Friday, November 13, 2020
All About Milk Paint
This Old House: You wouldn’t whip up a batch of pancakes without reaching for a container of milk, but you might not think to hit the fridge for that ingredient when it comes to your next paint project. Perhaps it’s time to think again, due to the rising popularity of milk paint.
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16 comments:
Well I’m intrigued. This article is fascinating. I have never heard of Milk Paint but now it is something that I want to try, especially because of its fast dry time and no harsh chemicals leaching out of my surfaces after being painted. It would be interesting to see this test on a drywall surface to see how it holds up over time. I do like the idea of it needing to be made is small batches and is perfect for raw wood. That is especially important as it means that I can use milk paint on numerous furniture products in place of other paints and stains. My immediate thought for this was kitchen cabinets, especially since it produces a soft luster with an intense deep color as the article says. I can also see many practical uses for this in theatre, both in the paint shop and in the prop shop. I wonder how it compares to Rosco. Definitely something that I want to keep in my wheelhouse for future use.
Milk paint? That’s a new one for me, for sure. I was immediately intrigued by the title; this ended up being super interesting. Milk paint is organic and does not include anything toxic (though you should wear a face mask when handling unmixed pigment powder of course), and you can make it yourself at home- DIY people, read this article! I find it strange to think about putting milk in the fridge, but I suppose it makes sense because the main ingredient is.. well, milk. It's super cool that it works so well on wood and other porous materials, and is great for smaller projects. I can imagine it's a little hard to paint a house with, as you’d probably need to be mixing new batches of paint everyday so it doesn’t go bad. Either way, I think this might be something I’m interested in trying someday- maybe a small shelf or something of the sort would be a good project to try this out on!
I’m not surprised that casein can be used in this way – I remember curdling milk and distilling out whey to create little casein plastic sculptures as a science-art project when I was a kid. I think this is a neat idea for DIY-ers, but when thinking about if this is a greener alternative for scenic paint, my gut says no. My immediate concern after seeing this headline was the longevity of this paint, since milk curdles and gets gross pretty quickly if not refrigerated. While perhaps there’s a chemical tradeoff using this plant based paint, the energy impact of refrigerators is notoriously awful, and the switch to milk paint would necessitate refrigerator installation. This also makes me think about how much we would have to shift the work culture if theatre switched to a paint that needs to sit before use and needs to be used quickly. Is it reasonable to ask artists to expand their work hours for the sake of a greener material? Is it worth it to have the entire process extended by day or weeks to accommodate for that add in hours? Is theatre willing to give up the fast and easy for something good and green?
I researched milk paint on my last project in basic design so I already knew about it’s nontoxic properties. I think it’s really cool that it comes in powder form because you can mix how much you need and wont have to worry about a whole bucket drying out the best part is it’s good for the environment and wont leech toxins into the soil as it decomposes. I do wonder though what the process is to get the milk protein. Because if it gains so much popularity and there is a huge demand for it, it might increase the demand for milk which is counterproductive because of the insane amount of CO2 the meat and dairy industry produce. Right now the demand for dairy milk has reduced significantly because of the rise of oat milk and other alternatives. I like the ida of chalk paint a little bit better. It’s also made of minerals and dries matte which is perfect for use in the theater!
I wish I could insert memes into comments. My face was literally that meme of the dude blinking and looking surprised. We all know that one. Anyway, this is pretty interesting. It makes me wonder if ancient cultures, or even currently living cultures, have been doing stuff like this for a long time, and it was just ignored as ‘primitive.’ It makes sense that the natural plants in the world are a huge part in giving color to dyes for fabric and, I assume, for furniture staining. People have been doing this since for forever. I think now some of it is more chemical based (more created in a lab?) I just never considered…. Well, milk to be something that you could use. I have similar concerns as above about the longevity of it. My gut reaction thought that it would have a pretty off smell after a while, but I suppose if it is in a powder form it is not so bad or is nonexistent.
