Exploring Mycelium Solutions for Sustainable Art Practices
Advisor: Ms. Danyelle Weathers
Internship Location: GenSpace
Onsite Mentor: Casey Lardner
Between excessive packaging and waste, toxic materials, energy consumption, and disposable culture, it’s safe to say the art supply industry isn’t entirely environmentally friendly. A watercolor palette, for example, is mostly non-biodegradable plastic. Synthetic pigments in watercolors also harm the environment given their toxic ingredients, poor biodegradability, disruption of ecosystems, bioaccumulation, and contribution to eutrophication. While it may not rival the food or fashion industry in infamy for unsustainability, the art industry does have a harmful ecological footprint that often gets overlooked. This project aims to show that mycelium-based materials are a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic containers by looking into which combinations of mushroom strains, substrates, and raw materials for natural pigments work best together to create a paint set that most closely mirrors the functionality of conventional plastic products. I will be working at Genspace’s Biomaterials Studio to grow my own mycelium, make natural paints from scratch, and learn more about biological materials and their applications. I hope to contribute to the ongoing discussion around creative eco-friendly alternatives and expect to have a usable, 100% biodegradable art supply by the end of the project. It’s my hope that this tangible deliverable will serve not only as a practical solution for artists but also as awareness about the potential of mycelium-based materials in reducing environmental impact.
Project Blog
Week 0: Introduction
Hello! My senior project will focus on uses of mycelium - specifically in relation to the art industry. I will be seeing if mycelium and natural paints can be used to create a 100% biodegradable, greener alternative to traditional plastic, non-eco-friendly art supplies by observing which combinations of mushroom strains, substrates, and raw materials for natural pigments work best together to create a watercolor paint set that most closely mirrors the functionality of conventional plastic products.
Mycelium, the intricate, branching network of thread-like structures called hyphae that form the vegetative part of the fungi, holds remarkable potential as a sustainable material. It thrives on various organic substrates, including agricultural waste and discarded materials, effectively transforming what we consider unusable. In recent years, mycelium has been harnessed for various purposes due to its unique properties: it can break down complex organic compounds, including pollutants and toxins through a process called mycoremediation, some artists and designers have used mycelium to create sculptures, furniture, and decorative objects, and certain fungi produce bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical potential. Some scientists are even experimenting with mycelium applications in technology! Mycelium can be used to create durable and lightweight materials - by allowing it to grow in a mold, it forms a solid composite known as mycotecture. This way, I’ll be able to create sturdy, functional, light paint palettes!
Over the next twelve weeks, I’ll be designing prototypes, picking colors and sourcing natural, raw pigments, discovering different methods of mycelium cultivation, and learning more about mycelium and other biomaterials at Genspace, a community biology lab in Brooklyn!
You can access my full senior project proposal here.
And here are Genspace’s Community Projects!
Week 1: Initial Research, Machine-Mediated Microbial Art, Mycelium Samples
Welcome back to my blog!
This week, I conducted an extensive review of existing literature on mycelium, its properties, and some of its applications, so I could begin to develop prototypes and plan out how many palettes I eventually want to experiment with! After a trip to the library, I picked up Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, “a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet” (Stamets ) by Paul Stamets, an American mycologist and author of Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms. One interesting topic the book covers is mycorestoration, a process that utilizes fungi to restore ecosystems or clean up polluted environments. Mycorestoration harnesses the natural ability of fungi to degrade contaminants and restore ecological balance. In addition, Stamets discusses inoculation methods for growing mycelia and mushrooms with varying substrates. This was my starting point for researching how to make a substrate from scratch!
This week, the pre-inoculated, dehydrated mushroom grow bag from Grow.Bio that I’d been working on (see Figure 1 for the loose process and image of how the mycelium turned out) was completed and now that I’m loosely familiar with the mycelium-growing process, I will be starting over and creating my own substrates!
