Watercolors are Toxic!? What you NEED to know
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- In this eye-opening video, we dive deep into the world of watercolors and explore a topic that often goes unnoticed: the toxicity of some watercolor paints. While watercolors are often considered one of the safer painting mediums, it's crucial to be aware of potential hazards that may lurk in your art supplies.
Join us on a journey of discovery as we unravel the truth about toxic watercolors. We'll explain how and why certain watercolors can be harmful to both artists and the environment. But fear not! We won't leave you hanging without solutions.
In this video, we'll discuss:
Identifying Toxic Watercolors: Learn to recognize which pigments or brands of watercolors might contain hazardous materials.
Potential Health Risks: Discover the health hazards associated with toxic watercolors and how they can affect you.
Environmental Impact: Explore the environmental consequences of using toxic watercolors and their disposal.
Safe Alternatives: We'll guide you through selecting safer, non-toxic watercolors that are readily available in the market.
You'll also find out why watercolors are generally considered a safer choice compared to other art mediums. With some simple precautions and awareness, you can continue to enjoy the world of watercolor painting without major concerns.
Whether you're a seasoned watercolor artist or just starting your artistic journey, this video is a must-watch. Knowledge is power, and being informed about the potential toxicity of watercolors can help you make healthier and more eco-friendly choices as an artist.
Let's explore the world of watercolors and ensure our creative endeavors are as safe as they are beautiful. Don't miss out on this essential guide to painting safely with watercolors!
CORRECTION - in the video I say that Mijello doesn't have a SDS - it does in fact, however, it isn't as clear/useful or easy to obtain as for some other major brands.
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00:00 Introduction
00:46 What is the problem?
02:06 Specific toxins
03:40 Product labels
08:40 Disposal strategies
11:50 What will I do differently? 
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I agree that it is important to know what chemicals are toxic. I wouldn't worry about watercolor fumes as you dry out rinse water, the danger to your lungs would be from spray applying those colors. Most heavy metals are coated to prevent illness from skin contact and ingesting. These minerals come from the environment to begin with. I'm careful but not obsessive.
Thanks for the info :)
Amen
You probably right regarding VOCs, but I am still going to avoid keeping an evaporation bucket inside my small one bedroom cabin where I sleep.
Literally everything on earth comes from the environment, that doesn’t mean it’s not toxic and/or harmful when used or disposed off in the wrong way
Thank you so much for raising awareness of this issue. The 2 fine art supply stores I buy from here in the USA mark all pigments that have cautions involved with them. I think we need to start by not buying pigments that have hazard warnings. Many of the recycling organizations are more than willing to tell you the safe way to dispose of hazardous compounds. Believe me we all (!) can do better being responsible for our own health and the health of the environment. Thank you for bringing this up!
Thanks for helping us to be more aware of potential environmental issues. I want to be responsible without being obsessed
My appreciation of you continues to grow. This vid is just one more example of your educational skills as an artist who is so positive, encouraging and just plain fun, and never judging. I am going to go through all my paints, etc., and discard as I can, especially paints I thought I needed. Every little bit helps.
In our community, the Des Moines, Iowa Metro, we have an annual Spring clean up where you can bring any toxic item/s for disposal. There are also sites around the metro to take toxic waste by appointment. I share this by way of encouraging others to check as you suggest with your local government.
A thought: maybe you could help us to find ways to mix colors or find who makes some to replace the more harmful paints. Or perhaps others could offer their ideas.
Again thanks and Blessings my friend…
Thanks :)
We live in the country and have a septic tank system, so this has been on my radar for a while. Daniel Smith specifically warns against disposing of paint water into a septic system. Also when I started sending painted postcards to my new granddaughter, I decided not to use any of the colors you mentioned. I’ve been using the settling method for my paint water disposal, but even waiting weeks there is plenty of paint left in the settled water. I have started wiping my brush on paper toweling before dipping it into the water, but that also isn’t a full solution to the problem. Thank you for addressing this issue Toby. I hope folks come up with some real answers.
Thanks penny!
@phillipstroll7385 - no need for that kind of comment on my channel ta (if you didn't see it Penny, I deleted it... it was pointlessly abrasive and rude)
@@TobySketchLoose wow! I didn’t see the post and am a bit baffled. But thank you so much for dealing with it so quickly Toby!
Somebody wondered if cat litter should be used for this. Perlite is used in gardening and absorbs water too maybe that could then go into your bin maybe.
Wiping yourr brush on a sheet of kitchen paper before rinsing keeps the rinsing water much cleaner, so that must reduce toxicity going down the drain. At the end of the session, put it in non recycling, or use it next time until it is too dirty. This is another good reason to only buy from manufacturers who divulge pigment numbers and safety sheets
Good tips!
Nevertheless, you have to dispose of the dirty kitchen paper, which carries all the toxic pigments.
@@guillermoochoadeaspuru625 True, but the kitchen paper will end up in a landfill rather than in water systems or agricultural/forest land. If possible, dispose of your kitchen paper with normal office paper for recycling. Check with your local recycling authority.