What a fascinating concept. At first glance, I was taken back to Kevin's Basic PTM class and his lecture on not using rotten paint. I would have assumed that milk in paints would go bad after a day or two, so I am glad I actually stopped to read the article! The idea of selling pigments that are mixed into water is perhaps less friendly to consumers but I can see how the trade off is worthwhile in terms of storage longevity (before mixing, as after mixing it only lasts a day or two). I also appreciate that milk paint is less toxic, as it doesn't output harmful VOCs. Additionally, the ingredients are all natural, so it should be biodegradable and otherwise 'green'. I was surprised to learn that cultures as far back as ancient Egyptians have used milk-based paint. As such, it's interesting to see this sort of resurgence in an older technique.
Milk Paint? What? Those are two words that I never thought I’d hear together. But, nonetheless, I am intrigued. I wonder if this is a sustainable alternative? Or maybe not, I don’t know. There are definitely benefits in it being made from something “natural” and it being organic, I think is universally just better and ideal. I also think it’s really cool and also a money saver in the long run because you can make this stuff at home! Which is so cool, like making my own paint...from milk… yeah I’m down. That sounds fun and slightly gross but mainly fun. I definitely agree that this milk paint substance seems as if it would work really nicely on cabinets, I feel like the texture and shine would be interesting and subtle. I have never heard of something like this or knew that it was possible to make? Even though paint/pigment can be made from a lot of different things, with zero chemicals and all natural products- but milk was not one of the ones I was thinking of.
I know that I talk quite a bit about art and baking having similarities but this is NOT what I meant. I'm actually shocked by this. I guess a bit intrigued as well. This is strange. Very strange. At the same time, it sorta makes sense. In recent years I have been finding out, after hearing as a child how healthy milk was and essential for growth, that cow's milk is probably one of the worst things that people consume. It cause problems that range from digestive issues to skin issues. On the same hand, paint shouldn't be eaten. So things are definitely starting to add up here... Putting my fear of seeing milk in the state necessary for this process aside, I would actually like to try this. I went ahead and looked at videos of this milk paint and it looks pretty decent. I'm curious as to how it ages and what the smell is like after awhile...
I clicked on this article because I was so confused by what it meant, I had never heard of such a paint. My first though was that a paint made from milk would be absolutely atrocious when it dried. I found it quite interesting to learn about the scientific components of this paint, and also that the main benefit is that it's environmentally conscious. I think the theatre should really take steps in the direction of making sustainable choices. Imagine being able to build a whole set that after were done everything could be recycled or biodegradable. Theatre moves very fast, and it is so wasteful to make a choice for a 2 week show that stay on this planet for the next hundreds of years. Although the paint you use make seem like a little thing, all of the little things add up over time. Also the Milk paint would eb well suited for theatre because it is made in small batches for little projects.
I would have liked to read about the longevity of milk paint on various surfaces, as I wonder if the milk proteins might effect bonding of the paint to different surfaces. Also the idea of a "mottled textures" has me curious because like are these smallish solid bubbles? What happens if they get scrapped, will there be a milk smell? I also think more info about how to finish the milk would have been nice as well. Also I really wished they would have discussed weather and temperature in this article. If you like in a place that's always cool, I guess it wouldn't be much of a problem, but if you live in a place where it gets up past 100 degrees for a few months, what is that going to do to the paint? Will it big to curdle or smell? I also wonder how easy this is to get off the walls if you want to recolor or mess up. I think that this is a neat DIY, but I would like to learn a lot more than what is presented here before attempting it, if I was inclined to do so.
Before reading this article, pretty much all I knew about milk paint was that it smelled REALLY bad when it molds. The article here mentions that the actual paint when fresh smells mildly of milk, but has no scent when dried. A little skeptical, but I suppose if it still smelled when dried, people wouldn’t be using it right? Overall, This article was an interesting read, and I liked how it broke down the different aspects of this kind of paint. I also think it’s pretty cool that you can even make this kind of paint yourself at home with pretty simple ingredients. Neat that it’s nontoxic unlike a lot of paint that we use, as well as it’s a lot more eco-friendly which is not something we do a great job at being conscious of in theatre. Though because scenic treatments can sometimes take longer than a week to complete and require the use of the same paint over that period of time, milk paint probably wouldn’t work very well for it. It seems more like something that maybe props could use on furniture?
The title of this article was intriguing, because I instantly pictured, like, pigment being added to liquid milk and trying to paint with that, and the thought of the smell of old paint mixed with the smell of old milk actually made me a little nauseous. Seeing that the commercially available milk paint is powdered and made from casein made me feel better about the smell aspect, although I guess I’m a little confused if it actually has any advantages over chalk paint aside from the ‘slight sheen’ where chalk paint is totally matte. The DIY section made me a little skeptical, but you do you, DIYers. The point about the short shelf life made me wonder if there actually would be an application in theatre - I could see it being incorporated into prop painting, but probably not scenic painting, due to the expense, overall effect, and short shelf life. For us, I think it would come down to the visual effect, although from far away, the difference between this and chalk paint may turn out to be negligible.
We use some paint products with casein in scenic painting. Specifically, I think some tints use it. There is nothing quite like the stench of spoiled milk paint, and given our industry's propensity for reducing waste by keeping leftover paint...it is a common occurrence. I have heard reference to milk paint ruining furniture for other future treatments. I think this probably is more about the chipped look, but I wonder if it does not also have something to do with the depth to which milk paint penetrates wood. Maybe it is not removable except for with extensive sanding. While I am sure that props departments could make good use of milk paint, I am very wary of integrating it fully into entertainment. Twenty-four hours is a really, really short shelf life for what we do, and it would require a lot of advance planning and preparation to make it worthwhile. Chalk paint, on the other hand, is new to me and might be a worthwhile low-VOC alternative.
This article grabbed my attention because I’ve never heard of milk paint before, and now I am rally eager to get my hands on it and try it out. I like that the finish would provide a nice vintage vibe on furniture, so I would be interested in using milk paint in my next DIY decorating project. One obvious limitation I found when looking at milk paint brands online is a very short range of colors. Unfortunately, if you want 300 options, you are going to have to continue using paint from the hardware store, but there is comfort in knowing that with milk paint, you are being exposed to less harmful chemicals, which is priority for a large range of consumers today, who most likely don’t even know about milk paint. I would be interested in using this on walls just to see how it dries and how it applies. I am curious if one coat does it, or if several are needed. Very interesting!
The title of this article both thoroughly confused me and drew me in. The idea of milk paint baffles me a little bit in the way of wondering how someone came up with this product. I have used things like chalk paint in the past and had wonderful results and a fun time experimenting so I may have to look into trying this milk paint as well. It seems like a good idea for small pieces and projects, although twenty four hours is a very short shelf life for paint. I am mildly shocked at the idea of making milk paint at home. It seems like both a bad idea and a very fascinating idea. I may be giving it a shot over the break. The one concern I have in reading about this kind of paint is the smell. The article says that the paint may have a faint milk like sent when wet but that it goes away when dry, but I am rather skeptical about that. I hope that it is true, but reserve judgement for when I actually give it a go.
Um this is pretty insane. I am not quite sure if this is a good option for scenery. I feel like this is a lot more unstable and difficult to handle on large projects in large quantities. Perhaps it is a viable option for small props projects and home paint projects. I am curious to see how much this makes a difference in the large scale. Another piece in the puzzle is the cost effectiveness. We tend to buy a lot of paint at once and I am not quite sure if this is a realistic option in terms of time, cost, or long term effectiveness. I am also curious about how milk effects the finish of the paint. I also can not quite sit with the reality of how it will smell when the extras are dumped in that 55 gallon paint barrel. Even with normal paint, it makes me want to gag, so when it has milk I really do not want to know how that will go honestly.
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