Commercial oil paints are manufactured using pigment particles and linseed oil. Make your own oil paints using the same ingredients. Get natural pigments from an art store or an industrial pigment supplier. Buy the basic colors: red, blue, yellow, black and white; create other colors by mixing these. Other pigments may be obtained from the earth, through copper, carbon and plants. Mix the natural pigments with linseed oil and beeswax to create a stiff paste. The proportions of oil and beeswax depend on the natural pigments used. However, typically 2-4 percent of beeswax should be applied. Additional ingredients, such as sand, gravel or even human hair may be added to obtain certain textures in your paintings. Store paints in airtight sealed jars.
Paint brushes are made using ox, squirrel, pony or goat hair, or synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester. Create your own paintbrush handles using sticks, chopsticks or branches. If you cannot obtain ox or squirrel hair, employ horse or human hair or even grass and other fibers to make your brushes. Drill a hole in the branch/chopstick and insert some white glue. Place the bristles inside the hole and wrap a thread around the end of the brush to keep the bristles in place. Make brushes of different sizes using various types of bristles. Experiment with each to see the effects they create.
Many items in your home can be used to create textures on your paintings. Use combs, wire or even forks. Employ these tools on thicker layers of paint to carve and draw various patterns or motifs.
If you are on a budget, use cooking oil instead of linseed oil when painting. However, cooking oil dries very slowly and it may also change the colors over time; these are the main reasons why cooking oil is not typically used in painting.
Oil paint is diluted with paint thinners or solvents, such as turpentine. These are difficult to make at home, but you can replace solvents with white spirits. White spirit is also known as mineral spirit or Stoddard solvent and is a transparent solution made of paraffin. Purchase this solution in hardware stores.