The Book Shelf

Formulas and Materials

I love to read and study about how things were made and what ingredients went into the stuff they were making. Many of the old ingredients were dangerous but is it also amazing to see how common ingredients can be used in every day items.

"Formulas For Painters" by Robert Massey.
A must have book which tells how to make lots of different paint mediums.

"Painting Material" A Short Encyclopedia.
A great book if you want to know about pigments. When and where they originated and what they are made of.

"The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting" by Daniel Thompson.
Documents the search for painting materials. Good description and explanation of natural pigments colors.

"The Materials of the Artist and Their Use in Painting" by Max Doener.
The title pretty much sums it up.

"The Natural Paint Book" by Lynn Edwards and Julia Lawless.
A nicely illustrated book. Short quick chapters on may different types of paint and techniques.

"Paint Alchemy" By Annie Sloan.
Nice graphics on pigments and the many varieties as well as paint recipes.

"The Painter's Handbook" by Mark David Gottsegen.
More of a scientific book about the performance of paints.

"Dicks Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes" Or "How They did it in the 1870's" by William B. Dick.
One of my favorite books with tons of recipes for every thing you can think of... Grab one if you can find it. It's been out of print for a while. Mine showed up through the wish list on Amazon.