease of use of the paints.

International projects and initiatives

Large international projects

To prevent a global environmental catastrophe, the world community is trying to attract public attention to this problem in different parts of the world. Artists and creative agencies are also involved in this process, usually artists work in conjunction with scientists, environmental organizations and political activists.

The Dead Whale construction in the Philippines was created by the creative agency Dentsu Jayme Syfu. The whale washed up on the beach was recreated by artists and designers using various types of plastic waste as a metaphor for the plastic pollution of the world’s oceans over the past decades. The object attracted the attention of international media, which created a public outcry.

The eco-art movement began in the 1960s, but only recently has it acquired the scale of a global trend. The Pope himself made manifestos on protecting the environment through the construction of eco-chapels at the last Venice Biennale.

Land art and its influence on eco-painting

One of the most popular trends in eco-art is land art: in the 1960s, artists from Europe and the United States went out into the streets and began experimenting with the material that lay under their feet – the earth. The earth became a means of expression, a canvas, and a stage at the same time. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, land art began to be integrated into the urban landscape.

Robert Morris created installations in abandoned urban areas, Agnes Denes planted a wheat field in the center of Manhattan ("Wheat Field - Confrontation"), Alan Sonfist tried to return nature to the urban environment. Among the pioneers of land art: Dutch artist Herman de Vries, who created the Museum of the Earth (7000 soil samples!); Niels Udo, whose complex landscape compositions are at the intersection of gardening and art.

Urban eco-art projects

In order to attract the attention of authorities and society to environmental issues, artists create public art (art in the urban environment), reorganize urban space, creating additional green areas and parks. They equip places for communication on eco-themes, create points of attraction, organizing exhibitions, concerts, poetry events. Such projects are interdisciplinary, they affect both urbanism and landscape design.

Sometimes, within the framework of this direction, artists can be engaged in the restoration of natural landscapes, the creation of green areas within the city. Eco-art is practiced not only by artists and photographers, but also by scientists, philosophers, politicians, eco-activists. Often, representatives of different directions unite to conduct joint actions and projects.

Eco-painting is a unique phenomenon in contemporary art, combining ancient traditions of using natural pigments with modern ecological ideas and technologies. From primitive rock paintings made with ochre and charcoal on animal fat to modern international art projects aimed at drawing attention to environmental issues, this area of art has come a long way and continues to evolve.

The use of natural materials in painting not only takes us back to the historical roots of fine art, but also opens up new possibilities for environmentally conscious creativity. Contemporary artists increasingly turn to natural pigments extracted from minerals, plants and other natural sources, creating works that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally friendly. This trend has been particularly developed in the context of growing concern about the state of the environment and the search for sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials.

Technical advances in the methods of making natural paints, from the traditional grinding of minerals in a mortar to modern methods of extracting plant pigments, demonstrate the continuous development of this field. The importance of choosing the right binders, whether traditional oils, wax, egg yolk or modern eco-friendly alternatives, highlights the complexity and versatility of the process of creating natural paints.

Eco-art as an artistic movement goes far beyond the simple use of natural materials, becoming a powerful tool for environmental activism and public education. Artists create works that not only draw attention to environmental issues, but also offer specific solutions, from restoring natural landscapes to recycling waste into art objects. This movement demonstrates how art can serve as a catalyst for positive change in society and contribute to the formation of environmental awareness.

The future of eco-painting seems promising, especially in the context of growing interest in sustainable development and environmentally responsible consumption. The development of new technologies for the extraction and processing of natural pigments, the improvement of methods for their stabilization and storage, as well as the growing availability of knowledge about traditional techniques create favorable conditions for the further development of this direction. Educational programs and scientific research in the field of natural pigments contribute to the preservation of traditional knowledge and its adaptation to modern needs.

Eco-painting also plays an important role in the cultural dialogue between tradition and innovation, between local and global practices. The use of local natural materials helps artists create works that are deeply rooted in a specific geographical and cultural environment, while at the same time participating in the international movement for environmental sustainability. This balance between the local and the global makes eco-painting particularly relevant in today’s interconnected world.