Safe Non Toxic Oil Painting // 6 Tips for Your Health
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- If you're looking for a safe and nontoxic way to paint, look no further! In this video, I'll show you six safe tips for painting without solvents and non toxic oil paint.
Painting without solvents is a great way to reduce your environmental impact, and it's also a safe way to create art. In this video, I'll share with you six tips for painting with non toxic oil paint without risk to your health. Watch and learn how to safely create stunning and healthy paintings with non toxic oil paint!
SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED
- Solvent free gel: amzn.to/3iEERgG
- Solvent free fluid: amzn.to/3gXsfkD
- Safflower Oil in BULK: amzn.to/3VysL7A
- Safflower Oil: amzn.to/3h1yRym
- Gamblin Oils: amzn.to/3UNagv7
- Gamsol (only if you MUST have it): amzn.to/3h1cIQB
- Oily Waste Can: amzn.to/3Vy0pdH
- Flake White Replacement: amzn.to/3VzeyHk
- Air tight brush washer: amzn.to/3B8UQtO
- Cadmium free oil paints (need to find multiple colors on amazon): amzn.to/3gXTT0S
- Clove oil: amzn.to/3VxmmJR
- Masters brush cleaner: amzn.to/3HcCLz8
For more information on non toxic oil painting go to The Daily Artist website: chrisbeaven.com/tool/safe-non...
Find all products listed in this video here:
chrisbeaven.com/tool/safe-non...
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Tip #1: Reduce / Eliminate all solvents
04:00 Tip #2: Reduce / Replace toxic oil paints
06:12 Tip #3: Solvent Alternatives / Gamsol
07:46 Tip #4: A Well Ventilated Room / What is it?
08:55 Tip #5: Non-Solvent Alternatives
10:17 Tip #6: DON'T CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES / Whaaaat??!
SOLVENT RESEARCH
I've documented all my research on The Daily Artist: chrisbeaven.com/tool/safe-non...
COURSES
chrisbeaven.gumroad.com/
Contact me on my website!
chrisbeaven.com/
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AUDIO EQUIPMENT
- Elgato Wave 3: amzn.to/3Ax56Mq
- Rode PSA1: amzn.to/3GzqAfg
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VIDEO EQUIPMENT
- Canon EOS R: amzn.to/3tJjwoJ
- Amaran 100x: amzn.to/3hPKSGZ
- Aputure Light Dome SE: amzn.to/3GsfoB1
- Impact Light Stand: amzn.to/3OkPAc0
- Oben CTT-1000: amzn.to/3hXnRCf
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ART RESOURCES
all artwork is produced using Adobe Photoshop and Krita
www.adobe.com
krita.org/en/
My drawing tablets of choice is the XP-Pen
www.storexppen.com/buy/artist...
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SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
www.proko.com/profile/chrisb
/ cbeavenart
/ cbeavendailyart
/ chris.beaven
Hi, my name is Chris and I share wisdom to help creatives and give advice for aspiring artists. I want to give you personal development tips on creative habits, motivation, time management and how to be a productive artist in and out of the studio. I normally do this with book reviews but some times I give art advice with a short art vlog. I hope to fill all my videos with practical tips for artists, please consider subscribing!
For more information on non toxic oil painting go to The Daily Artist post: chrisbeaven.com/tool/safe-non-toxic-oil-painting-6-tips-for-your-health/
Thank you for getting the word out about healthy oil painting practices. I tell people that I don't use solvents and they are always surprised to hear it. I don't use Gamsol, no need. I clean my brushes using sunflower oil, that's right the same that I use for cooking bought from the grocery store, trust me it works exactly the same and it is sooo much cheaper, I've been using this for years and it works wonderfully. I do a final cleaning of my brushes afterwards to remove any trace of sunflower oil because I don't want my painting layers taking any longer to dry than they do already. I use an eco friendly dish soap with natural surfectants to remove the remaining traces of sunflower oil and oil paint. I love Gamblin solvent free mediums, to me they smell a bit sweet like blueberry, very pleasant to use. I also use their oil paints almost exclusively.
