Eco-Friendly Art Supplies for the Planet-loving Artist

When was the last time you held a paintbrush? Or wondered if they still use hog hair in the paint brushes? Art isn’t as mainstream in sustainability discussions as food or clothing. I don’t know why that is, but as someone who dabbles in sketching and painting, I’ve been very interested in eco-friendly art supplies for myself. 

Traditionally, art materials were made, like everything else, from natural materials. But there were issues with toxicity. More modern art materials are made using a lot of plastic. Which…isn’t ideal. But what’s the situation like, really? Let’s find out.

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We know that making or practicing art has a lot of therapeutic effects, including improving our  mental health and creating a sense of wellbeing. So, as the first suggestion, I’d say do more art! Or, if you don’t do any, then start! Even if it’s coloring a mandala in an adult book. Creativity is good for us, and so is time spent away from digital devices. (Digital artists won’t get much that’s useful from this post, unfortunately.)

So, yeah, beginners: pick up that pencil and a piece of paper, and doodle your heart out. Advanced and intermediate artists: just do more of what you’re already doing;) You can even have fun just painting your walls (with non-toxic wall paints, of course!).

Ok, now let’s get to the serious stuff.

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What Harmful Substances Do Art Materials Contain?

There are stories galore of artists dying from lead poisoning, due to the lead content in paint. Even Caravaggio was killed by all that poisonous lead in his paints. Van Gogh tried to kill himself by drinking paint. He didn’t die due to this reason, of course, but art historians speculate that many of Van Gogh’s health issues could have stemmed from his propensity to lay on the paint thick, and even lick his paintbrushes. 

Obviously, artists learnt their lessons and have been making much safer art supplies. But let’s look at some of the most dangerous toxins historically found in art materials. 

1 / Cadmium

Exposure to cadmium is linked to an increased risk for cancer, and kidney and liver afflictions. Inhaling Cadmium can cause respiratory illnesses and the ‘cadmium blues, with flu-like symptoms. While cadmium poisoning is more common in industrial settings (with the much greater exposure), it would help to ensure your art products are cadmium-free. 

A less-toxic alternative to cadmium yellow, orange, and red pigments are azo pigments. Such imitation pigments usually use the term hue, which indicates that the color is obtained from another pigment (other than the original).
Liquitex has cadmium-free acrylic paint. 

2 / Arsenic

Before we knew that arsenic was poisonous, we actually used arsenic in paints. Arsenic has been used in wallpapers since the Victorian era. In the late-1800s, after connecting the dots between the deaths of young children and the William Morris wallpaper that had colors containing arsenic, public speculation and awareness increased. (Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper was written in 1892, in the midst of the public outcry against arsenic-containing wallpaper.) The government finally began to regulate the use of arsenic, and by the end of the 19th century, arsenic in wallpaper was history (and we now have non toxic wallpaper with no toxins, not just arsenic!). However, arsenic continued to be used in pesticides and industrial wood preservatives, but that’s a different topic.

3 / Lead

Lead poisoning results in a wide range of debilitating symptoms, including stomach pains, arthritis, and even depression. Artists who produced great art (and also those who produced bad art) have all suffered to some extent from lead poisoning, beginning from the 1700s. Unfortunately, lead is still present in some paints, but art supplies manufacturers and artists have much greater awareness and are using safer coloring agents such as zinc and titanium in oil paints. 

4 / Formaldehyde

Also known as embalming fluid, formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen that can cause leukemia and brain cancer with prolonged exposure. It is a component in varnishes and paints. Damian Hirst uses formaldehyde extensively in his artwork, but is probably doing it safely. We hope.

5 / Polyester Resin

That mesmerizing substance popular on Pinterest and TikTok, which is used in art, craft, furniture making, etc. is actually pretty bad for us. Polyester resin is a highly toxic synthetic material that can cause burns, allergic reactions, and irritation of the eyes and skin, with brief exposure. Increased exposure can cause cancer. But there’s no alternative to the particular properties of resin (epoxy resin is seen by many as inferior in quality), and artists and sculptors continue to use it while wearing heavy-duty protective gear. 

Apart from these major toxins, art and craft supplies today contain solvent-based glues and adhesives, paint thinners such as turpentine, aerosol sprays, toxic craft dyes, solvent-based permanent markers, chemicals, paint pigments, inks, and materials that still contain heavy metals.

So, even though we don’t live in the primitive 1800s, there’s still a lot of dangerous substances to watch out for in art materials. After all, they didn’t have plastic back then… 

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How to Filter for Eco Friendly Art Supplies

Many certifications exist that quite accurately assess the claims of the item in question, and can reassure you of their safety. Aside from them, how do you assess art supplies that are eco-friendly and non-toxic? 

1 / Look for materials with the FSC certification, and the Elemental Chlorine free (ECF) or Totally Chlorine free (TCF) certification.

2 / Choose organic paper and/or recycled paper and wood when possible. When printing your art prints, go for solvent-free, nontoxic printing methods and use water-based techniques and vegetable oil for cleaning. 

3 / Look for formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, cadmium and lead in the labels. Try to choose water-based paints, plant- and mineral-based pigments, and other nontoxic options, when possible.

4 / For wall paints, go for water-based, low or zero-VOC options. 