Excellent idea
Thanks Toby! I will definitely use and select my art supplies with more care in the future. I was ignorant and blissfully unconcerned with toxicity issues. Now I’m not. We’ll done for raising this issue.
I have been house-cleaning toxic colours off my palette for a couple of years. Over the holidays, however, I got a set Rosa gallery paints with several of toxic colours included. It’s probably good to let loved ones and other artists know about these issues so that we can pass along the message. Thank you for this update. 🙏
Thank you for raising awafeness about this topic Toby. My aunt was a kindergarten teacher and a few years ago she got an auto-immune lung disease. I'm absolutely convinced that all the paint and chemicals she was exposed to were a trigger. When you add the cleaning products with high VOC levels with little ventilation, that creates a heavily toxic environment
I had assumed that pouring the dirty water down the sink would be ok because it would be going back to a water treatment/filtration plant before being put back into circulation. I’ve not investigated this, but would hope/expect that they would be testing for these impurities in the water along with toxic household cleaning products etc that end up down the drain. When I paint outside, I carry my water in a sealed jar so I take the dirty water back home with me and not just tip it out on the ground.
That's exactly what I do plus cutting down on toxic paints. Very important issue and well done to discuss it here..
Have you checked yet? I’d assumed the same
@@LCLand No, I haven’t checked, but there are much more toxic things going down the drain. I’m sure it must safe as long as it’s going in the drain and not going directly into soil or rivers etc
Thanks Toby for raising awareness. Then there’s the murky world of how these minerals are mined in the first place……..
I guess this is a more common problem with acrylics. Watercolors are generally less toxic. But of course, it is always a good idea to pay attention to possible environmental hazards.
Thank you so much for this video. I appreciate the in-depth exploration of this often-overlooked topic. It's important for artists to be aware of the potential hazards and the environmental impacts of their art supplies to make informed decisions. Great job!
👍
Ive got a large tub of old soil outside in the porch, which i pour my dirty water into. Bearing in mind that i dont use very much paint or water this system should last me a long time. .
Thank you for raising awareness. 🙏💜
You are so welcome
Thankyou for addressing this issue. Its good to know I can do something to reduce my footprint and its danger to flora and fauna.
Important to stay aware of our materials...and so easy to forget. Thank you for the proper reminder!
You are so welcome!
Thank you for looking into this. The issue hadn't occurred to me.
OMG 😱 I wasn't aware of this either 😢, second donut here I guess ! 😆 Thank you so much Toby for this very much eye opening video, I will for sure be more cautious with this moving forward 🙏🌍❤️
Two donuts is better than one
Never even crossed my mind !! Something to definitely think about and act..... thank you !!!!!!!
Pleasure!
Thank you for covering this topic of toxicity. It is a topic that I try to ignore, but it’s only a matter of time before I have to face the facts. Why is it that the beautiful paints are the toxic ones 😭.
I believe it's sods law :/
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. Yes, I stopped buying cadmium colors a couple of years ago.
Dear Tony
You are an excellent artist and teacher. I agree, that it is important to be aware of possible toxicity. As you say a few times, you are not an expert on this subject (neither am I). But remember, Paracelsus said: all things are poisonous, it just depends on the dosis. For example, zinc oxide (found in chinese white) is generally found in skin creams, baby powders and lip balsam. If you eat a few large tins of it, you might be harmed. In the same way, substances which are considered to be non-toxic can kill you. Drink 20 litres of water (as some have done as a prank) and you will probably die of it.
I think it would be great, if you could get hold of a good toxicologist and invite him or her to appear in a video.
Thank you for this information!!!
You are so welcome!
I've thought about this, too. I have a small bathroom attached to my studio and the sink there gets all of my dirty watercolor water, brush cleaning, inks - including India Inks being washed off brushes. I'm also a collage artist, so paste and heavy gel mediums like that also get rinsed down that sink. My initial concern was my own plumbing, but you have gotten me thinking more globally about this. Thank you.
Thanks for this, Toby. I had not thought about this issue either. I like the outdoors (somewhere) sand bucket idea. Filtration would leave behind anything that's water soluble. I'll take a hard look at my pigments for sure.
Thanks!
They are toxic, but only if you invest them in large quantities
Thanks for the info :)
@@TobySketchLooseI hope you mean the potential danger is if you ingest, rather than invest, because I have definitely spent too much money on watercolours already! 😂. On a more serious note, I do make sure I don’t eat or snack while painting and wash my hands after painting or before I eat……
I have purposely not used acrylic and oil paints for fear I of toxicity but I do worry about disposing of my watercolors! Thanks for raising the issue
You are so welcome!
Really interesting and thought provoking. Thanks for raising the issue.
Thanks for doing this video it certainly makes you think. I recently got a W&N Professional paint set from Cass Art with 18 pans and the red and yellow are cadmium free. For me they seem fine but ironically I have seen people complain about that whereas by the sounds of it that's an example of a manufacturer doing the right thing and personally, although some of my other paints will I think contain toxic chemicals, I am glad that at least a few that normally would now don't. I have emailed Derwent to ask about their Inktense paint pans and XL blocks as my son uses those and also the Graphitint paint pans as I have those as well. You worried me a bit when you mentioned acrylics being worse as I have just started using those quite heavily with a new gel printing plate.