Awesome! I had a question further down where a person was wondering if we can use sunflower oil. Fantastic. Do you clean your brushes after each painting session?
What paints do you use? I want to switch to paints with no toxic metals and etc
@@LanaMariee I use mostly Gamblin paints. Just stay away from any Cadmium paints and flake white and your good with any paint manufacturer.
@@ChrisBeavenart So any oil colour that includes Cadmium in the name?
@@AllGrowing Yes. I have never seen any oil paint that has cadmium in it not say cadmium in the name. Flake white as well. That is the worst. Pure lead.
I've been a colored pencil artist for years and years, and started acrylic painting about 5 years ago. Last time I touched oils was in high school 25 years ago. I've wanted to get back into them so badly, but have been very turned off by the toxicity. I have 6 cats and 2 dogs and I want us ALL to be safe. My studio is an extra bedroom with only one window and I've had the same issue for ventilation in winter. So I had basically given up on oils again. I found this video today, and I'm on my way to order a few supplies along with the Gamlin medium you mentioned and safflower oil! You've given me hope to try again! Thank you! You have a new subscriber!
Thanks a bunch! Let me know how it goes!
I only painted with oil once in my life and it turned out beautiful. Recently, I decided to learn painting with oils exclusively but after my research on the safety I almost dumped that idea. After all there is nothing more beautiful than health. You gave me my hopes back. I really look forward now to purchasing the non toxic materials you mentioned. Thank you so much!
I just about did the same! I'm a digital artist and wanted to do an actual oil painting, but was so worried about all the toxins. I dumped the idea for a while. This video makes me feel so much better. I can't wait to start!
✍Don't eat ✍ your oil ✍ paints. ✍ Gotcha. 😂
LOL!
I worry about my longterm health, especially with oil. This is one of the most incredible mediums, but can have bad long-term health consequences if you are not consistently careful, for decades before problems arise - I've seen other artists who are ~45, and their bodies are damaged so heavily, they physically can't use some fluids in painting anymore, the fumes over the decades really got to them. This is a really important video!
Thank you!
As a watercolorist the idea of a vertical palette is mind blowing 😂
Same 😆
You have put a lot of work into this video and it has paid off! That said, the video was also a lot of fun, with the artist’s lively and loud sense of humour shining through throughout.
Thanks MOM!
Dear Chris, wonderful vedio. I love oil
painting. It was a concern for me, the toxicity. This a wonderful vedio and this world needs environmental friendly options on painting as much as possible.
Inspiring really.. Regards
Thank you for this very helpful info!
DUUUUUDE!!! Thank you for this! I’m wanting to venture into oils after several years with Acrylics. This has been the video loaded with the wisdom I’ve needed. Thank you!
You're welcome! Let me know if you need any more help. :)
Awesome video thank you!!
You have to do more than just look at a colour chart to replace Cadmiums. There are a lot of other factors, like whether the replacement is a single pigment, what it's opacity is, how fugtive it is. You can ditch cadmiums, and there are replacements, but it requires more study that just looking at a colour chart.
Getting rid of Cadmiums is worth it, but they can be handled safety. They aren't volatile, gloves and good hygiene should be enough. However, disposal; and poisoning hazards if you have kids around; and general pollution may be reason enough. Many art programs do not allow them, so you may end up unable to use them during your training, so why not continue.
Yes that degree of certainty will take a lot of research. I couldn't provide all of that and keep the video around 15 min. Do you have any research you can help us out with? Any suggestions of cadmium replacements?
@@ChrisBeavenart For our partner Utrecht Art Supplies, creating the Cadmium Free assortment was one of the biggest challenges in company history. We started with the key advantages artists expect from cadmiums- tint strength, covering power, lightfastness, and the native hue- and developed combinations of pigments that hit the target zone for all of those, but we also had to limit the component pigments to those without the special concerns associated with cadmium. From the beginning, these were intended for the professional palette, not as an economy-priced "good enough" placeholder. Thanks for helping artists find these products!