To achieve successful mushroom cultivation, picking an appropriate substrate is really important; the substrate serves as the primary source of nutrients for mushrooms during their development. Similar to how plants thrive in soils with varying characteristics, different mushroom species have different preferences as well. A few notes on the ideal substrate: it should be rich in woody, fibrous components such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which are abundant in carbon, needs to be slightly acidic (with a PH level of about 5-6.5), needs a moisture content of 50-70%, and needs to be free of competing organisms, allowing ample space for the mushroom mycelium to thrive undisturbed, among other properties. Some substrates I plan on working with in the following weeks include straw, coffee grounds, cardboard, and coco coir and vermiculite. Once I’ve finished making my substrates, I’ll be able to inoculate them with mycelium from various mushrooms. I also spent a considerable time learning about how to properly pasteurize and sterilize a substrate. Both involve heating the substrate up to destroy existing bacteria or fungi, but pasteurization heats the substrate up to 185 degrees F, while sterilizing subjects the substrate to temperatures over 250 degrees F.
At Genspace’s Biomaterials Open Studio, I worked on machine-mediated microbial art which involved using the Opentrons OT-2 pipetting robot (see Figure 2). I also learned about one member’s project using microbial pigments, which consume around 430 times less water than synthetic colorants and got to see some of Genspace’s mycelium samples (see Figure 3 for a sample mycelium block that's been used for calligraphy purposes for a Tea Ceremony in Sunset Park)!
See you next week!
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Week 2: Substrate Prep, Intro to Spore Prints, Vacuum Forms
Welcome back to my post-Spring Break blog!
A lot of this week has largely been dedicated to preparing what will become my substrates. I’m going to start with a bale of all-natural, sun-cured wheat straw, which I made sure was ordered without any added preservatives. After visiting multiple pet supply, gardening, and hardware stores, I learned that there are some key differences between straw and hay, which employees offered me, but would not actually be well-suited for my project. Straw typically contains fewer nutrients compared to hay. This lower nutrient content can be beneficial for growing mycelium because it reduces the likelihood of competing organisms, such as bacteria or other fungi, from thriving in the substrate. It also has a more fibrous and porous structure which provides a suitable environment for mycelium to colonize and spread. The mycelium can also easily penetrate the gaps and spaces within the straw.
The bale of straw came especially choppy and coarse - which was something I didn’t like about the results of the practice-run with the kit (see last week’s blog post!). Because of this, I decided to chop up and blend the wheat straw for a much finer consistency - which proved to be a very time-consuming process. This finer consistency can potentially aid in mycelium growth for certain types of fungi, particularly those that prefer smaller substrate particle sizes.
Oyster mushrooms (pleurotus ostreatus) work particularly well with straw, which is what I’ll be using first. Before I can pasteurize or sterilize the newly-chopped straw, I’ll need to actually start my own mycelium culture from mushroom spores. I’ve learned that you can obtain spores from a mature mushroom by collecting them onto a sterile surface and creating a spore print. More on this next week.
One anticipated challenge of this project was developing molds for the later stages of the project. At NYU’s MakerSpace design lab, in collaboration with Genspace, I learned about vacuum forms (see Figures 1, 2, & 3). Vacuum forming is a process where a thermoplastic sheet is heated until it becomes pliable, then stretched over a mold and formed into a specific shape using vacuum pressure. After forming, the plastic is allowed to cool and solidify while still in contact with the mold, then removed, and excess material is trimmed away to create the final product. This might be a viable way to make my palette molds closer to the end of the project.
Figure 1.
Figure 2. + Figure 3.
Week 3: Making Agar Plates, Spore Prints Continued, Design Prototyping
Welcome back to my senior project blog!
This week, I learned how to make agar plates at Genspace and experimented with making spore prints! (See Figures 1 & 2,). Malt extract agar (MEA) is a common nutrient medium used in microbiology laboratories for cultivating fungi, particularly filamentous fungi like molds and yeasts! By streaking a fungal sample (part of the spore print) onto the surface of agar, individual fungal colonies can be isolated and studied, or, in my case, used to eventually inoculate a spawn bag. Malt extract provides carbohydrates and nutrients for fungal growth, agar is a gelatinous substance made from red algae, used as a solidifying agent for the medium, and distilled water serves as the solvent for dissolving the malt extract and agar. To make the plates, I also got to use an autoclave, a device used to sterilize equipment, materials, and liquids, by subjecting them to high-pressure saturated steam. The primary purpose of the autoclave is to kill microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores, by exposing them to conditions of heat and pressure that denature their proteins and disrupt their cellular structures.
