How is Paint made?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Who Smarted?

Episode: How is Paint Made?

Date: March 27, 2026

Host: Trusty Narrator
Guest: Jade (Paint Expert), Bob Rosela (Parodic Spokesperson)

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Overview

In this fun and educational episode for kids and families, the Who Smarted? team explores the science and history of paint—how it’s made, what it’s made of, and the wild history behind paint pigments. Trusty Narrator, with help from paint expert Jade (and recurring, cheeky interruptions from Bob Rosela), unpacks the four key ingredients of paint, reveals why you shouldn’t paint your studio with watercolors or finger paint, and shares some surprising (and slightly gross) facts about how paint colors were created throughout history.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Paint Works and What It’s Made Of

• Setup: Trusty Narrator wants to paint his podcast studio and seeks advice from paint expert, Jade.
• Initial Humor: Bob Rosela, a parody of a TV paint guru, humorously pitches “Smarty Paints,” highlighting the show's playful tone.
   Memorable Quote:
   > “After all, I'm a paid spokesperson pretending to be a folksy, friendly friend trustee.”
   — Bob Rosela [01:24]

The Four Ingredients of Paint

(A clear thread runs through the episode to keep track of paint ingredients. Each gets its spotlight.)

1. Binder

• What is it? The “glue” of the paint—makes it stick to surfaces.
• Historical Binders: Natural materials like eggs, beeswax, and oils from linseeds or soybeans.
• Scientific Note: Stronger binders make more opaque paint; watercolors are light because their binders are weak.
   Quote:
   > “A binder, also called a resin, is the paint’s glue.”
   — Jade [02:56]
• Watercolors: Great for art (see-through effect) but not for painting rooms [03:11–03:39].

2. Solvent

• What is it? The liquid that makes paint spreadable—it evaporates as the paint dries.
• Examples: Water (for most paints kids use), oil or chemicals (for durable, hard-to-clean paints).
• Cleaning Up: Water-based paints (like finger paint) are easier to clean; oil-based require scrubbing [06:06].
   Memorable Exchange:
   > Trusty Narrator: “Do you remember having to really scrub off finger paint? Not really. Right?”
   > Jade: “That’s because the solvent in finger paints is water.”
   [06:18–06:24]

3. Additives

• What are they? Modify or boost properties (e.g., quick-drying, mildew resistance, environmental safety).
• Latex Paint: Most common for homes; strong binder, water solvent, lots of useful additives.
   Quote:
   > “It’s affordable, fast drying, environmentally friendly, and has additives that enhance the paint, doing things like preventing moisture and mildew.”
   — Jade [08:14]

4. Pigment

• What is it? The “color” in the paint.
• Where do pigments come from? Historically, sources included berries, roots, minerals—and some surprising (gross) things.  Quote:
   > “Pigments have been a major paint ingredient since the beginning.”
   — Jade [09:56]

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2. Types of Paint (and Why Not All Are Room-Friendly)

• Watercolor: Pretty, but weak; soaks into surfaces, not good for walls [02:41–03:39].
• Finger Paint: Fun for kids, easy clean-up, but not for big surfaces—doesn’t spread well [04:47–06:40].
• Acrylic and Alkyd: Artist paints; bold, hard to clean, expensive—better for art, not wall painting [07:38].
• Latex: The household hero—sticks well, easy to use, the top pick for most people [08:14].

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3. Pigment Origins: Disgusting, Surprising, and Fascinating!

• Ancient Paint: Used over 100,000 years ago—earliest found in a South African cave [10:06–10:31].

• Strange Pigment Ingredients:

  • Blood: Obvious red pigment.
  • Cow Urine: Used for vibrant yellows (even Van Gogh!), later banned when its origins were revealed [11:37].
  • Crushed Egyptian Mummies: “Mummy brown”—used until the 1960s.
     Memorable Quotes:
     > “If you want something that'll wow them, I recommend our line of Smarty paints made with blood, cow urine, and crushed Egyptian mummies.”
     — Bob Rosela [11:05]
     > “Mummy brown continued to be made until sometime in the 1960s, when the manufacturer simply ran out of its supply of mummies.”
     — Jade [12:15]

• Modern Pigments: Now made from metals, plants, and chemicals—safer, less gross, more colors [12:44].