@@Blick_Art Awesome! Thanks for your hard work on keeping us safer.
AMAZING! Thank you so much for all of this helpful info.
You are so welcome!
I absolutely love the solvent/shower analogy. Makes absolute sense! Definitely going to take these steps once I’m ready to take the leap to oils. What an awesome channel!
Awesome! I had fun making that part as well. 😀
This is EXACTLY what I needed to know!!! Thank you so much!!
Wonderful! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Thanks for making this it was really helpful. I just started taking a class on oil painting and some people I know mentioned how bad it was for you. I have a really small workspace at home so the non-toxic options are really helpful for when I wanna start painting on my own without worry.
Yes the normal consensus on oil paint is that it's harmful for you but with the right information it can be as safe as acrylic but with all the Awesome of oil painting. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you! This was so helpful. Best video on this topic
You're welcome! Let me know if you have any other questions.
very well made video, just what I needed. Thanks!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Exactly what I have been looking for! Thank you!
Awesome! Let me know if you need any more details.
legendary work. thank you!
Thank you! Let me know if I can help with anything else. :)
Finally, I found someone on CZcams that knows what they are talking about. Excellent advice. Thank you. By the way, the good sense of humor on the video outtakes made it even better. Thanks again.
Awesome! I'm glad you liked it! I have a ton more videos planned and hope to be back soon.
Thanks for a very informative video on studio safety!
You're welcome! Let me know if you need any help with anything else art related. I'm glad to give information and practical tools :)
This was super helpful, thank you so much!
You're so welcome!
Very well presented and informative video, thanks!
Thank you! Let me know if you need any more art related help!
Enjoyed the video a lot, thanks a ton!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the helpful tips!
No problem!
It's wonderful that there are now so many artist on CZcams explaining how to remove toxic supplies from oil painting. This is the first video of yours that I found and watched. I mentioned in a comment on one of your other videos that it's been years since I've painted...two big reasons for that: 1. I've never had a good location to set up my oil painting studio and 2. I was concerned about the toxicity of oil paint. I just discovered the concept of non toxic oil painting during covid. I didn't realize that the solvents (for the most part) are the major toxic element and that there are other options. O boy, was I excited to find out about that. Thanks for all the info!
You're welcome! Get started as soon as you can and let me know how it goes! I would love to see your progress. Shoot me a message on my website, chrisbeaven.com
Thank you so much for sharing!👍😎💪🏼
My pleasure!
Thank you for this great explanation! You have made oil painting so much more accessible.
Thank Dino! Thanks for the subscribe also! If you need any more Oil Painting tips let me know. I want my next set of videos to be a relevant to other artists as possible.
Thank you so much for this amazing video! I am starting my artist journey and this is sooooo helpful! I subscribed and can’t wait to see the rest of your videos! I love your send of humor too 😂
? Q: any recommendations how can I replace the liquin ? I just both the Windsor one as recommended in my course … it smells bad and gave me headache 😒
Solid information, thankyou so much!! My biggest issue is solvents, but being able to work without them makes oil painting possible for me.
Thank you for this video😊
You're welcome! consider signing up at my website: chrisbeaven.com
Excellent production, valid arguments against using solvents.
Thank you! Let me know if you need any other art related help!
This is basically a comprehensive answer to the question I’ve been researching!! I came up with a lot of the same solutions but god I would have loved to just have seen this video sooner! Thank you for making it!
I'm so glad that this was helpful for you. I've got a lot of responses from the video and a whole bunch of questions. At some point I'm going to answer some of the questions in the comments in another video. Stay tuned for that!
thank you the best video on solvent free painting. all the best
You’re welcome!
Hi Chris, thanks for the great video. What solution do you have in your brush washer?
Your videos are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all these tips in detail! Liked and subscribed
Thanks for subbing!
Great video, thank you!
My pleasure!
