Dear Art Lovers,

I thought it would be fitting to kick off my blog with a post about safe studio practices for oil painters. There are many things to consider, and if this topic feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Below you’ll find tips and guidelines to help you keep your painting sessions safe. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refresh your knowledge, these practices will help you maintain a healthy environment in your studio.

Solvents

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about painting safety is solvents, and for good reason. Solvents like turpentine and white spirit are not entirely safe. They can cause eye irritation, headaches, and in severe cases, even central nervous system complications when inhaled in excessive quantities. Additionally, they can cause irritation and dermatitis when coming into contact with skin.¹

Still, this doesn’t mean we heave to ditch solvent altogether. If you use solvents like white spirit or turpentine, it’s important to ensure your studio is well-ventilated to minimize exposure to harmful fumes. Keep your windows open whenever possible to allow fresh air to circulate. Also, turpentine and white spirit have low to moderate volatility, which means that they will evaporate quite slowly at normal temperatures.² If you use solvents sparingly and keep your room well-ventilated, you can significantly minimize the risks of developing any health concerns. Here are some tips that might help:

• Keep your solvents in tightly closed jars and keep them closed when not using to minimize your exposure to vapors

• Use gloves to avoid skin contact

• Never attempt to smell the solvent directly from the bottle

• Different people may have different reactions, so if you experience issues like headaches after painting, solvent might be the cause

Nowadays, there are new solvent options on the market, offering safer alternatives for artists who want to minimize exposure to solvent fumes. One of these options is low-odor solvents like Gamsol and Sansodor, which are less toxic because most of the harmful aromatic hydrocarbons have been removed through a process of refining.³ However, they are still mineral spirits, so it is important to use them cautiously.

Other solvent options are continually emerging. There are new solvents made from plant ingredients like Zest-it, Sennelier Green for Oil, Chelsea Classical Studio Lavender Brush Cleaner and others. Depending on the specific solvent, they are either non-toxic or have low toxicity. Another option to try is oil of spike lavender, which was traditionally used by artists before turpentine became common. The main drawback of these options is that they are often much more expensive and not as widely available. When choosing an alternative solvent, it’s best to check the safety information to understand what is inside and to make sure it is suitable for your needs. Not all alternative solvents can be used for thinning paint and many will not dilute resins, such as dammar.

Fire safety

Turpentine and mineral solvents are highly flammable, which means that there are several precautions we have to take when using them:

• Don’t leave rags soaked with solvent or paint lying around as they can spontaneously combust

• Have a waste bin made of metal with a tight-fitting lid and empty it after every painting day. Metal waste container will keep the fire from spreading in case of combustion. The lid will not only help with fire safety, but will also contain evaporation from solvent-soaked rags

• Avoid open flame, like candles. If you need to paint one, keep your materials away from the flame

Paints

Oil paints are not considered flammable and generally, they are not hazardous to your health. However, certain pigments can be toxic.

Cadmium

The pigment that often comes to mind when discussing paint toxicity is cadmium. Cadmium is a known carcinogen and presents the greatest health risk if inhaled.⁴ Therefore, it is necessary to use a dust respirator when sanding paintings made with cadmium colors or working with cadmium in dry pigment form.

Cadmium oil paint, however, does not emit any fumes and thus poses virtually no risk of inhalation.⁵ When it comes to skin contact – only about 0.5% of cadmium is absorbed, making skin exposure a negligible route of entry.^{6 7} Nevertheless, it’s important to remain cautious – wearing gloves while painting is best, as it is easy to unintentionally touch your face which can lead to accidental ingestion.

Contemporary paint manufacturers and pigment producers strive to reduce cadmium toxicity by developing cadmium pigments that are less soluble in the human digestive system. Some paint manufacturers, like Gamblin, even state that their cadmiums do not require a health-warning label for skin contact or ingestion and that gloves are not necessary when working with them.⁸

There is a lot of discourse online around cadmium safety. One thing I want to address is the concern that getting cadmium paint on your skin can lead to cancer. There is not enought evidence to back that up. Most of the reasearch on cadmium toxicity focuses on more common routes of exposure such as inhalation and ingestion, since skin absorbtion is so low. For comparison, smoking, or even secondhand inhalation of smoke, is a much more dangerous and well-documented source of cadmium toxicity.⁹

Cadmium is also an environmental hazard, so take care when disposing of waste containing this pigment.

