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Natural paints avoid indoor air pollution and can have an unusual, attractive appearance.

Introductions

This page describes natural paints as a potential component of United States of America home construction.

A Brief History

Creating durable, beautiful paints out of natural ingredients is not a new phenomenon. For millenia, people have been using the materials around them to create paints to color their worlds. Examples of natural paints can be found in the earliest cave drawings. They can be found in the world's most prestigious museums. And they can be found in the average home.


Over time, synthetic, toxic and energy-intensive materials were added to the paints that people use in their homes. These materials weren't added specifically to cause harm, but that didn't lessen their harmful effects. Some of these materials include synthetic dyes to increase color choices, additives to combat mold, and non-water-based binders such as petroleum products and heavy metals which were designed to withstand high use areas like kitchens.[1] A notable expample is the lead-based paints that were once popular, but have now been linked to serious health risks.


But interest in natural paints has recently resurfaced in the face of growing concern for our environment, bringing people back to the techniques and materials that have stood the test of time. Still, it is important to understand that "natural" doesn't automatically mean "non-toxic" or "safe." Please use the information on this page to help inform your decisions about which natural paints are best for you and your home.


Below are examples of natural paints in action: beautiful, durable, and eco-groovy.

  • A fresco from a house in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. Likely painted with chalk, charcoal and colored earth on damp lime plaster, this style of fresco did not require a binder in the paint to adhere to the wall.[2]

    A fresco from a house in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum. Likely painted with chalk, charcoal and colored earth on damp lime plaster, this style of fresco did not require a binder in the paint to adhere to the wall.[2]

  • Madonna and Child by Duccio, 1284 A.D. This painting is tempera, an egg-based paint, and gold on wood. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the first centuries AD still exist.[3]

    Madonna and Child by Duccio, 1284 A.D. This painting is tempera, an egg-based paint, and gold on wood. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the first centuries AD still exist.[3]

  • Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper, 1495-1498, is a great example of the beauty and durability of egg-based tempera paint. [4]

    Leonardo DaVinci's The Last Supper, 1495-1498, is a great example of the beauty and durability of egg-based tempera paint. [4]

  • Colin Campbell Cooper's Flatiron Building, 1908, is casein (milk-based paint) on canvas.[5]

    Colin Campbell Cooper's Flatiron Building, 1908, is casein (milk-based paint) on canvas.[5]

  • The Scream, or The Cry by Edvard Munch is casein, tempera and wax crayon on cardboard.[6][7]

    The Scream, or The Cry by Edvard Munch is casein, tempera and wax crayon on cardboard.[6][7]

  • This piece is created in the Nirmal style of painting. Named after a town in India, even modern Nirmal paintings remain true to the traditional techniques, including using natural ingredients like tamarind seed, herbs and mud.[8]

    This piece is created in the Nirmal style of painting. Named after a town in India, even modern Nirmal paintings remain true to the traditional techniques, including using natural ingredients like tamarind seed, herbs and mud.[8]

  • Students at Humboldt State University used egg paint to create this logo for the interior wall of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology.[9]

    Students at Humboldt State University used egg paint to create this logo for the interior wall of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology.[9]

Natural Paint Basics

Reasons for product

VOCs/Indoor Air Quality

  • Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, can cause physical irritation and/or damage including irritation of eyes, nose and throat; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; liver, kidney and central nervous system damage; and some are carcinogenic and can cause cancer in animals and humans.[10]
  • Common organic pollutants (including VOCs)have been found in higher concentrations within the home than outside. [11]
  • Paints labeled "no-VOC" and "zero-VOC" can still legally contain up to 5g/L of VOCs.[12]
  • Modern "lead-free" paints can still have as much as 0.06% lead which scientists fear could be harmful to small children, even at low levels. [13]

Hazardous Waste

How it works and/or is made

DESCRIBE HOW THIS PRODUCT WORKS AND/OR IS MADE.

Impacts

DESCRIBE THE IMPACTS OF THIS PRODUCT.

Reduction or elimination of VOCs

Compostable

Product and/or DIY instructions

THIS SHOULD BE A TABLE OF PRODUCTS WITH DESCRIPTIONS, ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES AND LINKS. (see Help:Tables)

Types of Natural Paints

See also: Natural paint basics

Recipies

Curdled milk paint recipe

Flour paint recipe

See also

References

  1. ↑ This information according to http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/selecting-green-paint
  2. ↑ This information according to http://www.naturalpigments.com/education/article.asp?ArticleID=19
  3. ↑ This information according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_tempera
  4. ↑ This information according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_tempera
  5. ↑ This information according to http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colin_Campbell_Cooper_-_Flatiron_Building.JPG
  6. ↑ This image from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/40/100761143_226e540b49.jpg
  7. ↑ This information according to http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/munch/
  8. ↑ This information according to http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:File.Nirmal_Painting.jpeg
  9. ↑ This information according to http://www.appropedia.org/CCAT_natural_paint_project
  10. ↑ This information is according to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
  11. ↑ This information is according to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
  12. ↑ This information according to http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/selecting-green-paint
  13. ↑ This information is according to http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:jBfBNYQr_8oJ:www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/case/paint.pdf+GS-11+paints,+natural+paint,+site:.gov&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjFBOhhK1Sptv0bAyGgQeaCvIEcOGTC8Z1e4CKuNd0Cbj4prqlHkI3BfwdDmf5WVe4kXNKIYHeIe9fqOnlGp-NQ2CyMI8HmXV8ymcHBAEIBSxIy9OyIPodpkZvrckQCWzOK5PjO&sig=AHIEtbRz_RRLt3e1Q9b1HHOKy2guyJx_zg
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