The Science Behind Colorful Paints

Ever wonder what makes your art paint so colorful and smooth? Paint starts with

something called pigment, which is basically colored powder. Artists used to

crush rocks, bugs, and even plants to get these colors. Red came from beetles,

blue from crushed stones, and yellow from flower petals. Today,

scientists create most pigments in labs to make them safer and brighter. The pigment gets

mixed with a binder, which is like glue that holds everything together. For watercolors,

they use gum arabic from tree sap. Oil paints use linseed oil from flax seeds. Acrylic paint uses

a plastic-like substance. Then they add water or other liquids to make it the right thickness.