Thread: Jo Sonja paints

I did a quick search and found that it would be the pigments used with these paints that would determine toxicity. The Students Acrylic is non Toxic, as is the Chromacryl Infants and Primary Paint.

I did a quick search and found that it would be the pigments used with these paints that would determine toxicity. The Students Acrylic Is non Toxic as is the Chromacryl Infants and Primary Paint.

www.chromaonline.com/health_safety

I have used the infants paint to colour toys and though the paint has little colouring power (not much pigment ) it goes on easily as a wipe on stain and lets the grain show through well on light coloured timbers – and it doesn't raise the grain too badly (on radiata anyway).

Another non toxic paint which I haven't tried but appears to give top class results and a particularly beautiful and durable finish, of gallery standards, is 'milk paint' this can be home made with dry pigments, (even cement colouring oxides) or it can be bought ready made, expensive due to the quantity you'd have to buy of any one colour. Just Google milk paint and you'll find recipes.

Originally Posted by RedShirtGuy

Just out of interest, I don't suppose anyone uses the Jo Sonja range of paints on their toys?

It was just a thought I had driving home so haven't looked up anything on them in terms of child safety etc, but I've known the paints for years and have been pleased with the range, packaging and quality when they've been used elsewhere in, I guess, traditional art pieces.

I was just going to use the Clag paints but their colors are pretty basic and I'm too lazy to mix

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I often use Jo Sonja acrylic paints or similar good quality Acrylic paints in tubes. I got the idea because I have been learning to do some small wood carvings and that is what the carving guys in the States use and recommend. The beauty is that you can paint and then with a hot hair drier you are able to put another coat on after 30 seconds or so.

If you look at my Football Toad Avatar he is painted with Acrylic tube paints and the maroon colour was mixed to get the shade I wanted. The Toad skin was also mixed and I put some Metallic Silver in as well to get the skin tone more real. The beauty is where the white is I was able to keep working with the help of the hair drier.

The recent Fire engine I put in our local show was part ordinary and part Tube Acrylic paint which then had some Acrylic gloss spray as a final coat to bring up the gloss.

With my Toad I just used Jo Sonja's Water based Clear gloss Poly and then gave a few coats of a Matt spray on Acrylic to tone the glass look down of the gloss. next time i would try out a Satin Water based Poly as i do not like the glass type look. of the gloss.

So, in answer to your question, yes I do use Jo Sonja's paints but really because I have a big collection of tube paints for carving. If I have ordinary Acrylic paint in the shed I would use that, other wise I use what I have got. But if I had to use a lot then I think it would be to expensive.

Pete

Sorry about the blunder with the link . I'll try again.

Health & Safety / Chroma

Thanks guys. Good to know it's been used.

I do like the milk paint too but have only thought of it as a pastel-ly kind of color that also works well when you're trying to age a piece and give it a few dings and wear marks as it seems pretty thin.

The child safety aspect of finishing is such a worry for me. All hail the natural look

Always use Acrylics for colouring Wooden Toys, whether they are Student's Acrylics, or the Acrylic House paints types, although I have just purchased a set of Wood Dyes from Carroll's Woodcraft Supplies, and am about to, " road-test," them in various strengths to see what mix gives me what colour, on what timber.

As I turn left-over thin ply, & MDF into colourful Fridge Magnets, I use the Students Acrylics to paint on the animal, sea creature, & bird shapes, and colours, then adding any line details, eyes, mouths, & beaks, etc using a water-based fine-line pen,- 0.4 tip
Handy hint for the actual magnetic bit on the back,- visit your local scrappie and remove the magnetic strip from old fridge doors, simply cut to required length, & attach with Liquid Nails, or similar. Cheap, & easy.
Roger

I find that with the Jo Sonja paints that if you want a change from wood working you can always use them to paint with like I did at a recent visit to the seaside.

Attached is how they turned out for me. I hate fishing so I needed something else to do and these two boats looked interesting, so I went and purchased Jo Sonja paints and painted them. The frame was done with Blue background then Jo Sonja cracklin and then a white over the top to make it look aged.

I still prefer to use the U Beaut colours on my toys.

The 'U Beaut' colours are made from food colouring and are water based. They allow the lovely grains of the timber to come through while giving a rich colour and come in a set of seven colours which are very appealling to children.

Phil