I must admit, I wasn't expecting the solvent shower scene. The neigbours must have heard me cackle hahahaha. Great vid
AWESOME! Glad I made you laugh :)
Excellent video Chris, thank you. I’ve just started oil painting after using acrylic for decades and have quickly got myself in a bind with jars and jars of harmful chemicals in my studio, which I’m now going to have to dispose of responsibly. It’s a pain, but I also dislike the toxicity so I have been looking for ways to eliminate this element altogether. This video has all of the answers- thank you 🙏🏻
Your welcome! I'm glad to help you and your family live and paint longer! Consider signing up at my website. chrisbeaven.com
Thank you, very useful!
You're welcome! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with on oil painting.
I'm using these tips - very helpful, will protect my respiratory and other systems in the long term! Thanks!
Excellent!
I found this video incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!!
You're welcome!
finally found a way to paint without dying slowly👍👍 THANK YOU
Wonderful! Let me know if you need any other help with art related stuff I'm here for you.
Thanks, your advice about safflower oil was right on, my brushes are in great shape.
You're welcome Michael. Glad to help. 😁
Thank you so much and respect from Ethiopia🎨🎨🎨🎨
Thank you!
Very good video, thank you! Makes me want to paint with real oils (I paint watercolors, and recently water-mixable oils too).
This is so Great!!! I'm going to share it for sure with my students.
Thanks MIKE! I appreciate all the shares!
@@ChrisBeavenart Shared.
Oh! I am SO with you!!! I love the solvent free gel and discovered that it can clean your brushes too but will try their safflower oil! THANKS! Have had to move into a claustrophobic almost airless small er apt, and just do not want to give up oil painting or paint in the car or outside. Thanks for a fun and helpful video!!
Your welcome! Thank you for the comment!
Thank you thank you thank you! Im sick of acrylics but I've been putting off getting out my old oils cause I hate the smell of turpintine and mineral spirits, what you've said makes total sense to me. What a relief!
Ohhh and forgot to add… I hate cleaning brushes after hours of painting this is the last thing I want to spend time on… it is so time consuming… so your tip in an absolute game changer!!! 🤩 you saved me probably like a week in a year time 😂🎉 thank you 🙏
So helpful! Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
One of THE very best oil videos ive ever seen.
Thanks you very much! Let me know what you think about my color wheel video for oil painting. czcams.com/video/pDq8J6ieD_E/video.html
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Dude. You've saved my life, and brought back oils into my life. Thank you!
wow! I'm so glad that I've affected you so profoundly. Awesome!
I absolutely loved this video! I use non-toxic thinner by sennelier's green series and freeze my paint and brush when not in use.
Thanks for sharing!!
I use W&N Artisan water mixable oil paints, feel just like normal oil...and leave my brushes in jars of water...very easy
That’s wonderful one day I’ll have to try out those paints
This is so helpful!
I'm glad!
I also paint with Acrylic but have always wanted to use oil. Great video. Thank you
You're welcome. There are also water based oils that may make the transition easier for you. If you try them out I would suggest just getting a black and a white and doing value studies this will give you an idea of how the paint works without spending a boat load of money on supplies. You can do the same thing for oil as well! Start cheap as a test! Thanks for the comment!
great stuff
Thank you! Let me know if I can help with any other art related stuff. :)
HI! It's good to "see" you again. Love watching the videos. I just showed your channel to Zachary who is really into art now.
KIM!!! Wow! I just looked at your channel and had no idea you did some videos. Nice kitchen! Thank you for watching! Give me a call or email any time if Zachary wants more help with anything art related I'm here for you. I would love to help him. Great seeing you as well!
Great video, very informative! Lots of information and great recommendations of certain products! When storing solvent rags in the fire-proof container, does the container suppress the smell before disposal? Where should you store the fire-proof can? Outside?
Great questions. What the method I outlined in the video you don't have to worry about the smell. But if you do use solvents it container does have a ceiling lid so you don't get the smell. You can store the fireproof containers inside with no issues.
Hey Chris, thanks for the video! What do you use to remove pigment from brushes while painting? Say, if you wanted to use the same brush with a light paint that has just been used with something very dark, what steps would you take? Still the paper towel then safflower oil method, then paper towel again perhaps?