Spore prints are a method used to collect and study the spores of fungi. Fungi produce spores as part of their reproductive cycle and these spores can vary in size, shape, color, and other characteristics depending on the species. The process begins by selecting a mature mushroom that is fully developed and has not yet released its spores. To make the print, the cap of the fungus is carefully removed from the stem. The underside of the cap which contains the spore-producing structures, is then placed on foil. As the fungus continues to mature and release its spores, they fall from the cap onto the surface. Over several hours, the spores accumulate on the paper! This week, I tried making several spore prints from king oyster mushrooms (see Figure 3) and shiitake mushrooms.
At Genspace’s Biomaterials Studio, Jessica Thiel, a designer, material researcher, and sustainability specialist gave us a presentation on design prototyping! She showed us examples of her moodboards, sketches, models, and processes for her projects (see Figure 4) and I got to make my own prototypes at the lab for the palettes, as well!
Here is one of the final sketches I drew as a plan for the palette:
Figure 1. + Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Week 4: Watercolor Binder Solution, Pigment Planning, Silicone Molds
Welcome back to my blog!
This week has been primarily dedicated to preparations for the natural watercolor paints. I started off the week researching various methods for making a binder solution. Watercolor paint is essentially a mixture of finely ground pigment particles and a water-soluble binder, usually gum arabic (also known as gum acacia), which is the hardened sap of acacia trees. This combination allows the pigment to adhere to paper when water is applied, creating the characteristic translucent effect that watercolors have! To make the binder solution, I dissolved gum arabic in its powder form with warm distilled water, honey, vegetable glycerine (a humectant), and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. Adding a humectant makes the paint more fluid and the honey allows the paint to release its color onto a brush faster. Eucalyptus oil (eucalyptus globulus) contains compounds like eucalyptol that exhibit antimicrobial properties. This will help inhibit the growth of any bacteria or fungi.
Many manufacturers for commercial watercolor paints have transitioned to using synthetic pigments rather than natural ones, which poses significant environmental threats. Given this, I spent part of this week making a list of potential sources for different colors for the palette, which I plan to start gathering next week.
I also experimented with making silicone molds this week. While the process was enjoyable, the mold did not come out entirely as I had planned so I will be trying again next week.
Additionally, I tried making more spore prints out of king oyster mushrooms to bring to the lab next week for the agar plates. Unfortunately, my recent spore prints have been unsuccessful; the moisture content, humidity, and maturity of the mushroom may have contributed to this.
Week 5: New Molds, Spore Prints, Mycelium Growth Update
Welcome to Week 5 of my Senior Project!
After encountering some setbacks last week, this week was all about devising backup plans and embracing a trial-and-error approach!
First, I experimented with making new silicone molds. I used wood slats to construct a grid-like structure that the liquid silicone would be poured into, taking extra care to seal the edges. After letting it set, I removed the silicone out of the container and carefully cut around some pieces to refine its shape. While silicone may not be the most environmentally friendly material, it does offer several advantages over traditional plastics. Unlike single-use plastics, silicone products can be used repeatedly. It’s also chemically inert, meaning it does not react with most substances or leach harmful chemicals into the environment. This makes it a safer option in comparison to some plastics, which may contain harmful additives like BPA (bisphenol-A). While silicone itself is not typically recyclable through conventional municipal recycling programs, there are specialized processes to recycle it.
Along with new molds, I tried making new spore prints. Finding suitable mushrooms took me to various parts of New York! From my local grocery stores to Koreatown, Soho, and Red Hook, I went in search of the freshest oyster mushrooms that looked suitable for prints. At the supermarkets, I ended up picking out two different species of mushrooms: king oyster (Pleurotus eryngii) and pearl oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) mushrooms. King oyster mushrooms are characterized by their thick, meaty stems and small caps, while pearl oyster mushrooms have more delicate, pale-colored caps with shorter stems.
