How to Paint Rawhide

Native Americans use rawhide for a myriad of purposes, including for clothes, containers, shelter and recreational objects, such as drums. Historically, Native American craftsmen and women used cut beef bones to decorate the rawhide with beef leg or buffalo glue and natural pigments before they assembled the rawhide objects. You can view the long-lasting if faded results in various historical museums and universities around North America, or you can recreate their work on your own piece of rawhide using slightly more modern techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Hide glue granules or powder
• Water
• Heat safe mixing bowls
• Pan large enough to hold a mixing bowl (if mixing granules)
• Stove (if mixing granules)
• Stirring dowel
• Clove oil, optional
• All-medium powdered paint pigments
• Paintbrush with short, stiff bristles
• Rawhide
• Matte spray varnish

Instructions

1. Combine one part hide glue granules with two parts water inside a mixing bowl for a translucent color. You can experiment with mixing ratios to create varying results: a 1-to-1 ratio creates a stiffer, more opaque paint while a 1-to-3 or more ratio further will create a "wash" effect and lessen the stiffness of the overall result. Use cool water for hide glue granules and hot water for hide glue powder.

2. Allow the water and glue to sit for 30 minutes if you're using hide glue granules instead of powder. Heat up a burner to medium high heat. Fill your pan halfway full of water and place it on the burner. Allow the water to come to a boil, and then remove it from heat. Place the pan on a heat-safe surface.

3. Place your mixing bowl into the pan. This is a makeshift double-boiling technique that allows you to heat your glue and water mixture without burning the mixture with direct heat. If you're using the powdered hide glue, you melted the powder with the hot water you added initially.

4. Stir the melting mixture with a dowel. Add a drop of clove oil to stymie mold and bacteria growth. While the mixture is hot, add pigment until the glue mixture reaches your desired color strength.

5. Paint the mixed pigment onto your prepared hide with a stiff bristled brush. Use small amounts of paint to avoid a splotchy, uneven effect. Paint any dark outlines first, starting from the middle and working your way outward. Use firm pressure when applying paint; this helps the paint-glue mixture penetrate the hide's surface.

6. Fill in areas of color after you've completed any outlines. Using a bold, dark outline and filling colors in later helps keep the colors from bleeding together on the porous surface.

7. Fix your work by spraying a single layer of matte spray varnish over the entire rawhide.

Tips & Warnings

• You might want to re-hydrate your rawhide before painting, although websites such as Native American Visions say the process is unnecessary. To re-hydrate, wet the entire hide with a rag soaked in warm water. Rub water into the hide in a single direction and soak up excess water with a dry towel as you go. Soak a towel as large as your rawhide and partially wring out the towel, removing a quarter of the water. Lay the towel over your rawhide for half an hour, and then remove it. Rub the hide with a dry towel in a single direction to restore the hide's nap.

• Only create enough paint for a single painting session; reheating degrades dried hide glue and pigment mixture.

References

• "The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction and Use"; Reginald Laubin, Gladys Laubin and Stanley Vestal; 1989
• "How to Make Drums, Tomtoms and Rattles: Primitive Percussion Instruments for Modern Use"; Bernard Sterling Mason; 1974
• Native American Visions: Traditional Indian Art and Crafts
• Crazy Crow: Parfleche Painting