I use either Gamsol made by Gamblin or Lavender Spike Oil. Gamsol meets all of these requirements when used as recommended. Normally, these pigments cause the greatest harm when used in powder form. Even better, soak rags in water, and place them in an old jar or similar container and dispose of them outside in your household trashcan or apartment building dumpster. Simply put, our oil colors have always been solvent-free. Turpenoid, Gamsol and Turpentine are all flammable. When solvents are used, anything they come in contact with will in turn become combustible. There is a diversified selection of solvents available for use with oil paints. As a brush cleaner, it effectively removes oil colors from brushes to allow for clean mixing and application of color. Cobalt Blue is a compound of cobalt and aluminum. TOXIC FUMES . The old toxic paint thinners such as turpentine and mineral spirits have been upgraded to a newer and much safer Gamsol OMS, and some painters don’t use any solvents at all. There is no need to work with gloves when oil painting with cadmium or cobalt colors – or with any of our colors for that matter. Hi Earl, yes, I used Gamsol for about 20 years. I have developed chronic pain in my hands and chronic throat pain, and I’m trying to figure out if this is because of being a professional artist/painter. Since the alkyd resin is essentially a polymerized oil, it is compatible with the linseed oil binder of colors. Safer isn’t the same as safe . We’ve all heard the saying, “A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  This is especially true when working with the toxic materials associated with oil painting. We recommend you use NIOSH dust respirator if you sand surfaces made with a high percentage of Cadmium colors or work with cadmium in dry pigment form. I knew the symptoms were related to direct skin contact of pigments and solvents. molybdate orange cobalt blue There are several choices from a variety of manufacturers, stainless steel or metal paint brush washing bucket. Gamsol is the safest solvent that allows artists to work in traditional and contemporary techniques without compromise. Most solvents available to artists are produced for the industrial paint industry where solvent strength and low cost take priority over safety. Our approach is to offer artists contemporary oil painting mediums that are true to historic working properties, yet safer and more permanent. So just be safe. i used professional grade materials and used cold wax in lieu of linseed oil etc. Read more. Linseed oil naturally dries faster than other oils and retains greater strength and flexibility as it ages. carbon black Having said that, we don’t recommend eating paint. Therefore, we urge product users to carefully read the label, instructions and product information for each product and to test each application to ensure all individual project requirements are met – particularly when developing one’s own technique. Acrylics, by contrast, are more complex formulas of plastic, water, pigment, ammonia, and other chemicals. chrome orange Store and dispose of oil and solvent-soaked rags in metal cans only. Solvent-Free Gel retains marks and texture more readily than our Solvent-Free Fluid medium. Adding Gamsol to oil painting mediums is an effective means of modifying the oil (“fat”) content of these materials to allow artists to explore indirect/glazing techniques. And as a result can be harmful through direct skin contact and inhalation. Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits - I listened to an interview where Robert Gamblin stated that Gamsol mineral spirits fumes are less harmful than the air that comes through our windows and will not absorb through our skin. The sealed lid also stops evaporation, which means your solvents will last longer. In the short term, overexposure to aerosol sprays can cause a person to feel drowsy for several hours. There are numerous health hazards connected to turpentine. A. You will also need a metal trash can with a locking lid to dispose of your oil-soaked rags. Get Download Wendy Brightbill - Dancing with Light, My favorite oil paints are Charvin, Windsor Newton, Holbein, and Sennelier. This process is demonstrated by artist Jonathan Simon on YouTube. Oil paint is basically pigment and oil, and most pigments are perfectly safe. Photos by Petr Kratochvil - Public domain ... Turpentine is more toxic, more volatile and more flammable than mineral spirits Gamsol is pure with no toxic aromatic solvents When evaporated there’s no residue . You want to make sure your flammable solvents and solutions are sealed in an air-tight, flame-proof metal container. Gamblin produces odorless solvents and mineral spirits which are better health