With a couple successful prints, I was able to return to the lab! Using a Q-tip, and ensuring that both it and the agar plates were sterile to try to prevent contamination, I lightly touched the Q-tip with the spore print and gently placed it onto the surface of the agar plate. This allows the spores to germinate and grow into visible colonies. At the lab, I was able to check in on the plate with the shiitake mushrooms from a couple weeks ago (see Figure 1). As you can see from the picture, I suspect a certain mold, potentially the Penicillium species, is growing. Certain molds can produce green pigments as they grow on the agar plates. They are common contaminants in laboratory settings and can often be found in the air or on surfaces. I’m not sure if any mycelium is growing at all, but plan on giving it a couple more days. In some cases, mycelium can outcompete bacterial or fungal contaminants on agar plates, especially if the conditions favor the growth of the desired fungus. In a couple days, I’ll carefully examine the plate to identify if there are any areas where there is healthy mycelium that appears relatively free from contamination. If there is any, I’ll carefully cut out small pieces of agar containing the mycelium and transfer them to new plates.
Since we’re about halfway through the project, this week I began developing some backup plans instead of using the spore prints in case of full contamination. Liquid mycelium cultures, also known as liquid inoculum or liquid spawn, are an option I’m looking at. More on this next week!
Figure 1.
Week 6: Biomaterial Experimentation, Liquid Cultures
Welcome to Week 6!
After flipping through a binder of biomaterial recipes Genspace has (see image below),
I decided to experiment with some for fun considering that part of my project was to learn about existing biomaterials. Specifically inspired by bioplastics, given their smooth texture and glossy finish (characteristics the mycelium lacks), a group of us at the Biomaterials Studio set out to try four, slightly different recipes. To recap, biomaterials are materials derived from biological sources or engineered to interact with biological systems. They’re utilized in a wide range of applications, including medicine, tissue engineering, consumer products, etc. Bioplastics are a subset of biomaterials, referring specifically to plastics derived from renewable biomass sources such as plants, algae, or bacteria. For anyone interested, the peer-reviewed scientific journal Biomaterials Science publishes work covering a wide range of topics related to the design, synthesis, characterization, and applications of biomaterials in various fields!
After measuring the various ingredients, we combined them over heat, until the solution reached boiling point, and then poured it into a couple molds (we also tried a couple with syringes). As an example: one involved 250 mL of water, 8 grams of agar, 4 grams of beeswax, 2 grams of glycerol, and 2 grams of chitosan. We switched around some of the ingredients; some had beef gelatin, others didn’t, and each had varying amounts of sodium alginate.
Prior to this project, I had little to no understanding of bioplastics and am considering incorporating them into my project somehow (possibly trying some more recipes for the watercolor pans that would then be encapsulated by the mycelium).
Given the mold growth on the agar plates (see last week), I mentioned liquid mycelium cultures. Liquid mycelium cultures are prepared using a nutrient-rich liquid medium that provides the essential nutrients and energy sources for the mycelium to grow and proliferate. Common ingredients in the nutrient solution may include sugars (such as glucose or malt extract), nitrogen sources (such as yeast extract or peptone), vitamins, and minerals. The nutrient solution is sterilized to eliminate any competing microorganisms that could inhibit fungal growth. Once the liquid mycelium culture has reached a sufficient level of growth, it can be used to inoculate substrates for mushroom cultivation. This week I experimented with a king oyster liquid culture and a pink oyster liquid culture on agar plates to test before inoculating my substrates (which will be pasteurized first) with them.
See you next week!
Week 7: Autoclave Pouches, Inoculating Straw, DIY Laminar Flow Hood
Welcome to Week 7!
To begin this week, I started by autoclaving the straw that I was going to inoculate with the liquid culture (see Figure 1). This was different from the previous time I had used the autoclave machine; for the agar plates, which started as a liquid medium, I used a beaker. This time, however, I had to use autoclave pouches (see Figure 2). An autoclave pouch is a specialized packaging designed to hold items during the autoclave sterilization process. These pouches are typically made of heat-resistant materials, such as medical-grade paper or plastic, that can withstand the high temperatures and pressures of autoclaving (see Figure 3).
Once the straw was ready (there’s an indicator on the pouch to ensure it got properly sterilized), I cleaned a ziploc bag and transferred it from the pouches to the bag. Inoculating the substrate in a ziploc bag is an unorthodox method - most people use jars or grain spawn bags with a paper filter, so we’ll see if the ziploc bag method works! I worked quickly to try to minimize the risk of contamination, using the liquid syringe, adding a couple spoonfuls of flour and distilled water to help provide additional nutrients for the mycelium to grow, shaking the bag to try to make sure the inoculant was evenly distributed, and poking small holes to facilitate gas exchange. I placed the bag in a dark, warm place, and am monitoring it for signs of growth or contamination.