Finally, a video about non-toxic oil painting that doesn't even mention water miscibles! Thank you so much, very informative and funny...
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video. I was literally about to use my oil paints without any ventilation. It's currently 14 degrees out and I wasn't about to open my window. I was going to also use gamsol and galkyd to oil out a painting with dry spots. Do you have any recommendations on alternative products I can use to oil out my painting?
Solvents to clean your hair . . . ;-) love it
Haha! Yes I really enjoyed making that part!
i haven't painted in 20 years almost. i want to start again and i didn't know any of this stuff!
Cool! Get started! Start small, be consistent, only paint what your heart is into.
What a GREAT video even though I’m an acrylic painter. I’ll consider using oil paints now.
Wonderful! Let me know if you need any more help with oil paint.
@@ChrisBeavenart - thank you
Really appreciate this video. Have developed contact dermatitis after years of using solvents & this is a game changer for me....👍👍👍
I'm so glad that you've found it helpful. I'll have to look into Contact Dermatitis and use that knowledge to help others switch to safer painting alternatives. Also, with help from some other commenters I found out that Gamvar also uses solvents if you are using that as a varnish. gamblincolors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SDS-Gamvar.pdf But here is one alternative I found. naturalearthpaint.com/natural-varnish/
Thank you! I’m just getting started with oils after painting with acrylics for years. I’ve been trying to figure this out and getting little bits of info here and there and you put it all out there in one place. Now I know what to buy and not to buy. If you haven’t done a video on this, would love to know your thoughts on the water mixable oil paints that are now out there?
I've never tried water mixable oils. Sorry I can't comment on if they are similar to regular oil. Glad to be of help!
Really informative, really adorable/funny asides! I actually lol’d at the solvent shower. Omg.Excellent.
But curious-what medium do you use? Just the gel? I’m looking for a more thinning medium.
Can I just say-the safflower/clove oil is GORGEOUS and I was taught this method by my painting Master. (He uses this as a medium, but it takes SO long to dry lol)
I use the lavender block as soap, and the Master’s 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you! I had so much fun with those clips. LOL. I use the gel medium and if I need a fluid medium I use refined linsead oil. I've also been sending everyone to Chelsea Classic mediums for more non solvent alternatives. www.chelseaclassicalstudio.com I haven't tried them but they look great! Thanks for the comment and question!
Thanks for sharing these very helpful info! Would you please share clove oil link (where you bought)? thanks Chris!
I actually purchased my clove oil at a local store that sells essential oils. Clove oil can be found at many aroma therapy like stores or any store that sells essential oils. I think all clove oil is good purchase anywhere you can get it cheap. Of course the first return from a Google search is amazon. Here is that link: www.amazon.com/s?k=cloves+oil
What a great video!!! Thank you so much for sharing! Just wondering, how do you dispose the oil and the paint waste that sits in the brush washer? Oil goes down the sink or? And the paint waste? Thank you so much! Can’t wait to do more oil paintings!
I wouldn't pour it down the sink. Could be an environmental issue. I pour it into a plastic bag and thrown that into the trash outside. Same with all my other paint waste. Check with your local government for disposal rules though, it could be different depending on where you live.
Cheers for the tips! I tried safflower oil, but seems like I mildly failed at it as I was leaving them out of the bath, causing them to try up surprisingly enough. Will try again :D
Haha! Great job for trying it! Thanks for the comment.
thankyou :)
thanks so much :)
You're welcome!
Amazing
Thank you!
I want to get back into oil painting and this video has really eased my anxiety for many reasons. Just the thought of cleanup (I can be lazy) let alone the idea of inhaling toxic fumes. Used to use so much linseed oil & turpentine in the classroom and at my parents home. God to think how reckless I used to be in my youth. 😅 anyway thanks for the awesome video. Both helpful and entertaining 🚿😂
i use acrylics but am trying to switch to oil, good to get as much good info as possible, thks.
You're welcome! Let me know if you need any further help. Let us know how the switch goes as well. Your opinion on the difference between Acrylic and Oil especially for a person just switching would be great to hear.
