What is paint?
Q: What is paint?
A: Paint is a liquid used to add colour to the surface of an object by covering it with a pigmented (coloured) coating.
Q: What is the pigment in paint made from?
A: The pigment in paint is usually a powder made from different chemicals, some of which come straight from natural things like clay.
Q: How is paint mixed?
A: Paint is mixed with something that will make it stick onto the surface and not come off easily, such as water for water-based paints or oils or chemicals for other types of paints. Most painters buy pre-mixed paint.
Q: How do painters apply paint?
A: Painters usually apply paint using a brush, but they may also use rollers or spray guns. Factory paint shops have machines which spray on the paint.
Q: How long does it take for different types of paints to dry?
A: Watercolour dries in a few minutes while artist's oil paints can take days or even weeks to dry. Most other types of paints fit between these two timescales.
Q: Is more than one layer of paint necessary for certain surfaces?
A: Yes, many types of paints are best if they are put on in several layers - first an undercoat or ground which sticks well and then coloured layers over the top. For example, house-painters using oil on wooden window frames might use three layers for weather protection whereas modern house paints only need one layer inside the house. Artists often use multiple layers to get just the right effect when using oil and tempera paints.