choices because they emit lower toxic fumes and vapors. The most popular artists' oil paint thinners and cleaners!Odorless Turpenoid - An odorless substitute for traditional turpentine that retains the same painting properties and drying time as the original. I took this photo of the two jars. Since our founding, Gamblin Artists Colors has handcrafted materials with the well-being of artists, their work and the environment in mind. Source: EarthTalk, E/The Environmental Magazine (Photo credit: Katy McDonnell, Thinkstock) Summary: If you are an artist, or just like to paint or do crafts, you may have wondered what effect art paints have on the environment.This article answers the question, addresses recycling and introduces the concept of non-toxic paints. Oil painters, in particular, are well positioned to create a “closed system” in their studios by using their excess materials in future paintings. Paint an even thin coat that goes on milky but dries clear. I inhaled it, used it directly with my hands at times, held my hair up with paint brushes and vice versa; my hunger for paint/ing was insatiable at times -I would have eaten it some days (not really but the appetite was ever present) as my love affair with oil paint was stronger than my love for anything else, except my children – there is an irony that the very activity I pursued to have the financial ability to provide for theml will ultimately take away years of life I could have with them as adults. A few artists continue to use lead white. Once I started wearing the painting gloves, the symptoms of itchy skin and fatigue were greatly reduced. Minimal studio waste is important to many artists. zinc sulfide cadmium yellow Solvent-Free Gel and Solvent-Free Fluid moderately speed drying and, along with Gamblin Safflower Oil for brush cleaning, support painters working solvent-free. Gamsol is different. Learn how your comment data is processed. SARA (313) TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY: This material contains no chemicals subject to the supplier notification requirements of the SARA 313 Toxic Release Program. They have removed 99% of the harmful aromatics that make turpentine so harmful to our health, but mineral spirits (Gamsol) is still toxic and emits fumes. I also noticed that I felt unusually tired and sluggish after a day of painting. But these are only toxic if you eat them or breathe in particles. Oil paint pigments do not have fumes, so you cannot breathe it in. strontium yellow Gamsol should not be added to traditional painting mediums containing dammar, copal, mastic resins; they require strong solvents such as turpentine. Since this is not always possible or desirable, a better option is to use non-toxic oils such as lavender oil, walnut oil or linseed oil. Turpentine and Odorless Mineral Spirits are industrial materials that emit toxic fumes.Essential Oils are ot only non-toxic to breathe, but are often used to promote health and well being medicinally and in aromatherapy. Wear artist quality nitrile gloves. We’d love to hear from you. This pigment is a compound of cobalt and phosphate. cadmium barium colors It is an excellent thinner for paints and is odorless and so safer to use in your studio. Gamsol allows painters to work in traditional and contemporary techniques without compromising artistic possibilities, permanence or your well-being. There are several ways to protect yourself while painting with oils and solvents: These few precautions will ensure you have years of safe fun in your studio. 1. For modifying oil colors and mediums, however, alternatives to true artist’s solvents – even in very small amounts – can create major and unpredictable problems. A month ago I was diagnosed with stage 3 copd/emphysema. There is no cadmium dust or “fumes” that come off paints in the tube, on your palette or in your painting. And all petroleum-based products have health risks. 2. The Gamsol SDS shows that it has an Exposure Limit Value higher than most solvents available to artists. naples yellow However, they can also be absorbed into the skin. This often yields an interesting neutral/grey color that can be stored in empty tubes or air-tight jars for future use. Unlike other solvents, Gamsol is readily biodegradable and contains no Hazardous Air Pollutants or Ozone Depleting Compounds. Allows us to create mediums with the linseed oil etc oil paints are not,! Is cobalt Violet strength and low cost take priority over safety more opalescent is gamsol toxic to breathe! Handcrafted materials with the mildest form of odorless mineral spirit is ….. Buildings and homes will allow for adequate air exchange using Gamblin oil paints are Charvin, Windsor,. 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