Very important issue.T Y Toby for addressing it clearly and honestly. I am recovering at home for a bit so this is the perfect time to increase my knowledge and make some changes. We live in Ireland so cobalt skies are infrequent. Could also try shifting sky horizons and maybe not use as much cobalt. Would like to hear/find as many options as possible. Frances
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for bringing up this topic. Being aware is very important, than you might not buy toxic colors in the future. There are colors with the name "enviromental friendly" and really toxic ones are luckily forbidden and exchanged with synthetic ones. They are called "hue". So if you buy these chances are, you are on the safer side. In my opinion there is no point in throwing away cadmium or chromium colors, I already own, because they already exist. I will rather use them, but don't buy them anymore. And I will avoid contaminating water as much as possible and use rags instead to soak them up and throw them in the waste to be burned. With the used water I do the pouring method, let it sit for a long time (I have a big bottle and collect all these residues) and try to decant as little "dirt" as possible. The heavy metals tend to settle to the ground as they are "heavy", which is why they granulate and separate while painting.
Addition: if you use rags instead of paper towels, don't wash them out, when they are really dirty. You will end up with contaminated water. Throw them away and use a fresh piece.
It seems that winsor and newton watercolors are non toxic. I just checked my Cotman tubes and rhe cobalt blue had the AP seal😅. Their webpage also says their color are cadmium-free.
I also checked on the internet and this is the information that pops up about their toxicity:
May be slightly irritating to eyes. Acute and chronic health hazards No specific health hazards known. Ecotoxicity Not regarded as dangerous for the environment. However, large or frequent spills may have hazardous effects on the environment.
Most of the student or cotman type brands will be non-toxic - things like cadmium and cobalt are expensive, so they will normally actually be a 'hue' rather than a true pigment :)
Ah, now I see why the word hue is at the end of the name haha. Thank you for the info!
I understand the concern here and admit I hadn’t thought of this before now either. It’s important to keep dosage in perspective when talking about toxicity. Most casual artists would come in to contact or dispose of very very minor amounts and therefore would be at a very low or negligible risk of toxic side effects. However, cumulative effects on the environment from things such as the rinse water disposals are worth taking care over, as we load our environment with so many sources of toxicity, it adds up heavily.
I’m thinking now of how to dispose of the water when out and about urban sketching. Apologies to the little plants or grass that I have previously tipped my dirty paint water onto! Maybe a jar with a lid will be in my kit now, so I can responsibly dispose of it when I’m back home.
Yes, this was my concern too - not so much about myself, rather about my effect on what's around me.
I imagine I'm the only donut in the factory who didn't know this! But I'm also sure that watercolours are safer than a lot of other paints.
I'm going to make some sensible changes to my practices and my palette to minimise the risks - but what do you make of all of this?
I think this is much ado about nothing. You get more toxicity in your body through driving a car on the road than using watercolor paints.... the amount of contamantion you are doing by throwing your water down the drain is NOTHING compared to the amount of chemicals dumped by manufactures/businesses in 3 seconds. Keep your cads and other paints, use them, enjoy them and just doing use 2 plastic bottles in a day - the earth with still thank you!
Honestly, it's a rabbit hole. Have you checked the ferrules of all your painted brush handles for nickel or lead or the paint on them? How about long term exposure to the sizing on the processed papers? All we can do is the best we can do. To each their own, but I'm not worried about my watercolors.
Thanks for bringing up this topic. In the beginning I was completely unaware and dumped all my paint water down the drain. 🤡 Only after having allergic reactions to some paint I got on my hand I started to learn about ingredients and metals in paint.
Now I also choose non Cadmium and Cobalt paints and wait for sediment to accumulate in my paint jars. No need to add to environment pollution and small changes still have impact in my opinion.
I had an allergic reaction the the nickel in the ferrules! @@Rauni.
Thank you for talking about toxins in art supplies!
There is a company that sells non toxic paints & pigments called Natural Earth Paints - you can mix your own paints and know exactly what's in them.
For those concerned, some papers also contain fungicides.
I have to be obsessively cautious about everything - I have a severe chemical sensitivity after surviving toxic black mold poisoning.
Thank you for this video. I have extreme chemical sensitivity and must stay away from toxic chemicals. I’m talking colbalt off my pallet.
I contacted the Recycling Council of BC (in Canada where I live) about the official recommendation for disposing of paint waste, such as brush water. For brush water, they suggested the best solution is to let the water evaporate from the waste bin containing the discarded brush water and then dispose of the remaining pigment in the regular trash. Modern landfills in Canada are designed with multiple layers of liner materials and leachate collection systems to prevent hazardous waste from contaminating groundwater. Alternatively, in municipalities with modernized water filtration treatment, one could pour the watercolor water down the drain, but this is not as ideal, especially for paints containing hazardous materials, which are better disposed of in landfills to avoid the risk of any water pollution.
