Stacked jars of homemade paint in green, black, copper brown and blue.

The archive website’s opening animation: paint dripping down a clear rack.

The archive website: a grid of material samples.

The Experimental Paint Archive

2025–ongoing
Earth pigments, biomaterials, copper paint, magnetic paint
ITP biomaterials lab and a home kitchen

An open-source online library of biodegradable, DIY-safe art materials made from biomaterials, earth pigments and reused materials, including a magnetic paint and a copper paint. Anyone can reproduce the recipes and upload their own.

The archive revisits the conventional formula of pigment, binder and vehicle to lower the barriers to entry in material experimentation, making art-making more affordable, sustainable and safe.

experimentalpaintarchive.com Designboom Free York Biofuels Digest Burner Union