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Where’s that music coming from?” — Jade kicking off the surreal, silly interruptions by Bob Rosela [00:30].
• “No, instead, let’s dwell on what won’t work in here. Watercolors.” — Jade [01:15]
• “Today, many colors come from metals, organic materials such as plants, and chemical compounds—not crushed mummies.” — Jade [12:44]
• “Actually, I’m gonna go with the Happy Little Trees.” — Trusty Narrator, referencing the running Bob Ross joke and revealing his color choice [13:00].

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:09] — Paint basics: Why certain paints work on walls and others don’t.
• [02:56] — The binder explained.
• [03:39] — Watercolors vs. room paint.
• [04:49 & 05:16] — Solvent explained, including why finger paints are easy to clean.
• [06:18–06:24] — Water-based paints for easy cleaning.
• [07:32–07:58] — Acrylic and alkyd (“artist”) paints: great for art, not for walls.
• [08:14] — Latex paint and the role of additives.
• [09:01] — Pigment revealed as the “color” in paint.
• [10:06–10:31] — 100,000-year-old origins of paint.
• [11:37–12:42] — Real-history weird pigments: blood, urine, mummy.
• [12:44] — How most pigments are made today.

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Episode Tone and Language

• Light, humorous, kid-friendly, engaging.
• Frequent Q&A moments (“Smarty Pants, can you guess…?”) to maintain interactive learning.
• Playful, recurring jokes (Bob Rosela, Happy Little Trees, poking fun at bad decorating choices).

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Conclusion

This episode of Who Smarted? balances history, science, and humor to demystify how paint is made. Listeners—kids and adults alike—walk away knowing what makes up paint, why certain paints are suited for different surfaces, and how some of history’s quirkiest pigments came to be. A perfect blend of giggles and genuine “Aha!” moments.

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Memorable Closing Quote:

“Actually, I’m gonna go with the Happy Little Trees.”
— Trusty Narrator [13:00]

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Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

And now it's time for who's Smarted?

[Jade]

So what do you think, Trusty?

[Trusty Narrator]

I don't know, Jade. I'm just not sure if that's the right color. Psst. Hey, Smarty pants. You caught me in the middle of trying to figure out a new color for my podcast studio, but I don't know what kind of paint to use, so I've asked my friend Jade here for help. Jade knows a thing or two about paints.

[Jade]

I'm telling you, a 90s retro look would look really smart in here.

[Trusty Narrator]

Well, you know how I love smart. But purple and teal? I don't know. I'm still not convinced.

[Jade]

Where's that music coming from?

[Trusty Narrator]

Beats me.

[Bob Rosela]

Hi, I'm Bob Rossila, here to tell you about Smarty Paints.

[Host/Announcer]

Whoa.

[Jade]

Where did he come from?

[Trusty Narrator]

Did you say Smarty Paints?

[Bob Rosela]

That's right, friend. Have you ever wanted to change the color of your favorite room but couldn't decide what kind of paint to use?

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, it's like he knows our exact dilemma.

[Bob Rosela]

Well, your friends at Smarty Paints have the perfect solution for you. With a wide range of colors to choose from, Smarty Paints trademark watercolors might be the perfect paint to transform this pathetic looking podcast studio.

[Trusty Narrator]

Pathetic? Did he say pathetic?

[Bob Rosela]

Pitiful, sad, tragic. They all work. But let's not dwell on the negative.

[Jade]

No, instead, let's dwell on what won't work in here. Watercolors.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, shouldn't we at least consider his idea?

[Bob Rosela]

Absolutely. Trust me, Trusty. After all, I'm a paid spokesperson pretending to be a folksy, friendly friend trustee.

[Jade]

Trust me, it's a bad idea.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, Jade, but why Smartypants? Why do some paints work well on walls and others not so much? What paints are better for artwork? And what are paints made of? Anyway, it's time for another whiff of science and history on the smart

[Host/Announcer]

who's smarted. Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on who's Smart and.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, Smartypants. I'm here with my friend and paint expert, Jade, trying to paint my podcast studio. According to Jade, watercolors are not the best option. Any guesses why Smartypants? Well, let's start by answering another question. Do the paintings you make with watercolors tend to be dark or light? If you ask me, they always seem to be pretty light.

[Jade]

That's because of the paint's binder. It's one of the four basic ingredients that makes paint paint.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty Pants. Can you guess what a binder does? Does it A, provide the paint's color, B, allow paint to stick to a surface, or C, keep paint together with three rings and some Velcro, like grandpa's sneakers. If you guessed B, you're right.

