[Greenbuilding] Question about paints for green building

[Bobbi Chukran]

Hi guys,

I was thinking that eventually I would transition from using the 
acrylic paints in my artwork over to natural pigments with some other 
kind of binder.  But the more I research the natural pigments, I'm 
finding that they are probably just as toxic to use (and not as 
durable) as the acrylics.  Some are especially toxic when used in a 
powdered form, and I would have to mix my own with some kind of 
binder.

My question is, are non-VOC or very low-VOC paints acceptable for use 
in a green-built project?  If so, then I can get those in latex 
acrylics and use them, and get any color matched that I need.  And 
importantly, I can find those locally when I need them.

Another related question, are traditional artist's acrylics 
considered OK for a green-built project if used in artwork?   Most of 
the research on VOCs has been done on wall/house paints, and not on 
artist's paints.  Of course, some artwork is framed behind glass, and 
most aren't so large that they would contribute much to bad air 
quality.  Still, I'd like to market my work as "green" and wouldn't 
want to be misleading.

The artist's acrylics are labelled "non-toxic".....is that good enough?

Thanks!

bobbi c.
http://www.bobbichukran.com