Paint

For the computer software named Paint, see Microsoft Paint

Paint is the general term for liquid that is used to add colour to the surface of an object by covering it with a pigmented (coloured) coating. As a verb, painting means "applying paint" (putting paint onto something). Someone who paints is called a painter.

Paint is made from a coloured pigment which is usually a powder. The powder is made from different chemicals.^[1] Some of the pigments come straight from natural things like clay. The pigment must be made wet by mixing it with something that will make it stick onto the surface and not come off easily. The wet stuff is called the "medium" or "vehicle". Water-based paints are mixed with water. Other paints are mixed with oils or chemicals of different sorts. Most painters buy paint that is already mixed. House-painters use paint already mixed in large cans. Artists buy paint in tubes. Some artists buy dry pigment and mix it for themselves.

The paint is usually put onto the surface with a paint brush. Paint brushes are used by painters of all sorts. House painters also use rollers and spray-guns to put on paint. A modern invention is paint in a pressurized can which can be sprayed on. Some modern artists also use spray paint. Factory paint shops have machines which spray paint onto objects. Cars are usually painted in this way.

Paint must be allowed to dry. Some paints such as watercolour, dries in a few minutes. Other paints, such as artist's oil paint, can take days or even weeks to dry. Most other types of paints fit between these two. Many types of paint are best if they are put on in several layers. The painter must first prepare the surface so it is smooth, clean and dry. The first layer of paint is often an "undercoat" or "ground" which is smooth and sticks very well. The coloured paints are put on over the top. A house-painter who is using oil paint on a wooden window frame might used three layers of paint to give very good protection from the weather. Other types of modern house paint only need one layer, particularly on the inside. Artists using oil paint and tempera often use many layers to get just the right effect.

1. ↑ Bently J. & Turner G.P.A. 1997. Introduction to paint chemistry and principles of paint technology. Unk. ISBN 0-412-72320-4