5 / Be very careful while working with solvents and thinners. Turpentine is a friend of every artist, but it comes with its own dangers, and one must learn to work carefully with the material to avoid getting harmed. Solvent-based markers contain xylene, so opt for water-based options instead.Spray paints contain trichloroethylene, a toxic chemical, and so does glue. Be very careful when working with such substances, and make sure to keep your working space well ventilated.

NOTE: Acrylic paint may be known as “water-based” but it’s actually plastic-based. Acrylic paints have a solvent that makes the paint soluble in water. And guess what type of plastics is found in acrylic paint? Yes: microplastics. Acrylic, polyurethane, polyester, silicone – they all contain microplastics, and when you wash you brushes in water at the sink, the microplastics enter our water systems. 

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Sustainable Art Brands

Art materials with toxic ingredients are bad for our health as well as for the health of the environment. When leached into the environment, through our waste systems and our water systems, toxins enter the food chain, and remain there for a long time, accumulating in apex animals (biomagnification), and causing untold damage. 

To avoid adding to such problems, artists can buy their materials from sustainable art brands like the ones listed below. These manufacturers use eco-friendly practices and materials to make their art supplies. Look for the manufacturer’s material data safety sheet, and also see if they are open and approachable about your questions. Transparency is important.

1 // Blick’s eco-friendly product list

2 // Eartheasy.com watercolor paints

3 // Hahnemühle eco-friendly fine-art paper

4 // Strathmore recycled art paper

5 // Jerry’s Artarama Eco-friendly Products

6 // Lousy Ink – 100% recycled ink

7 // M. Graham & Co. paints – walnut oil binder; no solvents required to clean brushes

8 // Natural Earth Paint – non toxic paints made using organic ingredients

9 // Pilot’s B2P pens – made from recycled water bottles

10 // Royal Talens Cobra water-mixable oil colors

11 // Utrecht – cadmium-free paint

12 // Winsor & Newton – artisan water-mixable oil paints

When scouring for art materials, consider the full lifecycle of the product. Buy the safest art materials that you are able to afford. Buying local is the best option, but if your local materials are toxic, then obviously you need to compromise and buy safer materials shipped from further away. Think of the long-term effects of your art habit on your own health and on the environment, and make decisions accordingly. 

Support independent small businesses when and if you can!

Form a collective with other artists, and share materials. Try secondhand options, and also try making your own paints and brushes (after doing a lot of research!). 

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Sustainable Art Supplies

Here are some recommended art supplies, for specific purposes, that you can try out.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

Notebooks

Fabriano EcoQua Notebooks & Artists Journals – recyclable FSC-certified, chlorine-free, acid-free paper

Pencils

Caran d’Ache Luminance – FSC-certified

Faber-Castell 9000 Pencils – made from certified sustainable forestry wood

Pens

Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pens – water-based, pigmented, odorless ink; barrels made from recycled polypropylene

Paint brushes

Micador FSC-certified paint brushes

Oil paints

Gamblin Reclaimed Earth Colors

Oil paint medium

Langridge

Paint brush cleaner

Weber Turpenoid Natural – certified AP non-toxic

Panels

Ampersand Gessobord – eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free, FSC-certified

Easels

Bamboo easels 

Lyptus wood tabletop easel 

Palette

Ceramic palette

Toss Paint Plates – 100% biodegradable 

Paint disposal

Golden Crash paint disposal kit

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

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How to Dispose of Art Waste?

After working with such problematic materials, how on earth does one dispose of the waste in an environmentally-responsible manner? Here are some tips:

1 / Always plan ahead before purchasing products. Less is more, in this case. So you buy only what you need, and use only what you have. 

2 / Conserve acrylic paint by preventing it from drying on your palette or in the containers. Use slow-drying acrylic paints such as Golden OPEN Acrylics.

3 / Use these tips to safely dispose of leftover acrylics. You can also remove acrylic from your rinse water before disposing of the water.

4 / Use common artist hacks to prolong the lifetime of your products. Simple steps you probably already follow include preventing oil paint from drying out, recycling solvent, etc. 

5 / Due to the aforementioned microplastics problem, do not rinse your brushes in the sink. Go for non-toxic solvents (citrus-based) or wipe your brushes down with linseed oil or safflower oil. 

6 / Finally, assign a toxic chemical container for all of your toxic art waste. You can periodically take it to your local waste center and make sure it’s accepted as toxic waste. Also check with your artist friends and colleagues if they would like to use your (safe) waste materials. One artist’s waste is another artist’s treasure!

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Conclusion

Art is an endeavor that is difficult enough to pursue without also worrying about how our art contributes to environmental destruction. Besides, how many of us have the money to spend on expensive eco-friendly art materials? (they’re usually expensive because they’re made in small batches by small businesses). And art materials are expensive anyway, to begin with.

Well, the point of this post is that we need to do our best and be aware of the consequences of our actions. We can’t all switch to 100% eco-friendly products overnight. But even seemingly small moves, such as asking our favorite manufacturer to make their processes more eco-friendly, can make a difference. Find out what is in the materials you have been using all along. Experiment with new, more eco-friendly materials. Educate your artist friends about all of this. Spread the word! 

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THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.

NOTE: All brand photographs belong to the respective brands/businesses.