Another project I worked on this week was trying to make my own makeshift sterile hood, also known as a laminar flow hood. Because the one at Genspace is in use, I’m going to try to set one up in my home. While a DIY sterile hood may not achieve the same level of sterility and control as a professional-grade laminar flow hood, it can still provide a relatively clean environment. I set up a physical barrier around my workspace to minimize airflow and reduce the risk of contamination, cleaned and sterilized all surfaces using alcohol as a disinfectant solution, and placed a portable HEPA air purifier near my workspace to help filter out airborne contaminants.
Finally, I spent part of this week cleaning off a glass paint palette I already own, which I plan on using as a surface for the paint making!
See you next week!
Week 8: Natural Paints (Yellow, Pink, Green), New Mushroom Spawn Bags
Welcome back to my blog!
This was an exciting week: we finally have colors! Ideally, I would have liked to pour the natural paints and let them set in mycelium pans, but because the mycelium has been tricky to cultivate and is still growing in the lab, I used cardboard as a temporary container instead. I measured, cut, and hot-glued pieces of cardboard to make these. Once the paint has dried, I'll take it out of the cardboard!
To make the natural paints, which I’ve been planning for a couple weeks, I combined the binder solution I prepared in Week 4 with raw ingredients, in a process called mulling. Mulling paint is the process of grinding and dispersing pigments into a binder to create a smooth and uniform paint mixture. This process ensures that the pigment particles are evenly distributed throughout the binder, resulting in a consistent color and texture. I experimented with three colors and will be making more shortly! For yellow, I used turmeric, matcha powder for green, and azalea flowers for a pink/purple. I learned valuable lessons from making these three colors; powders set much faster than liquids, and matcha (which I sifted before-hand) gave me the smoothest consistency. For the azaleas, which were collected from the ground, not their stems, I used the Infusion Method, rather than drying them out and grinding them. The petals were damp from overnight rain, so after quickly using a pestle and mortar, I transferred them to a pot with a small amount of water (kind of like making a tea), creating a colored liquid that was then strained and combined with the binder solution (See Figures 1,2,3).
While the petals gave me an incredible purple/pink pigment, the liquid mixture has still not set, so I’ll stick to powders in the future. (See Figures 4,5 for the green paint process). These paints are still drying, but I plan on getting swatches of all the colors on watercolor paper!
At the lab this week, I discovered mold on the wheat straw, King Oyster mushroom mix. The King Oyster mushrooms thrived on the agar plates, however. To try again, I autoclaved the rest of my straw and made five mini mushroom spawn bags this time (See Figure 6), each a slightly different combination of substrate (I used both wheat straw and fresh coffee grounds, another rich source of nutrients for mushrooms), oyster mushroom strain, and inoculation method.
From one of the successful agar plates, I gently cut a piece of the mycelium to put in some of the bags (see Figure 8) and used a pink oyster mushroom liquid syringe for others.
I also tested some of this liquid culture on more agar plates, just in case. I’m concerned about the acidity level of the coffee grounds and may modify the substrate.
See you next week for more updates!
Week 9: MoMA Exhibit, Natural Watercolors Continued (Blue, Brown)
Welcome back to Week 9 of my blog!
I began this week by visiting The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for their exhibit: Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design, which is open through July 7th. Curated by Paola Antonelli and Maya Ellerkmann, the exhibit showcases innovative approaches to design that prioritize environmental responsibility. It featured work that embraces indigenous and non-Western attitudes towards sustainability, such as Fernando Laposse’s corn-husk panels (see Figure 1) and some of Studio Klarenbeek & Dros’ algae geographies (see Figure 2).
There were also several mycelium pieces on display (see Figures 3,4)! At the museum, I also stumbled upon the book, Biodesign: Nature + Science + Creativity by William Myers, which “profiles design projects that integrate biology in an original way” (https://www.biology-design.com/). The book showcased David Benjamin’s bio-engineered bricks of corn stalks and mycelium, among other incredible projects. Highly recommend checking it out (see citation link).
At the lab this week, I continued to monitor the mini mycelium spawn bags and added a small amount of distilled water to help encourage growth, as the substrates looked dry. So far, no mold! The mycelium cultures on the agar plates that have been incubating on the side have continued to grow successfully as well.
