All About Natural Acrylik Paint

What are the ingredients in the Natural Acrylik Paint?
The Natural Acrylik Paint is a unique formulation that is composed of a plant-based resin, bio-based additives and natural or non-toxic pigments. Mainstream acrylic paints contain carcinogenic and hormone disrupting additives as well as petrochemical-based resins and pigments. Our goal was to create the exact same quality as professional brands of acrylic paint without any of the toxins - no compromise. The exact recipe is proprietary until patent process is complete. 

How is this paint different from other bio-based or "eco" acrylic paints on the market?

Recently, we're seeing new bio-based paints on the market and we're so heartened to see that the movement is spreading and the art supplies world is taking notice of this problem - and taking real steps towards improvement! We're asked regularly how our paints are different - here are the basics: 

• We have much more bio-based content
• All of our pigments are natural or completely non-toxic 
• Possibly most importantly ... the additives in our paints are bio-based and non-toxic (this took many years with many chemists to accomplish). Many of these new paints unfortunately still contain highly toxic additives that off-gas and are a major health concern for artists and the planet.
• Some of these brands are using "re-purposed" / "re-cycled" house paint which is fabulous to keep it out of the waste stream and the oceans - but still means it contains all of the toxic pigments, resins, and additives as conventional paint.

Is it biodegradable?
The natural acrylic paint and medium does not biodegrade quickly or home compost because it is meant to be a durable, permanent paint. It will break down over a long period of time like conventional acrylic paint. For more information in the toxicity of conventional acrylic paint, here is a blog post that goes into more detail.

Natural Acrylic Paint does not off-gas highly toxic fumes when it dries. When washed down the drain it can be safely filtered from water systems via city filtration septic systems and when thrown away can go into trash to start its journey of breaking down. 

If you prefer a biodegradable paint that breaks down very quickly then a
better option would be our Complete Eco-friendly Oil Paint Kit, our Natural Watercolor Kit, Natural Earth Paint Kit, or any recipes on our website (gouache, egg tempera, casein paint, etc.). These paints will be permanent and archival as well (if kept indoors away from elements) but if they are thrown away or left out in the elements, they will turn back to earth.

Can I mix it with conventional acrylics?
Yes, they mix perfectly with conventional acrylics.

Do you offer it in larger quantities?
Yes, larger 150 ml tubes of heavy body Acrylik paint are available in 4 colors. We will be offering the other colors soon. All fluid paints also come in 16 oz. large bottles.

Are they archival and lightfast?
Yes, absolutely. See below for details on each color. These paints are formulated to be exactly the same durability and lightfastness as the highest professional grade acrylic paint. 

What is the finish / how do they dry? Gloss, semi-gloss, matte, satin?
It varies slightly depending on the pigment used but most dry to a gloss finish and a few dry satin/matte. 

How are they different from regular acrylics?
They are made with a plant-based resin instead of petroleum-based; they are made with natural or non-toxic pigments instead of heavy metal or toxic petrochemical-based pigments; they do not contain harsh chemical additives, hormone disruptors or carcinogenic additives. Otherwise, their handling properties and qualities are the same and the pigment load is the same or better than pro-grade acrylic paints. 

What type of pigments are being used? 
In our acrylik paint lines, we use primarily earth and mineral pigments, however, for a few colors, we rely on synthetic pigments. Our customers wanted us to make a larger array of colors, which meant we needed to find the most safe and sustainable, and always non-petroleum-based pigments, to fill this need. Magenta, French Turquoise, Sap Green, Scarlet Red, Ercolano Orange, and Royal Blue all contain synthetic and non-toxic pigments.

Can the paints be thinned down with water to make more fluid acryliks? 
Yes. Although we also carry at Fluid Natural Acrylik Paint that has the same pigment load as the Heavy Body paint in tubes. 

Why do you call it “Acrylik” if it's not plastic?
We changed the spelling of "Acrylic" slightly so that customers would recognize the "style" of paint that this is, but know that it's not the same thing.

How long does it take to dry?
The same speed as conventional acrylics - about 10-40 min., depending on the humidity level you're in and type of support. 

Does the acrylic paint work as a permanent fabric paint? 
Yes. The Acryliks (either the pre-mixed tubes or the Natural Acylik Medium mixed with the Earth & Mineral Pigments) will be permanent fabric paint once dry. For textiles, we recommend a full 24 hour drying time before washing or wearing. But at that point, the paint will be sweat resistant. When washing, we recommend washing by hand or on a gentle cycle with cold water and lay flat or hang dry. How to Video