This paint has been used for centuries and is the paint of the American Shakers. Used to decorate interiors and furniture it dries to a matte finish and can hold a lot of whiting and/or pigment. Covers 130 square feet (12 quare meters).

• 5 ounces (150g or 1 1/2 cups) Casein powder.
• 1 quart (1 liter) cold water
• 2 ounces (506 g or 1/2 cup) borax
• 1 cup (250 ml) hot water
• 18 ounces (500 g or 2 1/3 cups) prepared whiting
• 5 ounces (150g or 1 1/4 cups) pigment

Not washable, usually preserved with a layer of oil or wax traditionally. The quark and oil glaze works well.

Slke the pigment. Put the casein powder in a bowl, add the cold water, let sit overnight. Next day, stor the borax into the hot water and heat in the top part of a double boiler until dissolved, then remove from heat and cool.

Beat the casein with en electric mixer until smooth; add the borax. Mix until smooth; this will be a jelly-glue-like mass. Add the prepared whiting. If at this point it's just too gelled to mix, let it sit for an half an hour. Mix in the pigment and adjust the thickness with water to the consistency of light cream.

Color test a sample and let it dry. Run your figer across it. If the paint powders off then add more casein powder to the mixture. If it dries to a hard glossy surface that cracks or flakes then add more whting or pigment.

For very absorbant walls, thin it down and apply and let dry. Then, apply several coats using large criss cross brush strokes. It dries in about an hour per coat; stir the paint well during this time. Cleans up with warm soapy water.