Sustainable Painting Practices
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You may be asking yourself, what does it mean to be a sustainable painter? How can I make my painting process more sustainable? Whether you paint with acrylics, oils or watercolors, there are steps that you can take to make your art more earth-friendly.
I want to share as much as I can about this process to help others make changes in their art practice that is further in line with their values and their love of this planet. So please read on and I hope you can find one or two products or pieces of advice that you can implement into your creative practice right away!
Most of the art supplies I purchase are from Natural Earth Paint, a woman-owned company powered by solar energy! All materials from Natural Earth Paint are non-toxic, free of additives and comes in biodegradable packaging (and now compostable packaging too!)
All other materials can be purchased through Blick Art Materials, which is a family-owned company, and my shipping materials are from Eco-enclose, which carries the most sustainable shipping materials available.
Paint
There are several earth-conscious changes you can make no matter what medium you work with.
If you paint with watercolor, you can use Natural Earth Paints pigments and make your own. Here is a guide to making your own watercolors! You can store them in watercolor pans so you can use and refill them whenever you need to.
If you paint with oils, it could not be more simple - all you need is oil and pigment. I started with the Complete Eco-friendly Oil Paint Kit. If you already own oil paints, you can also start small by switching over to pigments one at a time. Take a look at all the color options available and see which ones you can use to start your sustainable painting journey. Another thing to keep in mind is that oil painting often uses harmful solvents such as turpentine, and Natural Earth Paint has an eco-solve that can be used instead. As an added bonus, it smells great!
If you paint with acrylic, I think this is the best opportunity to make a change. Acrylic paint is plastic-based, so the water used to wash paintbrushes often gets dumped down sinks and winds up back in our drinking water. Natural Earth Paint has the first ever Natural Acrylic Medium that can be mixed with the same pigments they offer for oil painting and watercolors. You can paint on canvas, clothing, and a variety of surfaces just like regular acrylic paint but with the satisfaction of knowing you are using a product that is environmentally friendly.
Finally, with any completed work of art, you can protect your piece with Natural Varnish. It is made with 100% natural, non-toxic, plant-based, archival ingredients using time-tested recipes from the Renaissance. It will protect your artwork for years to come.
Paintbrushes
As a vegan, staying away from animal products of all kind is important from an ethical and ecological perspective.
This may be a controversial statement and some artists may disagree about this, but I personally find no difference using synthetic brushes as opposed to using brushes made from animal hair. It’s definitely based on personal choice and preference, but I am more comfortable with the fact that no animals were harmed in creating the art I create. My favorite brushes are Princeton Aspen series paintbrushes. I use their brushes in all sizes, but my favorites are the flat mottler brushes in 1 inch and 2 inch, and this four pack of long handle brushes that includes a Round 2, Bright 4, Filbert 6, and Flat 8.
Canvases
Walk into most art supply stores and you will find hundreds of canvases individually wrapped in single-use plastic. That thin, flimsy plastic that cannot be reused, and often cannot be recycled. When this plastic is placed in recycle bins, it can actually jam machines at recycling centers by getting caught in belts and other moving pieces that transport the recycling throughout the facility. As a result, it is not usually recycled and is thrown away instead. So if you purchase pre-stretched canvas, it’s best to also find a recycling option for the plastic. Trex has plastic bag and film recycling drop off locations all over the US. So when I buy canvases, I drop them off at a nearby location.
Another option is to stretch your own canvases! I have done this too and it is such a rewarding process. I buy stretcher bars from Blick, and organic cotton canvas from Natural Earth Paint. There are some great tutorials online for stretching your own canvases. All you need are the stretcher bars for the frame, canvas to cut to your size, canvas pliers, and a staple gun! You can even make your own gesso using this natural earth paint gesso kit since traditional gesso is made from acrylic paint which means… you guessed it, it’s made from plastic.
Shipping
When it comes to shipping, it is not always possible to avoid all plastic, when you want to ensure your painting is protected from the elements and arrived safely. So when it comes to shipping, I trust the advice from Eco-enclose for what to use for my various shipping needs. My go-to products are their rigid mailers for prints with extra corrugated cardboard to protect the print and keep it flat, and corrugated shipping boxes for canvases, wrapped in acid free paper, sealed with water-activated kraft paper tape and shipped with zero waste shipping labels. The only plastic used is bubble wrap to protect the painting (and I include a note encouraging collectors to reuse the bubble wrap if at all possible).
In the end, any small changes you can make towards a more earth-friendly art practice that reduces plastic and eliminates harsh or toxic materials it is good for the environment, and better for your health. I love that the pieces I create are archival quality, but I don’t have to worry about painting at home and exposing myself or my family to any harmful or toxic materials while creating these beautiful pieces of art. I hope this gives you some new ideas that you can include in your creative practice too!
