Solvent Free Oil Painting Products I Use

Have you been worried about starting oil painting because of all the toxic solvents?

Well, I thought the same when I started. But there's a way to still achieve the results you want, without all the toxic chemicals.

Embarking on the journey of solvent-free oil painting is a great way to prioritise your health. but still get to partake in the wonderful world of oils. In this video, I'll share the products I use, plus a few others I recommend, and how they help me achieve the results I want.

Paint Brands I Recommend:

Personally use Gamblin’s line of paints. These paints offer rich pigmentation without all the cheap additives. They only use linseed oil as a binder and don’t smell like some of the other paints I’ve tried.

Some paints I’ve been wanting to get my hands on are Blue Ridge Oil Paint & M.Graham & Co. They both use walnut and linseed oil as their binder and have no other additives. I’ve heard so many great things about these brands from other artist friends.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve used any of these.

Painting Mediums:

There are a few different oils you can use to thin oil paint. The most common are linseed and walnut oil. These are both great options if you want to go with something simple and easily accessible. Most art stores will carry these.

I've found success with Gamblin’s line of solvent-free mediums too. I use their solvent-free gel and their refined linseed oil the most.

Brush Cleaning Products:

I start my routine with a bit of linseed oil and natural dish soap to get most of the pigment off.

Then I use The Master’s Brush Cleaner & Preserver. It removes the rest of the paint residue while also conditioning the bristles of my brushes.

A follower also recently recommended this silicone makeup brush cleaning mat!! It’s such a good idea so the paint isn’t touching your skin a bunch. It’s my new favourite addition to my cleaning routine.

Check out my detailed brush cleaning video here.

Palette Cleaning:

I love using a glass palette to mix paint but if you don’t clean it right away the paint gets stuck on. Instead of solvents to clean my palette I opt for a blade scraper tool from the hardware store.

They come in many-sized handles and shapes. I kept it simple by getting this small one, with replaceable blades. It works even better if you add a little linseed oil on the dried paint before scrapping it too.

Varnishing:

Varnishing is the final touch that brings a painting to life. Natural Earth Paints provides a solvent-free solution for protecting and enhancing my artworks. This varnish is a quick-drying alcohol-based varnish.

I find it does have a bit of a strong smell but dries super quickly and leaves a beautiful glossy finish.

It’s the only varnish I’ve found that’s non-toxic locally but if you have any other recommendations leave them down in the comments.

By incorporating the right products, I've been able to achieve awesome results while staying true to my values. I encourage fellow artists to explore this method because I believe we can all achieve the same outcome without compromising on our health.

Have you tried solvent-free oil painting before?

Tune in to my weekly LIVE stream every Wednesday to ask any question you may have and paint along with me. I’ll leave the info for the Mini Paint Challenge below.