Silliness! The amount of toxins going down the drain from a single user watercolor artist is next to nothing... how about we worry about the industries that are destroying the planet instead? Have you seen what a single shop in India/China/Pakistan does to the planet in 30 seconds of creation? THAT is what should be stopped... not 8 oz of diluted cadmium watercolor paint.
Thanks Sam!
The way i see this , anyone with a conscious will be aware to do the right thing, weather that is to reduce the amount of paints used that are causing the problem, or by any of the recycling methods you spoke of. I will think about changing my ideas of which colours to use. As i see those methods of recycling is just moving the same problem to another place. Also there are many things that could be changed, ie food packaging, distribution of food & distances traveled, technology, so we won't let this spoil our enjoyment & sence of wellness. Thank you for sharing. Kind regards Karen.
A very interesting video. I am also a photographer and I used to have a darkroom in my basement. Traditional film photography is a very toxic and environmentally problematic art and I was always concerned about the toxicity. Digital photography pretty much ended the necessity for a darkroom and all of those nasty chemicals. It would be great if you could invite a chemistry expert to discuss the level of toxic chemicals in our paints. Is the level minuscule or something to be worried about? Paints have a long history of toxicity and unless we all want to switch to digital and use a tablet the level of toxicity that is "acceptable" will remain a personal choice and expert advice would help with that decision.
Very good to know. My Meeden, Arteza, Kuretake and Derwent are non-toxic. I also have Winsor Newton - they are ok. Checking is a great idea!
This is really useful and something, I have to admit, I've been ignorant to. I've seen, for example, cadmium free paints on watercolour colour charts, but not really gone into the details. I've just looked on an ink close at hand out of interest (eg Winsor Newton) and it has the ACMI-AP label on the bottle and packaging. It's not only the potential harm to us (albeit minuscule), but also what goes into the wastewater as you explain.
Glad it was helpful!
Good information! Thank you! 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Good point! I recently bought Schmincke Horadam colours and they have a pdf file (english and german) on their homepage in which all of them are listed with their chemical name. This makes it easy to research if they are toxic. They even usually point out which colours contain toxic components and offer alternatives.
Good to know!
Thanks! What is the name of that file, please?
I believe it's the SDS (safety data sheet) @@awatercolourist
@@TobySketchLoose I’ve never come across a Schmincke SDS that lists so the chemicals in detail. I think I’ve only seen Cornelissen do that.
Nooooo!!!! Cobalt and all its variations are such lovely colours! Of course, I'm not surprised is toxic because it's so vibrant. Thank you Toby for being honest and sharing your findings. In Australia, I can just leave my water on the desk and it will evaporate naturally. I like the idea of a sand bucket. I would ask that you keep Betty away from it though. You just never know. Coffee filter is a great idea for when you need to change the water, and I will try this one, and let you know how it goes. Forgive yourself though. We only use such a tiny amount of pigment compared to oil and acrylic media. Cheers!
Cobalt is so wonderful!
Don’t give it up! Just dispose of it carefully 😊
Guess I'll have to stop licking my palette then. 😇
:D
Personally, I never touch my paints, even student grade ones. I see many artists on YT wipe their paintings with their fingers, or even mix paint on their palms, which I don’t think is a good idea. Because of this video, I’m less likely to throw dirty paint water down the drain. Instead, I’ll wipe the residues at the bottom of my rinse cup with a paper towel and dispose in the trash. I can’t save the world, but hopefully I can at least avoid getting cancer and/or contributing to polluting the earth. Thanks, Toby!!
Thank you for helping us understand about the toxins, i will also move away from cobalt and set up a sand bucket.
Great video. One point is that for example Cadmium Red Hue color from DS doesn't contain cadmium. It derives the same hue/color by other means. Also it would be interesting to get an idea of what is the actual amount of any given substance that is concerning in a tube of paint. For me a 15ml tube of paint lasts me quite a while. Thanks for the sand bucket info. I'm going to try that. I also live in the country where we are on a septic system not city waste water. So the actual physical fine silt is an issue. Wonder if anyone makes a Cobalt Hue paint?
There are cobalt hues (e.g. in the cotman set)
It is interesting that Daniel Smith has stopped using cadmium in their paints in favour of their ACMI (Approved Product) hue formulations.
The problem isn’t finding a matching hue, the problem is finding a paint with similar properties, particularly granulation and liftability. Cobalt teal and cobalt turquoise, though, will be tricky to emulate. Even their hues are difficult to get.
Hi Toby, thank you for taking the time to share this. I would be really curious to know what it was specifically that raised your concern after being and artist for so long? I love your channel and style of teaching and felt that this video didn't seem as much 'you' as you usually are. I would love to know what it was that prompted you to post this rather than your wonderful art? You always come across as so positive, uplifting and inspiring. I see that you are caring too and consider the bigger picture which is a lovely quality.
