• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Firsts / How Were the First Paints Made?

How Were the First Paints Made?

April 15, 2020 by Karen Hill

Over 100,000 years ago, before the beginning of recorded history, people made paints from plants, from charcoal, from clay, from minerals in the soil, and from blood!

These colors, or pigments, were ground up and mixed with water, oil, or animal fat, then made into a paste. Primitive man then either rubbed this paste on rock surfaces or blew it on through a hollow bone.

You may wonder how we know about these prehistoric times. Modern man has discovered caves and tombs containing painted walls, and scientific testing has revealed these primitive “recipes” for paint.

About 8,000 years ago, the Egyptians began using paint in a wide variety of colors, using materials from the earth and plants which they imported from India. They learned how to bind their pigments together with beeswax and egg whites, leaving behind colorful paintings, carvings, and scrolls.

Related Facts

  • What were phonograph records made of and how are they made?
  • Who Made the First Color Photograph In History and How Did James Clerk Maxwell Make the First Color Photo?
  • When Were the First Clocks Made?
  • How Were the First Drums Made?
  • How Were Pretzels First Made?
  • When Were Toys First Made?

Filed Under: Firsts

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Who Made the First Pottery?
Next Post: How Did Names Begin? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy