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14 Colorful Now-You-Know Facts About Paint

Paints are made from fish, insects, and ... mummies?

14 Colorful Now-You-Know Facts About Paint

April 19, 2021

If you're not a visual artist, you might not care at all about paint. But that was before you knew a type of paint used to be made out of mummies. Now paint is looking pretty badass, no? If that doesn't impress you, read on for 13 more facts that might change your mind.

14

Mummy Brown was created using the ground-up remains of ancient Egyptian mummies The color was extremely popular among re-Raphaelites. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Smithsonian

13

Scheele's Green was extremely popular in Victorian England...an extremely deadly. The dye included arsenic and was commonly used in wallpapers, clothing, and carpeting. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Racked

12

A dye-maker added animal blood to a red dye to accidentally create Prussian Blue Prussian Blue is used in a pill to cure metal poisoning. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: My Modern Net

11

Greek and Roman sculptures were painted in bright colors The pigments have faded over time. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: The New Yorker

10

UItramarine Blue pigment was more precious than gold in the 14th and 15th century Derived from the lapis lazuli stone, even the most famous artists needed wealthy patrons to buy it for them NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED GOM — Source: The Paris Review

9

The Middle Ages

Blue pigment found in the tooth of a medieval skeleton shows women were artists During the Middle Ages, women, not just monks, may have painted illuminated manuscripts. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source

8

In 2009, a chemist accidentally created a new blue hue YInMn blue is a near-perfect blue. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: NPR

7

World War I

Peach Black is a deep blue-black pigment that saved lives During WW, Peach Black was used in gas masks to fight against chlorine gas NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: The Atlantic

6

Indigenous tribes who paint their bodies protect themselves from insect-borne diseases. Striped body paint provides protection against blood-sucking insects. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Lund University

5

Disney uses a green paint to hide visually hide items in their park The paint is called Go Away Green.' NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED GOM — Source: Apartment Therapy

4

A new whitest-ever paint may cool buildings The paint reflects 98% of sunlight into space. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: The Guardian

3

Metallic car paints were originally made with fish scales. It took 40, O00 herring to make one kilo of paint. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Consumer Report

2

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian paintings were strictly regulated. MWOAM .litnen, MOW They only used a palette of red, green, yellow, blue, black, and white. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Web Exhibits

1

Prehistoric painters used burnt bones to make black pigment. They also used charcoal for black. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED COM — Source: Web Exhibits

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