However, for me personally, on the grand scale of environmental pollutions, I feel that there are way bigger 'fish to fry' than watercolour artists, particularly since most of us are extremely frugal and sparing with paint in the first place! :) I would re-consider 'evaporating' my very, very, very dilute paint water, when all fast food 'drive-in's' close en-masse for starters. With regards to disposing of the paints themselves, I can't imagine many of us waste drop!
In the meantime, being aware of the issues relating to cadmium and cobalt, I do sincerely believe that opening a window and regular airing of the art room at home is sensible, as is with any non organic matter. For any miniscule residue left in discarded paint water, I believe our local water treatment facilities could cope with this if, as they claim, they can cope with such matter as household cleaning products.
I hope these comments come across as well intended as hoped.
Thanks again for all of your other inspiring videos, I'm sorry I just struggled with this a little.....
I am glad Toby did this video. It's good to know that there are more eco-friendly, nontoxic options out there--e.g., natural Earth pigments such as yellow, red, and orange ochres, Green Earth, and vivianite blue, as well as botanical sourced pigments such as Blue Indigo, Maya Blue and Genuine Madder red. I am inspired by sustainable artists who approach art as a way of being in relationship with nature--from the sourcing/making of the medium to the end result. I like the idea of using colors that I feel comfortable with dumping my brush water in my "backyard".
Hi, your comments have made me think again Sam, thank you. Particularly in consideration of art being in a relationship with nature. Your alternative colour suggestions are really helpful too.
I do love Tobys channel and teaching, he's helped me progress such a lot. I think in hindsight my frustration was not with Toby's discussion, I was perhaps projecting my frustration with the 'bigger picture' of the world. Art and nature are a beautiful escape. Your comments have added much deserved balance and hit a chord with me, thank you 😊
thankyou for this valuable information...I had naively assumed safety in using watercolours and will change my approach...further information would also be of vaue as it is available from any and all sources, thankyou again
My pleasure 😊
I love Cobalt colors, and the Mijello Mission Gold 34 Pure Pigments gives you five cobalt blues and greens and one black -- it's a great value. I was glad to read on that email from Mijello that they use treated cobalt to make it safer? Would love more info on that.
All that stuff you mention all come from environment so what's problem 2tips don't eat your paint and don't drink the water you clean brushes in
I think it's in the environment - but in different forms, and not extracted and concentrated. Thought I definitely agree with your tips :D
I attended helped with small children over 40 years ago & the lady I assisted was a ceramics maker?, she mentioned at that time that what she used to glaze etc. with contained chemicals that could be toxic, she was also very aware of water, wastage, rarity, how precious it is to us humans. So although I‘ve tried to push it to the back of my mind I peculiarly talked to my husband recently about the toxicity of my watercolour paints not realising that oils & acrylic were more toxic. I was wondering on changing my water about the sediment left & will,definitely try the coffee filter method. I guess if we all become a little more aware this will help us & our planet. I use mainly Schmincke & will write to them & ask for information. Thanks for making us all more aware.
My pleasure
Though it's very good to be conscious about the risks of toxic pigments, I think you may be a bit too worried.
First of we are dealing with pigments suspened in water and a binder. That means no toxic fumes; the toxic part of the paint doesn't evaporate. Also, unless you are doing crazy things or work with pure pigment, no dust.
Don't drink the paint water😂
And the amounts of pigment you are getting rid of afterca session are pretty small.
The method you describe is very good (pouring the water of the sediment, and disposing separately) as I live out in the country with a septic tank I will be sure to adopt that when I have used my cadmium red and yellow.
I think you're right! I just felt pretty silly for not realising this stuff (beyond cadmium, which I've always avoided)
I have tried to work my way out of toxic colors, but it is a wrench. After years of using cadmium reds and yellows, I’ve gotten them out of my palette. But cobalt is used all over the place so I haven’t quite managed that.
I bought some Rosa watercolors without paying enough attention and they are delicious colors but full of toxins including cadmium.
I’m puzzled by the zinc caution. Zinc and titanium are both used in skin care products. Also, zinc is included in some vitamin/mineral supplements. It must be something about the manufacturing process or the quantity.
Another worry is the factory workers’ health. I try to stick with products labeled as manufactured in countries with rules. But that doesn’t help the miners or other workers in the pigment supply industry.
It is all very complicated. I appreciate the sand bucket advice!
It is all very confusing and complicated hehe - thanks for the comment :)
I collect my watercolour waste water in large plastic bottles and when they’re full bring them to the recycling centre where they collect and properly dispose of toxic waste, including other types of household paints and chemicals etc (I live in Sweden)
Thank you for raising this issue and bringing more awareness to it 👍
Great info
Any thoughts on diy watercolour from natural materials, maybe plants or minerals that might be found in the garden? Is this possible and if so is it viable?
There are lots of pigments like this - a few people in the comments have mentioned specific brands, and a lovely small company/individual is sending me some hand made pigments in the next few weeks too which I hope fit this bill too.
