Found and Ground by Caroline Ross

Found and Ground by Caroline Ross is a practical guide to making your own foraged paints. Informative and exciting, this book is perfect for any artist looking to make their painting process greener. Natural, no waste and plastic-free - you’ll find a more natural path to painting with Caroline.

In this title Caroline offers up her advice on her sustainable and fulfilling approach to painting. With her guidance you’ll learn how to make your own professional quality paints using colour sourced straight from the earth. The palette you create will be shaped by your local area and can include anything from rocks, clay and soil. Life-affirming and fascinating, you’re sure to find endless pleasure in foraging for pigments and making your own paints from scratch. Not only will you learn new skill, you’ll be encouraged to take your creativity beyond your door.

Introduced with a foreword by environmentalist Paul Kingsnorth, this book covers every aspect of making natural paints - from sourcing the raw material to refining into pigment. It’s ideal for absolute beginners as well as those with more painting experience, and offers a comprehensive reference book for artists looking to move away from the plastics found in shop-bought supplies. A number of mediums are explored in the book, including how to make watercolour, gouache, tempera and glair - as well as innovative vegan ‘egg paint’ alternatives.

Geared towards a broad audience, this book provides clear and straightforward explanations for all specialized art terms, along with step-by-step instructions to demonstrate various techniques. It offers new creative concepts to individuals who feel uninspired with their watercolour usage, and encourages readers to explore new ‘old’ ideas. Most importantly, it will teach readers how to forage and gather successfully and safely.

128 Page Paperback. 216 x 280mm

LOOK INSIDE

• Foreword 6

• Introduction 8

• Foraging 16

• Foraging principles 18

• Where to go foraging 22

• Making use of your finds 58

• Refining 59

• Creating your first paint 76

• Creating artists’ quality paint 80

• Creating your watercolour palette 84

• Creating your own watercolour medium 86

• Colour your world 90

• Exploring your paints 91

• Local colour 96

• Beyond watercolour 106

• Gouache 106

• Egg tempera 108

• Glair 110

• Veglair 112

• Beyond paint 114

• Simple ink 116

• Refined studio ink 118

• Going further 124

• Glossary 126

• Index 128

Caroline Ross uses wild and ancient materials to make artworks from small illustrations to large murals. She also teaches life drawing and shows people how to make the materials she herself uses. Having spent decades indoors in art and recording studios, Caroline spends as much as possible of her life outdoors, immersing herself in nature as she sources her materials, and makes her work. Visit her website www.foundandground.com and follow her on Instagram @foundandground

MA Painting Chelsea School of Art 1996; BA (Hons) Fine Art Kingston University 1995; BTEC General Art and Design Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design 1991