I also experimented with making new colors for the palette this week. I made a blue pigment using butterfly pea flower tea and made brown with coffee beans. I used a mortar and pestle to ground the substances into finer powders and then combined these with the extra watercolor binder pigment I made last week, pouring the mixtures into more of the small temporary cardboard containers.
In addition to exploring the exhibit and making additional paints, I made progress on my final presentation.
See you next week!
Additional MoMa Exhibition Highlights:
Week 10: Final Watercolors (Purple, Orange), Swatches, Last Mycelium Update
Welcome back to Week 10 of my blog!
As the project comes to a close, this week I finished up my final colors: purple and orange. In Week 8, I experimented with a purple/pink pigment using azalea flowers. The method I used then involved extracting the liquid pigment from the plant but resulted in a watercolor paint that didn’t set properly and was hard to use. This week, I decided to try again, using elderberries instead. Elderberries are the fruit of the elder tree, scientifically known as Sambucus nigra. These small, dark purple berries have been used for centuries for their medicinal properties and culinary uses. Their deep purple pigment is primarily due to anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid antioxidant found in many dark-colored fruits and vegetables.
Repeating the same process as the other colors, on a glass surface that was easy to scrape, I combined an even amount of binder solution with elderberry powder until it reached the desired consistency. After mulling the paint to ensure its smoothness, I poured it into the cardboard containers. These cardboard containers were tricker than the ones for the green or yellow pigments given that they’re curved on the edges. (See Week 3 for the diagram of the palette). I’ve updated the diagram of the palette below to include all the final colors and where they are.
For orange, I did the same process using smoked paprika. Despite mulling the paint, it still had a slightly grainy texture compared to some of the others but is still quite vibrant. Additionally, here is a scanned image of the swatches I did of all six of the final colors:
For my final week at Genspace, I checked in on the mycelium bags, which did not end up successfully growing mycelium but did not grow mold either. The lack of both mold and mycelium growth in the spawn bags could be attributed to several potential factors, but it’s difficult to identify which one. If the substrate was over-sterilized, it might have killed not only the contaminants but also beneficial microbes that support mycelium growth. The substrate itself could have lacked the right quantity of necessary nutrients or could have had an incorrect moisture content. Finally, environmental conditions could have played a role: mycelium typically has an optimal temperature range for growth. If the temperature is too high or too low, growth could be inhibited. Insufficient humidity can also prevent mycelium from growing and stale air or excessive CO2 could have been a problem too.
Nonetheless, next week I will have a concluding reflection on the project as a whole, an image and description of the palette I ended up with, and a link to my final presentation, with additional resources I’d like to share!
See you then!
Week 11: Conclusions
Welcome to my final senior project blog post!
Throughout this trimester, I have been fortunate enough to meet and work alongside a number of individuals who generously volunteered their time and expertise. Prior to this project, I had never had lab experience, and the realm of science felt overwhelming. I want to thank my advisors, Ms. Danyelle Weathers and Casey Lardner, as well as the rest of the biomaterials studio team at Genspace, and BASIS Independent Brooklyn for the opportunity to complete this project.
In conclusion, while there was no mycelium growth in the final spawn bags, only the plates, I’m leaving this project with many lessons learned. Short term, I learned extensively about how to grow mycelium, its properties and applications, as well as how professionals have been able to harness its power. I also got to learn about biomaterials, and how scientists are using techniques like 3-D printing to make them come to life. I got to experience the scientific method first hand: formulating a question, researching, conducting and designing experiments, and more. Throughout this project, the question “how do I make this better?” was the central theme. Long term, this project illuminates how there are countless creative solutions to environmental problems, whether they be large or small, and will hopefully inspire myself and others to continue seeking them.
For future research, using bioplastics rather than mycelium for this project would have had interesting results. Even with the Ecovative kit, the substrate’s texture was an issue; the palette didn’t have the smooth finish I was looking for. Perfecting a bioplastic recipe that didn’t warp or have much texture would most likely have been a better route. While the natural paints turned out great, some were grainier than I would have liked. Continuing to work with different ingredients or recipes to perfect their consistency is another mode of future research. Finally, coming up with different palette designs and creating molds for them!
Here is my final presentation for anyone who’s interested!
Thank you for reading!