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?
@@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!
@ChrisBeavenart just following up to say that I finally completed my first oil painting solvent free, and it was wonderful! I was a little ambitious and did a 36"x36" canvas, but it worked out great! I love the Gamblin mediums. Lots more practicing to do! What are your thoughts on using linseed oil in addition? I'm also trying to learn about "fat over lean" as well. So many new terms 😅
This video confirms I was on the right track when I switched to non-toxic oil painting. I clean my brushes more often just because I don't want leftover pigments creating undesirable tints in colors I'm mixing. I hadn't thought about not snacking on paint right out of the tube, though. Maybe I'll just keep some pistachios or cashews close by for emergencies.
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!
Thank you for sharing these important tips, I’ve been using original Liquin for two years and I started to have reactions like intense headaches, and my nose bleeds, even with a ventilated room, and using only liquid soap to clean the brushes, I’m replacing it for flaxseed oils again and gel, I don’t want to have to attack my health to make art anymore
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!
Finally, I found someone on RUclips 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.
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!
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.
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
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!
Thank you for your suggestions!! I just started using oils and was quite worried about the toxicity associated with using the medium. So good to know about these alternatives and will give them a shot so that i can have some peace of mind as i paint in my bedroom!
Hey Chris, I've been spending all my money on water-soluble oils because I didn't want to get into solvents. But your oily hair-and-soap analogy is brilliant, thanks...!!! I have been racking my brain how I can use use the less expensive normal oils of which there are also much more colours available, and I think your solvent-free approach will finally make this possible for me. Thank you so much for posting this!!! 🙂🙂🙂
It's wonderful that there are now so many artist on RUclips 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
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!
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!
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!
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!
I only use linseed oil when I'm painting, and clean my brushes with dish soap and water. I also only use cheap brushes (I haven't been painting for very long). It suits my style of painting. Since I have dogs who are nuts, I avoid any cadmium paints, except yellow. Thanks for the tip on how to avoid it entirely! Also, thanks for the tips on not cleaning your brushes. I'll give that a try.
@@leslieaguila8142 I'm not sure what you mean by disposing of it. I tend to use it all! I will say, I don't use rags, I use paper towels, and they are rarely soaked in it. From what I have been able to find out, it is soaked rags that are the biggest problem. I only use the amount of linseed oil I need for painting, so nothing really gets soaked in it. I also keep it away from heat sources. From what I have been able to find out, once the linseed oil is dried, it is not combustible any more. Don't take this as gospel - that's just what I have been able to find out. If you are using rags, the information I found suggests laying them out flat, outside, to dry. It may be that the being crumpled is what causes the heat to build up on the rags (kind of like when hay is baled wet, it will also self-combust). Another suggestion was to thoroughly soak your rags in a bucket of water. Not sure if any of this helps.
I use vegetable oils to clean my brushes for over 20 years then with ivory soap to get them super clean. I do leave my brushes to sit on my large palette in between sessions and breaks. Thanks for the video. ❤
I still have a lot of cadmiums and cobalts from my previous art class and because these are geniune pigments they were very expensive to just throw out. So i guess I'll still use them but glad to know i can use nontoxic colors as they are way cheaper. My one concern from my art professors is permanency of the nontoxic colors as we were taught that they do get faded with time so that is the trade off and the reason for their price point. Proper cleaning, disposal and protection should still be safe.
I've been doing the same. I hate wasting the paint. I've about used up all my cadmiums and cobalts now. It's taken a while. I just make sure I'm really clean while painting.
Thank you so much for sharing alternative ways of creating beautiful art, without using toxic harmful substances. As an artist I completely get it, because I got really sick from using all the products mentioned in this video. Creator didn’t give artist this gift to make us sick!
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 started oil painting today and your video pop up the smell is soo strong and my eyes burns little bit i was wondering why thanks so much for the worning ur amazing
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!
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/
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 🙏🏻
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
Hi Chris 👋, thanks for this info. I’m researching safe oil painting techniques and I’ve got a question. Can you tell me how you actually paint using the gel medium? Can you paint alla prima with the gel, or do you have to wait days for each layer to dry? How do you clean your brushes as you paint? Do you use a different brush for each core colour? Do you pinch into a rag to clean as you paint? Lastly, how do you deal with the rags when you’ve finished a session? Do you still need to keep oil paint/gel soaked rags in a fireproof bin? I’m so confused as to the actual full process and safe cleanup process. 😅
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!
