The Natural Paint Book (Paperback)

by Lynn Edwards (Author), Julia Lawless (Author) "We have invented nothing...none of us can paint like this!..." (more)
Key Phrases: borax paint, citrus thinners, casein powder, Application Apply, Method Make, Roman Empire (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Without a doubt, Americans are increasingly aware of the dangers of toxins and pollution in our environment. To many of us, that simply means the outside world. But studies have shown that our indoor environment can be up to 10 times more polluted than our external one. Some of the biggest contaminants are toxic molds, chemicals released from carpeting, gasses released by manufacturing building materials, and conventional paints. Enter The Natural Paint Book, a comprehensive guide to making 100% organic, all-natural paints and finishes at home. The ingredients required, like gelatin, clay, and linseed oil, are readily available around the home or from your local home improvement store. Step-by-step instructions and detailed full-color photographs throughout show readers how to prepare the paints in their own color palette. There are also decorating tips on how to apply the paints to create a variety of rich, stylish-and health-conscious-finishes. Bonus material offers readers design advice for transforming their home into a personal sanctuary, and there is a full product directory at the end of the book.

From the Inside Flap
The Natural Paint Book

We are all increasingly aware of the dangers posed by conventional paints to our health and environment, but many of us remain unsure of the causes of paint toxicity and the natural alternatives.

The Natural Paint Book bridges the information gap, offering an in-depth explanation of the differences between conventional and eco-friendly paints. Illustrated throughout with full-color photographs, the book provides complete instructions on how to make all-natural paints and finishes at home, using readily available ingredients such as clay, gelatin, linseed oil, and artist pigments.

This comprehensive guide also shows how to create beautiful paint effects with simple tools such as sponges, paint rollers, newspaper, or foam. Guided by the authors' expert design advice, you can choose from techniques such as colorwashing, marbling, and stippling to decorate in keeping with the style, age, and character of your home. Packed with information, The Natural Paint Book also contains an invaluable resource directory at the end.

Lynn Edwards is the manager of the paint department at the Green Shop, an independent retailer of natural products and services in Stroud, England.

Julia Lawless was raised in the tradition of folk remedies and is a strong proponent of natural living. She is a trained aromatherapist whose previous books include The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy and The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils.


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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (April 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875969143
• ISBN-13: 978-0875969145
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #443,841 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear, practical, and natural, December 10, 2008

By	ChristianBookworm - See all my reviews

I was looking for a book that would show me how to create natural paints for chemically sensitive family members for artistic purposes. Although the focus of this book is on painting house and furniture surfaces, the recipes can easily be used for artistic purposes as well.

The book begins with an interesting history of painting, which is especially appropriate for a natural paint book, given the relatively recent appearance of synthetic materials in human history. It then goes on to explain the basics of paint ingredients, and compares natural with synthetic components. It is very helpful that the authors recognize that "natural" doesn't always mean "nontoxic" (e.g. turpentine), and their paint recipes help the reader to choose ingredients that are both.

The heart of the book, of course, is the recipes. These are wide-ranging, using various base ingerdients such as milk, oils, lime, borax, cellulose, egg, beeswax, beer, gum arabic, and rabbit skin glue. Most of these are very simple, and have as few as 2 ingredients. The recipes also include information about the most appropriate surfaces and uses for each paint, whether it is washable, and how to apply it.

The book also has chapters on decorative painting techniques (including woodwork and flooring), design principles (such as feng shui and chakras), and design suggestions for various rooms. I wasn't interested in these, but they are well-presented, and if you want this information as well, you probably won't need a separate book. The book is well-illustrated with lots of helpful color photographs which depict the mixing, application, and finished results of the paint recipes.

My one complaint is that, although whiting is used in several recipes, the authors never clearly explain what this is. I had to look it up in another book to find out that it is chalk.

This is a wonderful book: interesting, practical, and beautiful, and I can't wait to try a number of the recipes!

Note: It appears that "The Natural Paint Decorator" (The Natural Paint Decorator: Recipes, Finishes, Techniques) by the same authors is the updated version of this book. Since "The Natural Paint Book" is not available from Amazon at this time, you may want to check it out.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wall paining for starts, July 19, 2005

By	A. W. Hegler "always trains" (sacramento,ca) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was very much what I thought it would be, clear and direct and most useful.