Make Safe, Natural Paint

There are eco-friendly Several options on the market, soft developer's cost (up to twice as much as conventional paint) Can Be prohibitive to painters on a budget. Many DIYers are Choosing Instead to make developer's own paint. Creating your own is considerably less paint Can Be Expensive and an extremely satisfying Endeavor for anyone Whose goal is self-Reliance. Mixing paint is your own Sometimes the only way to Achieve a specific color or effect. In fact, natural paints Finishes unique offer very different from Those of Manufactured products.





There are Numerous combinations to Choose from When attempting to create the perfect paint for a Particular Situation. What Follows is a guide to understanding natural paint, recipes for Some of the easiest and Most common types and photos of Each kind to inspire you. When you're ready to experiment with natural materials Even more, a good place to start is The Natural Paint Book by Lynn Edwards and Julia Lawless.

What's in a Gallon?

In Its Most basic form, paint consists of color (the pigment) and the glue in Which the pigment is suspended (the binder). Many paints Also Contain Ingredients That add texture and bulk (fillers), a thinner (the solvent) and other additives, biocides and drying Such as Catalysts.

Pigments. Safer alternatives to the toxic compounds and heavy METALS conventional paint used to color include natural pigments derived from plants, insects, iron oxides and MINERALS. These are usually in powder form at artists' supply Stores.

Binders. Binders keep glued to a surface paint. The acrylic and vinyl binders in commercial paints are derived from the byproducts of crude oil Refining. The binders in natural paints Instead rely on materials Such as starch (from flour), casein (the protein in milk) and linseed oil (pressed from flax seeds).

Fillers. Fillers create texture and add bulk to paint. Common fillers include whiting (powdered chalk), talcum, limestone, silica and marble. Clay is a popular filler to pair with flour, Because it reinforces the binding Ability of starch, and it's Abundant and potentially free f you have clay soil.

Solvents. Solvents, thinners or, help Achieve a Workable consistency. The commercial solvents in paints are usually made from organic materials, But Will They evaporate or "outgas" That new paint smell causing. The outgassing of volatile organic These compounds (VOCs) Can Cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision and fatigue, Especially in Areas That are not well ventilated. The hazards are significantly get worse for people WHO paint regularly. Such as natural citrus solvents and natural turpentine thinners are preferable, But Can They still emit low levels of VOCs.