Hello Chris Beavan. How are you? I found 2,5 liter can of safflower oil. Its 37,10. Its from a german website called gersteaker. I wanna buy and order my 7 colours Pebeo oil paints and my 2,5 liter safflower oil and a couple of diffrent canvas board sizes from the gersteaker website . I have been away from oil painting and i wanna pick it up. I love you,re explanation of toxic solvents and safflower oil. The safflower oil saved my painting life. If i havent known about it i would give up on painting so easy. Thank you for saving my painting life. 😊👋🏾
Hi, thanks for showing the process. im building up my rustiness and looking for ways to make the cleaning process as eeeeaaaaasy and comfortable as possible :) by the way I like your light set up and video quality
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!!
Thank you for all the explanation in this video. Last winter i did open my window when i do oil painting. I only paint for not more than 30min because it was freezing cold 😆
I saw some artist use petroleum jelly after they clean their brush to make sure the brush still on shape and just wipe the petroleum jelly before use. Have you tried this method ?
@@dheamua I have never tried this. I would be afraid that some of that petroleum jelly would stay within my paint and leave spots that would never dry. I just let the brush take the shape as I work it. Most of the time it turns into a different tool that I can use for a different texture.
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.
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 🙏
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
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 🚿😂
Hi Chris, thank you for this informative video. I was hoping you'd elaborate on ventilation in the studio in winter. But you suddenly switched to Tip#5 :( It's winter Down Under and I'd love some more advice when you have time please!
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.
I do agree nearly on all points, really a solvent free environment is what one must strive for, I am also guilty of using it, but will eventually stop. I really hate to say this, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING can replace cadmium. One must handle it with care of course, but as long as it can be purchased, I will have it in my arsenal as there can't be compared on one day with Hansa yellow. People who can"t handle cadmium pigments in oil, probably can't handle anything else in the oil medium. Thank you, great video!
It seems that cadmium for you is very important. But for many of us that don’t need an opaque, yellow or red, Hansa yellow works just fine. There are also some cadmium free oils out there
Hello, I wash my brushes with dawn, soaking them sometimes for weeks only because I forgot them , not out of necessity. Then I clean them with warm water, squeeze out the excess water and message "leave in" hair conditioner into the bristles and place them into my brush container. So far so good. The conditioner dose not seem to have an adverse effect on oils nor acrylics.
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!
I’m a bit new (and actually a bit of a chemophobe), so I think I’m just sticking to alla prima and linseed oil for a while. I have the gamblin solvent sample pack though. Overall a lot of good ideas, but some of the pigments are just necessary. The safflower oil 2 clean brushes might just work. IDK, but after cleaning you can get it out with a drop of acetone…
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!
Hello Chris Beavan. I found another paint medium solvent free. Walnut gel. I was looking for alternatiefs in save oil painting and i found a video off a woman who painted whit rublev walnut oil gel. I watched her video and i was curieus about the walnut gel and ask her questions about that amazing painting medium. I am gonna buy Rublev walnut gel and no more solvence-free gel cause i don,t like it that mutch eather and to have payed 31,47 for 150 ml is too expensive for me as are the other solvence-free products of gamblin. Thanks for you,re help. I am gonna try Rublev walnut gel and i ordered Safflor oli for cleaning my oil paint brushes 😊👋🏾🖐🏾👍🏾
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.
Hi! I'm new here and do appreciate what you do in helping artists to paint safely. I use M.Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium and as far as I am concerned I am very happy with it. High Gloss, Rapid Drying non toxic and solvent free :) Have a nice painting journey everybody ( hope my English is clear enough LOLLL )
I am new to oil painting. I purchased the M Graham Walnut oil and there are all kinds of warnings about disposing of the rags and combustible properties. What is your process for dealing with this? Thank you
Thank for all the wonderful and helpful tips. What would you use to put a light cover of paint on your canvas instead of using gamsol with oil paint to thin out?
This was really helpful. I am beginner and thinking of trying out oils, but have always been put off because of the odors and toxicity of the medium. I have two questions for you. The first is what color do you recommend in place of Cadmium Red? Also, is there a impasto medium you would recommend, without odor? Thank you for making this video. So helpful!
YES! I got what you need. For cadmium red replacement I use Napthol Scarlet (Gamblin). It has the exact same color properties as Cadmium Red Light but is semi transparent. I love Gamblin's solvent free gel medium if you're looking for a medium that has some body to it. But if you want to paint impasto with oil paint and keep it opaque I would suggest mixing up larger paint mixtures and using hog hair bristle brushes. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more question.
