How to Use Turmeric As Paint

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Things You'll Need

  • Dried or fresh turmeric rhizomes

  • Mortar and pestle or food processor

Turmeric has traditionally been used as a dye in South Asia and was popular during festivals which featured bright facial painting. The dye using turmeric is not harmful like some synthetic dyes can be and is actually beneficial, softening your skin and evening out your skin tone, according to the India Parenting website. Although it has conventionally been used as a dye for fabrics, turmeric has been used to create a vibrant yellow paint used in folk painting. You can create your own turmeric paint.

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Step 1

Prepare your means of processing for the turmeric. A mortar and pestle is suggested, but you can use a food processor instead.

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Step 2

Grind the turmeric rhizomes, adding enough water to create a paste. This process will create yellow or mustard-colored paint. To get a naturally occurring red, an alkali ingredient such as Fuller's Earth can be added. Fuller's Earth is an off-white-colored natural clay, but the red color is a result of the chemical reaction. You can experiment with other coloring effects by adding various other natural ingredients such as safflowers or mango rind.

Step 3

Use this mixture with a brush to paint your target material, which might be canvas, wood or other porous materials.

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