I love Cobalts, but I won’t deny that there is a bit of guilt attached to that. I don’t really use Cadmium that much. The other paint I really love is Nickel Azo Yellow, which contains Nickel. Phthalocyanine Blue is also problematic because it contains copper (phthalocyanine turquoise does not contain copper). Ultramarine in itself is not toxic or harmful to the environment (as far as I know) but I read on Wikipedia that the production method does harm the environment. Sigh 😔. A bit of a moral dilemma we have here.
Haha there goes my perfect plan of using maganese blue hue and ultramarine blue...
@@TobySketchLoose 😂 I think we need to accept that we polite the environment one way or another. 😭
If one is using the pure evaporation (non-sand) method, one may want to put a screen on the evaporation bucket, when placed outdoors, to prevent animals such as insects from getting into it.
Great point
One thing I would add is that if anyone chooses to let the pigment settle out or evaporate from a container outside, you must locate and cover it so that birds and other wildlife cannot access it! It is critical when plein air painting to have one or more sealed water containers to take the water home to deal with. I paint regularly in national parks near me and have been very aware of these heavy metals for some time (a few are still being used up that I acquired in my early paint days).
Toby, I don't think you should feel bad about this. What's more important is that you are sharing what you've learned and are opening a conversation. Now, the ones who should feel they are contributing are all the publishers (& well known artists!) who continue to use/recommend heavy metal paints...I have so many watercolour how to books originating in the UK that almost universally call for cadmiums, it's crazy. The publisher (in conjunction with the artist) could certainly be inserting a sheet of info and potential substitutes within the book! New artists often follow supply recommendations to the letter and just don't know any better.
Great point, and thanks for the reassurance :)
The biggest problem with these toxic pigments is the threat to the health of the people who mine them, many who are children, the people, animals, water, and plant life living near the mines and the environmental damage the mining does.
I never hear this discussed in videos about the toxicity of some paints.
We can be as cautious as possible, but the worst damage has been done long before we use any paint.
The only thing to do is not buy them. And it's the easiest thing to do.
I hadn't thought of this, but a few people have mentioned it - I'll pin your comment at the top, I think it's a really valuable addition to the conversation!
Does the pleasure have to be taken out of absolutely everything!🤦🏼♀️
Ahh it's not that bad - I find pleasure in watercolours just the same. I've just got a little more awareness now :)
I have been using Viviva paints for a while and they are entirely vegetable dyes so no heavy metals.
I like the idea of wiping your brush on toweling first. What about using only water brushes instead of traditional brushes. Could always stop painting altogether with whatever medium and find the beauty in sketching and shading with graphite pencils and charcoal.
Using water brushes is a good idea particular for when one is travelling as you can just use a paper towel to clean the water brush when needed instead of a container of water. Recently, I've watched a couple of wonderful watercoloring videos on using instant coffee which makes a lovely brown pigment, so there are definitely some very non-toxic options out there.
Thanks for the comment and thougts!
How about a bucket of kitty litter... absorb clip then dispose...
genius!
I just did an acrylics course where our tutor brought in black bags of cat litter for us to tip our water into. Apparently, lots of acrylic artists do this. It’s really absorbent and then goes into landfill. Am going to buy a bag for my watercolour at home.
@@katethacker9408 yes im looking into a pail with a lid to put the litter in....i like the idea of a bag for the liner of my pail thanks for the info....
I am very careful about the paints I use. I have cats and they are drawn to my water. I cover my rinse water by using canning jars with lids. I am not perfect or purrfect in this instance but try to stop the problem by choosing the nontoxic pigments with the information that I have available. Some of the American art stores like Cheap Joe's have a warning mark on specific paints in their sales listing.
Thanks Erin for the info
Yeah, pretty much everything these days seems to have an “it’s toxic” following. I don’t eat paint, animals aren’t stupid, and these minerals occur naturally in nature, so … but thanks for the info.
I’m from the chase DDT spraying truck days. No cancer, no nut or bread allergies, no high blood pressure … we didn’t wear helmets riding bikes and what’s a seatbelt on a school bus. 😁 Not that use of toxins shouldn’t be an issue or taken seriously but ,imho, we’re becoming “ninnies” about everything.
Many public rubbish dumps in New Zealand have containers where you can dispose of unused house paint. They may also take old watercolour tubes or maybe even the sand from the sand trap. It might be worth asking your local refuse disposal centre. Glenda (haven't worked out how to give me a name on youtube yet!)
I’m going to try the sand method in our outdoor shed. Maybe it will kill the back widows!
I wasn't aware of the ACMI and AP labeling maybe the manufactures should make a big thing of this?
As Well as prominent artists like yourself making a stand on not using or only using paints and materials that are correctly labeled?
Kindest regards mickT
Indeed I wasn't aware of these labels! I'm going to have a look at my palette to see what I can change up for sure, expect a video in the next month!
What about using watercolors made with food dyes (non-toxic watercolors for children)? I think that they are not lightfast, but I haven't tested it.
An interesting idea! I've not tried!
