10 Surprising Facts About Paint

Paint is an amazing substance that allows us to do all kinds of things. As you can see in the infographic below, paint is used in a number of ways. From fences to landscaping, to redecorating and more, painting has become synonymous with weekend projects. But given all the information we know about how people use paint, it remains a magical substance that comes in many forms.

There’s paint that acts as a primer and paint in one. There’s paint that helps reduction of dirt and dust build up. There’s paint that has certain textures. And there are all kinds of colors. It can be a bit overwhelming, but we can help you get through the maze of paint options. We thought it would be more fun if we shared some amazing facts about paint so you can appreciate it in a whole new light.

1. The color purple was once associated with royalty. At one time only aristocrats could afford the expensive pigment. During Roman times, it took 4 million crushed mollusk shells to create one pound of purple pigment.

2. It takes 570 gallons of paint to cover the exterior of the White House, located in Washington D.C.

3. In 2004, the Chilean artist Marco Evaristti used three fire hoses and 3,000 liters of pigment. He did this to paint the tip of an iceberg in Greenland bright red. Read more about it here on NBC News.

4. Spray paint was invented due to a need. Francis Davis Millet is credited with the invention of spray paint while working under tight deadlines to complete construction for the Chicago World’s Fair.

5. At one point, the most expensive color was ultramarine. It was expensive because it was made from lapis lazuli, which you might find in an ancient illuminated manuscript. Such manuscripts were created using paints made from a mixture of crushed precious stones and a binding agent.

6. Did you know that oil paints don’t dry? Instead they harden due to oxidation. This usually happens in about two weeks, and the paints are then ready to be varnished in roughly six months. But sometimes it can take years for an oil painting to fully harden!

7. Did you know that the earliest known oil paintings were Buddhist murals found in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan caves? They date back to the 7th century CE. Read more about them here on CNN.

8. Remember the color wheel? It’s older than the United States. Sir Isaac Newton created it in 1706. According to the History of Color, he “took the bar of colors created by the passage of light through a prism and transformed it into a segmented circle, where the size of each segment differed according to his calculations of its wavelength and of its corresponding width in the spectrum.”

9. Did you know that paint dries quickest when temperatures are around 70 degrees? Paint will spread more smoothly and absorb faster at these temperatures than in the chilly cold or sweltering heat.

10. Did you know that various paint colors can help the body heal itself? For example, red often helps depressed people regain vigor. And green has been shown to relieve stress.

Bonus Fact – It took Michelangelo only 4 years to paint the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the 1500s, but it took 20 years to restore it in the late 1900s.

The next time you look at your paint, you may just marvel in its history and the amazing facts that surround it. If you want to learn more about how we can help with your paint job to make it as amazing as these facts, contact us today.