Excellent video. And really useful!! I've been using W&N Liquin Original for a while, and I like it because it speeds up the drying of the oil. But I'm worried it's not healthy. Please, can you tell me something about the drying time of Gamblin's Medium Solvent-Free Gel?
I just started oil painting and cleaning the brushes has really put me off, I was thinking about going back to acrylics but I’m going to try out some of your tips!
you just have to dip them in oil and wipe with a cloth, paper towel... or better still, don't clean them at all, just dip them in oil and let them sit until next day's painting session. you definitely don't need solvents to clean brushes, only for very wishy washy modern oil washes and only as an addition to other formulations, alongside stand oil, damar, beeswax etc. don't ever be afraid of art supplies, research and use them correctly. btw Titian lived well into his nineties, through the Black Plague all the while painting with his finger dipped in lead white all day. the toxic ones aren't scary either if you understand them and use them wisely, ie don't eat the lead white and clean up after use..
Can you switch paints and toxic free solvents or non solvents while you're working on an artwork that you started in oil with regular oil paint and turpentine for example?
Great video Chris - thanks! Just one question though about the types of brushes you place in the oil bath. They all looked like flat or filbert brushes, but what about rounds and riggers? I use those pointed brush types quite a lot with oil painting. Wouldn't they become permanently misshapen, i.e. the points damaged, after letting them stand on their tips in the oil bath? How do you deal with those brush types? Thanks!
Water mixable oils are awesome! I use Georgian water mixable oil paints from Daler-Rowney and I really like them. I have not used traditional oils but for example artist Katie Jobling here on youtube has used both and seems to really like them both and she has a few videos where she uses the water mixable oils. She uses them pretty much the same way as me, first really thinly with water added in and then using just the paint on top of that. (Sometimes I use the solvent free gel from Gamblin as well but quite rarely because I paint wet on wet so usually I don't need any extra glide).The clean up is very simple: soap and water and that's it. I have hear good things about the Georgian paints by Daler-Rowney (obviously) and the Artisan paints from Winsor and Newton.
@@Meri_Luo Thanks Meri! I have purchased some Cobra Artist paints from Talens and love it so far! I have the Cobra painting medium but are also interested in the Solvent free gel, is that cleanable with water too or does it leave more oil than the water mixable options?
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!!!
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
If the solvent free fluid is stickey what do you use for you thin underpainting layer? Also what is the fluid good for? Is the gel to help with drying the oil paint faster?
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!
@ChrisBeavenart just following up to say that I finally completed my first oil painting solvent free, and it was wonderful! I was a little ambitious and did a 36"x36" canvas, but it worked out great! I love the Gamblin mediums. Lots more practicing to do! What are your thoughts on using linseed oil in addition? I'm also trying to learn about "fat over lean" as well. So many new terms 😅
This video confirms I was on the right track when I switched to non-toxic oil painting. I clean my brushes more often just because I don't want leftover pigments creating undesirable tints in colors I'm mixing. I hadn't thought about not snacking on paint right out of the tube, though. Maybe I'll just keep some pistachios or cashews close by for emergencies.
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!
You're welcome!
Thank you for sharing these important tips, I’ve been using original Liquin for two years and I started to have reactions like intense headaches, and my nose bleeds, even with a ventilated room, and using only liquid soap to clean the brushes, I’m replacing it for flaxseed oils again and gel, I don’t want to have to attack my health to make art anymore
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!
11:40 wouldn't the ferulle be damaged if you submerge it like that ?
Finally, I found someone on RUclips 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.
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. 😀
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
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. :)
Thank you for your suggestions!! I just started using oils and was quite worried about the toxicity associated with using the medium. So good to know about these alternatives and will give them a shot so that i can have some peace of mind as i paint in my bedroom!
Hey Chris, I've been spending all my money on water-soluble oils because I didn't want to get into solvents. But your oily hair-and-soap analogy is brilliant, thanks...!!! I have been racking my brain how I can use use the less expensive normal oils of which there are also much more colours available, and I think your solvent-free approach will finally make this possible for me. Thank you so much for posting this!!! 🙂🙂🙂
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!
It's wonderful that there are now so many artist on RUclips 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
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!
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!
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!
You're Welcome!
Haven’t painted in oil because of the headaches I was getting, now I’m going to try it again.
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!
Solid information, thankyou so much!! My biggest issue is solvents, but being able to work without them makes oil painting possible for me.
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.