[Jade]

So a binder, also called a resin, is the paint's glue. Thousands of years ago, painters found that natural materials such as eggs, beeswax, and oils from linseeds and soybeans helped paint stick to surfaces. Some of those binders are still used today, as well as synthetics made of chemical compounds. When a binder is strung, it coats the surface so you don't see through it. Watercolors don't have a very strong binder, so instead of resting on top of a surface, they seep into it, creating a cool, see through effect. It's great for artwork, but not for painting a room.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, so no watercolors, but what kind of paint should I use? Uh, Jade? What's going on?

[Jade]

I don't know. Trustee. Suddenly there are kids everywhere.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, did you invite your little brothers and sisters to join us? Oh, no, they have paint.

[Jade]

There's that music again.

[Trusty Narrator]

Looks like Bob's back.

[Bob Rosela]

Hi, I'm Bob Rosela, well paid spokesman for Smarty Paints. Have you ever looked around a room and said, gosh, this place stinks?

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, it's not that bad.

[Bob Rosela]

But it does stink, probably from all these toddlers running around with full diapers for them. I recommend Smarty Paint brand finger paints. They come in vibrant colors that are perfectly safe for children. Will you look at that? An adorable child just smacked blue paint all over trusty narrator's face.

[Trusty Narrator]

Thanks, Bob.

[Bob Rosela]

Come along, children. Our work here is done. When you're looking to liven up a truly embarrassing room, nothing is better than Smarty Paint brand finger paints. Trust your well compensated friend, Bob.

[Trusty Narrator]

Great. Now my face is all blue.

[Jade]

Here, take this wet washcloth. The nice thing about finger paints is they're easy to wash out, thanks in part to their solvent. It's another ingredient in paint.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, do you remember what the first ingredient was? That's right. The binder, which is the glue. What do you suppose the solvent is? Is it A, a liquid that allows paint to spread, B, the paint's color, or C, the answer to a math problem? If you said A, you're right.

[Jade]

The paint ingredients that provide color and glue are dissolved in the solvent that gives the paint its liquid form as you use it. And after you apply the paint to something, the solvent simply evaporates into the air. Then, thanks to the binder, as the paint dries, it sticks to a surface.

[Trusty Narrator]

Interesting. But I'm curious about something, Smarty pants. Have you ever heard of water based or oil based paints? What do you think that means, Jade?

[Jade]

Oil based paints use a solvent that's oily, which might come from alcohols or chemicals like petroleum. These paints are strong and are best for areas of your home that face a lot of heavy wear and tear or harsh weather.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, so not my podcast recording studio.

[Jade]

I don't know, I've seen you get a little crazy in there, but probably not. Paints with an oil solvent are hard to clean up too. You need to scrub your hands pretty good to get it off.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants. Do you remember having to really scrub off finger paint? Not really. Right. It's pretty easy to clean up.

[Jade]

That's because the solvent in finger paints is water. Water based paints can be easily washed off with soap and water. Most indoor paints are water based.

[Trusty Narrator]

So you are saying we should use finger paints for my recording studio?

[Jade]

No. Finger paints are creamy and don't spread. Well, you'll probably want to use the most popular type of paint, which is.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, no. Bob again.

[Bob Rosela]

Hi, I'm Bob Rocila, here for Smarty paints. As I walk around this horrible room, I can see a lot of imperfections. The ugly couch, the awful lighting, and this framed artwork which belongs in the trash.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, my niece Gia drew that.

[Host/Announcer]

Whoa.

[Bob Rosela]

What you need is some art of your own with acrylic and alkyd artist mixtures from smarty paints. You can add flourish to these drab, dismal walls. Paint anything you want. A beautiful sunset, a calming ocean, a snow kissed mountain, or lots of happy little trees. Trust me, I'm a paid spokesperson.

[Trusty Narrator]

I'm beginning to think Bob doesn't like my recording studio. Maybe I do need some happy little trees.

[Jade]

No. Trusty acrylic and alkyd paints are the types of paints used by artists. They tend to be bold and dense. And alkyd paints are oil based, so not easy to clean up. They're typically more expensive too. And do you really have time to paint happy little trees?

[Trusty Narrator]

No, not really. So what kind of paint do most people use?

[Jade]

Maybe the smarty pants know, Is it tempera luminous or latex?