I've been doing this for years and it's great. I use the green for oil products from Sennelier as well as the gamblin solvent free line. Due to regulations in shipping I can't buy gamblin solvents anyway and they don't sell gamblin locally in my country.
The first time I went to my local art store and asked for safflower oil to clean my brushes they said no no no, you need solvents. So I went to another store and just asked for safflower oil without adding any more information lol
I didn't know about the Sennelier green line. Thanks for that! It's sad that more people don't know about this information, especially a store that sells oil paints! Thank you for the comment!
I lay all my brushes in a paint roller tray with safflower (large commercial gallon jug), so they are nearly flat. My brushes last at least 5 times longer. Honestly the only time they wear out is when I use alkyds and it dries on item. Also, you can get really good cross ventilation wit ha cracked window on the opposite side of the room from the fan. I have that setup with airflow right across my work table.
My first year of oil painting I used mineral spirits extensively- no gloves and with it coating my fingers for long period. After about a year I developed deep bleeding cracks on my hands (as the solvents broke down the fat in my skin) that took almost 2 years to heal.
Holy crap! Deep bleeding cracks! The safflower commercial jug and paint roller tray sounds awesome. Can you send me a picture of each? chris@chrisbeaven.com I would love to share this with everyone. Thank you for the comment!
Awesome and timely for us - thanks and cheers :O) Sean
YOu're Welcome!
Hey Chris, thanks for the video. I have a question about storying the brushes in the safflower oil. I’ve heard that its not good to stand brushes on their bristle-end due to the risk of hurting their shape. Have you run into any problems with that?
Hi Chris, Thank you for this GREAT video. It is very helpful. I've been an acrylic artist for years but have just been influenced by a friend and teacher to start painting with oils. I have a VERY small "art/den" room and there is no ventilation (except in the summer). I've been seeking the perfect Non-Toxic solutions to use at home. I DID just get some of the Chelsea Classical Studios Walnut oil and I'm hoping it is the solution. I LOVE the brush bath idea of Safflower oil. I suppose I need to get that oil instead? What are your thoughts? THANKS, Barb
Walnut oil is used in oil paint just like linseed oil is used. As a medium or as binder. Lots of painters have used walnut oil as a medium with their whites because some linseed oil tends to yellow after decades. The walnut oil is definitely possible as a bath for your brushes to help with cleaning but you will want to put some drops of clove oil in there to keep it from drying. I'm not certain but I think that the walnut oil dries a lot faster than the safflower oil. Try it out in a small quantity and let me know how it goes. Also, do some price comparison, which one is cheaper? If walnut oil works and is cheaper it could be better than safflower oil because you can use it as a medium and a bath. I'm interested in what you find! Thanks for the question!
OMG you paint realy beautifull paintings sir👍🏾🖐🏾👋🏾😊😁 i am new to oil painting. I,ve never painted whit oil paint before. I love this video. I paint whit acrylic paints too. I have Gamsol solvence-free gel in my amazone shopping list save the earth😊👍🏾🖐🏾👋🏾 paint save
Thank you so much 😀
Great info but...waiting for an order of Cobra water soluble paints. Found a couple of days Sennelier has a Green Oil mediums line. No idea if it is more usable than the Gamblin line.
Solid tips, thank you for putting this out there! Going to try the oil bath technique…I’m a gestural abstract extremely messy painter (I’ve always had a hard time not making a mess with oils) and cleanup is always a hassle because my brushes get so nasty.
You're welcome! Keep the energy up but also keep safe :)
Amazing tips! I’ve been doing most of these things. BUT I often clean my brushes w/ Gamsol. Your video convinced me to end this routine. And use safflower. Hopefully, I’ll completely eliminate gamsol altogether. The only other thing I would add is a air filter running in the painting room always and change filters as needed!
Good idea on the air filter. Thanks!
This is so helpful as I make the transition to solvent free oil painting!! I was wondering, how do you dispose of the containers of safflower oil when they get too dirty? Do you pour it into a metal bin?