I only use linseed oil when I'm painting, and clean my brushes with dish soap and water. I also only use cheap brushes (I haven't been painting for very long). It suits my style of painting. Since I have dogs who are nuts, I avoid any cadmium paints, except yellow. Thanks for the tip on how to avoid it entirely! Also, thanks for the tips on not cleaning your brushes. I'll give that a try.
May I ask how do you dispose of linseed oil? I’m worried of it combusting
@@leslieaguila8142 I'm not sure what you mean by disposing of it. I tend to use it all! I will say, I don't use rags, I use paper towels, and they are rarely soaked in it. From what I have been able to find out, it is soaked rags that are the biggest problem. I only use the amount of linseed oil I need for painting, so nothing really gets soaked in it. I also keep it away from heat sources. From what I have been able to find out, once the linseed oil is dried, it is not combustible any more. Don't take this as gospel - that's just what I have been able to find out. If you are using rags, the information I found suggests laying them out flat, outside, to dry. It may be that the being crumpled is what causes the heat to build up on the rags (kind of like when hay is baled wet, it will also self-combust). Another suggestion was to thoroughly soak your rags in a bucket of water. Not sure if any of this helps.
I use vegetable oils to clean my brushes for over 20 years then with ivory soap to get them super clean. I do leave my brushes to sit on my large palette in between sessions and breaks. Thanks for the video. ❤
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
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. ruclips.net/video/pDq8J6ieD_E/видео.html
I still have a lot of cadmiums and cobalts from my previous art class and because these are geniune pigments they were very expensive to just throw out. So i guess I'll still use them but glad to know i can use nontoxic colors as they are way cheaper. My one concern from my art professors is permanency of the nontoxic colors as we were taught that they do get faded with time so that is the trade off and the reason for their price point. Proper cleaning, disposal and protection should still be safe.
I've been doing the same. I hate wasting the paint. I've about used up all my cadmiums and cobalts now. It's taken a while. I just make sure I'm really clean while painting.
Thank you so much for sharing alternative ways of creating beautiful art, without using toxic harmful substances. As an artist I completely get it, because I got really sick from using all the products mentioned in this video. Creator didn’t give artist this gift to make us sick!
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 started oil painting today and your video pop up the smell is soo strong and my eyes burns little bit i was wondering why thanks so much for the worning ur amazing
Wonderful! Stay safe!
Exactly what I have been looking for! Thank you!
Awesome! Let me know if you need any more details.
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!
Quick question, what's in the brush washer? Is it water? I wasn't able to find that in the comments. Great video and solvent free for life!!!
Soak brushes in Gamblin Safflower Oil. I took notes.
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/
Very nice and simple explanations of fumes free oil paint process. Thank you. I Love your friendly and calm energy.
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
A vertical palette is a genius idea!
Thanks!
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
Hi Chris 👋, thanks for this info. I’m researching safe oil painting techniques and I’ve got a question. Can you tell me how you actually paint using the gel medium? Can you paint alla prima with the gel, or do you have to wait days for each layer to dry? How do you clean your brushes as you paint? Do you use a different brush for each core colour? Do you pinch into a rag to clean as you paint? Lastly, how do you deal with the rags when you’ve finished a session? Do you still need to keep oil paint/gel soaked rags in a fireproof bin? I’m so confused as to the actual full process and safe cleanup process. 😅
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!
Hello Chris Beavan. How are you? I found 2,5 liter can of safflower oil. Its 37,10. Its from a german website called gersteaker. I wanna buy and order my 7 colours Pebeo oil paints and my 2,5 liter safflower oil and a couple of diffrent canvas board sizes from the gersteaker website . I have been away from oil painting and i wanna pick it up. I love you,re explanation of toxic solvents and safflower oil. The safflower oil saved my painting life. If i havent known about it i would give up on painting so easy. Thank you for saving my painting life. 😊👋🏾
You're welcome! Glad to have helped!
Hi, thanks for showing the process. im building up my rustiness and looking for ways to make the cleaning process as eeeeaaaaasy and comfortable as possible :) by the way I like your light set up and video quality
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!
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 :)
This is so Great!!! I'm going to share it for sure with my students.
Thanks MIKE! I appreciate all the shares!
@@ChrisBeavenart Shared.
Thank you for all the explanation in this video. Last winter i did open my window when i do oil painting. I only paint for not more than 30min because it was freezing cold 😆
I saw some artist use petroleum jelly after they clean their brush to make sure the brush still on shape and just wipe the petroleum jelly before use. Have you tried this method ?
Haha! Been there, done that!
