Can you guess the TYPE and COLOUR of the very first paint ever created?
The very earliest example of paint making and usage in History was discovered near Cape Town in South Africa and dates back to 73,000 years ago!
The very first water-based painting was found in the BLOMBOS CAVE and featured just lines and crosses, made from red iron OXIDE (plus charcoal and bone marrow used as a binder).

The COLOUR that red oxide produces, is actually known as an OCHRE, which is a group of earth pigments that range from yellow, to orangey-red, to brown, depending on how much iron, hematite, or limonite is in the mix.
Bones or shells were often used to blow paint onto rock walls and inside caves, to create amazing artworks like this one Called the Cave of Hands, in Argentina, from 7000 BC!

Water-based paint is the earliest form of paint used in human history and our ancestors ground and heated rocks to produce colour and used animal fats, eggs and milk as binders.
A beautiful early water based paint example was found In southwestern France, where stunning paintings of spotted horses were depicted and date from 20,000 years ago. Its stated that there isnt any evidence that these spotted horses existed, so were these humans painting from life OR their imaginations?

Another amazing example from 36,000 years ago was found in the Cave of Altamira
In Spain. Here we see stunning image of bison, other animals and human hands. Aren’t they stunning?!

Its simply amazing to have the examples of the earliest paintings ever created by our ancestors isnt it?
I hope this post has been eye-opening and inspiring for you.