Could (animal) Blood be used as paint?

[Naruzeldamaster]

Never mind the moral implications of slaying animals just to obtain their blood, but lets say in a more medieval setting where the people use every bit of the animal they can, potentially using magic to purify it so that it stays the red color, maybe even using perfumes or incents to remove the odor.

In one of my Fire Emblem support conversations, one of my characters jokes about using blood to get a rather striking red pigment. Obviously the other character is surprised, mostly by the moral implications, but is then relieved to learn that they were referring to animal blood.

 

[pmmg]

I would think it would make a poor choice as a paint as the organic elements of it would cause it to grow mold and smell bad.

I saw documentary somewhere in which it was stated that trade with the new world opened up the world of red dyes for europe, as they found an insect there with a red shell, which, when it was crushed up, made a vibrant red dye possible that had not been available before. So...some organic material must be possible.

I would think red dye would come from red berries, more likely. Cherries might be a good choice.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

I would think it would make a poor choice as a paint as the organic elements of it would cause it to grow mold and smell bad.

I saw documentary somewhere in which it was stated that trade with the new world opened up the world of red dyes for europe, as they found an insect there with a red shell, which, when it was crushed up, made a vibrant red dye possible that had not been available before. So...some organic material must be possible.

I would think red dye would come from red berries, more likely. Cherries might be a good choice.

Yeah, I figured blood alone would be a poor choice, the color would rot and the material would grow mold and other things and stink.
I could go with some kind of bug shell, or as I've seen in other books, snake venom (granted I'd have to invent a snake that produces red venom but that's no big deal) could be another option. When the venom dries out it can be used as a pigment in paint, but it's very dangerous to use as when it's wet, it's still venomous/toxic.

 

[pmmg]

More Info:

The bug shell used as a red dye comes from the cochineal insect, a tiny, parasitic scale insect native to the Americas that lives on prickly pear cacti. After the female cochineal insects are harvested and dried, their bodies are ground to produce a powder from which the carminic acid, the source of the vibrant red color, is extracted to make carmine. This dye, also known as carmine, has been used for centuries to color textiles, foods, cosmetics, and medicines.

 

[CupofJoe]

Blood is usually a dull ruddy brown. It is only when it is fresh and oxygenated does it look bright red [and even then not usually as red as you would expect.
And yes there is the rotting and mouldy stages as well as various bugs that might wan their share.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Blood can be, and allegedly has been used, as paint. The Anguished man (The Anguished Man - Wikipedia ) is one such painting.

The main problems are that the color changes and that it doesn't stick very well. Mould and bugs are not as big an issue as you'd think (since it dries out). The sticking you can fix by mixing it with other stuff. The color change is either something you accept, or something you fix with magic.

As a side note, blood was (and still is) used a lot and never wasted when butchering an animal. It's where the name blood sausage comes from for instance. So no need to mix it into paint just to use it.

 

[bodiz]

It's already been said, but yes, it could be used. I think historically it was more used as part of a mixture than a standalone paint. It could theoretically be used to get a kind of color change effect from red to black.