@@dheamua I have never tried this. I would be afraid that some of that petroleum jelly would stay within my paint and leave spots that would never dry. I just let the brush take the shape as I work it. Most of the time it turns into a different tool that I can use for a different texture.
I use Murphys wood soap to wash my brushes. It smells nice, lots of suds and because its a wood cleaner it conditions my brushes. It works great
✍Don't eat ✍ your oil ✍ paints. ✍ Gotcha. 😂
LOL!
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.
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!
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 🙏
Great!!
Solvents to clean your hair . . . ;-) love it
Haha! Yes I really enjoyed making that part!
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!
Excellent production, valid arguments against using solvents.
Thank you! Let me know if you need any other art related help!
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.
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 🚿😂
You're welcome!
Hi Chris, thank you for this informative video. I was hoping you'd elaborate on ventilation in the studio in winter. But you suddenly switched to Tip#5 :( It's winter Down Under and I'd love some more advice when you have time please!
As a watercolorist the idea of a vertical palette is mind blowing 😂
Same 😆
Haha, that would be hard to pull off for watercolor.
I am very new to oil painting I heard walnut oil was good for cleaning your brushes also
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.
Hi Chris. Thanks so much for your video. Im wondering what is in your brush washer, the step before putting the brush in safflower oil? Thanks!
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'm using these tips - very helpful, will protect my respiratory and other systems in the long term! Thanks!
Excellent!
I do agree nearly on all points, really a solvent free environment is what one must strive for, I am also guilty of using it, but will eventually stop. I really hate to say this, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING can replace cadmium. One must handle it with care of course, but as long as it can be purchased, I will have it in my arsenal as there can't be compared on one day with Hansa yellow. People who can"t handle cadmium pigments in oil, probably can't handle anything else in the oil medium. Thank you, great video!
It seems that cadmium for you is very important. But for many of us that don’t need an opaque, yellow or red, Hansa yellow works just fine. There are also some cadmium free oils out there
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!
Hello, I wash my brushes with dawn, soaking them sometimes for weeks only because I forgot them , not out of necessity. Then I clean them with warm water, squeeze out the excess water and message "leave in" hair conditioner into the bristles and place them into my brush container. So far so good. The conditioner dose not seem to have an adverse effect on oils nor acrylics.
I think that is a good process. I do the same with the masters soap. Thanks for the comment.
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.
Very well presented and informative video, thanks!
Thank you! Let me know if you need any more art related help!
I’m a bit new (and actually a bit of a chemophobe), so I think I’m just sticking to alla prima and linseed oil for a while. I have the gamblin solvent sample pack though.
Overall a lot of good ideas, but some of the pigments are just necessary.
The safflower oil 2 clean brushes might just work. IDK, but after cleaning you can get it out with a drop of acetone…
Safflower oil is used to soak not clean. Soap to clean. Acetone!! Horrible stuff, stay away.
Thanks, your advice about safflower oil was right on, my brushes are in great shape.
You're welcome Michael. Glad to help. 😁
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!
Hello Chris Beavan. I found another paint medium solvent free. Walnut gel. I was looking for alternatiefs in save oil painting and i found a video off a woman who painted whit rublev walnut oil gel. I watched her video and i was curieus about the walnut gel and ask her questions about that amazing painting medium. I am gonna buy Rublev walnut gel and no more solvence-free gel cause i don,t like it that mutch eather and to have payed 31,47 for 150 ml is too expensive for me as are the other solvence-free products of gamblin. Thanks for you,re help. I am gonna try Rublev walnut gel and i ordered Safflor oli for cleaning my oil paint brushes 😊👋🏾🖐🏾👍🏾
Hey, thanks for the tip. I will have to look into that.
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 :)
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.
How do you clean the brush in between painting strokes, in one session?
Hi! I'm new here and do appreciate what you do in helping artists to paint safely.
I use M.Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium and as far as I am concerned I am very happy with it.
High Gloss, Rapid Drying non toxic and solvent free :)
Have a nice painting journey everybody ( hope my English is clear enough LOLLL )
Your English is great! Thanks for adding. I've never tried Walnut Alkyd but I like the M.Grahm products. Is this a liquid medium or a gel medium?
@@ChrisBeavenart It is a liquid.
@@yveslarocque1352 Nice! When I get back to painting I'll have to pick some up at my art store. Thanks!
