buying paint

[Momma Aimee]

i need to buy new paint for my boys.

I'd LIKE to get powered tempra paint -- like my gradeschool teachers had waaay back in the dark ages when i was in school. big plastic jars of it, like gallon picel jars. could be mixed thick or thin depending on the projoct.

I looked at rainbow resources, but they do not have powered.

any ideas?

Thanks

Aimee

[Aeress]

Does Discount School Supply have powered tempera?

I stopped using the powered tempera after an artist friend said that even the "safe" ones were fairly unsafe. He didn't go into details but he doesn't use them anymore and has switched to making his own paints from natural pigments.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by Aeress

Does Discount School Supply have powered tempera?

I stopped using the powered tempera after an artist friend said that even the "safe" ones were fairly unsafe. He didn't go into details but he doesn't use them anymore and has switched to making his own paints from natural pigments.

so you just buy the liquids?

Hum I wonder was is wrong with them?

[Masel]

The binder in those paints is just starch. (Tempera is a misnomer.) I suspect the danger would be from inhaling the paint in its powder form.

[Marimami]

Discount School Supply does have the powdered. We got some but I have found it to be of limited use. We use the liquid stuff much more.

Holli

[Momma Aimee]

OK

I found the power at Discount School Supply ... THANKS

Smocks and table coverings are recommended when using powdered paint; not fully washable from skin, clothing and other surfacesered

is that going to be the same for ALL powered? and why? I have never had a poblem with the liquid tempra paint not washing off the boys or the table ... what wopuld be the differnce in the powered vs liquid.

is there one that is more washable?

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Masel

The binder in those paints is just starch. (Tempera is a misnomer.) I suspect the danger would be from inhaling the paint in its powder form.

Yes, that's what I was thinking too - you wouldn't want children inhaling the powder. Good artists' temperas are not made with starch, but apparently the cheaper children's ones are - I didn't know that, but it figures, since that would be a lot less costly to make. Aeress's friend said he's now making his own paints with natural pigments, and that would also involve using powder that could be inhaled, only even more toxic powder in some cases, so I don't quite understand the difference unless it has something to do with the starch making them worse. I've made a few of my own paints in tiny quantities, and it is fun messing with the powdered pigments, but it sounds like a lot of dust in the air making them in bigger batches. - Lillian

[Lillian J]

I just found my bookmark to a thread on painting materials for a 7 yr. old - some info there on toxicity. Ultrecht has some great periodic sales on already mixed tempera paints.

Lillian

[nov05mama]

I was planning to go through Discount School Supply and then order the HUGE (gallon?) sized containers of the Primary Colors as well as Black and White and then just mix them when needed. We have some of the easel paint containers where we put our tempera anyway, so once we finish our tempera we already own, we will be doing that

This is what I ordered the last time:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

and we use these on our easel:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

with matching brushes:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

[elus0814]

We have bottles from discount school supply as well. They are the washable tempera paint and are wonderful. For $1.70 or so per 16oz. bottle on sale with free shipping they are a great deal. We have a dozen or so bottles in different colors and they have already lasted a year with two kids painting weekly or so. We have some little plastic palettes and I put a little dollop in each spot and they mix colors in the center. I little goes a long way like that. I've bought lots of craft and art supplies from discount school supply because the deals are so good (and they are just a few hundred miles away so I get my free shipping orders overnight).

I don't have any experience with powdered tempera paint but it sounds like an extra messy step. I wonder if schools use it because it stores well in less space and/or is less expensive when purchased in bulk. Another option would be tempera 'cakes', they look like large watercolor strips but I've never used them. If you're buying gallons of paint buying just colors like red, yellow, blue, white, etc. and mixing your own secondary colors might be a good way to save space. I've found that our primary colors are used much faster than the 'fancier' colors like teal and the kids like making their own shades of colors by adding black or white paint (like adding white to red for pink).

[pampered_mom]

I really like ordering from Nasco (www.enasco.com). They have several options in addition to the big name brands. I've gotten most of our art supplies from there.

[Momma Aimee]

thanks ladies -- i wiill keep looking. I am guessing i wiill stay awiay from the powiered -- i wias hoping for a better price and less storage space.

thanks for the suggestions, i love hearing from BTDT moms so i can learn more

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by nov05mama

I was planning to go through Discount School Supply and then order the HUGE (gallon?) sized containers of the Primary Colors as well as Black and White and then just mix them when needed. We have some of the easel paint containers where we put our tempera anyway, so once we finish our tempera we already own, we will be doing that

This is what I ordered the last time:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

and we use these on our easel:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

with matching brushes:
http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/...&Brand=&Price=

about the cups -- they look so cool -- i waint some.

1. you leave the lid on wihile painting -- it looks in the phot like ther eis a hole for teh paint brush? yes or no?

2. does the hole in the lib help "scrape off extra paint" or is it bigger than that??

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

I just found my bookmark to a thread on painting materials for a 7 yr. old - some info there on toxicity. Ultrecht has some great periodic sales on already mixed tempera paints.

Lillian

thanks for the links

[nov05mama]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

about the cups -- they look so cool -- i waint some.

1. you leave the lid on wihile painting -- it looks in the phot like ther eis a hole for teh paint brush? yes or no?

2. does the hole in the lib help "scrape off extra paint" or is it bigger than that??

The hole lid yes, it stays on and it helps (a little) to scrape off excess paint, but I had to also explain that to DS so he didn't come out with globs. I also don't fill it terribly full either...I did MAYBE an inch high in the cups. The covers snap on fairly tightly so it won't dry out the paint. I have been testing how 'long' it will keep the paint, and so far, it keeps really well without drying the paint. I was worried that they wouldn't do as good as the single cups, but they definitely have. It is great to have the divided cups b/c now he can have nearly ALL his colors out on the easel at once, vs before he would have to choose from only 5 (that could fit on the tray in the cups).

[Masel]

The cakes o paint probably gave gum arabic as a binder. The is what is used in watercolors and gouache. This is nice because it can be rewetted. Gum arabic is a tree resin and when refined is a food additive so it is pretty safe.

I've researched a bit about historic paints. Egg and milk were also used as binders. All sorts of dangerous stuff has been used as pigments including lead and aresnic but also pretty benign stuff like clay.

I once worked at an after school program and we did a project where we mixed our own paints using egg yolks as the binder and Koolaid powder as the pigment.

[Momma Aimee]

i have GOT to get this done, we are almost out of paint.