Delta Creative Soy Craft Paint with Low VOCs: Product Review

Think about the noticeable smell when you paint. Delta's new line of soy based paints doesn't have that smell. As a craft painter you probably recognize the odor as part of the creative experience; but it's also your warning that you're adding volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the air you breathe. If you are trying to make eco-friendlier choices, Delta Creative's soy based craft paints may be the green answer for you.

I'm a crafter who also spends way too much time on line. That cuts my creative time but it also gives me access to new product information as soon as it comes out. When I first received word about this new line of eco-friendly paints, I got really excited. It happened to be exactly what I needed for my grandson's wall mural.

When I went out to purchase the new soy craft paint, my go-to craft supply store didn't have it in stock. I had to visit another major craft store in a different part of town to get what I wanted. It was on the shelf but so new they didn't have a sign or a price list like the other paints. I thought since it was new and green it would cost more, but I was surprised. They didn't charge me a premium price. In fact my new soy paint cost the same as comparable acrylic paints.

A few less toxins: always a good thing.

What's so different about Delta Soy Paint? The way their website explains it, their manufacturing process "...uses pigment containing a bio-based soy ester resin and other recycled natural materials." Okay, so I am not a soy-ester-resin technical expert, but I understand the basics. Compared to traditional craft paint, soy paint contains low VOCs. Those are chemical irritants found in many household products.

While most craft painters may not have experienced VOC related problems, sensitive people sometimes experience a long list of symptoms. VOCs may cause headaches, as well as eye, nose, and throat irritations. Imagine a baby inhaling those fumes. Soy paint may help by minimizing a source of VOCs in your family's environment. It can be one small part of your overall shift to the greener side of life.

Using Delta Creative Soy Paint

The Delta Soy Paint label says: "easy clean-up, no odor, eco-friendly, water-based, low VOC." While I could not confirm all of these claimed characteristics, I've had several good craft-painting experiences since I purchased my Delta Creative Soy Paint.

"Easy Clean-Up" - I am not the neatest craft painter. When I get creative I dribble here and there. Some might even call me messy, but that messiness gave me the opportunity to test soy paint "cleanability." Just as with acrylic paint, If you clean up before the paint dries, you can easily wash away the mess with soap and water.

"Water-based" - The paint went on smoothly and mixed easily with water for sheerer paint coverage.

"No Odor" - In the bottle, the paint had a slight smell, although it was less powerful than the smell of typical craft paint. Of course you're not supposed to inhale it. Painting is what matters, and I was midway through the mural I was working on before it struck me that the paint didn't have any noticeable odor.

The Delta website lists this additional information about their soy product:
-One step primes, coats and seals.
-24 colors
-Perfectly clear "true color" bottle means "what you see is what you get."

Painting
I had a good Delta Creative Soy Paint experience:
-The paint stayed on the brush.
-It went on smoothly.
-It was easily thinned with water.
-When it dried, the paint color was what I expected it to be.

My first Delta Soy Paint project was a mural for my grandson I painted on a deep blue wall. My second was a mural on a white wall. In both instances, the paint went on nicely. Only when I watered it down, did I require a second coat to make the colors more opaque. The paint actually went further and covered better than I imagined it would. I ended up using less paint than I had anticipated.

You may also wish to read:
"Use Low VOC Craft Paint to Make Baby's Walls Creative and Eco-Friendly"

Source:
Delta Creative Soy Paint Label
deltacreative.com: http://deltacreative.com/pcid/142/Default.aspx
VOCs: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html