I am new to oil painting. I purchased the M Graham Walnut oil and there are all kinds of warnings about disposing of the rags and combustible properties. What is your process for dealing with this? Thank you
Thank for all the wonderful and helpful tips. What would you use to put a light cover of paint on your canvas instead of using gamsol with oil paint to thin out?
This was really helpful. I am beginner and thinking of trying out oils, but have always been put off because of the odors and toxicity of the medium. I have two questions for you. The first is what color do you recommend in place of Cadmium Red? Also, is there a impasto medium you would recommend, without odor? Thank you for making this video. So helpful!
YES! I got what you need. For cadmium red replacement I use Napthol Scarlet (Gamblin). It has the exact same color properties as Cadmium Red Light but is semi transparent. I love Gamblin's solvent free gel medium if you're looking for a medium that has some body to it. But if you want to paint impasto with oil paint and keep it opaque I would suggest mixing up larger paint mixtures and using hog hair bristle brushes. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more question.
@@ChrisBeavenart Thank you
thank you the best video on solvent free painting. all the best
You’re welcome!
Excellent video. And really useful!! I've been using W&N Liquin Original for a while, and I like it because it speeds up the drying of the oil. But I'm worried it's not healthy. Please, can you tell me something about the drying time of Gamblin's Medium Solvent-Free Gel?
I just started oil painting and cleaning the brushes has really put me off, I was thinking about going back to acrylics but I’m going to try out some of your tips!
Cool! funny enough, I'm switching over to acrylics right now because it matches the way I want to paint at the moment.
you just have to dip them in oil and wipe with a cloth, paper towel... or better still, don't clean them at all, just dip them in oil and let them sit until next day's painting session. you definitely don't need solvents to clean brushes, only for very wishy washy modern oil washes and only as an addition to other formulations, alongside stand oil, damar, beeswax etc. don't ever be afraid of art supplies, research and use them correctly.
btw Titian lived well into his nineties, through the Black Plague all the while painting with his finger dipped in lead white all day. the toxic ones aren't scary either if you understand them and use them wisely, ie don't eat the lead white and clean up after use..
Great video, thank you!
My pleasure!
Can you switch paints and toxic free solvents or non solvents while you're working on an artwork that you started in oil with regular oil paint and turpentine for example?
Thank you so much for sharing!👍😎💪🏼
My pleasure!
Great video Chris - thanks! Just one question though about the types of brushes you place in the oil bath. They all looked like flat or filbert brushes, but what about rounds and riggers? I use those pointed brush types quite a lot with oil painting. Wouldn't they become permanently misshapen, i.e. the points damaged, after letting them stand on their tips in the oil bath? How do you deal with those brush types? Thanks!
I found this video incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!!
You're welcome!
AMAZING! Thank you so much for all of this helpful info.
You are so welcome!
How about water mixable oils? It would be even easier with cleaning right? Are normal oils better?
Honestly, I have never tried water mixable oils, so I’m not sure.
Water mixable oils are awesome! I use Georgian water mixable oil paints from Daler-Rowney and I really like them. I have not used traditional oils but for example artist Katie Jobling here on youtube has used both and seems to really like them both and she has a few videos where she uses the water mixable oils. She uses them pretty much the same way as me, first really thinly with water added in and then using just the paint on top of that. (Sometimes I use the solvent free gel from Gamblin as well but quite rarely because I paint wet on wet so usually I don't need any extra glide).The clean up is very simple: soap and water and that's it. I have hear good things about the Georgian paints by Daler-Rowney (obviously) and the Artisan paints from Winsor and Newton.
@@Meri_Luo Thanks Meri! I have purchased some Cobra Artist paints from Talens and love it so far! I have the Cobra painting medium but are also interested in the Solvent free gel, is that cleanable with water too or does it leave more oil than the water mixable options?
@@emmamariamakes Nice to hear that you have started your water mixable oil journey! :) I clean the gel with water and soap too!
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!!!
This is EXACTLY what I needed to know!!! Thank you so much!!
Wonderful! I'm so glad it was helpful!
Enjoyed the video a lot, thanks a ton!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the helpful tips!
No problem!
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 😀
Very good video, thank you! Makes me want to paint with real oils (I paint watercolors, and recently water-mixable oils too).
Just paint, as much as you can. Materials don't matter, expression does.
Thank you man ! 👏
If the solvent free fluid is stickey what do you use for you thin underpainting layer? Also what is the fluid good for? Is the gel to help with drying the oil paint faster?
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 for this very helpful info!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video😊
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Awesome video thank you!!
Glad you liked it!
Very interesting! Thank you
Welcome!