Busy again! And still trying to catch up on not only painting more but also writing about it. Hectic week but last Monday, I had the opportunity to visit a paint factory in the neighborhood here in Driebergen in the Netherlands, arranged by our art tutor, Dieter. Was not having a great start to the day and being grey and gloomy Monday morning, I practically had to force myself to show up. And great decision that was!
Old Holland is, as the name suggests, is a famous Dutch paint brand dating back from 1664. The country as you know has had quite a number of renowned painters in the past such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh. Whilst the Dutch painting movement flourished in early seventeenth century, the painters’ guild was formed in which the artists could share their techniques and produce their own paint. Old Holland was then born.
As we know, the medium used in those days was oil paint. Pigments were derived from natural minerals obtained through special traders for which the Dutch were renowned for around the world. To produce the paint, the minerals were traditionally hand ground with pestle and mortar and eventually with a mechanical grinder. Resins were used to increase the intensity of the colors, and the oil-based binders were cold-pressed linseed oil. To store and contain the paint, pigs’ bladders were used until collapsible zinc tubes were discovered.
The methods may have changed over the centuries but Old Holland still sticks to the same recipe which makes the company famous worldwide for its top quality paint. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that Old Holland began to diversify. Oil painting has no longer become the main media used by artists although the company does still produce them. In 1982, came the watercolors and in 1998 acrylic paint. Today, the company has 168 different colors of paint, all lightfast in opaque and transparent finish. Lightfast is an important property in paints as over time, as the colors will last longer and not fade over time when exposed to light.
Unfortunately, the guy who was going to show us around the factory was sick that day. The 10 or so of us then ended up venturing on our own while at the beginning a member of staff gave us a brief introduction. Apart from production, the factory also has little historical museum showing us how the paints were made back in the days. There is also a showroom illustrating all the colors and although it was like walking into a candy store, there is no shop and the stuff is unfortunately not for sale at the premises. It was nevertheless enough to make us appreciate the importance of using quality paint in our work. What an amazing tour this Old Holland paint factory was. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity which also brightened up this gloomy Monday morning!
Please click here for more about Old Holland and its amazing stuff!
My Kawaii Quarter 