How is paint made today without lead?
Artists paints are made in much the same way they always have been: by grinding coloured powders (pigments) very finely, and mixing them with a liquid (a medium) that sets, so as to glue the colour to a surface. That's what a paint is. In the past it was done by hand (it was the one of the first jobs an artist's studio assistant would be set to work doing), now it's done by machine. Lead oxides are still used as pigments, mainly in Flake White. Safety regulations banning lead paints only apply to house paints, not artists' paints (at least in the UK), though they may have to be sold in childproof tins. Alternatives to lead include zinc and titanium, which may be mixed to give a white paint that looks similar to Flake White.