I put them in the trash in a plastic bag. These are just like cooking oils. Do not pour down the drain though.
I'm getting back into oil after YEARS of not using. But started adding Schmicke Medium W to my existing oil paint, as I buy new paint I started using water soluble oil. The Medium w make the oil dilute with oil. Artisan sold a blick and Cobra (problem a few over brands make water soluble oil). I have Artzan's thinner to completely substitute turpentine as the water still doesn't work as well to thin for underpaiting. I haven't tried but soon will try the Cobra water mixable glazing Medium, and I have the gamblin gel you mentioned. There is a product at Blick called Turpenoid natural by Weber. I used it after wiping brushed clean, using "Masters" brush cleaner. To get all the paint out. With the Sable brushes I used shampoo and conditioner. Thanks for the oil bath tip, I hate washing brushes but I still want to take care of them. LMK if you tried any products I mentioned.
Wow thanks for all the details on what you're working with. The only product that I've every worked with and this was years ago. Is the Turpenoid natural. In my opinion it's just as harmful as any solvent. But, if you want a good fix for bristle brushes that have dried oil paint in them use the Turpenoid natural and soak the brushes in it for a few days and they will come put clean. If you can try and remove all solvents from your workflow, if not limit as much as possible and use them in a well ventilated room or outside. Thanks for the comment!
You just gave me a great idea with your hair analogy: after using any kind of an oil mask on your hair, nothing beats the effectiveness and safety of egg yolk to remove all the excess oils without stripping the hair of everything that makes it healthy and resilient. And using Masters' or Murphy's soaps to clean the brushes leaves them too oily, to my liking. So, my thinking is, you can probably use egg yolks or even just lecithin (egg, soy or sunflower) diluted in water to clean the brushes. In fact, rhis is what I'll be doing next time I need my brushes completely clean and dry.
Also, a quick word on the painting mediums: one can very quickly and relatively cheaply mix up a whole bunch of "oleogel" like the one Rublev has by mixing fumed silica with painting oil. Also excellent for cleaning brushes inbetween painting sessions.
Watching your videos I realized that I have basically moved away from painting with anything but oil (and two texturizing pastes) from pretty much the very beginning. I have all the gamsols and gamcars and galkyds and turpentine and whatnots, but I find myself hardly ever reaching for them because I really don't like how they dry out on the brushes and the havoc they wreak on them. I am glad solvent-free painting is catching on! After all, this is what oil painters of old have probably started out with to begin with, and they did just fine without all the fancy chemicals, with just oils.
Awesome! Thanks for all the feedback and information. Let us know how the egg yolkes go.
Thanks for this! Been thinking about detoxifying my setup. I paint in my bedroom near a window with a fan on, and have an air purifier which is supposed to eliminate Voc’s , but I wonder if it does much… I use small amounts of gamsol and galkyd for mediums and clean up with Windsor newton brush cleaner and restorer, which is supposed to be non toxic. I did just order the safflower oil and do like the solvent free gel, however I like to start paintings with a bit of gamsol mixed in for thinner application and quick dry. I also use some lead whites, which I try to limit. Am I being foolish using these products in my bedroom? I paint small and keep everything covered. I also don’t sand my paintings and try to be aware if I get paint on my hands I wash them well soon after. If you have the time I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you and beautiful work!
I don't think you're being foolish at all. There is a balance that needs to be struck with creating your vision and keeping yourself as healthy as possible on the long term. I used to use Flake White as well and the only thing I worried about there was getting it on me. There is no fumes with it. You may want to experiment with other white paints on the market and see if you really need the flake white. If so just keep doing as you are. Gamsol is the best solvent on the market for safety and I totally understand about wanting to get a quick block-in done and have it dry fast. The alternative here is to use a lot of solvent free medium instead of Gamsol and a paint that dries fast, like Burnt Umber. Of course "fast" is relative. End the end, strike the balance that works best for you!
Great video! What do you use to do the first layers of the painting for fat over lean technique/undercoat? The only solution I can see from hours of research is gamsol or lavender spike oil (expensive though!).