I'm aware of the toxicity of the heavy metals in certain paints. My question is, I keep all my pans and tubes in my bedroom. Will that have harmful effect on my body in the long run since I spend so many time with them in the same room? There are many paints that contain cobalt, nickel, chromium among them. I'm concerned if they would diffuse into the air over time. Or is it just overthinking? I can't find any answer to this on google.
I think the issue is mostly one for the environment - tubes shouldn't allow any evaporation or such, they'll stay good and wet for years. Others have also commented that the dust etc. won't be entering the air even when evaporating :)
@@TobySketchLoose thank you :)
The neon sign on your wall is more toxic than your entire watercolor palette.
It's actually not neon - it' uses acrylic and LED - instead of glass and neon. So, it's about as toxic as any other plastic. And it's also about a tenth the price. They sell them as 'neon' but they're 'neon effect'.
Sorry to disappoint :D
And the moral of the story is... don't eat your paints.
Michaelangelo lived to 88, Picasso lived to 91, Salvador Dali lived to 84, and the paints they used were considerably more toxic than anything we are likely to use, and they used them more often, and in far greater quantities. They also, for the most part, made their own paints, grinding toxic substances to an incredibly fine dust-like powder, before mixing with their chosen medium.
Ultimately, if we obsess over every potentially toxic substance, even in the minutest quantities, in everything we come in contact with, every minute of every day, we may have many, many years in our life, but we will have very little life in our years.
Do you know how many naturally occurring toxic and carcinogenic substances are in the vegetables we eat every day, substances the plants themselves make? Check it out sometime, it's horrifying. You may never want to eat another veggie again. Lol
Very good point. My main personal concern regards the potential effect on the enivornment - which appears to be rather an unknown, and as many have pointed out as well, the mining process for some of these minerals can be rather an exploitative business that is posing health risks to workers for my benefit. So that's why I choose to think about my own actions and values.
Absolutely no issue with people making their own minds up, and at no point do I want to instruct other people to do what they want with their paints or their thoughts, that would be rather Orwellian!
I would point out that comparing the diversity of substances within vegetables with a concentrated and chemically extracted compound is a total logical fallacy/straw man argument... and eating vegetables has a net benefit and anti-carcinogenic properties due to the vast array of protective compounds. So the body of evidence says vegetables help, rather than hinder.
If I know about anything other than being a pretty average artist, it's vegetables (and running) ;)
@TobySketchLoose wow, I was a little surprised at how defensive you got over my comment, it was never meant as a dig at you or your concerns about the environment, although looking back, I can see how it might be taken that way. It was more a response to some people in the comments obsessing about things like how toxic are the fumes from drying watercolour paints, or the evaporating water from the jar used to clean the brushes, or they forgot to wash their hands before eating a sandwich, and now they are wondering if they have poisoned themselves (hence the reference to toxins in veggies, which was meant as a lighthearted comparison, not a serious philosophical debate dependent on rule-specific argument style).
I realize you don't know me from a bar of soap, you aren't going to remember every random person who comments, but I have always been supportive of your work, even when others in the comments have been rude about your style or choices. I have always found your tutorials more helpful than those of some of the big fancy channels. Anyway, I hope your day get brighter... and a little less serious. Cheers from New Zealand.
I appreciate what you're saying, but I have no idea about the quantities of toxic substances, I am sure there are worse hazards in the environment, only I can't really tell..
I’ve thought about the environmental impact of my paints a lot and watercolour in far less impactful than oil or acrylic. Paper making has huge environmental impact via energy and water use. Growing cotton uses massive amounts of water. Sable and squirrel brushes have cruelty issues. Synthetic brushes introduce plastics…. My conclusion is that driving to the art shop has more impact than the paint. I am NOT saying ignore it, but look at where the greater improvement can be made. Moving on to chemicals, remember the formulation is crucial. Both sodium and chlorine are highly dangerous elements, but we die without sodium chloride. Yes, it is important and yes It is complicated. Consider your cobalt carefully, but better to get rid of your tumble dryer or car…. (And never lick your brush)
Thanks Liz, really useful to hear your perspective :)
Come on, Toby, this is a bit of scaremongering, surely? The amount of minerals used in painting is miniscule and I would doubt, very little to worry about. If you want to be worried about what goes down the drain look at acrylics an dyes used in house paint when people wash off rollers and brushes.
Those acrylics are microplastics that get into pond and river life and thence to fishes. But even far worse is the amount of microplastics that come from washing synthetic materials, fleeces, polyester shirts, acrylic jumpers etc. It amounts to 34% (source ROCK) of the total microplastics in rivers. Another 32% comes from car tyres on road surfaces and 7% from thermoplastic road markings. So wear wool and cotton and dump the car - walk! (As if!)
I haven't used much cadmium in the past and cobalt blue isn't one of my favourite colours either, but what of ultramarine (lapis lazuli), manganese, or sienna? What about the dyes used, dioxazine for example? I just don't see artists as a threat to world health.
I'm sure you're right, but it's good to be aware so one can make their own decisions. My take on it was, essentially, that there isn't much evidence out there - and you may as well do what you feel is the right thing!