[Trusty Narrator]

Hmm, I'm not sure. What about you, smarty pants? Well, let's find out.

[Jade]

Jade, the answer is latex. The majority of people use latex because it has strong binders that stick to the surface and a water solvent that spreads the paint easily. And anywhere you Want it. It's affordable, fast drying, environmentally friendly, and has additives that enhance the paint, doing things like preventing moisture and mildew.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, so additives would be the third ingredient then?

[Jade]

Yep. Paint has binders to make it stick to the surface, solvents to keep it liquid until it's applied, and additives to improve its quality. But there's one more ingredient we have yet to discuss, and some would say it's the most important.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smartypants. Any guesses what the last ingredient is? Did you say the paint color? Nice. And do you know what we call this ingredient? Is it A catnip, B, cowhide, or C pigment? The answer is C pigment. So, Jade, where do pigments come from?

[Jade]

All kinds of stuff, including some pretty disgusting things. Are you sure you really want to know?

[Trusty Narrator]

I do, I do. Right after this quick break. Now back to who's smarted. Okay, smarty pants. I'm here with my friend Jade trying to decide the best paint for my podcast studio. We've gone over three of the four ingredients that make paint, let's say them together. There's the binder, the solvent, and additives which improve the paint's quality. And now we just have to figure out the right color, known as the pigment. Oh, no, it's not made from pigs, is it?

[Jade]

No, no, it's much worse than that. But let's not jump ahead. Pigments have been a major pain ingredient since the beginning.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, when did people start painting? A thousand years ago, 40,000 years ago, or 100,000 years ago? Believe it or not, the answer is 100,000 years ago.

[Jade]

Archaeologists discovered ingredients for making paint, including red and yellow pigments in a cave in South Africa that are believed to be at least 100,000 years old.

[Trusty Narrator]

Whoa.

[Jade]

Cave art found in other places had colors made from charcoal and a red iron oxide or rust. Since then, pigments have come from all kinds of things.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hi, Bob.

[Bob Rosela]

Hi, I'm Bob Rosela. For Smarty Paints, the right pigment can completely transform a sad looking recording room. And Smarty paints come in a variety of colors. Perhaps you'd like a nice brown like the color of this coffee. Terrible.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, that was my who Smarted mug.

[Bob Rosela]

If you want something that'll wow them, I recommend our line of Smarty paints made with blood, cow urine, and crushed Egyptian mummies. The red, yellow, and brown combination probably won't improve a hopeless room like this one, but at least you'll have a story to tell your friends. They paid me to say that, Bob.

[Trusty Narrator]

Rosilla, I'm not a fan Also, what's this talk about paints being made from blood, cow urine, and crushed mummies? Those pigments never existed. Right, jade? Right, jade.

[Jade]

Actually, they did. Blood is an obvious pigment for red, and ancient people were known to use it in their paints. They also used berry juices and crushed roots to get that color, too. As for the cow urine, it apparently was a pigment for a once popular type of yellow paint. Vincent Van Gogh used this paint in his masterpiece the Starry Night, but he probably didn't know it contained urine. Investigations of the paint color's origins eventually led to it being banned.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yuck. What about the Egyptian mummies?

[Jade]

Also true. The shade of paint was actually called mummy brown, a rich pigment with a hint of purple. It was a favorite of some artists in the 1800s, but they didn't think it was made of real mummified bodies. Artists who learned the truth stopped using it. But mummy brown continued to be made until sometime in the 1960s, when the manufacturer simply ran out of its supply of mummies.

[Trusty Narrator]

That's disgusting.

[Jade]

Today, many colors come from metals, organic materials such as plants and chemical compounds, not crushed mummies. I think you're pretty safe with whatever color you choose. So what color should we go with?

[Trusty Narrator]

Actually, I'm gonna go with the Happy Little Trees. A colorful shout out to Evelyn and Emmett in San Jose, California. You wrote in to tell us how you love smarting at bedtime and then waking up and sharing your new knowledge the very next day. Yes, that's what being a smarty pants is all about. This episode Paint was written by Dave Basecoat Beaudry and voiced by Heather Happy Cloud Simse Taya Glossy Finish Garland and Jerry Colbert. Tactical direction and sound design by Josh High Solid Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Paint Cans Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian the Sealer Suarez. Lyrics written and performed by Adam Texture Davis, who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Text Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Host/Announcer]

Who smarted.