Eco Friendly Art Supplies that are Good for You!

It might be surprising for people to hear that being an artist is a dangerous profession, but artists are often exposed to dangerous chemicals and toxic mediums. It is common to run into art supplies that are dangerous to inhale, handle, and work with. Not only can these things be dangerous for our bodies; they are also unhealthy for our environment. Make your studio greener, give yourself a healthier working environment, and be more ecologically responsible with these great alternatives to common artist supplies.

Biodegradable Foam Board
Biodegradable foam board is exactly like regular foam board, but unlike regular foam board it breaks down in landfills and composting facilities in one to five years. It has the same strength, the same lightweight characteristics, and you can even get it with memory foam, too! The biodegradable foam board is great for making signs and other visuals that will be thrown away, for example, signs for an outdoor event that will only be used for a day or two.

Turpenoid
Don't sacrifice your love for painting with oils because of the toxic effects of turpentine: turpenoid is a biological and ecological friendly alternative. Turpenoid is odorless, colorless, thin alternative to turpentine. It has the same properties and drying time, but without the toxicity. You can also use it as a brush cleaner, a solvent, and it can even remove stains from clothing. Turpenoid can get you back in the studio, and keep you there; it's much better for the environment, and m,uh better for the artist, too!

Eco-Friendly Canvases
Use ecologically friendly art board as an alternative to canvases to bring your studio into the green! One of our favorite canvas alternatives is Eko Art Board. You can use this art board for every application that you would use on canvas: oils, acrylics, water colors, gouache, pastels, and charcoal.

Walnut Oil-Based Oil Paints
Traditionally, linseed oil is the base for most oil paints, which is associated with the strong smell, the difficult handling properties, and the other negative impacts associated with oil paints. But there is an alternative: walnut oil-based oil paints. Walnut oil is a much healthier alternative, and in fact, it creates higher quality oil paintings. Walnut oil based paints are less likely to yellow, won't crack as easily, and it is much easier to handle than most oil paints. Our favorite oil paints are M Graham paints, so explore these wonderful paints and bring a healthier, higher quality to your oil painting.