I am sure you are right, there are much more problematic themes out there, but you shout not lik your brush to form a nice point. On the other hand: The high quality brands try to avoid toxic colors and find recepice to replace them, why should high quality artists not think about this topic, buy better colors and honor the efforts.
@@TobySketchLoose & @schuhujin5019 - I took a look at all my colours and every one had an AP on it except the cobalt blue, which as I said I don't partuclarly like. It's a SAA colour and their Umber doesn't have an AP on it either, yet N&W's does. My old tubes of Van Gogh don't have an AP mark, but then I bought them in Spain many years ago to try out.
I pointed out the problems with acrylics because river care and restoration have been my priorities over the past 12 years since retiring and this is a far more worrying matter.
Oh almost everything is toxic. Ugh
@@WolfmanWoody River care and restoration sounds great 👍
I dump all used paint water into empty juice, kitty litter, etc. bottles and send to the landfill with my trash. Switching colors is a good idea too. Experiment time!
Good work :)
Cobalt mining is also a human rights issue because child labor is used in places where there is little to no oversight. I'll use up what I have but I won't be buying more. It's in our cell phone batteries and lots of other products too, but I feel I can at least use alternatives in my art supplies.
Thanks Susan for the info!
YES. The mining of these pigments is a far, far greater concern than disposing of paint water. I never see videos discussing this at all.
Using cat sand is a good way to solidify your paint water so that it can be disposed off through the garbage and doesn't end up in waterways.🐱
Wow. Not your fault for getting it wrong. You did not know about it like the rest of us. The product manufacturers should be help accountable for not labeling their product properly. watercolour paints are used in daycare and schools. For now I am going to bring out my Good British quality watercolour pencils. Please do not feel responsible for Ny of this as adults we should be looking into what we buy. We can’t be to obsessive like the previous lady mentioned just be more knowledgeable about what paints we buy.
T
Checkout “The Artist’s Complete Health and Safety Guide” by Monona Rossol.
One perfect solution is "Go Digital"😛
Haha yup
But they use Nickel and Cobalt inside phones etc
Hi toby i follow a watercolour artist called jenny rainey who has changed all her pallet to non toxic paint give her a try.
I don’t eat my paint🤔 most things can have a negative impact on both humans and animals! However, standing on the street with your child exposes you to ridiculous levels of carbon monoxide, particularly since the level of land clearing has removed trees that help to filter our oxygen😞 just don’t eat your paint or drink your paint water🤷🏻♀️
Hehe I'll change my dinner plans ;)
I didn’t mean to sound sarcastic…the information you provided is very informative and important to know, but there are some in art groups im in who honestly act like it’s the most toxic thing on the planet! Thank you for sharing great information☺️🙏
Don't worry Lisa, I'm just a bit facetious with my humour sometimes. Absolutely no offence taken my end :)@@lisaspencer9522
I never thought about the disposing of the watercolor liquid, after usage, we toss it down the drain, or dump it on the grass...
It's very considerate thinking about that Toby. 🤔
I’m in USA - although it might be good to have an awareness of paint products, (thanks), I truly believe there are far more “approved” toxins in our food (since fda (used to be food drug administration) is now more commonly known of fraud and destruction (or ‘death’ if not quick enough to pick it up!) the reason for this is because Ise thd food is connected to “drug” which is a business and like cancer ( which is merely a fungal issue) is blown up to terrify the public into keeping their ‘cancer’ institutions in business!
(I trained in all the Manchester hospital groups since January 1969 the exact same so called care has not changed in all these decades with the same death rate (when all cancer is cancer is fungus!)
The scare tactics are basicly greed.
These environmental scare tactics are pride to even think we could have any impact on thd “world” & GOD LAUGHS!
me, too!
Don’t worry about it Toby! Relax & enjoy your magnificent doddles of fun art!!!
I think if you just eliminate using the "toxic" materials there will b no problems ...simple !
Quite right!
That you think about this problem showes me once again why i like your channel. Many people, especialy youtubers and influencers dont cate much about that topic.
For me as an environmentalist (i am not shure if that is the right word in english 😅🫣) it is realy important. (Thats why i also buy synthetic brushes only, because of the animal cruelty) I always check the colours before buying them and sometimes that is realy annoying because i have the feeling some brands try to hide this informations as good as they can. Schmincke for example has a warning noti e only on the big tubes but not on the pans. They say it is because of the small size but i dont see a problem to bring the warning notice on them in a smaller size. 🤷🏻 Also they dont show the warning notice on the homepage if you select a particular colour....and there would be enough space for it, ay? 🙄
So why i do all this? Because i want to have fun while painting, i want to do something good. Making people and myself happy. I dont want to feel guilty of destroying the environment ore of supporting animal cruelty. That would take all the fun and good things away from the art i love so much. 🙃 I would just wish that the companys would make it easier to check the colours and that they try to find other options for the bad ingredientses so that it is not that sort of a pain in the arse if you want to buy a new colour you need in your palett. 😅😅
Greetings from Germany ✌🏻
That is some interesting info! Thanks for your thoughts 🙏