I first wrote this back in 2019 when I was still developing my process, and somehow it languished in my overly full “drafts” folder since then. I added a few amendments but felt like it deserved publishing )
I’ve fielded a lot of questions lately on my art materials, which led me to put some more thought into what felt like a natural choice. Many people look at oil paint as a toxic material, claiming it gives them headaches, or they cannot use it for other health reasons. The truth is that oil paint itself—with the exception of certain hues such as cobalt or the cadmiums—is completely natural and non-toxic, especially if you are using products from a high quality producer. Oil paint is really just pigment and linseed oil. There are other mediums you can mix it with, but personally I only mix in a little more linseed oil, or sometimes walnut oil.
“Back in the day” most people used turpentine to clean brushes or as a paint thinner. Turpentine was (is) so toxic that just leaving a container open in an unventilated room could fill the air with dangerous fumes. Today, many artists choose odorless (but-still-highly-toxic) Gamsol instead. Through trial and listening to other artists, I realized it was really easy to avoid all toxic materials. I use acrylic as my base* or for my underpainting, then I keep it extra simple and use linseed oil alone as a medium. There is no smell, no headache, no funky chemicals being absorbed through my skin—well as long as I stay away from some of the inherently toxic colors**—and minimal chemicals being drained into the earth—a win-win-win.
If you know me, then you know that I am obsessively natural in all things I put on or in my body. I am, in all parts of my life, trying to do my part in reducing waste and being kind to the planet. I inwardly cringe when I see single use plastics, and do my best to not use any. I’m not perfect and I have three small children, so of course I fail at this, literally all the time. But I try. And when I began painting again in 2018, I felt drawn to oil over acrylic—which is a micro-plastic. I do use acrylics now in some paintings, and have evolved to use acrylic as my underpainting. So while I appreciate acrylic in many ways and as having a beautiful place in my art practice, my initial love for oil was partly owed to an avoidance of micro-plastics.
Beyond the physical component, I am head over heels in love with the flow and texture of oil paints. Acrylic and watercolor are great, but just do not have the same feel for me. I’ve spoken to many other oil painters who agree-there is a certain je ne sais quoi about oil paints. The beauty is unique in its look and its feel. Acrylic was all I had with me when I was in Costa Rica the winter of 2019, and I ended up spending 6 weeks literally dreaming every night of painting with my oil paints. In my work now, when I use acrylic, I use it in a very different style of abstracts. perhaps it is the natural quality of oil that connects to the land in my mind, but I can only seem to paint landscapes in oil.
Finally—oil paint is so superior to me when it comes to painting with kids! I know many parents who will vehemently disagree, and claim that oil is “too messy” to use around their kids, but hear me out. I am a single mom to three boys, and ever since March of 2020 I haven gotten really comfortable painting alongside them, often in our kitchen. (Or living room, or bedroom…I paint anywhere I can squeeze it in!)
Oil is messy, yes, but with kids around it is very useful to have a palette that lasts for several days at a time. When using acrylic, I would get pulled away for 20 minutes, and by the time I came back to my painting, my entire paint palette would be dry and wasted.*** I love that I can come and go with my oils. I can grab two minutes here or there and make some adjustments to a painting, and then come back to it in an hour or the next day and pick right back up. As improbable as it sounds, I’ve never really had my kids get messy in the oil either. I do leave it out often and will have paintings propped in random locations around the house, but somehow we have never had a mishap. And we’re talking three crazy boys here!
Do you paint with oil? What is your favorite thing about it? If not, what is one thing stopping you from trying it?
If you’d like to give it a go or learn how my process works, my beginner’s oil painting course “Oil for Everyone” is open for enrollment now! Come join us and learn how to create your own oil painting masterpieces—non-toxic, simple and with ease.
*Some studies have suggested that the acrylic as a base interferes with the oil paint’s ability to properly adhere to the canvas or surface as it dries. I do not think this is something to worry about and I love this part of my process. If you are concerned I would recommend a little more research as I only read this in one place. An alternative is to use Gamsol to thin oil paint and use that as a base.
**Some oil colors, while naturally derived, are inherently toxic. Flake White contains lead, and Cobalt, and the spectrum of cadmiums are all toxic. There is some debate over the severity of toxicity—many artist maintain that you can only suffer the toxins if you ingest the paint or inhale the dry pigment before it is mixed. However, given how porous the skin is—it literally soaks up anything right into the bloodstream—I personally recommend avoiding these or using latex gloves when you do use these hues.
***I will also add the caveat that of course there are mediums to use with acrylic that will slow the drying time, or you can also spritz the palette with water, and I’m sure there is another method I don’t even know about. But all in all, the ease of setting up my oil palette and—without adding to it or doing a thing—knowing it will stay wet for 2-3 days is priceless.