To be honest I've never followed fat over lean. Several people have asked about it and the only solution I've found is the same as what you said. Gamsol or lavender spike. I look at the safety data sheets for both and they both have the same toxicity level. If you feel it's important to follow fat over lean then either is a good choice. From my experience if you paint thin like I do or if you paint on panels the you don't have to worry about cracking of paint layers. But, I will say that it's not bad to be extra safe. I've suggested to many others that it's not about being 100% perfect here. Have a balance of what can be the most healthy for you while doing the paintings you love. Here is a great suggestion from fine art tutorials that talks about starting with paint straight out of the tube then adding fat from there. finearttutorials.com/guide/the-fat-over-lean-rule-explained/#Different_ways_of_layering_fat_over_lean Because it's not about being completely lean then super fat... (wow so many correlations with diet, haha) you can start anywhere on the spectrum. You could start out with just a little bit of medium in your paint, let's call it 2% fat. Then gradually increase to 50% fat by the end of the painting. There is no need for solvent that approach and your still following fat over lean. The beginning layers are leaner than the later layers. I hope that helps! Thanks for the comment.
Have you tried Ivory soap? For brush cleaning?? Easy breezy!!
Thanks for these wonderful tips!
You're welcome! Yes ivory soap is easy as well... almost any soap really.
Thank you very much for sharing.
I wash my brushes with some Marseille's soap, which contains olive oil, It works wonderfully.
Thanks for sharing!
Great video. I have been wanting to get back into oil painting. It’s been 15 years! Unfortunately the only space I have to paint will be in the basement. I’ve been looking for non toxic and non flammable options since I have a pilot light on our heater heater. I might have to just stick with acrylic/watercolor or maybe water based oils however I have a bunch of oil tubes that I want to use so I don’t have to purchase a bunch more so I’m thinking that safflower oil might be the option. I’m wondering will the oil paints put off any flammable fumes when drying?
15 years! Wow! The oil paint smell itself is not toxic. Many people are very sensitive to smells which turns them away from oil paint in general. But as long as you don't add any solvents or mediums that contain solvents nothing you smell will be toxic. Good luck getting back into it! Start small and just do a little bit each day, go for the long haul! You got this!
Thanks, Chris! I switched from oil paints to acrylics because of health considerations six years ago, but I really miss them now.
There are also watermixable oils. Brooke comier is using them (a really great Canadian artist)
I've got a friend that does acrylic paintings and he's able to mimic oils with all the cool mediums out there. I may try them one day.
True!
Hi- This is awesome- Thank you- how do you clean your palette?
I scrape off the paint with a palette knife then a razor blade after each session. Leaving the piles that I didn't use. I don't let paint dry on my palette, that takes too long to scrape off.
@@ChrisBeavenart Thank you🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for this wonderful video! I have 2 questions: do you also put safflower oil in your brush washer, the metal can, before soaking them in the plastic container of safflower oil? And when the brushes are soaking, does it matter if the ferrule is submerged along with the bristles?
Hey Natalie! Thanks for the question. I've gotten this a couple times so I made a short just for you. czcams.com/users/shortshD8vOe64bhk?feature=share Let me know if this is helpful, or if you have further questions. Thanks for the comment I'm here to help :) Have a great weekend!
Interesting video, liked it a lot. In addition to some of the "dont's" you could have added a few "do's". For instance, mentioning the fact that a fan in your window is not a good ventilation method in the winter... what is actually your solution for ventilating the small room when it is very cold outside? Dismissing a few mediums is fine.... but you could have added why it is you do like the gel so much (and how you are using it). Don't get me wrong, I loved the video!! I am trying to stay away of harmful solvents as much as I can and I do use safflower oil (cooking grade from Whole Foods) to clean my brushes as much as possible. I have a few Cad paints that I use but wear gloves when painting to avoid getting the paints on my skin.
Awesome thank you so much for the feedback! Make some really good points here instead of me focusing on what not to do I’ll continue to try to add in actionable items that anyone can follow. I welcome the critical review!!!