Lead white

Lead is a highly poisonous chemical and can cause severe health issues if poisoning occurs. Lead, or flake white has been used by artists and artisans since ancient times and well into the nineteenth century. There has been speculation that some painters, such as Goya and Caravaggio, may have suffered from lead poisoning.^{10 11} Few art suppliers still produce lead white and only because of its excellent archival qualities.

The biggest risk of lead poisoning is through the inhalation of lead particles and ingestion.¹² Studies show that lead can be absorbed through the skin,¹³ so wear protective gloves if working with lead white. Be very careful to make sure that paint doesn’t accidentally get on your face, or near your mouth and eyes. Avoid using dry lead white pigment, but if you have to – wear a respirator and protect your skin from exposure.

Cobalt

Cobalt is another pigment that might be toxic. You have to be exposed to very large quantities of cobalt to develop any health issues however. Just as with cadmium, the biggest danger is inhaling cobalt into your lungs.¹⁴ This can happen when working with dry pigments to make your own paint, or sanding a painting. In such cases, you should always wear a respirator.

✧ Materials may vary slightly from one manufacturer to the next. You can check data sheets for your materials like the ones I provide below

Oil & mediums

Oils that are used in oil painting are vegetable oils such as linseed, poppy, walnut and safflower oil. These are drying oils, which means that they will slowly harden after prolonged contact with air, and are especially formulated for artist use. They are not the same as their kitchen counterparts, so please don’t try to swap one for another 😊 The oil most commonly used in oil painting is linseed oil, which is not toxic, however, it is combustable. Remember not to leave rags soaked with oil or oil paint lying around as they can slowly heat up through oxidation and catch fire.

Painting mediums can vary a lot in their contents. They can contain drying oil, solvent, resin, wax, varnish, dryer etc in different combinations. It is best to check the safety information of the specific medium you are using to ensure you know how to handle it properly.

Food – Don’t eat or drink in your studio. If you do decide to drink something in between your work (which let’s be real, you probably will) make sure that you wash your hands first and that your painting materials don’t get anywhere near your mouth

Pets – If you have pets, keep them out of the studio if possible, or keep your materials out of reach. None of the art supplies are safe for animals. My cat would know all about this from the time when I still painted at home and he got to dip his paw in some Phthalo blue 🐾

Tips for a more environmentally friendly practice

• Don’t pour any of the materials down the drain. If washing brushes in the sink, get rid of the majority of paint by washing them in solvent, oil or a brush cleaning liquid first. This will limit the amount of pigment that goes into the drain (as some pigments are hazardous for nature and wildlife) and will keep your sink from getting clogged

• Pour the used solvent into a jar and let it sit for a couple of days until the pigment settles at the bottom. Once the pigment has settled, you will have clean solvent that you can pour into a new container and reuse

Takeaways

While it’s true that oil painting is not entirely risk-free, understanding the materials we work with and being aware of those that can pose a health risk can help us ensure our safety and peace of mind when painting.

Handle all materials with care: ensure good ventilation to minimize exposure to solvent fumes, remember fire safety, and use protective gear like gloves and respirators when working with dry pigments. This will help you create a safe and enjoyable painting environment, allowing your studio time to be both fulfilling and worry-free.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and do not claim to be an expert on any health-related topics. Information in this post is not meant to be health advice. Always consult with your medical professional on the topics regarding your health.

Thank you for reading!

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment and start a conversation!

References

1. https://www.inchem.org/documents/hsg/hsg/hsg103.htm ↩︎
2. https://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics1063.htm ↩︎
3. https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2024/07/03/what-is-the-best-non-toxic-oil-painting-solvent/ ↩︎
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7312803/ ↩︎
5. https://gamblincolors.com/studio-safety/studio-safety-create-without-compromise/ ↩︎
6. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/cadmium/How-Are-People-Exposed-to-Cadmium.html#:~:text=There%20are%20negligible%20amounts%20of,of%20exposure%20to%20this%20chemical.&text=In%20the%20general%20population%2C%20exposure,if%20grown%20ion%20contaminated%20soil. ↩︎
7. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/cadmium/Biological-Fate.html ↩︎
8. https://gamblincolors.com/studio-safety/studio-safety-create-without-compromise/ ↩︎
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9995499/ ↩︎
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16604740/ ↩︎
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio#cite_note-65 ↩︎
12. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/leadtoxicity/exposure_routes.html ↩︎
13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3238426/ ↩︎
14. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002495.htm ↩︎

Materials safety data sheets

https://www.michaelharding.co.uk/project/safety-data-sheets

https://gamblincolors.com/studio-safety/sds

https://www.royaltalens.com/pages/safety-data-sheets